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Inside The World’s 10 Oldest Restaurants

Not all restaurants come and go. Some of the world’s oldest date back centuries—and are still going strong, proud of their vintage, colorful, history-filled status.

This report was published on 20.12.2014 on "The daily beast":
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/20/inside-the-world-s-10-oldest-restaurants.html

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.

From an Austrian restaurant founded by monks at the end of the Dark Ages to a tavern that saw the early constructs of the United States government, the Daily Beast has rounded up the 10 oldest restaurants currently operating throughout the world.

1. Stiftskeller St. Peter. Salzburg, Austria. Est. 803

Alamy

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.

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.

Most recently, Karl Lagerfeld hosted a grand fête 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. Bianyifang. Beijing, China. Est. 1416

long zheng / Alamy

While Bianyifang no longer operates from its establishing structure—a small workshop which produced duck and chicken food—it still holds its title as the oldest Peking Duck restaurant in Beijing, carrying on the tradition that started during the Ming Dynasty.

3. Zum Franziskaner. Stockholm, Sweden. Est. 1421

Alamy

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. Throughout the years it has also served as a sailor tavern and a high-end restaurant.

“Popular dishes include suckling pig, roast lamb and baby eels, often cooked within the restaurant’s original wood-fired oven.”

4. Honke Owariya. Kyoto, Japan. Est. 1465

What started as a confectionary is now the oldest know restaurant in Japan. Still renowned for their desserts, Honke Owariya has been serving monks, shoguns and emperors its more famous soba dishes for hundreds of years. For those unfamiliar, soba is buckwheat noodle dish—and they proved much more popular amongst the public.

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 Kyot, street just south of the Imperial palace. Its beautifully aged wooden exterior houses traditional floor seating and beautiful gardens typical of the area.

5. La Tour d’Argent. Paris, France. Est. 1582

Michel Setboun/Corbis

Be prepared to dine like Parisian royalty when visiting the Michelin rated La Tour d’Argent, 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), pâté, and poisson (fish). The restaurant even inspired the 2007 film Ratatouille.

The wine cellar—one of the best in the world—survived World War II and is guarded around the clock. It houses more than 450,000 bottles of 15,000 elixirs within its collection valued at 25 million euros in 2009.

6.  Zur letzten Instanz. Berlin, Germany. Est. 1621

Julie g Woodhouse / Alamy

Mention of this East Berlin eatery has been documented as far back as 1561, but it wasn’t developed into a tavern until 1621. Having served everyone from Napoleon and Beethoven to Angela Merkel and international dignitaries in the years since,Zur Letzten Instanz has definitely endured a lot of history.

The building is a block from the historic Berlin Wall, which divided the city’s communist-controlled East and free West and is one of the few remaining houses that adjoined the old town wall, now a crumbling medieval structure. The building had to be rebuilt in 1963 after extensive damage from the Second World War was finally deemed irreparable.

7. White Horse Tavern. Newport, Rhode Island. Est. 1673

Robert Harding Picture Library Ltd / Alamy

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.

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.

8. A la Petite Chaise. Paris, France. Est. 1680

Guarded by its original iron gate, A la Petite Chaise is the second Parisian eatery on our list of historical dining spots and serves textbook-perfect examples of French classics.

Since its establishment in the late seventeenth century by Georges Rameau, a wine merchant, it has been a central meeting spot for political, social and artistic circles, hosting impromptu cabaret acts, heated political discussions—sometimes ending in arrest, and literary readings by prominent writers such as Colette.

9. Botín. Madrid, Spain. Est. 1725

Travel Pictures / Alamy

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

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.

Popular dishes include suckling pig, roast lamb and baby eels, often cooked within the restaurant’s original wood-fired oven. According to some rumors, Goya was once on staff before his fame as a Spanish painter.

10. Fraunces Tavern. New York, NY. 1762

Richard Drew/AP

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. 

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.

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.

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

Mobile Apps for Tourism

Lately I have been involved with the Mobile world and there is an amazing amount of great mobile apps for tourism available (one of my favorite is what MySwitzerland has to offer).

And now I found this article:

7 Ways Mobile Apps are Enriching Historical Tourism

Some of the most famous historical sites would be just another old house or pile of rubble if you didn’t have any background information about their significance. Tourists have always had options for educating themselves about what they’re looking at. They can read relevant books beforehand, they can hire a tour guide, or, if everyone in the group has the patience, they can take the time to read every plaque and sign on the premises.

Now, many programmers are also offering tourists the option to learn about these sites via their smartphones. While many of the world’s significant historical locations have some sort of interactive app connected to them, the seven we picked below are among the most innovative and impressive.

To read the full story simply visit Mashable / Mobile.

Enjoy this,
Chris

Hotels to Stay in Before You Die

Concierge.com published today a great list of 13 hotels throughout the world of "must stayed before you die" properties.

One of my favorite Hotels is the OBEROI UDAIVILAS, Udaipur, India.

This is the text of Concierge.com which comes with this hotel:

So your friends say they're not sure about going to India? If they could only get a load of you now, overlooking the gorgeous Lake Pichola from your perch in a magnificent palace fit for a maharaja. In fact, some of the world's best hotels are packed into the country, especially around the northern desert region of Rajasthan. Our pick: Oberoi Udaivilas. Built in 2002, it feels like it's been on the lake for centuries, especially with its series of turrets and fountains that could be plucked out of the Mewar period. The design is equal parts sublime and decadent, with gold-leaf domes, exquisite chandeliers, and gorgeous Indian textiles. The grounds are enormous—30 acres—and include an animal sanctuary with peacocks that parade through the gardens. Ask for a Premier Lake View room with a private patio overlooking the water and steps that lead right into a semiprivate pool (five suites come with completely private ones). Not to be missed: a sunset boat trip around the lake followed by a private dinner on a floating dock—it'll make you the star in your own Bollywood flick.

OBEROI UDAIVILAS, Udaipur, India
Tel: 91 294 243 3300
Doubles from $745

A Nightmare in Tourism Logistics

A Nightmare in Logistics, the Hajj pilgrimage which involves almost 3 million human beings congregating at Makkah, then moving on to Minah, Arafat, Muzdalifah and back to Mina, over a short 6 day period, is effectively managed by the Saudi Arabian Government and its designated administrative authorities, each year.

The logistics, administration and management of the annual pilgrimage of Hajj by the Saudi Arabian authorities and related public and private sector organizations is truly a nightmare beyond the wildest imagination of any operational exercise in the world. With the volume of pilgrims participating in the Hajj increasing by leaps and bounds each year the authorities have had to spruce up their act, re-define procedures, and come up with better control mechanisms and facilities to provide a smooth and successful process to enable a successful execution of the pilgrimage.
In 2008 Saudi missions abroad issued almost 2 million visas for pilgrims seeking to perform the pilgrimage from overseas. In addition the number of local pilgrims who travel to Makkah from all parts of the Kingdom usually amounts to another million, at least.

The majority of foreign pilgrims in 2008 — 1,645,135 — came by air, 216,532 by land and 30,550 by sea, according to Maj. Gen. Salim Al-Belaihed, Director General of the Passport Department.

About 1,000 foreign dignitaries including 720 from Europe, 200 from Asia and Australia and 61 from Arab countries also performed the Haj in 2008 and the numbers are expected to be similar this year too. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz also invited almost 12,000 prominent Muslim personalities from around the world to perform Haj as his guests over the past several years.

Read the full article here by Fazil Sameer from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

About the Hajj festivities

The main reason Muslims go to Makkah is to pray in the Holy Mosque. Often, they perform the Umrah, the lesser pilgrimage, while visiting the Holy Mosque. Once a year, the Hajj, the greater pilgrimmage, takes place in Makkah and nearby sites. During the Hajj, three million people worship in unison.

If a person performs the Umrah or the Hajj correctly, all his/her sins are forgiven.

Every adult, healthy, sane Muslim who has enough money to travel to Makkah and can make arrangements for the care of his/her dependents during the trip, must perform the Hajj once in a lifetime.

In 2009, the Hajj will begin today Wednesday, November 25.

Travel history, part II

Bridgewater Canal: AD 1759-1761

In 1759 a young self-taught engineer, James Brindley, is invited to visit the duke of Bridgewater. The duke is interested in improving the market for the coal from a local mine which he owns. He believes his coal will find customers if he can get it more cheaply into Manchester. He wants Brindley to build him a canal with a series of locks to get barges down to the river Irwell, about three miles from the mine.

Brindley proposes a much bolder scheme, declared by some to be impossible but accepted by the duke. He will construct a more level canal, with less need for time-wasting locks. He will carry it on an aqudeuct over the Irwell on a straight line to the heart of Manchester, ten miles away.

On 17 July 1761 the first bargeload of coal is pulled along the completed canal. Brindley's aqueduct (replaced in 1894 by the present swing aqueduct) crosses the Irwell at Barton. The strange sight of a barge floating in a gutter high up in the air becomes one of the first great tourist attractions of the Industrial Revolution. The investment in this private canal rapidly pays off. The price of the duke's coal is halved in the Manchester market.

The Bridgewater canal is the first in Britain to run its entire length independently of any river. It is the start of the country's inland waterway systerm, for which Brindley himself will construct another 300 miles of canals.

Will this hotel ever been completed?

In 1987, the Government of South Korea did start with this tremendous project called Ryugyong. A hotel with 3000 rooms, 360'000 sqm space and 7 revolving restaurants in the heart of Pyongyang.

It supposed to open in 1989, but it never did.

But lately, a photo captured workers completing the windows and other bits and pieces of the facade. The Egyptian construction company Orascom is apparently working on it.

Do you know more about this hotel project? Please write comments...

The Ca' de Vèn in Ravenna, Italy

I was visiting Ravenna in Italy and while I knew a lot about the amazing history of this beautiful city, I did never expect to encounter a restaurant like that.

The second we walked into this fortress-looking edifice called Ca' de Vèn, we knew we were in for a treat. The entrance is a preserved ancient shop, I think once a pharmaceutical supply or such, but long ago converted to a wine cellar and store – an enoteca, as such a place is called in Italy. The front salon has a massive bar and lovely old cabinetry and a high vaulted ceiling complete with a decaying fresco.

The cavernous back room has plain brick walls that are at least two stories high. Right down the middle of the room runs a massive A-line heavy-timbered rack supporting wine casks up high – and a balcony above that. Within the rack is built a single heavy table upon which is a pair of marble griffin-carved stands supporting fresh flowers. The remainder of the room has long refractory tables set perpendicular to the rack, and a row of doubles along the wall.

The enoteca has another room equally as large as the one mentioned above. This is a garden room culled from an old courtyard with a majestic entrance door (closed for good) used for horses to enter the courtyard.

The enoteca can seat up to 150 guests and offers traditional but amazing food with wines you can expect at such a place. Try it out, and enjoy!

Austria's most beautiful castle - Schloss Schönbrunn

I was invited to attend an Austrian MICE trade show called access 2007 in Vienna last week. I must admit that the austrian hospitality is not far away from what we European percieve as "the perfect hospitality service". The warmth of the local people combined with the professionalism of the MICE trade show organizers made my trip to Vienna special!

I managed to get away for a short moment from access 2007 (the trade show) and grapped a taxi who brought me to Schloss Schönbrunn.

Wow!

The charme and majestics of this place is enormous, I have been carried away with my thoughts to long time ago milestones in our European history, to our writers and composers, painters and sculptours.

Well, if you are planning a congress or event, go to Vienna and become a part of world history.
The photo is take from a fine website called www.foto-julius.at. Thank you

Travel History, part I

The Silk Road

In 629 – 645 the Chinese traveler and Buddhist monk Xuangzang crossed Central Asia on his way to India. Those were the times when diplomatic, trade and cultural relations between China and Central Asian countries were at their zenith. The Chinese pilgrim gave account of his trip in his book ‘Da Tian Si Yun Tsi ’ (Notes on Travels about Western Territories during Rule of Great Tang Dynasty in China). It was the first known “guidebook” to the cities of our forefathers. In his book Xuangzang narrated about the prosperous country Sogd and its capital Samarkand, about Chach (Tashkent), Ferghana Valley, Ustrushan, Kesh and Tokharistan (Bactria), which all were then situated within the territory of today’s Central Asia.

In Europe the earliest ever known “guidebook” to the Great Silk Road was the manuscript written 700 years ago on the basis of Venetian trader and explorer Marco Polo’s account of his travels, in later period known as “Book by Marco Polo”. If you are interested about Marco Polo's book then you can order it here.

More about the Silk Road is available on Wikipedia.