Dining

Restaurants listed below are in the heart of the city, where you’ll also find the best lodging. In the individual towns and villages there are countless dining establishments and mountain restaurants.

Price coding (without wine) is €€€—€36+, €€—€16–35. €—€15-.

We start with the top restaurants for Austrian/Tyrolean cuisine. The top restaurants based on locals’ recommendations and awards are all outside of the old center. Fax numbers are included since advanced reservations, far in advance, are recommended. Kapeller (Philippine-Welser-Strasse 96; 343106 fax 34310668; www.kapeller.at; €€€) in the Amras section of Innsbruck serves great steak with a mustard onion crust. For dessert, try the flaming raspberries. Schwarzer Adler (Kaiserjägerstrasse 2; 587109 fax 561697; www.deradler.com; €€€) at the corner of Universitätsstrasse has menu wonders such as smoked halibut with red onions, potatoes and creative applestrudel. Europastüberl (Brixnerstrasse 6; 5931 fax 587800; www.europatyrol.com; €€€) across from the train station offers a wonderful calf liver cooked in calvados and great plum creations for dessert. Call or fax for reservations at these three places.

The close runners up are all excellent restaurants and are oozing with Austrian atmosphere. Reservations are recommended.

Dengg (Riesengasse 13; 582347; www.dengg.co.at; €€) holds a Gault Millau toque, Michelin fork and seems to be mentioned often by locals when asked for good local meals. Go for the unusual polenta cream soup, then crayfish with vegetables in sour cream sauce. At Riese Haymon (Haymongasse 4; 566800; www.riese-haymon.at; €–€€;photo above) is another Gault Millau winner where you should try the young onion soup, and the lamb carpaccio with pesto. The Goldener Adler (Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse 6; 571111; www.goldeneradler.com; €–€€€) has served a whole list of luminaries engraved in marble outside the door. Try the cream soup with parsley, the roast goose and top it off with ice cream with plum sauce or enjoy bananas in Grand Marnier. Lunch menus are very affordable.

Fischerhäusl (Herrengasse 8; 583535; €€) claims to be one of the oldest. Other good Tyrolean restaurants in the old town include Ottoburg (Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse 1; 584338; www.ottoburg.at; €€) and Weisses Rössl (Kiebachgasse 8; 583057; www.roessl.at; €€).

Outside of the old town try Bierwirt (Bichlweg 2; 342143; www.bierwirt.com; €€; photo left) in Amras around the corner from Kapeller Restaurant. Locals swear this is the area’s best regional cooking. In Igls enjoy a meal at Batzenhäusl (Lanserstrasse 12; 38618; www.batzenhaeusl.at; €€; photo below). In Lans, not far from Igls is the award-winning Wilder Mann (Römerstrasse, Lans; 379696; www.wilder-mann.at; €€–€€€) featuring exceptional Austrian meals. In Patsch try Grünwalderhof (Römerstraße 1, 377 304, €€) and enjoy great panoramic views of Stubai valley from the garden. For a special panoramic meal on Friday and Saturday, take the cablecar up to Seegrube and enjoy a meal in the restaurant at the cablecar station with the lights of Innsbruck glittering far below you. Call 293375 for reservations. The cablecar runs at a reduced rate for the dinner guests.

Back in town, here are some more suggestions.

New for 2006. The spanky new restaurant Maquin (565444, fax 565444 30, www.maquin.at) is introducing innovative ideas in cuisine. It combines traditional Austrian dishes with Eastern specialities. The menu changes every week.

Thai Li Ba (Rathausgalerien, 567888, www.thai-li-ba.com; €€) has a great vegetarian selection, making for a good break from its heavier Austrian competitors. It is very popular with locals; you’ll be seated next to smartly dressed Austrians chatting on their cell phones over a plate of Thai Noodles or Lemon Pepper Yellow Fin Tuna. Expect to pay about €10-20 for main dishes; their fine selection of Austrian wines begins at €20. If forced to wait, go to the next door cocktail bar Havanna (570888) or the bar on the 5th floor of Hotel The Penz ((575657, fax 5756579) for a smooth drink before dinner.

Cammerlander (Innrain 2; 586398; www.cammerlander.at; €–€€) is a bright family place right on the riverbank just outside the old city center. Enjoy pizzas and pasta dishes, some Asian soups and steaks in a nice setting.

Papa Joe’s (Saillergasse 12; 583046, www.the-living-restaurants.com; €–€€) serves Americanized buffalo wings, Caribbean jambalaya and Texas steaks just inside the Altstadt. It’s a younger, single, sports bar spot.

You can’t beat Italian restaurants for good meals at good prices. Innsbruck has plenty of them. The best in Innsbruck is Da Peppino (Kirschentalgasse 6; 275699; €€) only open for dinner. Try the spaghetti with baby octopus or have your fish filleted by the table and top it all off with profiteroles filled with mascapone. This is an experience—not your Mama’s red sauce pasta. Pizzeria Romantica (Kiebachgasse 11; 586828; €) is a typical pizzeria with a bit of rustic Italian ambiance. Solo Pasta (Universitätsstrasse 15; 587206, www.solopasta.at; €) serves more than two dozen different and very reasonable pasta dishes from lasagna to spaghetti to rigatoni. Must be good—it’s packed at night. Almost next door Il Dottore Pizza & Pasta (Kaiserjägerstrasse 1; €) is packed as well with locals. Al Dente (Meranerstrasse 7; €; photo above left) has very interesting creative pasta dishes with lots of variations and a good salad bar as well. Panini (Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse 17; €) is a good lunch stop, in the Altestadt, near the Goldenes Dachl. It’s a step above Au Bon Pain. You’ll find good pizza squares, sandwiches, soups and desserts.

Sahib (Sillgasse 3; 571468; €) serves good Indian meals from hot and spicy curry to creamy sags. Canton China (Maria-Theresien-Strasse 37; €) is a good Chinese spot, with €4.50 midweek specials (Monday to Thursday, not holidays). This has attractive, upscale decor and prices are quite reasonable. It is not at all your run-of-the-mill Chinese food. This may be the best Chinese in town.

If you need a hometown fix there are the ubiquitous McDonalds (Maria Theresien-Strasse and Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse; €) and Burger King (Südtirolerplatz 16, 575143). But even though the names are American, the prices are not and seem to be a little high, even for Austrians.