The best restaurants and bars in Saalbach
Foodies are served just as well as party animals in Saalbach and Hinterglemm , neighbouring Austrian resorts renowned for their lively après ski. Together, they have a great choice of restaurants both in the resort centres and on the slopes – many of which morph from laid-back lunchtime venues to buzzing afternoon drinking spots.
Après starts on the mountain from lunchtime onwards and the festivities continue down in the villages until the early hours. Here, cosy mountain bars, outdoor umbrella bars, pubs and nightclubs rub shoulders, and it's far from unusual to see people still dressed for the slopes, including ski boots, trying to navigate their way back home long after midnight.
Skip to:
Best restaurants in Saalbach
Arte Vinum
£££ | hotel-alpine-palace.com
The Austrian tradition of half-board packages means that hotel restaurants tend to dominate the food scene. A particularly stylish venue is Arte Vinum at the Hotel Alpine Palace, next to the Reiterkogel cable car in Hinterglemm. The restaurant has leather dining chairs, candlelit tables and a selection of over 1,000 top‑quality Austrian and international wines. Expect delicious fare, too – highlights include beef carpaccio, venison ham or pike-perch with cabbage and beetroot.
Arte Vinum is a stylish high-end venue at Hotel Alpine Palace in Hinterglemm
Bobby's Pub
£ | bobbys-pub.at
Not far from the Schattberg gondola in Saalbach, Bobby's Pub draws a young crowd, with bowling lanes, pool table, darts, table football and computer games. There's always a great value dish of the day, plus pizzas, kebabs and burgers.
Wieseralm
£££ | wiesergut.com
At the top of the Reiterkogel gondola above Hinterglemm, Wieseralm is housed in a lovely wooden hut and splendidly cosy on a snowy day. It is owned by the trendy Wiesergut hotel in Hinterglemm and has a big south-facing terrace with panoramic views, ideal for a long lunch in sunny weather. As well as traditional Austrian food, such as cheese dumplings and schnitzel, head chef Andreas Hollin serves fancier dishes such as fresh oysters and bison steak.
Wieseralm is housed in a lovely wooden hut and is splendidly cosy on a snowy day
Hotel Peter
££ | hotel-peter.at
On Saalbach's main thoroughfare, the restaurant at Hotel Peter has a traditional atmosphere and food to match. The house speciality is a Felsensteak (a cut of local Pinzgau beef, cooked in herbs and spices, with a brandy sauce). It's usually presented by Peter himself, decked out in his lederhosen.
Asitz Bräu
££ | asitzbraeu.com
Above Leogang, Asitz Bräu has a great ambience and has been a mountain inn since the 1930s, serving Tirol beer brewed to a special recipe. The menu features excellent pepper steak and whole roasted trout, along with the usual spare ribs and Tiroler gröstl. The restaurant also hosts a "brewing museum", showcasing historic beer-making equipment that dates back to the early 20th century.
Asitz Bräu offers good food, live music and a 'brewing museum' in one - Peter Kuehnl
Thurneralm
£ | thurneralm.at
Easily reached from the top of the Magic chair high above the town, with access from Kohlmais and Schönleiten, Thurneralm is a big place specialising in hearty cheese, bacon or liver soups with dumplings. There are also great pasta dishes and Tiroler gröstl. House specials include pork cutlets, chicken wings or grilled Berner sausage with French fries. The traditional Kaiserschmarrn pancake with plum sauce is large enough for two.
Best bars in Saalbach
Bergeralm
With new owners for 2026/27, the terrace of the Bergeralm under the Magic chairlift at mid-mountain above Saalbach is a prime spot to party on a sunny day. Mercifully, it's a blue run home.
Soak up the sunshine from Bergeralm's outdoor terrace
Goaßstall
£ | goasstall.com
Near to the bottom of the Reiterkogel gondola from Hinterglemm, Goaßstall buzzes from mid‑afternoon. It's a rustic barn with loud music, dancing and and a small collection of mechanical goats. This is a must, if ending the day at the Hinterglemm end of town.
The party at Goaßstall starts from mid-afternoon
Bauer's Schi-Alm
£-££ | bauers-schialm.at
Close to the bottom of the Kohlmais gondola in central Saalbach, Bauer's Schi-Alm has no less than four bars for patrons to sample. Après parties start at the Inferno umbrella bar on the gigantic terrace, getting going from mid-afternoon with live acts and DJs.
Bauer's Schi-Alm is located near the Kohlmais gondola in central Saalbach
Offpiste Bar
£ | offpistebar.com
Housed on two levels in the vaults of the 12th-century church tower in the centre of Saalbach, Offpiste Bar is not huge as dance venues go, but is happening. A DJ set up in an old gondola cabin delivers an eclectic mix of current tunes and rock oldies to get the crowd going.
Offpiste is housed over two levels
Castello
££ | saalbacherhof.at
The biggest, glitziest nightclub is Castello at the Saalbacherhof Hotel in Saalbach village which opened its doors back in 1970. Live bands, many from Scandinavia, play on a large stage and concealed speakers amplify the sound. It has a huge terrace.
How we choose
Every restaurant and bar in this curated list has been chosen by our ski expert, following years of experience on the slopes. We cover a range of budgets, from Michelin-starred restaurants to casual bars – to best suit every skier's taste – and consider the food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price in our recommendations, with options both in the resort and on the mountain. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up-to-date recommendations.
