The Oldest Restaurants in the World: Bite-Sized History

The criterion for being considered the oldest restaurant in the world is that the establishment has been dedicated to serving meals continuously. This is the case with the Madrid-based Casa Botín, which has been a restaurant since 1725, when Cándido Remis, the nephew of the wife of French cook Jean Botín, opened an inn on Cuchilleros street. However, there are other restaurants that continue to vie for the title and opened their doors years earlier but have not consistently operated in this business.

The restaurant L'Auberge Saint-Gabriel was built in 1688 by a French soldier and in 1754 became the first inn to receive a liquor license in North America.

The oldest tavern in the United States is the White Horse Tavern, built in 1673 and perfectly preserving its colonial atmosphere.

In 1816, La Puerta Falsa was built, the oldest restaurant in Colombia, which still carefully guards the recipe for the most famous tamales in Bogotá.

The Old House is considered the oldest pub in Wales, although it competes with others; it is located in Maesteg and was inaugurated in 1147.

In the Spanish capital, we find Casa Botín, the oldest restaurant that has continuously operated since 1725, accredited by the Guinness Book.

Zum Franziskaner was built in 1622, but the original restaurant was demolished in the 17th century and reopened in 1910 with Art Nouveau decor.

The oldest Polish restaurant, Piwnica Świdnicka, gets its name from Świdnica, one of the most important brewing centers in the country.

St. Peter Stiftskeller is considered the oldest in Europe, with mentions dating back to 803. Some of its clients have been notable, including the Mozart family, who tried its cuisine.

The oldest café in Tunisia is the restaurant M'Rabet, founded by a minister of the bey of the country around 1630.

At Ma Yu Ching's Bucket Chicken House, fried chicken is served in buckets, and it continues to have its origins in chickens sold in the markets of Kaifeng.

Honke Owariya (1465) is a soba noodle temple in Japan that also served food to the imperial family.