Whether sprawling food halls in luxury department stores or family-owned delicatessens operating on the same street for decades, these institutions are much more than the items they sell. They have outlasted monarchies, wars, financial crashes and even today’s global pandemic to become must-visit destinations. Here we’ve listed 30 of the world’s most historic food stores with inspiring stories, jaw-dropping architecture and, of course, some of the most amazing food and drink in the world.
Located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Russ & Daughters has been offering traditional Jewish food since 1914. The landmark shop has occupied the same spot for 107 years and has now entered its fourth generation of ownership. It got its name in 1935 when founder Joel Russ made his daughters full partners – a move that saw it become the first business in America to have “& Daughters” in its name. Customers travel from far and wide to visit the shop and sample everything from pastrami-cured salmon to breads including bialys and babkas. Russ & Daughters also deliver nationwide across the USA.
The flagship Piccadilly store in England's capital – with its lavish interior, ornate spiral staircase, and signature bright blue-green colour – is famous for its extensive selection of teas, coffees and biscuits, as well as its wicker hamper baskets. The London institution has also laid claim to many groundbreaking gastronomic events since it was established in 1707 including inventing the Scotch Egg in 1738 and being one of the first shops in Britain to stock Heinz baked beans in 1886.
Modern-day shoppers like to visit this old-timey grocery store for the nostalgia as much as they do for restocking their provisions. Épicerie J.A. Moisan – established in 1871 in Rue Saint-Jean, Quebec – is regarded as the oldest grocery store in North America and it lives up to that status with its 19th-century shopfront, antiques, woodwork, and interior design. An eclectic selection of Canadian specialties and artisanal products including coffee beans, teas, spices, charcuterie and regional cheese are displayed on worn wooden tables, wicker baskets and glass cases.
A far cry from the hip burger joints typical of the modern-day German capital, Rogacki (pronounced Ro-gatz-ki) offers a glimpse into Berlin's past. The business was first established in 1928 as an eel and fish smokehouse before relocating to its current location in Charlottenburg in 1935. After the Second World War the owners rebuilt it as the original site was destroyed by a fire. Now run by their grandson, Dietmar Rogacki, the iconic deli stocks more than 70 types of fresh and smoked fish along with cheese, game, poultry, and bread.
Gastronome No.1 only opened in 2008, but the 1950s-style grocery store – located in Russia’s historic department store, GUM – is a successor to the original Soviet shop which traded between 1953 and 1990. The new store’s impressive marble columns, stylised signs and vintage-style staff uniforms are a nod to its predecessor. A wide selection of classic Soviet products such as shproti (canned fish similar to sardines), birch juice and confectionary sit alongside international gourmet food and drink products including baked cakes, pastries, chocolates, cheeses and fine wines.
Molinari’s is one of the oldest delicatessens in the United States, but San Fran's residents know it better for its Italian combo sandwich and Sicilian arancini. Established in 1896 by P.G. Molinari in The Golden City's historically Italian North Beach customers can pick from a wide selection of cheeses, marinated delicacies and an impressive wall of wine. The business also makes its own salami which it sells whole and sliced via mail order.
First opened in 1955, this family-owned shop is a stalwart of Beirut's food scene, surviving amid the chaos of the 15-year Lebanese Civil War plus multiple financial crashes that have afflicted the Middle Eastern country. Aziz Delicatesse was forced to close its flagship store in the central neighbourhood of Kantari due to political events in 1975 and open a new store in Zalka, a village six miles (9.8km) east of the city. Eventually Aziz reopened the Kantari shop in 2001 and both sites are still flourishing today. Not only does the delicatessen offer Italian balsamic vinegars, French mustards, and Spanish tunas, it also has one of the largest wine cellars in the country, stocking 100,000 bottles of wine and Champagne.
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Sahadi’s has been bringing the flavours of the Middle East to New Yorkers since 1895. The current store, on Atlantic Avenue, has been Sahadi's home since 1948 and is a beloved Brooklyn spot where shoppers can select ancient grains like farro and freekeh, freshly roasted nuts, dried fruits and ground and whole spices in bulk. Freshly-baked Afghan and Syrian breads occupy the bakery section, while the deli counter sells tabbouleh, kibbeh, kebabs and the Lebanese shop’s now-legendary hummus. There’s also an impressive olive oil selection and an olive bar stocked with more than 30 varieties.
Part gallery, part food store, this Barcelona delicatessen is on the Art Nouveau European Trail thanks to its modernist storefront that still features the original 19th-century signs and advertising posters created by Spanish painter Ramon Casas. The shop’s interior retains the mahogany furniture, clock, and original counter dating from 1898. A culinary temple of delicacies from Catalonia and beyond, visitors can expect artisan cheeses, Iberian hams, smoked fish, canned conservas (fish) and wines including cavas.
The Russian department store home to this famous food hall was built at the beginning of the 20th century by architect Gabriel Baranovskii. Thanks to its striking Neo-Baroque style, hand-painted ceilings, stained glass windows, and Art Nouveau architecture, the historic food hall is considered one of the most beautiful grocery stores in the world. Located in the very centre of the city on Nevsky Prospekt, the emporium offers shoppers premium Russian products as well as restaurants and a coffee shop.
This deli and grocer has been at the same location on NYC’s Broadway at West 80th Street for over 80 years. First opened by Louis and Lillian Zabar, it's a gourmet emporium of cured meats, cheeses, coffee, teas, baked goods, smoked fish, fancy jams, and confectionery. Zabar’s contribution to the city's food culture is wide-reaching and the store claims to have introduced New Yorkers to brie in the 1960s. Today, Louis and Lillian's sons operate the business welcoming 40,000 customers to the store each week.
One of the world’s most spectacular food halls, La Grande Épicerie is a landmark of Parisian gastronomy. A part of the historic Le Bon Marché department store, it first opened in 1923 in Rive Gauche but today it’s located at the corner of the Rue de Sèvres. Offering over 30,000 products in 17 different departments, lovers of fine food can find French madeleines, Spanish hams, British shortbread, Italian antipasti, and even American Marshmallow Fluff among the displays. There’s also an impressive spice section, a foie gras “island” and departments devoted solely to butter and truffles.
Soho's Lina Stores is as much adored by Londoners as it is by chefs and restauranteurs. The green-tiled shop front is home to piles of authentic Italian produce – from lavishly wrapped panettone to cured meats suspended above the counter. But the highlight here is the fresh, handmade pasta that it has been making and selling since it first opened its doors in 1944 on Brewer Street. Its signature spinach and ricotta ravioli has been on its pasta display ever since. You'll find other locations at King's Cross and Bloomberg Arcade in the City of London, plus another planned for Marylebone village in 2022.
This traditional grocery store in the northern Italian town of Morbegno was first established in 1883 and still has the original 19th century sign on its shopfront. A food connoisseurs paradise, the shop is crammed with Italian delights including handmade pasta, polenta, Valtellina wines, grappas, cheese and local cured meats. Beneath the store are two cellars that hold a huge selection of wine, cured meats, and cheeses including bitto, an aged Alpine cheese made with cow and goats’ milk and aged for up to a decade.
Gene’s is one of Chicago’s most storied deli's selling over 40 types of smoked sausages, fresh and cured meats and, what it claims is the best chicken soup in the city. Celebrating its 50th anniversary next year, the deli was first started in 1972 by two brothers, John and Gene Luszcz, from Poland. They opened specialising in homemade smoked sausage and other Polish delicacies. Today it’s run by Gene’s son and daughter and stocks fresh produce, imported European specialties and beers and wines across two floors.
Known as the temple of Italian gastronomy, Peck is a Milanese institution selling cheeses, chocolates, pralines, gelato, seafood, pâté, balsamics and much more. But its crowning glory is its wine cellar filled with more than 3,000 labels from across the globe. The story of Peck began in 1883 after Franz Peck, a salumi maker from Prague, opened a workshop of German-style cured and smoked meats with the ambition of turning it into a successful deli. Over a century later, it has become one of the most renowned Italian food and wine companies in the world.
Established in 1934, this Edinburgh favourite on Elm Row is Scotland’s oldest delicatessen. It was started by two Italian families and has been selling Italian and Scottish delicacies ever since including a speciality spicy Fonteluma sausage made using a centuries-old recipe. Customers will find an abundance of cheeses, cured meats, pastas, olive oils and much more. In recent years, the deli has added a gift room and bookshop which it converts into a 70-seat theatre for the annual Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
The founder of this old-fashioned grocery store is said to have created the famous muffuletta sandwich. Salvatore Lupo first opened Central Grocery & Deli in 1906 and, three generations later, his descendants continue to run the business on Decatur Street in the middle of New Orleans’ French Quarter. The deli still sells its signature muffuletta sandwich, made of ham, salami, mortadella, provolone, and Swiss cheese with a layer of the deli’s own Italian olive salad. Sadly, the deli is temporarily closed due to damage caused by Hurricane Ida, but you can still order treats from meal kits to muffulettas online.
Selling Jewish food on the Upper West Side of Manhattan since 1908, Barney Greengrass was the first to introduce smoked and cured fish such as sturgeon to the city. Over a century later, the business is run by Barney’s grandson but the legend of “The Sturgeon King” is still known today. Gaining a lot of celebrity attention over the decades, the deli is particularly famous for shipping an order of smoked fish to President Roosevelt.
The Re Store was one of Perth’s first continental food stores when it first opened in 1936. After selling fruit and veg from a stand in Northbridge, founder John Re pawned his wife Maria’s wedding ring to buy a proper shopfront. Over 80 years later, the business (which now has a second site in Leederville) is still selling everything from loaded continental rolls to fresh pasta made in-house. It played a huge part in bringing multicultural cuisine to Western Australia and was one of the first businesses to bring coffee culture to Perth.
Manteigaria Silva has been serving Lisboetas a wide array of dry-cured hams, Serra da Estrela cheese and signature bacalhau (sea salt-cured cod) since 1890. It is one of the oldest shops in Portugal’s capital and the only that has retained its original name, “manteigaria” which means a shop to buy butter.
Alleva Dairy’s storefront sign gives it away – it’s the oldest cheese store in America. Since 1892, visitors have flocked to New York’s Little Italy landmark to buy its beloved ricotta and mozzarella which is made in-house using recipes from its founder, Pina Alleva, who emigrated from Benevento city in Italy. As shoppers look to buy Italian dried goods, breads and pastas, legs of Prosciutto hang from the original tin ceiling while stacks of cheese fill the oversized deli counter. In 2016, American TV actor Tony Danza, known for his roles in Taxi and Who's the boss; became a partner in the store.
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Founded in 1673, Ginza Mitsukoski is the oldest department store chain in Japan and the food hall in its flagship store in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, is considered one of the finest. The store itself is often referred to as the “Harrods of Japan”, while the food hall on the basement floor boasts an impressive range. Here shoppers can purchase carefully prepared sushi, high-end chocolates, elaborate cakes, Kyoto-style pickles, and up-market varieties of traditional Japanese ingredients. The Hakone Akatsuki-an soba shop is a must-visit where customers can see how soba noodles are made.
A slice of Italy in Stockton, Genova Bakery has been a constant in the city since 1918 when Angelo Rolleri, originally from Genoa, opened the business with two partners. Today, the 103-year-old shop is under the ownership of Tim Canevari who started working in the bakery during high school. In 2004, he took over as owner and has continued to evolve the bakery’s legacy. Genova also sells authentic Italian staples alongside its freshly-baked loaves. Milk rolls, sourdough, French bread, ciabatta, and Dutch crunch rolls are all baked on-site as they were in 1918.
When R J Balson & Son first opened for business, Henry VIII was on the throne. The high-street butcher in the English market town of Bridport, Dorset, is believed to be the oldest continually-trading family-owned business in the UK. It was established over 500 years ago in 1515 by Robert Balson and since then 25 generations have stood behind the butcher’s block. The butchery sells high-quality meat, poultry and game but is most famous for its handmade sausages which come in 20 varieties including Tudor Rose Old English, a 500-year-old favourite made with marjoram and thyme.
The exterior of this shop might appear recently built, but this grocery store has been a fixture in Casper for over a century. Since it was established during the oil boom in 1918, Grant Street Grocery & Market has had many different owners but has never closed during the transfer of ownership. In recent years, when it looked like it would be shuttered forever, the business was bought by a small group of Casper's residents who updated the store adding a commercial kitchen, expanded butchery department and coffee shop.
Short for Kaufhaus des Westens, meaning Department Store of the West, KaDeWe – established in 1907 – is believed to be one of the largest in Europe. The food hall (taking up the entire sixth and seventh floors) has more than two football fields of space dedicated to fresh produce and groceries. KaDeWe is especially known for its huge selection of sausages from each region of Germany. After filling up on currywurst, finish off with a trip to the room devoted entirely to chocolate truffles.
Du Pain et des Idées opened in 2002, but the bakery itself – located on the corner of Rue Yves Toudic and Rue de Marseille in Paris's 10th Arrondissement – dates as far back as 1875. It still retains its traditional late-19th century aesthetic today with its large, mirrored walls and ceilings and romantic ballroom-like décor. Not only one of the prettiest boulangeries in Paris, it is also regarded as one of the best. Under the direction of Christophe Vasseur, the bakery is known for its chocolate and pistachio escargot (roll), fresh apple turnover and Pain des Amis bread with a smokey crust.
Arguably the most famous luxury store in the world, the food halls of Harrods grew from humble beginnings when Charles Henry Harrod first opened his grocery store in 1849 selling basic goods from a single counter. Today, the Art Deco-inspired food halls in the Knightsbridge branch may have been recently refurbished, but they remain focused on high-end delicacies such as chocolates, oysters, caviar, and Champagnes. As part of the shopping experience, customers can consult with in-house experts including the world’s top barista Bartosz Ciepaj.
One of Britain’s oldest cheesemongers has been selling domestic and foreign varieties to Londoners from its flagship store on Jermyn Street since 1797. While Winston Churchill once observed that “a gentleman only buys his cheese at Paxton & Whitfield”, it’s not only former prime ministers that this historic shop has been serving for over two centuries. Paxton & Whitfield has been supplying the good stuff to royalty since 1850 when it was first appointed cheesemonger to Queen Victoria. Today, the shop holds two royal warrants with the Prince of Wales and Queen Elizabeth II regular customers – but non-royals will find a warm welcome here too.