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Eating at Botin in Madrid: The World’s Oldest Restaurant

Having the distinction of being the world’s oldest restaurant draws curiosity. How could one not visit this historic place for some bragging rights and unique dining experience while in the Spanish capital? We passed up visiting Sobrino de Botin during our first visit to Madrid several years ago and regretted it. So, we made sure to eat here during our last visit in November. Go virtually with us while eating at Botin and find out if it lived up to the hype.

Madrid Sobrino de Botin

History of Botin Restaurant

Sobrino de Botin was actually founded by a French cook named Jean Botin. It was called Casa Botin and dates way back to 1725.

There are some notable guests with ties to this restaurant including Spanish painter, Goya, who supposedly used to work here. Ernest Hemingway, the famed author, was also said to visit the restaurant frequently.

The restaurant was eventually inherited by the founder’s nephew (Candido Remis) and renamed it to what eventually became its permanent name – “Sobrino de Botin” meaning Botin’s nephew in Spanish. It has continually been owned and operated by the Gonzalez family for four generations now since the early 20th century.

The Guinness Book of World Records declared this as the world’s oldest restaurant in 1987. There were various plaques around the restaurant displaying this designation.

Botin Guiness Record

The Botin Restaurant

This was located at a central area near many and very easy to find. It was on a 16th century building down the small side street from Plaza Mayor and Mercado de San Miguel. We loved the small model displayed in the window that showed the restaurant’s interior.

Sobrino de Botin is listed on many “where to eat in Madrid” list and for good reason. So, it’s no surprise for it to be crowded at certain times and very appealing to tourists. It is a tourist hotspot but also popular with locals.

Madrid Sobrino de Bostin

We made reservations online weeks before we got here. Our reservation was for their earliest time on the day we arrived. It was a great way to combat jet lag at around 1 PM.

There weren’t that many people waiting with us for the restaurant to be opened. Luckily, there were some interesting stores for browsing nearby.

The restaurant has four floors inside. We weren’t sure what to expect but it seemed a bit cramped but also felt homey. The restaurant had different rooms with a running theme for each one (some more obvious than others).

The colorful tiles around the restaurant were very interesting and beautiful. The wood beams definitely added to the restaurant’s charm and ambience.

Madrid Botin wall decor

My kids gravitated right away to a little opening by the entrance. Many roasted piglets were propped on a table ready to be served inside this little area. The old wood-fired cast iron oven, which dated back to the 18th century, was blazing ready to roast many more dishes.

Madrid Botin oven

This was a sight to behold but would probably make any vegetarian’s head spin. Roasted suckling pig (cochinillo asado) and roasted lamb (cordero asado) were two of the restaurant’s most popular dishes.

Madrid Botin suckling pig

As Filipinos, we can usually spot our fellow countrymen anywhere in the world. The man roasting the pigs diligently was a Filipino who has been working here for over 15 years and we chatted with him for a couple of minutes.

It just seemed fitting since one of the Philippines’ national dishes is a roasted pig called “lechon” cooked over an open fire. It was a dish that originated from Spain, a country that ruled the Philippines for 300 years.

They led us to the lowest floor. The stairway was narrow and it opened into a cozy and old room. Yes, it had that musty odor but it wasn’t overwhelming. There was something special about sitting in this basement that probably still held some of the original stones from almost 300 years ago.

Sobrino de Botin Madrid

There was a little doorway that led to a wine cellar. My kids were a little spooked about going down here but my husband and I thought it was fascinating to see where they stored hundreds of wines.

Some of them were untouched for years with the amount of dust on them. I can just imagine how old and expensive some of the wines were.

Botin wine cellar

The Food at Botin Restaurant

Botin offers traditional Spanish and Castilian cuisine specialties. It’s not cheap especially when compared to the nearby food stalls inside the Mercado de San Miguel.

Main course dishes averaged between 20-25 Euros. They didn’t look like big portions but were actually quite filling. The menu was extensive so there was something there to satisfy everyone.

Of course, my husband ordered the popular suckling pig. He didn’t get the whole pig but portions of it along with some roasted potatoes. We didn’t want to know how many euros that whole pig will set one back.

He said it was delicious with a lot of flavor but preferred the skin to be crunchier. He remembers the suckling pig we had in the city of Segovia to be better.

Botin suckling pig

I had the garlic prawns and the kids had fried squid rings. There was no children’s meals menu which was a bit disappointing for my kids. They also charged for bread which they don’t tell you about.

It wasn’t that much but bread was just something we’re used to getting for free in many of the American restaurants so it was a bit surprising. Since we were in Spain, Sangria was a must. It was good but a little too strong for me.

Madrid Botin food

The restaurant isn’t known as a foodie’s paradise. But, we did have a very nice meal albeit a little pricier than we’d usually pay for lunch at almost 100 Euros. I guess they can upcharge with their historical status and people will still come.

They had quite a few wait staff so service was great. Since there weren’t that many customers yet, it was great to have a very attentive waiter. They spoke English well and were efficient and quick.

Our waiter was very friendly and even took pictures of us. I’m assuming service has to be faster than most Spanish restaurants since they needed quick table turnarounds during busy periods.

Was this our best meal in Spain? No, but it certainly was the most memorable restaurant for us. The food was good but nothing to rave about considering its prices. But, it was worth it for the whole experience of eating at the oldest/earliest restaurant in the world.

It was charming and we appreciated its history and status. Many restaurants come and go nowadays so it was impressive for Botin to be around for centuries. Don’t miss this historic dining experience if you’re visiting Madrid.

Madrid Botin with kids

Tips for Eating at Botin

  • Make reservations early since it gets pretty busy especially during dinner. Reserve from their website which was powered by The Fork. They emailed us a booking number and reminder with no issues at the restaurant.
  • They are open everyday. Lunch is served from 1 – 4 PM; Dinner is served from 8 PM to midnight.
  • No matter where you’re seated, take time to walk around the entire restaurant and see what’s displayed on walls and admire the tile work and decorations.
  • Address: Cuchilleros 17 28005 Madrid
  • Visitors can also do The Botin Experience that provides a guided tour of the restaurant and eating a variety of dishes with Insiders Madrid.
  • The Madrid Card gives visitors several perks that include skipping lines, discounts to attractions including a 7% discount on lunch Monday-Friday at Botin.

Have you eaten at Botin or any other interesting restaurants?

Eating at Botin Madrid

29 thoughts on “Eating at Botin in Madrid: The World’s Oldest Restaurant”

  1. Mary, I am not a vegetarian and loved that shot! It looks like it was pretty good food in great surroundings. Thanks for linking up with Weekend Travel Inspiration!

  2. I had never heard of Botin before but I love the sound of it. It definitely sounds like it was a great experience even if the food was not the best. As and when we make it to Madrid, I will be making a reservation.

  3. We didn’t go there when we were in Madrid, and to be honest, we actually didn’t eat out at all. That’s how we travel – we stay at rentals with kitchens and cook our own meals. But that does look like a really cool restaurant, and now you can say that you ate at the oldest restaurant in the world, and that is something.

  4. Hi Mary, it’s funny that I was just thinking about Botin this morning. I have a friend who’s in Madrid right now and messaged me to give her some recommendations of places to go to for a first-timer in the city. Botin was the first one that came to mind. Your photos gave me fond memories of the restaurant. I can smell the mustiness in those cool cellars. I agree that it’s not a foodie destination but it’s a good experience considering its long history and Hemingway connection.

  5. I’m from Madrid and I haven’t been there yet!! the most popular dish for locals is either cocido madrileño or huevos rotos. I always wanted to go there for the second one…
    By the way lechón is also a spanish word for pig.

    shere

  6. Very interesting place. I like that they let you walk around to take a look at the different areas. I would like to try the suckling pig and see the similarities / differences with the Puerto Rican lechon.

  7. One more reason for me to go back to Madrid! I love all of your shots, especially this pig heads and the wine cellar. I’m sure those wine bottles could tell a few stories. Thanks for linking up this week. #TPThursday

  8. Oh, how funny, Mary! We eat in the same restaurant when we were in Madrid with our son a few years ago. I remember being so hungry that evening, because in Spain they serve dinner very late.The food was outstanding and the ambiance even better.

  9. wow that is very old restaurant…the tiles on the walls is certainly different. Not sure what I would order considering I don’t eat red meat!!!
    But I love the idea behind the history of the restaurant, and to imagine who has sat in there to eat over the years, I bet some really famous people have stopped there! Madrid sounds beautiful.

  10. I’m pretty sure I would want to go to this too if I was in Madrid and yes it is a little costly from the sounds of things but glad you enjoyed the meal overall! I’ve seen the suckling pig type of dish in both Munich and Bali but never tried it! Very intrigued by it! I’m Indian by family origin and often get chatting to other Indian members of staff when I’m on my travels. In fact I’m in the Seychelles right now and there are lots of people from India working here and it’s been really great chatting to them about their tales ☺

  11. What a great place to eat with your family- I can’t believe it’s nearly 300 years old! I love quirky restaurants like that. I’m not vegetarian, but I also would have found those piglets a bit difficult to see. :/

  12. I really like that they’ve been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. It really gives authenticity to their claim which I had been a bit skeptical about. Yay for meeting fellow Filipinos! Looking at your photo, it finally clicked with me that a suckling pig is a small, young pig. I never made that connection before. Even though it’s pricey, I think I’d be interested in dining here.

  13. Its real? Wow, I would never have guessed the GWBoR would have endorsed it. Go them! Sorry the food was meh – but hey what street cred you have now to say you’ve eaten at “The World’s Oldest Restaurant”

    1. It was a great experience, Mette. My kids are used to seeing even bigger pigs like this displayed on the table during Filipino parties. They haven’t seen that many piglets though and they were fascinated with it.

  14. Last night we just GOT KICKED OUT OF BOTIN restaurant! After we booked our table 2 weeks in advance specially for our trip to Madrid….WE GOT KICKED OUT!!!!

    After we arrived at the restaurant we ordered a bottle of rose and then wanted just some dessert as we had our booking at 11pm and were stuffed with amazing food from all over the city. But guess what? as soon as we asked for the dessert menu the waiter actually FLIPPED OUT and said it was IMPOSSIBLE not to have dinner! We then justified ourselves that no one mentioned anything about being mandatory to have dinner when we booked our table but then he said he will talk to the manager. 2 min after, while we were feeling humiliated as everyone was starring at us, he came back and TOLD US TO LEAVE as we couldn’t have only a bottle of wine and some dessert. He actually remained still next to us and told us over and over again that this is not a bar and we shouldn’t have come here if we weren’t going to order dinner and so on.

    WE HAVE NEVER BEEN SO HUMILIATED!!!!!!!!

    This is outrageous! I COULDN’T FIND ANYTHING ABOUT BEING MANDATORY TO HAVE DINNER ON THE WEBSITE AND NO ONE HAS EVER TOLD ME NOR MY BOYFRIEND ANYTHING ABOUT THIS!

    Even if this is the house rule, you SHOULD NOT (!!!!!!!) treat your guests like they’re garbage!

    THIS IS THE WORST PLACE I HAVE EVER BEEN TO!!

  15. eileen @ FamiliesGo!

    I’m sorry I missed this place when i was in Madrid. It looks worth a stop even if it wasn’t your best meal.

  16. Thanks for the honest review, Mary. Sounds like while the food was a bit disappointing, the experience was terrific! The interior of the restaurant is so atmospheric.

  17. Great tip..I had no idea about this place in Madrid, when I finally go to the city (I always pass by) this will be in our list of things to do. How many weeks before you had to book it?

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