Europe's oldest operating restaurant is in Poland—and it's 700 years old (7 photos)

Piwnica Świdnicka is the oldest operating restaurant in Europe. Tucked beneath the Town Hall in the Polish city of Wrocław, it has been welcoming guests for seven centuries.





First opening its doors in the 13th century, the cellar took its name from the popular beer brewed in nearby Świdnica, which was originally served here. Over the centuries, luminaries like Frédéric Chopin, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Friedrich Nietzsche dined in these cavernous halls. Remarkably, despite the heavy bombings of 1945, the restaurant survived in pristine condition. Step inside this iconic underground beer hall.



Located in Wrocław—the capital of Lower Silesia and one of Poland’s oldest and most picturesque cities—Piwnica Świdnicka has been serving patrons in the Town Hall basement since 1273. Today, it remains one of the city's top landmarks.





Spanning 900 square meters across nine historic dining rooms, the establishment serves its famous "Shepc" brew, celebrated for centuries in local poetry. Beer is the star attraction here—though tasting it anywhere else just wouldn't be the same.



Featuring carved wooden furniture, vaulted ceilings, and intricate wall frescoes, the dining rooms evoke the feel of a medieval feast hall.

Stepping inside feels like stepping straight back into the 13th century.

The cellar was originally connected directly to the brewery by an underground passage. The beer brewed here was prized by locals and exported as far as neighboring Hungary.



Even today, beer is brewed here according to those historic recipes—and priced to match.