Taverns, Teahouses & Caravanserais
We need to bring back local taverns and teahouses where people could just congregate and chill.
It seems to me that there ought to be more spaces where people can just go to, sit and relax for hours while socializing, playing games, eating, and having something to drink. Is that not just a bar, one might ask? It is true that bars have some of the functions just mentioned. But what I’m really describing is what used to be the tavern of yore, or a coffee house or teahouse in some cultures. A holistic place for local social congregation that doesn’t revolve around a specific activity—drinking beer, for example (a bar)—or a specialized, formal commercial establishment, such a hotel.
Some people may not want fancy table service, or their own private room, or to stay overnight somewhere to just hang out in a public sort of institution, like a tavern. Some people don’t want to drink alcohol, but still want to hang out and drink something in a relaxing or boisterous environment—hence, neither a bar nor a café—while some people may just want to play a game or two of chess or backgammon on demand without necessarily making a new friends’ circle just for that. Some people may want to meet their local neighbors or friends. Some people may just want a hot, homemade meal by a roaring fire that they cannot or do not have the time or skill to cook themselves. Imagine giant communal spits and pots from which roasts and stews are served! And some people, like a travel who is in town for a day or two, just want to be around other people.
There are all sorts of reasons for having this sort of institution, but in an era of more specialized establishments, they are harder to find. Themed cafes or bars strike somewhat close to recreating this vibe: a bookstore combined with a coffee-house, or a board game bar, or a bar that has a space for bowling or bocce. They serve to both anchor local neighborhoods and provide comfort for a travel seeking to keep occupied for a day or two. A recent local event I went to, “Chess on Tap,” at a board game bar, managed to halfway recreate the vibe of walking into an inn in Skyrim. People were eating and drinking whilst also milling around and playing short games with each other, often making small talk or meeting new folk.
Anyone who has played a fantasy-inspired video game, such as Skyrim knows what I am talking about, but you don’t even have to go that far. These types of institutions used to be ubiquitous in the real world too, and not all of these institutions were just caravanserais or inns for travelers. During my trip to Istanbul a few months ago, I visited several hans, or local caravanserais that were used by locals daily for socializing and eating.
The coffee-house and the teahouse also served a similar role in the Middle East and East Asia. Teahouses in particular occupy a happy medium between the quiet professionalism of a café and the din of the bar. But ultimately, there is a strong case to be made for more local places where one can relax and chat and eat and game and watch games all in one, places that more than bars, places such as the inns, teahouses, caravanserais, and taverns of yore. There is no reason for there to not be multiple such places in any town and city: places where the civic and social life of a community or neighborhood can find a home and thrive.
Agreed, the ahwa culture was one of my favorite things about living in Cairo -- cheap enough for everyone to afford it, backgammon boards were available, people could hang out for hours, one could bring food from outside, and the atmosphere during big football matches was amazing. I don't know whether something like that could be financially viable in a Western city. Maxwell Social is trying to create something like what you described, but the price of entry is prohibitive for many. https://cafesociety.maxwellsocial.com