Hello everyone. This post is coming again because I had to delete the original one while hackers tried to ride on my blog and use it for virus implantation. So, my dear readers enjoy this article again. I will leave it just for a few days.

The McDonald brothers opened their first „Barbecue Drive-In Restaurant“ near the Monrovia Airport in 1937. Shortly after opening, they noted their best seller was their Hamburger, 15 cent for one. Begin of a success story, for whom?

No – we are not talking about McDonald.

We are talking about the oldest known restaurants in the world.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the restaurant „Sobrino de Botin“ in Madrid, Spain is the world’s oldest operating restaurant, which opened its doors in 1725.

Famous the world over, Ernest Hemingway mentioned the restaurant’s signature dish cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig, which is „out of my own experience“ absolute fantastic) in his 1926 novel „The Sun Also Rises“. I will write about my experience in this famous restaurant in a later post.

                  Hemingway at Botin’s.

In the culinary world, the birth of a world-renowned restaurant can often be followed by relatively short lifespan. „El Bulli“, for instance, previously named the best restaurant in the world, shuttered its doors after only a few decades. And studies show that, today, ninety percent of restaurants that make it past the five year mark will only operate for a minimum of ten years total, making a 1.200-year old restaurant seem downright impossible. Still, a handful of centuries old establishments have survived and housed some pretty phenomenal history.

         El Bulli, world’s best restaurant is closed.

A few other restaurants throughout Europe also contend the title „oldest restaurant in the world“. Some of the world’s oldest date back centuries – and are still going strong, proud of their vintage, colorful, history-filled status.

Stiftskeller St Peter, situated in a monastery in Salzburg, Austria, claims to have been around as an inn serving food since 803. And evidence exists that Henry III of France dined at La Tour d’Argent in Paris in 1582. So which is it?

Better is that we let that discussion to the culinary historians. I wouldn’t claim that this list is complete. There are many more, very old and historic, restaurants worth mentioning, but I cut it to these 15 ! What I read and found is listed as follows and that is some kind of difference then we read in Guinness books.

1. Stiftskeller St. Peter (est. 803) – Salzburg, Austria.

Surprisingly, the world’s oldest restaurant—Stiftskeller—is still housed amongst its original structure in St. Peter’s Abbey. The Austria-based restaurant was first noted by the scholar and monk Albuin, who was a devout follower of Charlemagne.

  Postcard (1907) from the Stiftskeller. Click on picture.

While the structure has been renovated and expanded numerous times, some of the numerous dining rooms, often decorated in grand baroque style and vintage chandeliers, are still carved into the stone cliffs adjacent to the Abbey’s original structure and has served royals, dignitaries and celebrities, for centuries.

A few years ago, Karl Lagerfeld hosted a grand féte celebrating the premier of his film Reincarnation. In addition to the historic landscape, Stiftskeller is also famed for its weekly Mozart-themed dinners in which performers in period costume replay Salzburg’s most famous musician.

2. Brauhaus Sion (est. 1311) Cologne, Germany.

Sion is the oldest brewery in Cologne, so if you would like to taste a typical beer of the region called „Kölsch“ is a must to go to this place while in Cologne.

 

The place seem more hidden than other breweries in Cologne. It was established in 1311. The food is typical German food and is served in big portions. The food is very tasty and fresh. See above the Sion-Kölsch and the delicious „Altstadtpfanne“.

3. Bianyifang (est. 1416) Beijing, China.

The history of the restaurant begins in the Ming Dynasty, Bianyifang was only a small pub on the street. Although the fame of the hotel at that time was not famous far away, many customers had regarded Bianyifang as their favorite pub.   There were many moving stories in this tavern.

  Slicing duck at Bianyifang.  Click on picture.

The name of Bianyifang was created in A.D.1552 by Yang Jisheng. Yang was a vice minister of the Ministry of War, who lived in Dazhi bridge outside Xuanwu Gate. The restaurant has carried the Beijing cuisine, famous for its special Peking Duck, tradition from the Qing dynasty to its modern-day form.

4. Zum Franziskaner (est. 1421) Stockholm, Sweden.

Founded by German monks in present-day Old Town Stockholm, Zum Franziskaner has become a legend amongst locals and tourists. While not in its original structure (it has been rebuilt numerous times), the current building dates back to 1906 and still boasts the same brew from the day it opened in 1421.

          Always click on pictures, most of them will supersize for a better view.

The name Zum Franziskaner derives from the German Franciscan, a mendicant orders (tiggarorden) who lived by Francis of Assisi words and rules. Restaurant logo, which is the same as ölmärkets, shows a Franziskaner monk with a Beer Stein.

Over the years, it has varied from being a sailor tavern, ölkrog and luxury restaurant, and today according to the Daily News‘ a reasonably simple neighborhood restaurant with German specialties.

5. Honke Owariya (est. 1465) Kyoto, Japan.

What started as a confectionery is now the oldest known restaurant in Japan. Still renowned for their desserts. Honke Owariya has been serving monks, shoguns and emperors its famous soba dishes for hundreds of years. For those unfamiliar, soba is a buckwheat noodle dish, cooked in their own special water.

  Foreigners will receive the soba noodle dish with an „how to use instruction“.

Today, the Imperial family can be found dining at Honke Owariya upon their return from Tokyo. But don’t let that intimidate your visit, locals love the outpost set within a quiet, quintessentially Kyoto street just south of the Imperial palace. Its beautifully aged wooden exterior houses traditional floor seating and beautiful gardens typical of the area.

6. La Tour d’Argent (est. 1582) Paris, France.

Be prepared to dine like Parisian royalty when visiting the Michelin rated La Tour d’Argent (french for „The Silver Tower“), which claims to have once been frequented by King Henri IV. Impeccable views of Notre Dame Cathedral can be enjoyed alongside some quintessential French fare, roasted ducklings (which are raised on their private farm and come with a numbered certificate), paté, and poisson (fish). The restaurant even inspired the 2007 film Ratatouille.

          The restaurant location improved from street level to top floor during the centuries. See pics.

     

The wine cellar, one of the best in the world, survived the wars and is heavily guarded around the clock. It houses more than 450.000 bottles of over 15.000 elixirs within its collection valued at about 25 million euros. Including amazing rarity’s, click on pics.

7. Hofbräuhaus (est. 1589) München, Germany.

The Hofbräuhaus is probably the world’s most famous beer hall. If Munich is the capital of the beer-drinking faith, this is where pilgrims come to pray. The mighty Hofbräuhaus (or as it’s usually spelt in English, Hofbrauhaus) is like a mini-Oktoberfest all year round.

Always a great atmosphere inside the Hofbräuhaus. It’s a „Must See“ for a Munich visit.

The Hofbräuhaus am Platzl was founded in 1589 by the Duke of Bavaria, Wilhelm V. It is one of Munich’s oldest beer halls. It was founded as the brewery to the old Royal Residence, which at that time was situated just around the corner from where the beer hall stands today. The beer quickly became popular thanks to the first brewer, Heimeran Pongratz and the „Bavarian Beer Purity Law“ of 1516 that stated that only natural ingredients could be used in the brewing process.

  Duke Wilhelm V.

Wilhelm V, the Duke of Bavaria (1548-1626), had a thirsty and demanding household. They were dissatisfied with the beer brewed in Munich, and so beer had to be imported from the town of Einbeck in Lower Saxony. Wilhelm ordered his retinue to think of ways of reconciling cost and pleasure, and on September 27, 1589, his chamberlain and counselors submitted a suggestion: why not build a brewery?

Wilhelm was delighted with the idea and on the very same day (!) recruited the brewmaster of Geisenfeld Monastery, Heimeran Pongraz, to plan and supervise the construction of Hofbräuhaus (the “ducal brewery”), and to be its first master brewer.

     Duke Maximilian I.

Maximilian I, Wilhelm’s son and heir, did not care much for the Braunbier, which was the dark and heavy brown beer. So, in the beginning of the 17th century Maximilian I turned the brewery’s focus onto wheat beers and forbade all other private breweries to brew wheat beer, thus creating a monopoly. In 1612, Heimeran Pongraz’s successor, Elias Pichler, was under pressure to brew a stronger beer, hence the Maibock. In fact, the Maibock beer became so famous that it once saved the city from annihilation. When King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden invaded Bavaria during the Thirty Years‘ War in 1632, he threatened to sack and burn the entire city of Munich. He agreed to leave the city in peace if the citizens surrendered some hostages, and 600,000 barrels of Hofbräuhaus beer.

The Old Hofbräuhaus in Munich around 1830.

The Hof (court) comes from the brewery’s history as a royal brewery in the Kingdom of Bavaria. The brewery owns the Hofbräuhaus am Platzl, the Hofbräukeller and one of the largest tents at the Oktoberfest (Hofbräu-Festzelt).
The Hofbräuhaus am Platzl in Munich inspired the song „oans, zwoa, g’suffa“ (The Bavarian dialect for: „one, two, down the hatch“).

The Hofbräuhaus beer-tent during Munich October Festival. The music stage in the rear of this picture is in fact right in the middle of the tent. The seating capacity is inside the tent 6.017 and outside 3.013. The Hofbräu festival tent is not only the largest festival hall at the Wiesn, it is also the only tent with an area directly in front of the music podium where you can stand (and dance). It offers space for around 1.000 Oktoberfest visitors, in total – space for over 10.000 people – in one tent !

After World War II, thanks in part to legions of American soldiers stationed in Munich bringing home beer mugs with the „HB“ logo, the Hofbräuhaus quickly became Munich’s number one tourist attraction. Demand for Hofbräuhäuser in other parts of the world began almost immediately. The first Hofbräuhaus in Europe outside Germany was opened in Genoa, Italy, see Hofbräuhaus Genova.

    Good food and a good beer is always a reason to visit the Hofbräuhaus.

In 1968, Helmut Meyer opened the first Hofbräuhaus outside of Europe, in Market Lane, Melbourne, Australia, where it still operates today. The complex includes Alpine Bar and Bier Hall. Hofbräuhaus franchises have opened in almost 30 places around the world.

8. Zur Letzten Instanz (est. 1621) Berlin, Germany.

The plain, three-storey town house along the medieval wall were built in the second part of the 13th century. The first documentary mention of the present restaurant building dates from the year 1561. In 1621 a former equestrian servant of the elector at the time laid the foundation of the present restaurant with the opening of gin mill- „Biedermeierstübchen“ .

    Zur Letzten Instanz, garden. Click on pic.

9. White Horse Tavern (est. 1673) Newport, Rhode Island.

Known as the oldest operating tavern in the United States, Newport’s White Horse Tavern holds all the typical New England charm and history while serving delectable dishes from its current culinary team.

Founded in 1673, it soon became a meeting place for the Colony’s General Assembly, Criminal Court and City Council and became billed as the „birthplace of the businessman’s lunch” when public officials would often charge their meals to the city treasury.

   
Inside the tavern. One of the main dishes: Whitehorsetavern Braised Beef Osso Bucco, Red Wine Citrus Sauce, over Mashed Potatoes, served with a Sauté of Winter Vegetables.

One of its first owners, William Mayes, Jr., was a well-known pirate, which embarrassed the British troops who had taken over Colonial Newport amid the American Revolution. Mayes’ tom-foolery only gave him brief control over the tavern before his sister took over.

For a brief period in the late 19th century, White Horse Tavern became a rooming house before receiving a massive restoration in the mid-1900s thanks to donations from the Van Beuren family. It re-opened as a tavern in 1957 under guidance of the Newport Historical Society and has served traditional American fare to locals and tourists ever since.

10. A La Petite Chaise (est. 1680) Paris, France.

The restaurant takes its name from the transformation of an old French word „cheze“ of latin origin, casa meaning isolated house. The first construction of this building dates from 1610 and was located on the samall patch called „the little Louvre“ near Grenelle. Between 1652 and 1680 the house has been raised. It is the one which still exists. Through recorded sales of the building its certain that already in 1680 a Georges Rameau was selling wines in this very spot. With the wines, some food was being served and has been served since.

    The old iron gate.

This is the oldest restaurant in Paris according to records. The iron gate on the front door dates from this era. The most important Lords of the land were feasting on the local specialties. Nobles and nobility under the same roof. Philip d’Orleans, regent to be, brought his confessor, Cardinal Dubois and organized great parties … confessions ?

  Philip d’Orleans.

History tells, that in the XIX th century, Vidocq, the famous policeman, made several important arrests in this place. The well known gourmet, Brillat Savarin, wrote exquisite taste of the menus in his book „la physiologie du goút“ (1826). At this same time period, la Petite Chaise was likely to see Musset, George Sand, Juliette Recamier, Chateaubriand and others, living nearby.

                               
Left:   Vidocq movies, story’s, TV-series and much more.     Right: François-René de Chateaubriand.

   The Larousse Gastronomique indicates that the dish chateaubriand was created by namesake chef  Montmireil, for the Vicomte Francois-René de Chateaubriand.

In the beginning of the XX th century, artists and actors gathered here after show-time. Cabaret stars from Montmartre traveled to La Petite Chaise to be sketched by Toulouse Lautrec. The tenor Alvarez and the baritone Noté loved to be seen in the upstairs corners with the bosomed ladies of their choice. Sometimes, some very „close“ relationships continued after the dessert. Singers would pour out their hearts with love ballads under the restaurant windows. Great Collette was once invited by the „Crapouillot’s crew (periodic) for her literary talent only… Politicians, such as François Mitterand, came from nearby Poly-Sci and cabinet members from the nearby National Assembly.

11. Sobrino de Botín Restaurant (est. 1725) Madrid, Spain.

Technically Botín is the oldest operating restaurant, according to the rules of Guinness Book of World Records, but it actually sits towards the end of this list.

   Botin around 1887.

Its official status as the grandpa of eateries could be due to its extensive literary documentation, everyone from Ernest Hemingway (The Sun Also Rises) to Frederick Forsyth (Icon and the Cobra) and James Michener (Iberia) have made mention of the Castilian-style restaurant and its rich history.

                       Frederick Forsyth left and James Mitchener right.

Popular dishes include suckling pig, roast lamb and baby eels, often cooked within the restaurant’s original wood-fired oven, which is still from the founding years. According to some rumors, Goya was once on staff before he became famous as a Spanish painter.

12. Fraunces Tavern (est. 1762) New York, USA.

In terms of American history, New York City’s Fraunces Tavern has played a pretty prominent role in shaping the future landscape of the United States.

                 

Samuel Fraunces (1722/23 – October 10, 1795) was an American restaurateur and the owner of New Yorks Fraunces Tavern. During the Revolutionary War, he provided shelter for prisoners held during the seven-year British occupation of New York City (1776-1783). At the end of the war, it was at Fraunces Tavern that General George Washington said farewell to his officers.

First named the Queen’s Head by Samuel Fraunces, who purchased the former mansion from New York City Mayor Stephanus van Cortlandt’s son-in-law, the Georgian-style building was an early meeting place for the Sons of Liberty, a secret society who fought to protect the rights of colonists.

       A massive discussion is under way: Was Samuel (Sam) Fraunces black or white ? Literature (Samuel Fraunces Biography) and movie (The Book of Negroes) are showing a different picture then the tavern story. Both can be seen in Fraunces Tavern Museum.

By the time the American Revolution had fully reared its head, General George Washington had taken residency in the building, making it his formal headquarters and eventually using the facility to negotiate peace with the British as well as form the early constructs of the United States’ government.

  Fraunces today. Click on pic.

Today, Fraunces Tavern operates as a whiskey bar and restaurant, serving traditional American fare from Manhattan’s South Street Seaport.

13. Tavares Rico (est. 1784) Lisbon, Portugal.

The Tavares is a historic restaurant located in Lisbon, Portugal that has operated continuously since 1784. It is the oldest restaurant in Lisbon, having operated in the same location (though not the same building) since this time. It still boasts the same name of the Tavares brothers when they took over the business in 1823.

 

It is the second oldest restaurant in the Iberian Peninsula and  for sure one of the most sophisticated and historic restaurants in Lisbon. The restaurant was frequented by writer Eca de Queiroz, who referenced it in his book „Os Maias“.

14. Rules Restaurant (est. 1798) London, England.

In the year Napoleon opened his campaign in Egypt, Thomas Rule promised his despairing family that he would say goodbye to his wayward past and settle down. No sooner said than he opened an oyster bar in Convent Garden. To the surprise and disbelief of his family, his enterprise proved to be not only successful but lasting.

    Click on pictures to size up for a better view.

Contemporary writers were soon singing the praises of Rules’ “porter, pies and oysters”, and remarking on the “rakes, dandies and superior intelligence’s who comprise its clientele”. Rules still flourishes, the oldest restaurant in London and one of the most celebrated in the world.

Signature dish at Rules, roast-beef and Yorkshire pudding.

In over 200 years, spanning the reigns of nine monarchs, it has been owned by only three families . . . just before The Great War, Charles Rule, a descendant of the founder, was thinking of moving to Paris; by sheer coincidence he met Tom Bell, a Briton who owned a Parisian restaurant called the Alhambra, and the two men decided to swap businesses. In 1984 Tom Bell’s daughter sold Rules to John Mayhew, the present owner.

15. Union Oyster House (est. 1826) Boston, United States.

In the 19th century, the American people were enveloped in an oyster craze. In every town there were oyster parlors, oyster cellars, oyster saloons, oyster bars, oyster houses, oyster stalls and oyster lunchrooms. 1826 marked the end of Capen’s Dry Goods Store and the beginning of Atwood and Bacon’s establishment.

       

The new owners installed the fabled semi-circular Oyster Bar — where the greats of Boston paused for refreshment. It was at the Oyster Bar that Daniel Webster, a constant customer, daily drank his tall tumbler of brandy and water with each half-dozen oysters, seldom having less than six plates.

       
Left: Daniel Webster. Right: The old raw bar at Union Oyster House.

The toothpick was first used in the United States at the Union Oyster House. Enterprising Charles Forster of Maine first imported the picks from South America. To promote his new business he hired Harvard boys to dine at the Union Oyster House and ask for toothpicks.

     The Webster Den and The Kennedy Booth.

The Kennedy Clan has patronized the Union Oyster House for years. J.F.K. loved to feast in privacy in the upstairs dining room. His favorite booth „The Kennedy Booth“ has since been dedicated in his memory.

      
The new raw bar, oysters par excellence.

  Oysters, oysters and oysters – but also available, American bouillabaisse or Maine lobster.

 

Since 1826, the Union Oyster House has known only three owners. Carrying on proud traditions in dining and service since 1970 have been Mr. Joseph A. Milano, Jr., and Ms. Mary Ann Milano Picardi. What a place to have a good time, with food and wine.
Hope you enjoyed this post and you can TRAVEL THERE SOON.