Today, a tavern is a low-grade institution that has outlived its own. At least that's what a good half of humanity thinks. But it was not always so. In the old days, the tavern was the best place to unwind from everyday boredom, and "roll" a mug of sivuha. Not to mention the fact that these institutions were home to tired wanderers.
What has changed in such a short period? Why is a tavern today just a relic of the times? And what generally were the taverns of the past?
What is a restaurant?
It is difficult to say exactly when the first inns appeared , ready not only to shelter travelers, but also to feed them. However, it is known for certain that in ancient times they were already actively being built throughout Greece and Rome.
As for their destination, the tavern is, first of all, a tavern, designed for ordinary residents and visiting guests. It should be noted that the quality of food in such places was very doubtful, but its cost allowed guests to ignore this fact.
Over the years, the inn began to be rebuilt from an ordinary dining room into a hotel with a wide range of services. So, here you could not only book a room for the night, but also find out all the necessary information about the city or its environs.
Restaurants in Russia
As for our country, the first taverns in Moscow appeared in the middle of the 16th century. And Ivan the Terrible himself established their construction, believing that the people really need such an institution. But the first establishments were a rather expensive pleasure, and therefore only prosperous people were their guests. As for the word “tavern” itself, it was dispersed among the Russian people only in the 17th century.
The decline in the popularity of restaurants
Today's tavern is just a small shadow of what it was before. And the fault is all the restaurants that at the beginning of the XIX century almost completely replaced the cheap dining rooms. And there is nothing surprising, because the quality of food has become a decisive factor in this fight.
That is why today restaurants are in all cities, but taverns are already a rarity. Although in the Russian capital in the last decade the fashion for these public places has revived. The chain of "Fir-tree-sticks" taverns is widely known; the tavern with oriental flavor - "Tale of the East 1001 Nights" is gaining popularity. But they are trying to preserve the Russian spirit in the Borsch & Salo taverns. In a word, traditions continue to live.