# The first bars **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 1, 2001, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-bars/63953 "2001-05-01T12:54:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Osakadave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f07891/32.png) [@Osakadave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osakadave)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-bars/63953/1 "2001-05-01T12:54:10Z")
There was a scuffle at the local bar last night. The bartender told the fighters to “take it outside”. Afterwords a friend commented that bartenders must have been saying that forever. Thus leading to the question: When and where in history would we find the first bar recognisable as such - an establishment primarily for the purpose of selling alcoholic beverages for consumpition on the premises? ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-bars/63953/2 "2001-05-01T14:27:20Z")
Darn. I thought this was going to be a name-that-tune-type question. Gotta go. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Doris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Sir\_Doris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Doris)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-bars/63953/3 "2001-05-01T14:56:04Z")
This site suggests that English pubs started with the Romans [http://www.btinternet.com/~steven.williams1/pubpghst.htm](http://www.btinternet.com/~steven.williams1/pubpghst.htm) but I would guess that they were around in some form or another since booze was discovered. Probably in someone’s home rather than a purpose built place, but a place selling booze nevertheless. There are three pubs in Nottingham, UK claiming to be the oldest (surviving) pub in the world, I don’t know which if any have been verified as such.