A tauerner settes owt a wyne garlond to draw men to is taveron.
A sermon (British Library Royal 18.B.23)
Avale þe stake, Avale, here ys good Ale I-fovnde!
"Tappster fyll another ale" (Bodleian Arch. Selden. B.26)
The grene bussh that hangeth out / Ys a sygne ... / Outward, folkys for to telle / That with-Inne ys wyn to sell; / And for al that ... wyn ys ther noon.
Pilgrimage of the Life of Man (British Library Cotton Vitellius C.13)
This list covers illustrations of taverns and similar drinking establishments. Notice the various types of signs, and the display of the garland and ale-stake.
ILLUSTRATIONS
They laugh and daunce, trippe and synge, And ley not up for her lyvynge, But in the taverne all dispendith The wynnyng that God hem sendith. Thanne goth he, fardeles for to ber With as good chere as he dide er. To swynke and traveile he not feynith, For for to robben he disdeynith. But right anoon aftir his swynk He goth to taverne for to drynk.
The Romance of Alexander (Bodl. 264), 1338-1344, fols. 158v and 204r
The fair at Lendit in the Pontifical of Sens (BNF Latin 962, fol. 264), 14th century
Tavern scenes, Treatise on the Vices (British Library MS Add. 27695, fol. 14), late 14th century
Marketplace, Le Chevalier errant (BNF Fr. 12559, fol. 167), c. 1400-1405
Red wine (fol. 84v; also here), red wine (fol. 85; also here), and wine (fol. 85v), Tacuinum Sanitatis (BNF Latin 9333), 15th century
MEDIEVAL INNS & TAVERNS
Obviously, many of these have been remodeled or changed over the centuries. (My intention with this set of links is to point out those which appear to be reasonably close to how they might have looked when originally built, or discussions of how they might have looked when new.)
This list covers both inns and taverns. In the modern day, we don't always make the distinction -- but an inn (or "hostrie," another fine Middle English word) would offer lodging in addition to food and drink; a tavern (or brewhouse) would likely not offer lodging. Most of the illustrations above, I think, were taverns, rather than inns; but the list below includes lodging-places.
Gasthaus zur Waage (the Inn of the Balance); Korbach, Germany; 14th century
