The restaurant business is notoriously tough. According to MenuTiger, 80 percent of restaurants fail within five years, and most of those failures occur within the first year. A small minority stay in business for a few decades and occasionally even longer than that. And then there are a tiny handful that hang around for literal centuries. Here are a few of the oldest, and what the diners had to say:
* St. Peter Stiftskulinarium, established 803 A.D., Salzburg, Austria. Supposedly the oldest restaurant in Europe and perhaps the whole world, this restaurant supposedly served Mozart. Karen from Wales writes that the food was delicious, while Kerry M. reports that "Winter brunch was disappointing."
* The Old House 1147, established 1147, Maesteg, Wales. The Old House started as a pub in the 12th century and has been slinging grub ever since. Laura T. from Bridgend calls it "Superb!" while Linda W. disliked the medieval building's temperature and stone floor.
* Honke Owariya, established 1465, Kyoto, Japan. Now in its 16th generation of family ownership, Honke Owariya began as a confectionery shop and is now renowned for its soba dishes. Lionel from Singapore says, "Great soba in a beautiful historical setting." Tripadvisor user worldtraveller008, however, calls it the "worst meal I have ever had in all of Japan."
* White Horse Tavern, established 1678, Newport, RI. The oldest restaurant in the U.S., this national historical landmark has meticulously preserved its colonial-era architecture for modern diners to enjoy. Joe W. says, "The three of us had a wonderful meal here!" Karen M., however, wrote "I have never written a review before but this experience was unequivocally the worst."
