The first restaurants may have appeared as early as AD 1100, when establishments in China catered for people travelling between the north and south of the country. Since then, countless restaurants have come and gone – while some have been feeding people for centuries. From casual cafés to high-end establishments, these are the stories behind some of the oldest eateries you can still dine at today.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the world's most historic restaurants – counting down to the oldest of all.
We’ve based our selections and ranking on each restaurant’s claimed founding date, taking into account the age of the business and how long the property has been serving food.
Still owned by descendants of founder Antoine Alciatore, this eponymous restaurant got its start in 1840. In 1868, it grew too big for its premises and moved to a new, larger location just a block away, where it remains today. Antoine’s is known and loved for its French Creole cuisine; its menu features classics such as shrimp remoulade, shrimp gumbo and mushroom bourguignon. It’s a popular spot for weekend brunches, too. Guests can indulge in the likes of shrimp and grits with lemon and butter while listening to live jazz in the inviting dining room.
Production of Portugal’s famous pastéis de nata began at Pastéis de Belém in 1837. The custard tarts were, and still are, made using an ancient recipe from nearby monastery Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. Visit the bakery today, and you’ll be greeted by the tantalising aroma of freshly baked pastéis de nata – plus a range of other sweet treats, such as bolo Inglês fruitcake, and savoury breads and pastries. Sit inside or outside and wash down your chosen snack with a cup of coffee.
As a brewery, Brasserie Georges embodies the true meaning of ‘brasserie’. The establishment was opened in 1836 by Georges Hoffherr, who came from a family of brewers, and it's been serving fine food and beverages ever since. Over the years, many notable figures have dined and drunk here, including singer Édith Piaf, novelist Jules Verne and writer Alphonse de Lamartine – who apparently still owes the brasserie 40 francs. Daily specials mean there’s always something new to try, from wing of ray with steamed potatoes to pink praline tart.
Dubrovnik’s iconic Old City, with its fortress walls, is the home of Dubravka, a restaurant and café founded in 1836. Here, guests are treated to stunning views of the Adriatic as they dine on Mediterranean-inspired food. As you'd expect, there are plenty of seafood dishes on the menu, including grilled squid and octopus, and there's a pizza menu, too; each one is made with San Marzano tomatoes, and a range of classic toppings are available. Dubrovnik locals are regularly spotted here – a good sign for visitors looking to avoid tourist traps.
Boston’s Union Oyster House has been serving oysters (and more) since 1826. A Designated National Historic Landmark, the restaurant has featured on multiple 'best restaurants' lists over the years, both in the US and around the world. The restaurant is cosy, with dark wood interiors, and oysters are obviously the number one menu choice – but other seafood dishes are available, too. Lobster rolls, crab cakes and fish and chips are all customer favourites. And what better way to finish than with a slice of Boston cream pie?
Built in 1825, The Log Inn was originally a stagecoach stop and trading post. In 1844, Abraham Lincoln (then a member of the Illinois House of Representatives) stopped at the inn on his way home from nearby Evansville after campaigning for presidential candidate Henry Clay. Still serving weary travellers and locals to this day, the inn offers filling family-style dinners, as well as an à la carte menu topped off by the likes of cheesecake, ice cream and a choice of classic American pies (think apple, cherry and pecan).
Belgrade’s oldest restaurant has a rather unusual name; it’s simply a question mark. Known as Znak Pitanja in Serbian, it’s not a name chosen for the social media age, but one that the restaurant has held since 1892. Its third name since it was founded in 1823, it was bestowed by new owner Ivan Pavlović as a temporary solution – the Serbian Orthodox Church objected to his idea of naming the tavern after the nearby church – but it soon stuck. Today, visitors can tuck into a menu of traditional Serbian food, including beef goulash and sarma (stuffed sauerkraut rolls).
The longest continually operating business in Ohio, the Golden Lamb started out as a public house in 1803. Now a restaurant and boutique hotel, it has hosted countless notable figures, from US presidents to astronaut Neil Armstrong. The farm-to-table restaurant has a menu that combines both local and global influences. Dishes like sauerkraut balls and cheese curds reflect Ohio’s German heritage and Midwestern identity, while the likes of Dijon-crusted braised short rib and seared Faroe Island salmon with herbed couscous showcase international ingredients.
Operating as a full-service inn from 1800 onwards, the building that houses the Robert Morris Inn dates back to 1710. On the death of the house’s owner, merchant Robert Morris, it became a hotel and restaurant – and it still offers rooms and dining today. Now home to the Financier restaurant, the inn takes diners back in time with a menu that makes the most of Maryland’s abundance of seafood, as well as locally sourced meat and other produce.
London’s Rules restaurant has only been owned by three families since it opened in 1798. It was sold once just before World War I, and again in 1984. The restaurant stayed open during World War II, reinforced with wood and offering rationed meals and game, which didn’t fall under rationing. It continues to serve traditional British food to this day, and it's especially popular for its pies, puddings and oysters. Steak and kidney pie and spiced apple and cranberry crumble with custard are surely the perfect dishes to enjoy on a dreary London day.
The Old Commercial Room was founded by an English shipowner in 1795 – which explains its English name. The Hamburg restaurant can be found in the centre of the city, and its welcoming pub-style interior is decked out in warm mahogany and brass. Seafood is prominent on the menu – think plaice, sole, salmon and smoked eel – but regional favourites like currywurst and labskaus (salted meat, potatoes and onion) are great picks, too. Both the food and the extensive drinks menu have attracted big names, from actor Jackie Chan to tennis player Steffi Graf.
Like many Colonial-era establishments, Ye Olde Tavern has seen many influential political figures walk through its doors. The tavern claims to have served the Green Mountain Boys, a militia formed in 1770 that helped prevent New York from taking over what would eventually become Vermont. Built in 1790, the establishment has had several names over the years; it was finally called Ye Olde Tavern after a 1970s restoration. Today, it offers a candlelit dining experience. Diners say the crispy duck, with a choice of sauces, is the dish to go for.
Beaten to the title of Lisbon’s oldest restaurant by just two years, this 1784 restaurant may be slightly younger, but it offers a truly grand dining experience. Dazzling chandeliers and golden walls covered in mirrors ensure that customers know they're dining somewhere special. The menu is flashy but sophisticated, featuring dishes such as caviar and lobster risotto, and Iberian pork tenderloin. For dessert, you won’t want to miss the pistachio soufflé, served with a tart lemon sorbet.
The oldest restaurant in Lisbon, Martinho da Arcada was a favourite haunt of poet Fernando Pessoa and his literary group, Orpheu, in the early 20th century. It’s also seen musicians, politicians, filmmakers and artists spend time at its tables since it opened in 1782. Simple menus from the Portuguese culinary canon include bacalhau (dried and salted cod), garlic prawns and orange cake. You can sit within the restaurant or outside, under the archways of the arcade, but do look inside to see the stunning Portuguese tiles.
Rib-eye steaks, fried catfish and blackened shrimp and grits are the kind of hearty fare you'll find at the Talbott Tavern, a restaurant and inn that’s been going strong since 1779. The classic Southern fare gets the occasional modern twist – think bourbon mango pork rib-eye, and a meat-free veggie burger – but it's largely traditional, which is fitting for a venue with such a long history. It’s been called the oldest Western stagecoach stop in the US, and it's supposedly haunted, possibly by famous outlaw Jesse James.
The large garden at Šestica seats around 100 people, so there's plenty of space to take in the atmosphere on a sunny day. But if you decide to venture inside, you’ll find bright and airy rooms, within a building that dates back to 1776. If you’re looking for a taste of traditional Slovenian cuisine, this is where you’re guaranteed to find it. Žlikrofi (Slovenian dumplings) come with Carniolan sausage, a type of local parboiled sausage, and a mushroom sauce, while roast pork or veal is accompanied by crispy pan-fried potatoes.
Not only a restaurant with a lot of history but also one of the best in the state according to Connecticut Magazine, The Griswold Inn serves classic American cuisine. The likes of wild boar stew and clam chowder can be enjoyed in the establishment's dimly lit dining rooms, and surrounding art gives customers a history lesson. The inn was built during an economic boom for the area, sparked by the creation of the local shipbuilding trade during the Revolution. Since its 1776 inception, the inn has seen the rise and fall of steam boating, temperance protests and prohibition.
Cosy Fraunces Tavern, established in 1762, is the oldest bar and restaurant in New York City. Its claim to fame, other than its impressive age, is that many of the country’s Founding Fathers drank here – including George Washington, who gathered his officers here in 1783 to thank them before returning home from the Revolutionary War. On the menu, you'll find a range of crowd-pleasing sandwiches, seafood and steaks; customer favourites include the Reuben sandwich and the chipotle bison burger.
Antico Caffè Greco (which translates into English as ‘ancient Greek café’) may not look like much from the outside, but its location is just a stone’s throw from where the likes of adventurer and author Giacomo Casanova, English poet John Keats and Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen all spent time. The café was there during all of their lifetimes, too, having been founded in 1760. Stepping inside reveals plenty of charm, with multiple rooms full of art and antiques. The best way to take it all in? Treat yourself to a coffee and a fresh fruit tart or Sicilian cannoli.
With a history of serving both legitimate seafarers and dastardly pirates from 1753 onwards, The Pirates’ House has had many a salty tale told within its walls. After falling into disuse, it was rescued from demolition after World War II, and it opened as a tearoom in 1953. The inn has also housed a jazz club, and today it has several wood-panelled dining rooms, plus a gift shop full of pirate treasures. Southern staples are the order of the day here; diners can tuck into favourites like chicken gumbo, and corn fritters with blackened shrimp.
As the longest continually running restaurant in New Jersey, The Black Horse Tavern & Pub existed before both the American Civil War and the Revolutionary War. Though the building is historic, the menu is perfectly up to date, with quesadillas, bison burgers and prime rib paninis all available to whet your appetite. The place underwent renovations in 2024; a modern kitchen was installed to breathe new life into the venue.
The beautiful stone Red Fox Inn & Tavern sits in the middle of quaint Middleburg village, where it has been serving locals since about 1728. It houses two main dining areas, The Tavern and the Night Fox Pub, as well as private entertainment spaces. The Tavern, with its beamed ceilings and intimate dining rooms, serves a seasonal four-course dinner, which draws on local produce – think braised quail arancini, roasted butternut and apple bisque, and hand-cut steaks. More casual fare is on offer in the pub, including burgers, salads and cheese boards.
While other restaurants (or their buildings) may be older, Madrid’s Restaurante Botín managed to dig out official records showing it was founded in 1725 – making it the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the world, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. The restaurant still bears the name of its founder, French cook Jean Botín, and it's been run by the Gonzales family for the last three generations. As for the food, suckling pig is the main attraction, but traditional Spanish delicacies such as croquettes, garlic soup and crème Catalan are all popular, too.
Seasonal cuisine showcases the natural ingredients Sweden has to offer at Den Gyldene Freden. The calendar at this restaurant, which is said to have been founded in 1722, swings from spring and summer to the much-celebrated crayfish season, and there are seasonal moose hunting and Christmas menus, too. Swedish classics such as toast Skagen (toast and prawns with dill, mayonnaise and fish roe), cured salmon dish gravlax, and meatballs are all delicious lunch choices. At Christmas, a traditional Julbord (Christmas table) offers a festive spread.
‘The Little Pharmacy’, Copenhagen’s oldest restaurant, exudes Danish tradition, from its open-faced sandwiches to its small rooms with low ceilings and still-burning oil lamps. It claims to be the first place to have served grilled chicken in a basket in Copenhagen – and today you can still choose half an oven-roasted chicken, complete with rhubarb compote, pickled cucumber and potatoes, from the menu. The restaurant started out as a pharmacy in 1720, but the current building dates to 1829; the restaurant moved in after the original pharmacy location burned down.
Whether they're sitting down to breakfast or afternoon tea, diners at Caffè Florian are guaranteed a memorable experience. The café, founded in 1720, is the perfect place to start the day with a cup of coffee or tea and some fruit and pastries, or to indulge in a lunchtime offering of sandwiches, biscuits and cakes. Traditional biscuits, macarons and pistachio-raspberry cream tarts are just a few of the options on the menu. As the oldest coffee house in Italy, Caffè Florian’s architecture and interior are just as impressive as its food and drink, with gilded frescos setting the scene for an elegant and sophisticated meal or snack.
The oldest coffee house in Austria, a country with a deep-rooted coffee culture, Tomaselli is a bakery and café that can be found in Salzburg’s Old Town. It was founded in 1700 – and it was later named after owner Carl Tomaselli, who bought the property in 1852. A serene setting for a typical Austrian breakfast, the café sells croissants, brioche and poppy seed rolls for guests to enjoy, whether by the window, tucked away in the smaller Stüberl room or out on the terrace.
La Petite Chaise – ‘the little chair’ – keeps things traditional with classic French cooking. It started out in 1680 as an inn, and today it's one of the oldest restaurants in France, offering diners a trip back in time to old-world Paris. Both the interiors and the menu are as typically French as you can get, from the red banquettes and artfully filled wooden shelving to the onion soup, the entrecôte (served with the diner’s choice of sauce) and the classic Tarte Tatin dessert.
The ’76 House is proud to be the oldest restaurant in the US, built in 1688 – and it's an establishment that played an important role in the Revolutionary War. It was here that the British spy Major John André was imprisoned before his trial and subsequent execution, earning the building the nickname ‘André’s prison’. The ’76 House has been carefully restored in recent years, and it continues to be a great place to drink and dine. American staples grace the menu, from roasted Amish chicken pot pie to flame-grilled Black Angus New York sirloin steak.
Claiming to be the oldest tavern in the US, with a founding date of 1673, The White Horse Tavern is a restaurant inside a charming colonial building – and it serves sophisticated local and European cuisine. Seafood features heavily on the menu, making the most of Rhode Island’s bounty, with a raw bar and local favourites such as New England clam chowder. Inside the instantly recognisable red building, cosy traditional interiors are the perfect place to experience a key part of Newport’s exciting food scene.
Though today’s restaurant at the Zunfthaus zur Waag dates to 1636, a weavers’ tavern opened on the site in 1385, so it has a long history as a gathering place. Set in the heart of Zürich’s old town, the restaurant benefits from beautiful views of the Münsterhof square and the Fraumünster church. Classic dishes from Zürich meet exciting new creations on the menu, taking diners from Swiss beef fillet with a thyme jus to smoked swordfish with a papaya salad and miso mayonnaise.
Jack Nicholson, Charlie Chaplin, Jacques Chirac and Jake Gyllenhaal are just a few of the famous people who have crossed the threshold into Zur letzten Instanz. The current restaurant has occupied the building since 1921, but various taverns and restaurants had already paraded in and out of the venue for 300 years before that. The name is usually translated as ‘the last resort’ or ‘the 11th hour’ and, according to the restaurant, it was coined after two farmers met at the restaurant to settle a long-running dispute. Diners can expect period features and a distinctly German menu of cheese dumplings, grilled pork knuckle and warm apple pie.
With views of the Seine, Notre Dame Cathedral and Île Saint-Louis, La Tour d’Argent is a spectacular place to take in Paris. The restaurant is situated on the sixth floor of a 16th-century tower and was established in 1582, according to its website. A choice of menus is available, taking inspiration from the tower’s history and surroundings and displaying skilful French gastronomy (think turbot with an eel and samphire Grenobloise sauce, and roasted duck with soufflé potatoes). Don't forget to try the restaurant's iconic dessert, crêpes mademoiselle.
Built adjoining the ramparts of a Maltese church and monastery, this Prague restaurant was purchased by a painter in 1543 – earning it the name U Malířů, meaning ‘at the painter’s’. Having been reconstructed and renovated over the centuries, its current interior (which was restored in 2016) features elaborate 1930s frescos. The restaurant may be steeped in Czech history, but the food here is very French – think duck confit, coquilles Saint-Jacques and coffee crème brûlée.
Honke Owariya started out as a cake shop in 1465 – but in the 18th century it expanded its menu, offering an array of soba noodle dishes. Still owned by the same family, the restaurant continues to sell noodles, as well as sweets, including soba mochi (a buckwheat pastry filled with red bean paste) and soba rice cakes. The restaurant’s buckwheat and red beans are sourced from farms in Hokkaido, and its products are made by hand, every day. Table seating and a tearoom are offered in the restaurant, while the cake shop’s peaceful garden provides the perfect place to relax.
Roast duck is the signature dish at Bianyifang, a Beijing restaurant founded in 1416. The restaurant started out as one small establishment selling mostly duck and chicken – but fast-forward to today, and there are multiple locations. Roasting duck is a time-honoured tradition here, and two main techniques are employed: whole ducks are either roasted in closed ovens, or over an open fire. The duck is sliced on serving, and paired with traditional condiments.
Liechtenstein may be small, but it’s steeped in history – and it has a fantastic food scene to boot. For those seeking a slice of tradition, Hotel Gasthof Löwen, located in the capital, Vaduz, is the place to be. Established in 1380, the guesthouse incorporates a restaurant with a cosy but bright dining room, and both a set menu and à la carte options. Guests can bask in the natural light streaming in through the windows and tuck into the likes of asparagus cream soup, Zurich-style veal and strawberry mousse.
The eight rooms at Wierzynek all have different décor, reflecting the restaurant's royal heritage. The legend goes that the restaurant dates to 1364, when Mikołaj Wierzynek, a wealthy merchant, presented the monarchs of Europe with a luxurious feast on behalf of King Casimir the Great. The restaurant prides itself on continuing this feasting tradition, embracing the concept of slow food – although probably not putting on a 20-day-and-night extravaganza, as in its origin story. The menu is brimming with refined Polish tradition; think wild boar with dumplings, and venison with Jerusalem artichoke purée, grains, vegetables, and blackcurrant and cranberry preserve.
As the oldest inn in France, La Couronne has played host to playwrights, revolutionaries and billionaires. The 1345 inn became a hotel before it began operating as a restaurant, and it continues to deliver traditional French food across several refined (but reasonably priced) menus. These include the Taste of Normandy menu (a prix fixe lunch) and a Julia Child menu, designed to honour the American chef who had a passion for French cuisine.
A restaurant and brewery, Piwnica Świdnicka (Świdnicka Cellar) has been feeding and watering the citizens of Wrocław since 1273. Located in the cellars of the city’s Old Town Hall, it’s welcomed people from around the world over the years – and it's lasted through some seismic historical events. On today’s menu, you’ll find a choice of traditional Polish foods, complemented by a few contemporary flavours. Diners can sit down to a plate of pierogi with black pudding, potato pancakes with forest mushroom sauce, or a hearty pulled pork rib burger.
Set within Wettingen Monastery, Gasthof Sternen is the oldest inn in Switzerland, and it's home to multiple beautiful places to eat. The monastery dates to the 13th century, and a guesthouse was first built around 1230 – outside the monastery walls, so that women could enter. Today, guests can dine in the Stella Maris restaurant, the rustic tavern or (on a sunny day) in the pretty garden restaurant. Whichever you choose, expect traditional European fare with a few modern twists, such as curry-mango beef tartare.
The Old House is one of the oldest pubs in Wales – and these days, it also operates as a restaurant, guesthouse and wedding venue. With origins that can be traced back to 1147, it's been extended and renovated to add more modern facilities in recent years. The restaurant menu features traditional Welsh food with the occasional modern twist, from Glamorgan pork loin with wild mushroom duxelles stuffing to crispy Asian beef with a soy glaze.
Originally serving as an office during the construction of a magnificent stone bridge, the site where Historische Wurstküche now sits became a food stall in 1146 (on the bridge’s completion). Though it once sold boiled meat, the eatery now offers much more appetising sausages, which were likely first sold around the beginning of the 19th century. Still going strong today, the sausage stand has an in-house butcher's shop crafting meaty bratwurst sausages, which are cooked on the restaurant's charcoal grill. Even the mustard, sauerkraut and potato soup are made from scratch.
St. Peter Stiftskulinarium is a historic restaurant set within an area that’s also steeped in history: Salzburg's Old Town. It was first documented in AD 803 by an advisor of Emperor Charlemagne. Located in a Benedictine monastery complex, the property has been extended over the centuries and has served food and drink to members of the clergy, nobility and the public. Two restaurant concepts operate from the Stiftskulinarium today – one offering international fine dining and the other specialising in Austrian and Mediterranean cuisine.