365 days a year: Culinary pleasure at new heights in Tirol

Last updated on 08.01.2026

Anyone who has ever stepped into the warm, wood-panelled comfort of a mountain hut after a ski tour, a hike, or a long day on the mountain – breathing in the aroma of freshly prepared Tirolean classics or raising a glass together in celebration of a successfully scaled summit – knows instantly: pleasure in Tirol is so much more than fabulous vistas and mighty mountains. It is the symbiosis of traditional craftsmanship, regional produce, refined haute cuisine and extraordinary moments when movement in the great outdoors and pleasures of the palate come together. And it accompanies visitors and locals alike through every season of the year.

Is it the time-honoured methods of preparation? The freshness of the local ingredients? Or the skill of creating delicious dishes in remote locations that demand challenging logistics – meals that bring the flavour of the mountains straight to the plate? Most likely, it’s a blend of all the aforementioned. Tirol’s mountain world is a place of pleasure, in the truest sense of the word.

Mountain dining – at any time of the year

When footpaths burst back to life in summer, or the clear, crisp air is palpable in winter, every stride in the mountains inevitably leads to a sense of togetherness. People sit side by side in mountain huts, share stories and strike up conversations with others who were strangers only moments before. Whether the warmth of a mountain hut after a ski tour, a plate of ‘Kaspressknödel’ or ‘Käsespätzle’ cheese dumplings after an autumn walk, a bowl of hot soup after a crisp spring morning, food becomes a shared experience when in the mountains.

Many of Tirol’s award-winning huts sit high in the mountains and can only be reached on foot – but they are worth every step. In some cases, getting supplies delivered is a feat in itself: food and drink are flown by helicopter from the valley below to some of the more remote huts – a logistical challenge that makes every meal even more special. And those who climb high are richly rewarded – with wide horizons, unspoilt landscapes and dishes that taste of the mountains and freedom.

Tirol’s haute cuisine – from MICHELIN to Falstaff

In Tirol, culinary excellence takes many forms: fine dining and alpine hut cuisine sit side by side, each with its own impressive standards. Tirol is living proof that outstanding cuisine belongs not only to big cities but thrives equally where mountains form the backdrop.

Guide MICHELIN & Gault Millau

Culinary excellence is not only found in the mountain huts of Tirol, but also in its fine dining establishments. Tirol is the proud holder of the highest number of MICHELIN-starred restaurants of any other Austrian province – clear proof of the exceptional quality and creativity of its culinary scene. For many years, Gault Millau has also ranked Tirol’s cuisine among the most exciting in the Alpine region. Both guides follow the same principles: freshness and quality of ingredients, craftsmanship, creativity and consistency. In a nutshell, Tirol’s top chefs combine a deep connection to their region with international appeal in a way that is hard to find elsewhere.

Falstaff: Austria’s best mountain huts

Tirol also sets culinary benchmarks in the high alpine region. According to Falstaff, two Tirolean establishments rank among Austria’s best alpine huts: the SchneetalALM at around 1,650 metres and the Brandenburger Haus at an impressive 3,277 metres above sea level. Both are representative of what makes Tirol’s mountain hut culture so special – authentic cooking, heartfelt hospitality and genuine mountain tradition, far from the everyday.

While the SchneetalALM remains closed in winter due to avalanche risk, and the Brandenburger Haus, one of the highest mountain refuges in the Alps, offers only a winter room for mountaineers during the colder months, summer reveals what’s possible here: true culinary highlights crafted from regional ingredients, passion and deep alpine experience.

The highest pleasure – in the truest sense

Those keen to explore Tirol’s cuisine in the higher reaches of the Alps will find exceptional eateries all year round. Here is a selection of notable establishments above 2,000 metres:

• Café 3.440 • Austria’s highest coffee break: perched on the Pitztal Glacier, Café 3.440 turns every cup of coffee into a panoramic experience. It is Austria’s highest café and is open all year round.

• iceQ • Haute cuisine at 3,048 metres: an architectural statement on the summit. iceQ in Sölden is Austria’s highest gourmet restaurant and combines Alpine flavours with international finesse.

• Neue Regensburger Hütte • Vegetarian cuisine at altitude: located at 2,286 metres in the Stubai Valley, this is one of Austria’s highest vegetarian mountain huts. In summer, it serves creative meat-free dishes; in winter, only the winter room is open.

• Kristallhütte • Wine above the clouds: Sitting at 2,147 metres, the Kristallhütte in the Zillertal is home to one of Austria’s highest wine cellars. In winter, it can be reached only on skis—or by skidoo by arrangement.

• Glungezer-Hütte • Tirol meets Nepal: At 2,610 metres, the Glungezer Hut is Tirol’s highest Austrian Alpine Association summit hut, high above the Inn Valley. Open ten months a year and accessible in winter by ski tour or snowshoes, it serves Tirolean classics alongside authentic Nepalese specialities — including much-loved momos — creating a culinary bridge from the Alps to the Himalayas.

Culinary excellence rooted in tradition

Culinary highlights in Tirol are not only to be found in the huts and gourmet restaurants – traditional regional products also tell stories of craftsmanship, altitude and alpine ways of life.

Stanzer Zwetschke Plums – summer in winter
Stanz, at 1,000 metres, is Europe’s highest fruit-growing area. Here, plums are distilled into high-quality fruit schnapps that echo the taste of summer in your glass in winter.

Tiroler Almkäse Alpine Cheese PDO – a taste of high mountain pastures
Tirolean Almkäse, an Alpine cheese with Protected Designation of Origin, is produced exclusively on seven Alpine farms in Tirol, using 100 % Alpine milk. The result is a fusion of altitude, craftsmanship and tradition – an authentic ambassador of alpine Tirol.

Krautinger – Tirol’s rare speciality
Krautinger schnapps is one of Tirol’s most distinctive regional specialities – a turnip spirit distilled exclusively in the Wildschönau Valley. Today, only 16 farms hold the historic distilling rights, granted in the 18th century by Empress Maria Theresia. Krautinger is not just unique in flavour, but a living piece of Tirolean cultural history.

Conclusion: Tirol tastes delightful – all year round

Whether it’s the warmth of a hut in winter, or the allure of a sunny terrace in summer, whether fruit ripens at 1,000 metres, or fine dining is served at over 3,000 metres – Tirol offers the heights of pleasure that endure throughout the year. Here, culinary indulgence is not a question of season, but of setting. And that could hardly be more beautiful than here. More information on Tirol’s culinary scene is available at www.tyrol.com/activities/food.