Ma Yu Ching's Bucket Chicken House in Kaifeng, China, established in 1153 AD during the Song Dynasty, is recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest restaurant still in operation.
This Chinese Restaurant Has Been Serving Chicken for 870+ Years
While most restaurants struggle to stay open for a decade, one humble eatery in central China has been serving customers for nearly nine centuries. Ma Yu Ching's Bucket Chicken House in Kaifeng has been dishing out its signature poultry since 1153 AD—and it's still going strong.
That's not a typo. This restaurant opened during the Song Dynasty, when Kaifeng was one of the largest and most prosperous cities in the world. Genghis Khan hadn't been born yet. The Crusades were still raging. And someone in China decided to open a chicken shop.
What's in a Bucket?
The restaurant's specialty is exactly what the name suggests: chicken prepared in a distinctive bucket-style method. The technique involves cooking whole chickens in a barrel-shaped container, creating a unique flavor profile that has kept customers coming back for 870+ years.
The recipe has reportedly been passed down through generations, though the restaurant has certainly had to adapt over the centuries. Surviving dynastic collapses, wars, revolutions, and the complete transformation of Chinese society is no small feat for any business.
Kaifeng: A City of Culinary History
It's fitting that the world's oldest restaurant sits in Kaifeng. During the Song Dynasty, the city was a culinary capital, famous for its night markets and diverse food culture. Historical records describe hundreds of restaurants and food stalls lining the streets, catering to a population of over a million people.
Most of those establishments are long gone. But Ma Yu Ching's endured.
The Competition
A few other restaurants claim ancient origins:
- Stiftskeller St. Peter in Salzburg, Austria—documented since 803 AD, though some dispute continuous operation
- Sobrino de Botín in Madrid, Spain—operating since 1725, holds a Guinness record for oldest restaurant in Europe
- Honke Owariya in Kyoto, Japan—a noodle shop dating to 1465
But none can match the sheer longevity of Ma Yu Ching's 12th-century founding date, which is why Guinness World Records has recognized it as the oldest restaurant still in operation.
Still Serving Today
Modern visitors to Kaifeng can still walk through the same doors (rebuilt many times, admittedly) and order the signature bucket chicken. The experience connects diners to a culinary tradition stretching back to medieval China—a time when most of the world's current nations didn't even exist.
The restaurant has become a point of local pride and a tourist destination for food historians and curious travelers alike. In an age of chain restaurants and franchise operations, there's something remarkable about a family recipe that's been feeding people since the days of emperors and dynasties.
Next time your favorite restaurant closes after a few years, spare a thought for the Kaifeng chicken shop that's been keeping its doors open since 1153. Whatever their secret is, it's clearly working.