Were there restaurants or taverns in medieval times?

Oh all over the place. William FitzStephen attests to a large number of them in twelfth century London, for instance. For that matter, there are medieval restaurants and bars all over Europe that are still open. read more

Since the average person in Medieval Europe was a farmer, most people would not have gone to the Tavern to eat unless they were on Pilgrimage. Then they would have probably resembled Ancient Roman Popina, or what we would call “Food Stands”. Pies and Ale would be the food served. read more

In searching, however, I found there to be a sad and strange dearth of archaeological field reports of medieval tavern sites. You might find this interesting, and in any case the article provides some background about the social role of the tavern in a colonial town, which I doubt would not be too different from in a late medieval English town. read more