Austria, and with it the Salzkammergut region, has secured its place on the world culinary stage - and with good reason. With their unique blend of regional ingredients, artisanal perfection and creative and innovative ideas, five restaurants in the Salzkammergut were able to impress the international jury and receive a coveted MICHELIN star. 

In total, the Salzkammergut boasts five MICHELIN stars, three Bib Gourmand and one Green Star. Here we present the best restaurants.

Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of top cuisine on your next visit to the Salzkammergut and savour the excellent flavours between mountains and lakes.
 

Executive chef Lukas Nagl and his team at the Bootshaus restaurant have been honoured at international level at the Gröller family's "Das Traunsee - Das Hotel zum See". 1 MICHELIN star and 1 Green Star now characterise the innovative cuisine, which already has 4 toques with Lukas Nagl as Gault Millau Chef of the Year 2023. The Salzkammergut is both home and a source of inspiration for Nagl, a man with a full beard and casual demeanour. He himself is at the cooker in the Bootshaus, but also pulls the strings in the forward-looking Wirtshaus Poststube 1327 and the recently opened Belétage in the Hotel Post am See. The Bootshaus dishes are characterised by a focus on the obvious with an open view of the wider world. The kitchen team sees it as its mission to bring the region's food to the plate in the most natural and refined way possible. Whether vegetables, fish or meat - they all have the same importance. Unique Austrian products are completely rethought in Nagl's kitchen. And theconnection to the Salzkammergut lakes is alsoevident in his dishes, such as the char "Seeviche".

We were able to ask Lukas Nagl a few questions - about the specialities of his dishes, the importance of sustainability, kitchen innovations and the influence of his home region, the Salzkammergut. He also gave us his insider tip for preparing (lake) fish.

Lukas, how would you describe your philosophy in the kitchen? Are there certain principles that are particularly important to you?

In all 3 restaurants at Gröller Hospitality, it is important to us to serve regional food in the most natural and refined way possible. At the Bootshaus, vegetables, fish and meat have the same importance and are utilised whole. Global influences make Austrian cuisine strong, and fermentation is an essential part of my cooking. Influences from Japanese cuisine, yes, but the products come from Austria. In my own company Luvi Fermente, we make things like "Gerstl Miso" from barley or "Pumpkin Seed Shoyu" from pumpkin seed press cake and wheat. The fish leftovers from the restaurants are processed into fish sauce.

It is very important to me to know all the suppliers personally. We buy the entire catch from our professional fisherman for all three restaurants - the whole fish is processed. This makes us creative in the kitchen, surprises our guests time and time again and secures the fisherman's livelihood. In this way, we practise sustainability in many areas every day.

So sustainability and regionality play a big role in your kitchen. What are your favourite regional ingredients?

There are many. One of our signature dishes at the Bootshaus is the "German Goldparadeiser", a timeless dish. This dish reflects the terroir and my personality very well. For me, it's like travelling to the south and back to Austria. With lavender, hazelnuts and lovage. The hazelnuts come from a regional farm in Piedmont, lovage grows in our herb garden, the pumpkin and tomato, like most of the vegetables, come from our organic vegetable farmer.

For me, cooking seasonally means more than just having four seasons, real flexibility comes from integrating micro-seasons. In the Bootshaus restaurant, we therefore always present a fresh shopping basket from the lake, mountain pastures and meadows, from which we then prepare the dishes for our guests every day.

What do you associate with the Salzkammergut and what influence does the region have on your work?

The Salzkammergut is my home, but also the inspiration for my dishes. In 2020, I wrote a "Salzkammergut cookery book" with Katharina Seiser (edited by Wolfgang Gröller and published by Brandstätter Verlag), in which I captured my view of the Salzkammergut. My cuisine is also like this: cosmopolitan in terms of flavour, but always with its roots in the region. Examples of this would be a Gmunden salad, which is in no way inferior to its counterpart from Nice. Or rye doughnuts that become "Salzkammergut Tacos". And our excellent freshwater fish become "Seeviche".

Speaking of "Seeviche" - as one of the best fish chefs in the country, can you tell us the ultimate trick for preparing fish?

The master brine. Perhaps the most important recipe for preparing fish: brining improves the consistency and ensures that the fish remains juicier when cooked. Fish with soft flesh in particular benefit from this, but it is suitable for all fish.