Hijab ban in Salzburg restaurant - not the first incident
A controversy has erupted around the trendy Salzburg rooftop restaurant Cool Mama after a woman’s birthday reservation was canceled because she wears a headscarf. Online reviews now suggest this was not an isolated incident.
According to reports by يانا ستانيك, the woman’s husband had booked a table by phone. When he mentioned that his wife wears a headscarf, the restaurant canceled the reservation. The incident quickly drew attention, with many users checking past Google reviews of the venue.
Several guests described similar experiences. One reviewer wrote that a group of six friends was denied entry because two women were wearing headscarves. He later discovered a note on the restaurant’s website stating that all types of head coverings were banned. He said he had never experienced such treatment in Salzburg before.
Another review from two years ago accused the restaurant of racism and xenophobia. A woman claimed her family was turned away despite the restaurant being half empty. She said staff looked them up and down before refusing service and concluded her review by saying she would never return.
In response, Cool Mama denied any racial or religious motivation. The restaurant said its dress code applies equally to all guests, regardless of origin or religion, and argued that making exceptions would be unfair. However, potential customers say the strict rules are discouraging them from visiting, with some calling the headscarf ban narrow-minded and excessive.