Finding the oldest restaurant in the world requires tracing a tricky etiology riddled with myth, embellishments, and lost records. It’s the same driving fixation that leads us to wonder what the oldest country in the world is, or which the oldest hotels are, and likewise with the world’s oldest cities. While we may never truly pinpoint the exact institution, there are verifiably old restaurants around the world that have weathered the test of time, changing dining trends, and generations of changing hands. Restaurants like Botín in Madrid have made their mark in literary history in the pages of legends like Ernest Hemingway, and others like Rules Restaurant in London have served the same steak-and-kidney pies and roasted grouse that graced the plates of Charlie Chaplin and Laurence Olivier. Whether you’re looking for a taste of history, or are just generally intrigued by dishes that have kept the lights on for hundreds of years (centuries before the invention of the lightbulb), read on for nine of the oldest restaurants in the world.
This gallery has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
