There’s nothing like a few centuries of history to accompany a drink, which is perhaps why so many different bars, pubs, inns and taverns like to advertise the year they were founded. From pubs claiming to be among the world’s oldest to bars that have hosted luminaries or witnessed significant events unfold, these are some of the most historic drinking spots around the world. It’s worth checking the latest travel restrictions and individual bar websites before travelling in case of any temporary closures or altered opening hours.
Nestled in the village of Holywell on the banks of the River Ouse and close to St Ives, this charming pub with rooms poured its first pint quite some time ago. There are records of drinks being sold at Old Ferry Boat as early as AD 560, making it a contender for England’s oldest inn. The postcard-worthy structure, with its thatched roof and snug interior, is also said to host the ghost of a jilted young woman.
Ye Olde Fighting Cocks sounds like it’s been around for a while – and it has. This cosy pub claims to be the oldest in Britain (a rather hotly contended title). Its history stretches back to the 8th century, though the current building is slightly more recent: it’s been here since the 11th century. There are reportedly tunnels running from the pub to the city's abbey, which were once used by local monks. It's also alleged Oliver Cromwell, Lord Protector from 1653 until 1658 slept at the inn for one night during the Civil War. Sadly, it was announced at the start of February 2022 that the pub would be closing down.
The Bingley Arms is another claimant to the title of Britain’s oldest pub, and certainly has quite a history. Dating back to at least AD 953, the pub was around during the Viking conquests and later used as a safe house for those in danger from Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries (hence its earlier name, The Priests Inn). It even acted as a court before being taken over by Lord Bingley in 1780. Today, you can see an original Dutch oven in the lounge, as well as the old priest holes hidden in the chimney.
Situated in the ancient town of Athlone, Sean's Bar has records stretching back to the 10th century. It’s officially the oldest pub in Ireland, and it’s been suggested it could even be the world’s oldest. The pub was originally opened by a man named Luain (it was originally Luain’s Inn), who would ferry patrons across the River Shannon. In more recent history, the bar has seen the likes of U2, John C Reilly, Martin Sheen, Mia Farrow, Freddie Mercury and Boy George pop in for a drink.
Describing itself as England’s oldest free house (meaning it’s not affiliated with a particular brewery), the Royal Standard of England is mentioned in records dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period and is believed to have been around since at least the 11th century. It was also historically used as a lodging house for Norman kings who came to hunt in nearby deer parks. The interior still has the original medieval tiled floors, ancient wooden doors and beams. You'll spot it in films like Hot Fuzz and The Theory of Everything, as well as in various television shows.
The Olde Bell opened as Ye Olde Bell in 1135, operating as a guest and carriage house for pilgrims travelling to nearby Benedictine Priory. Its bell, which still hangs over the door, was tolled to signal the imminent arrival of an important guest to the monks. A secret passage, apparently used by Lord Lovelace, who was involved in the Glorious Revolution plot in 1688, scurries from the inn’s cellar to the priory, while Winston Churchill met with US president Dwight D Eisenhower here to discuss strategy during the Second World War. Other notable guests include Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Cary Grant and Errol Flynn.
The Old House 1147 was (as the name suggests) founded in 1147 and is considered one of Wales’ oldest pubs. However, there’s an ongoing debate as to which spot should hold the ultimate title. The cosy inn serves a broad variety of hearty, old-fashioned pub grub beneath its pretty thatched roof, and is especially famed for its pies. Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor and David Bowie are among those who have been drawn in by the pub’s history.
This handsome building, which now houses a hotel, pub and restaurant, is said to be Germany’s oldest inn, here since the 12th century. Zum Riesen boasts a roll call of esteemed guests from King Ludwig of Bavaria to the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, Elvis Presley. It also has a darker history. Witch trials reportedly took place outside and some of its landlords were sentenced to death.
Yet another pub that claims to be England’s oldest, Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem is believed to have been a stop for King Richard the Lionheart and his men en route to Jerusalem in AD 1189 – the date displayed on the exterior walls. Formal records of the pub began in 1760, though historic caves discovered beneath the building back up the claim that it’s much older. There’s evidence they were used for centuries as ale cellars. The larger ground level caverns are now used as drinking rooms, and apparently date from around the time of the construction of Nottingham Castle, in 1068.
This former coaching inn has served booze since 1198, though it’s thought the present building was constructed in 1754. The Brazen Head is still recognised as one of Ireland’s oldest pubs (in fact it claims to be the country’s oldest) and is packed with original features like grandfather clocks, pressed tin ceilings and doorways patrons frequently have to duck under. The name apparently relates to a 13th century legend of a marble-mounted brass head said to predict the future, but only by answering questions with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’. The Brazen Head is also referenced in James Joyce's classical work Ulysses. He wrote, "...you got a decent enough do in the Brazen Head for a bob."
There’s been a tavern on this site for around 800 years, with records showing the Adam & Eve was a brewhouse for labourers building nearby Norwich Cathedral in 1249. The monk who owned the building apparently gave ale to patients at the nearby Great Hospital, for medicinal purposes. The current pub building is thought to date back to the 17th century and has a cosy interior with ceiling beams, a huge fireplace and plenty of dark wood.
Though this pub has been rebuilt and remodelled, the original vaulted cellar remains. Man n'Scythe, as it's known locally, has a fascinating history. It was established in 1251 – making it Bolton’s oldest pub and one of the oldest in Britain – and legend has it the Earl of Derby was murdered right outside in the 1600s due to his role in the Bolton Massacre. Today the pub is locally loved for its range of ciders and real ales.
Although Brauhaus Sion was all but destroyed by bombings during the Second World War, the famous 14th-century brewhouse was rebuilt in the 1950s. Today it continues to serve Sion Kölsch beer, the local speciality it’s long been famous for. It also dishes up some hearty Rhineland fare while people gather on long wooden tables.
Although this inn has fallen in and out of favour over the centuries, today it’s regarded as a Kilkenny institution – and one with a colourful past. Kyteler's Inn was founded in 1324 by four-times married Alice Kyteler, who was eventually tried for witchcraft after all her husbands mysteriously died after marriage, and she acquired their fortunes. She was sentenced to death but managed to escape to England. Today it's an award-winning establishment known for its live music, hearty pub grub and fascinating history.
Dating back to at least 1345 according to parchment deeds, this classic fine-dining restaurant in Rouen, Normandy, claims to be France’s oldest still-operating inn. Although the menu today tends to be dominated by modern techniques with plenty of emulsions and foams, the history of the place emanates from each tablecloth, framed photograph and inch of wood panelling. It's seen plenty of famous faces come through its doors, including Dali, John Wayne, Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren, Audrey Hepburn and Grace of Monaco.
The upstairs of Haus zum Rüden, whose name translates as House of the Hound, first operated as a tavern and meeting place for councilmen and noblemen in the 14th century. There's still an impressive curved wooden ceiling on show in what is now the Gothic Room restaurant.
Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth II have both imbibed at what is considered Scotland’s oldest surviving public house – albeit hundreds of years apart, of course. Apparently Mary Queen of Scots was fond of playing a game of skittles in the courtyard. Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Burns and Bonnie Prince Charlie have all also visited the inn. Today the menu at the Sheep Heid Inn, which was established in 1360, combines classic ales with more modern cocktails and new twists on pub-food classics.
This wine bar is officially dated to 1435 (when it was called Hostaria del Chiuchiolino) – but there may have been an inn on the site since the 12th century, feeding and watering the workmen who built the city’s cathedral. Either way, Al Brindisi claims to be the oldest wine bar in the world. The astronomer Copernicus lived upstairs for a time and even Pope John Paul II visited.
Regarded as Bruges’ oldest pub and proclaiming it’s ‘probably the oldest pub in the world’, Café Vlissinghe was founded in 1515 and is as popular today as it ever was. That's mostly thanks to its cosy atmosphere and reputation for hosting famous artists such as Rubens, who allegedly ‘paid’ with a coin drawn on the table. The café consists of two joined houses, and with various renovations and rebuilding taking place over the years, most of the current structure is from the 17th century.
The 1546-founded Ye Olde Mitre tavern in London's Hatton Garden once housed a cherry tree that Queen Elizabeth I is said to have danced around, while her father King Henry VIII was married next door. There’s also history in the surrounding area: it’s close to St Etheldreda's Church, which is London’s oldest Roman Catholic church, and close to the spot where Scottish knight Sir William ‘Braveheart’ Wallace was hung, drawn and quartered.
The oldest bar in Antwerp dates from 1565. Once called Gulick, after a region from which merchants came to trade in the city, one of Quinten Matsijs' two rooms was reserved for customers’ horses. These days the bar is just for human guests, who come for the Belgian beers, hearty food and period details like the pretty stained-glass windows. Over the years, the bar has amassed a collection of mid-century paintings, an ancient pipe rack, beer steins and an old piano which has apparently been played by many virtuosos.
Located near Prague Castle, this bar and restaurant first opened as Dolejsi in 1570. Its name changed to Na Slamníku around 1766, when it was a coaching inn, to honour the Slamnik festivities that celebrated tailors. This involved dancing around a straw mattress which had the figures of a man and woman on, before ending up at the pub. These days it’s frequented by locals and tourists who come for traditional dishes like rich broths and stews as much as for the beer.
The state government now owns this 16th-century brewery, bar and restaurant in Munich, which was once a royal brewery owned by the Duke of Bavaria and attracted the likes of Mozart and Lenin. Hofbräuhaus beer is legendary, so it’s no surprise the brewery runs one of the largest tents at Munich’s famous Oktoberfest beer festival and has several franchises in the US. It's the largest and busiest beerhall in Munich, with up to 35,000 people visiting a day to enjoy the beer, soak up the rowdy atmosphere and take in the amazing interiors.
Although the current building was erected in the 1650s, there’s a widely held belief that an inn has stood on this site since the 12th century because it’s located on a pilgrim trail heading to Llanthony Priory. The Skirrid Inn has a dark history that belies its beautiful Brecon Beacons surroundings. It was used as a meeting point for Welsh revolters, as a courthouse and as a place of execution – legend has it 182 people may have been executed in the building – which may explain reports of ghostly activity.
Rebuilt shortly after the Great Fire of London, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese has been around since 1667 and a pub has stood on this site since 1538. The pub is best known for its literary associations with notable patrons including Mark Twain, Alfred Tennyson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, P.G. Wodehouse and Charles Dickens. Dickens, who was a regular, alluded to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in his novel, A Tale of Two Cities. Today, it's still a labyrinth of wood-panelled rooms and passageways, which can be a little tricky to navigate after a couple of beers.
This atmospheric Spanish tapas bar is Seville’s oldest, opened in 1670, and all that history just adds to its considerable charms. El Rinconcillo's decor is suitably old-school with tables fashioned from oak wine barrels and shelves heaving under antique bottles. Waiting staff still even write orders down on the mahogany bar in chalk. Today, head there for the centuries of history, tapas and a few glasses of Spanish wine.
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Claiming to be America’s oldest tavern, the White Horse Tavern has been integral to its community over the centuries, acting as a focal meeting point for the Criminal Court, City Council and Colonel's General Assembly. It opened in 1673, was reportedly run by a pirate, the founder's son, in the 18th century, briefly became a boarding house in the late 19th century, before reverting to a tavern in the 1950s. Today, its maroon-hued clapboard façade and beamed ceilings whisper of its long history.
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Though rebuilt (for a second time) after a fire in 1676, The George Inn is London’s oldest galleried inn still open to the public, with records dating back to 1542. Patrons have included William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, with the latter even mentioning the pub in Little Dorrit. In the 19th century, it was owned by the trustees of Guy's Hospital, before being sold to the Great Northern Railway in 1874, who used the site to receive goods before sending them out to the rail network. It’s now owned by heritage charity the National Trust.
Caffé Florian, in the heart of Venice’s buzzing St Mark’s Square, has been serving coffee, wine and sweet treats for centuries. Opened in 1720, the bar was even used as a makeshift hospital during the 1848 Revolutions. It was also a regular haunt of legendary womaniser Casanova because it admitted women, a rarity for such establishments in the 18th century. All this history and the opulent interior – all red velvet seats and gilded mirrors – still pull in the crowds today.
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Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar is a rambling, 18th-century shack on Bourbon Street that would make a fabulous setting for a horror movie. It does have a notorious past: the pub, built between 1722-32, was owned by pirate, spy and folk hero Jean Lafitte, who called it a blacksmith’s shop to confuse authorities. Today it draws crowds attracted by its intriguing history and signature cocktail, the grape-flavoured Voodoo Daiquiri.
The Clachan Inn, in the pretty village of Drymen near Loch Lomond, claims to be the oldest licensed pub in Scotland, established in 1734. It was first licensed to Mistress Gow, the sister of outlaw Rob Roy, who has since become a Scottish folk hero. Today the inn is a family-run business known for its high-quality menu and cosy rooms. The current owners have a long association with the area and have worked to enhance the building, while retaining its authentic charm.
North America’s first auberge or inn to receive a liquor licence (in 1754), L'Auberge Saint-Gabriel was built by a French soldier in the 17th century. It became a private townhouse in the 19th century before reopening as a bar and restaurant in 1914. Alongside all the history, the auberge attracts visitors with its upscale regional cuisine and popular speakeasy Velvet (pictured), in a space once occupied by a fur trading post.
Opened in 1760, Antico Caffe Greco is believed to be Rome’s oldest coffee bar. It has attracted some pretty illustrious names over the years, including Charles Dickens, Orson Welles, John Keats (who lived nearby), Audrey Hepburn and Princess Diana. 'Buffalo Bill' Cody even popped in, accompanied by a cowboy entourage, in 1890. It was feared the iconic café might be forced to close due to rising rents, but it’s currently still open.
Fraunces Tavern, opened in 1762 (then called the Queen's Head Tavern after England's Queen Charlotte), might just be the most historic drinking spot in New York City. This is where George Washington hosted a lavish farewell dinner for his troops in 1783, and where other founding fathers frequented too. There's now an onsite museum, an upstairs piano bar, a choice of more than 450 whiskies and a food menu with dishes such as slow-roasted chicken pot pie, apparently Washington's favourite.
Legendary Covent Garden pub Lamb & Flag was previously named The Coopers Arms, with mentions dating back to 1772, and later earned the gruesome monicker, the Bucket of Blood, because of the bare-knuckle fighting that took place here. It was also apparently one of Charles Dickens' favourite spots. It got its current name in 1883, and is now loved by Londoners as a place for a post-work pint. Much of the brickwork dates from the 20th century, though the 18th-century wooden frame still exists.
The Horse You Came In On Saloon, usually shortened to The Horse, was established in 1775 and has been a local institution ever since. Legend has it that Edgar Allan Poe has his last drink here before his mysterious death in October 1849, and that he now haunts the halls. A sign on the wooden door states this was ‘Poe’s Last Stop’. Thankfully there’s a menu of comfort food to counter the chilling tales. As well as being the oldest saloon in Baltimore, it's the only bar in Maryland that existed before, during and after Prohibition.
This charming New England inn dates back to 1776 when the historic seaport village of Essex was an important place for shipbuilding. Griswold Inn was the site of 1840s protests organised by the Temperance Movement, whose banners are now on display. Conversely, during the Prohibition era, the inn was known as a reliable place to get hold of spirits. Today customers can drink and dine freely in the historic dining rooms, the wine bar or the tap room, and there are 34 rooms available for overnight stays.
Although it was rebuilt in 1815 and has changed names more than once, The Olde Angel Inn in Niagara-on-the-Lake remains a key part of the town. It’s known for its anti-oppression celebrations in 1793 (four years after it opened), following the passing of a law that criminalised slavery. Today the cosy inn transports patrons back in time with its roaring fireplaces and wood-clad interiors.
Named in honour of Jimmy Wilson, who stepped down from his role as Boston’s last town crier (he held the spot for 50 years!) to open the pub in 1795, Bell in Hand Tavern claims to be the oldest of its kind in the US. The tavern was famous for ale so thick it was served in two mugs – one for the ale and one for the froth. Customers now can expect a less foamy pour and some delicious pub fare, with a menu of seafood and sharing plates.
The oldest continuously-run business in the state of Ohio, the Golden Lamb has hosted not one, but a dozen US presidents since first opening as a tavern in 1803. It's not just presidents on its roster of famous guests though, with Neil Armstrong, Charles Dickens, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) also stopping by. It was built to provide a resting place for travellers on their way from Cincinnati to the old National Road (now US-40) and offered simple rooms and stiff drinks – hospitality that hasn’t changed all that much in its more than 200-year history.
Claiming to be the ‘cradle’ or birthplace of the daiquiri, this historic Havana bar opened its doors in 1817. El Floridita is probably best known as being Ernest Hemingway’s local watering hole during his years in Cuba’s capital. Today, a life-sized sculpture of the writer occupies the stool where he used to sit and (apparently) drink double-strength daiquiris by the bucketload.
Entering Bar Marsella is like walking through a portal to the past – little has changed about this absinthe bar since it opened in 1820. Once a haunt for the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí, it’s a real highlight of the Catalan city. People come today to sip absinthe, beer or regional wines surrounded by chandeliers and rows of dusty bottles.
Opened in 1825 as a Noon Day Stage Coach Stop, The Log Inn is now Indiana’s oldest restaurant and maintains a cosy inn feel with traditional decor and a homely menu of dishes like grilled catfish and roasted ham. Its biggest claim to fame is that Abraham Lincoln stopped here in 1844 as he travelled through the Midwest during a presidential campaign for Henry Clay.
Australia’s oldest continuously licensed hotel, which shares the same space as the bar and bistro, was registered in 1825, though the building and business predate this by 12 years. Rumour has it, some of the rooms at the historic Bush Inn are haunted. It has been altered over the years, although the building’s core structure and cellars date back to the 1850s. The first telephone call in the Commonwealth was made from Bush Inn in 1888, and apparently the phone number up until the 1970s was 1.
A local institution on New Zealand’s North Island, the waterfront Duke of Marlborough began life in 1827 as the gloriously named Johnny Johnstons Grog Shop, and was granted the country’s first liquor licence. Its eponymous owner decided to rename it the Duke of Marlborough, after the richest man of the time, shortly afterwards – the spot had earned itself a reputation as being somewhat debauched, and Johnston wanted to restore some honour.
Proudly proclaiming itself to be Sydney’s oldest pub, the 1828-established Fortune of War was built by one-time convict Samuel Terry, and became a watering hole patronised by sailors and soldiers who used it as their first and last stop ashore. Although it has a more eclectic clientele these days, war veterans still tend to use the bar as a meeting point on Anzac Day.
The ever-popular Lord Nelson claims to be Sydney’s oldest continuously licensed hotel still within its original building, and is also home to Australia’s oldest pub brewery. Founder William Wells originally operated a pub opposite where he lived before converting his two-storey home into the Lord Nelson’s home today, having a licence granted in 1841.
The Laff, located in Château Lafayette House, is officially older than the city in which it resides. Ottawa was established in 1855 – six years after this tavern (then called Grant’s Hotel) first opened. It’s had several other names since then and there are rumours it once operated as a brothel. Its classic Canadian pub fare, like poutine (fries topped with cheese curds and gravy), has attracted famous patrons from Dan Ackroyd to Justin Bieber – and apparently encouraged a few ghosts to hang around in the basement too.
An Irish pub in the heart of East Village, McSorley's Old Ale House has been serving beer since 1854 and proudly shows off its history in the old photos and historic documents that adorn the walls. Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and President Grant reportedly dropped in for a drink, and poet E E Cummings wrote Sitting in McSorley’s about the bar.
Billed as Tokyo’s oldest western-style bar, Kamiya may not be the prettiest venue in the city but it’s known as one of the most atmospheric and friendly. The signature drink here is a cocktail called Denki Bran (Electric Brandy), a potent combination of brandy, gin and wine said to have been invented by the bar’s founder, Denbee Kamiya, in 1882, shortly after the bar first opened.
Writer Jack London frequented Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon, a popular drinking den by the waterfront in Oakland’s Jack London Square. Following in the White Fang and Call of the Wild author’s footsteps is a huge draw, but that isn’t the only history soaked into the walls of this rustic, memorabilia-stuffed spot, first opened in 1884. The bar survived the 1906 earthquake that hit San Francisco and its surrounds, and the floor remains slanted as a result of the disaster. Interestingly, the pandemic caused the first mandatory closure of Heinold's since the earthquake.
One of the oldest and most traditional watering holes in Rio, Bar Luiz – known for German-style food and beer – was founded in 1887. While it has changed buildings, names and owners over the years, it has always remained a bar and is believed to be Brazil’s oldest brewery.
This men-only bar in the New Market area is old school and dated in more ways than one. As well as women not being welcome, it's Kolkata's oldest bar, dating back to the late 19th century. Shaw Bros., also known as Chhota Bristol, has no menu as such – instead, a stock exchange-style board displays drink prices and customers can order food from stalls lined up outside. It’s often a race to find a seat but, for those who manage it, the bar apparently makes an ideal spot for people watching.
Red Onion Saloon is now a bar, restaurant – and brothel museum. The inn opened in 1898 as a brothel for gold miners, with the rather creepy twist of using dolls to represent its working women. These dolls were placed on the bar and positioned to indicate whether or not their human counterparts were available. Today the ghost of former brothel madam Lydia is said to hang around the halls, the scent of her perfume wafting in the air, while the upstairs museum displays original artefacts and clothing.
One of the oldest surviving bar-restaurants in Peru, 1905-founded Restaurante Bar Cordano is famous as a drinking and dining spot for eminent customers: artists, writers and politicians, including Peruvian presidents (it happens to be located opposite the presidential palace). It’s also well-loved for its delicious butifarra – a baguette with ham and Creole sauce (lime, onion and pepper). Surviving original features include the dark-wood counter and the decorative floor.
Zum Franziskaner's history stretches all the way back to 1421, when it’s claimed the beer cellar was imported to the Swedish capital by German monks. Today’s bar and restaurant, thought to have been founded in 1889 by Augusta Engelbrech, settled in its current building in 1910. It certainly feels as old as time, with wood-panelled walls, discreet booths, beer served in steins and a menu of wurst platters and Scandi-style comfort food.