Madrid is a great foodie city in Spain and there are plenty of interesting and diverse places to grab a bite all around the city. However, there is one particular restaurant that stands out for a very good reason: it is the oldest restaurant in the world (or one of them, at least).
Sobrino de Botin is, according, to the Guinness World Records, the oldest restaurant in the globe and dates back to 1725. However, by some accounts, the world's oldest restaurant is actually Ma Yu Ching's Bucket Chicken House, which was first opened for business during the Jin Dynasty in 1153AD, though the present form dates to the 19th century. Regardless of which actually deserves this title, Sobrino de Botin is certainly the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Europe and a precious survivor of centuries of change, trade and progress.
Sobrino de Botin is, according, to the Guinness World Records, the oldest restaurant in the globe and dates back to 1725. However, by some accounts, the world's oldest restaurant is actually Ma Yu Ching's Bucket Chicken House, which was first opened for business during the Jin Dynasty in 1153AD, though the present form dates to the 19th century. Regardless of which actually deserves this title, Sobrino de Botin is certainly the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Europe and a precious survivor of centuries of change, trade and progress.
Originally founded as an inn in 1725 by a Frenchman named Jean Botin and his wife, it was first called Casa Botín. When it was inherited by a nephew called Candido Remis, the name was changed to Sobrino (meaning "nephew") de Botín and has remained under this name to this day. During the 19th century, it was renovated and went from an inn, to a tavern and, finally, a restaurant. In the 20th century, it came into the possession of the González family who all lived and worked on site until the Civil War, when most of the family fled to a small village. Emilio González remained behind and served military members during the war, after it ended, his sons, Antonio and José, took control of the restaurant and expanded the space into what it is today.
Today, the restaurant is famous for its speciality of cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig), which is mentioned in the closing pages of Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" and has been made for centuries in the same wood-fired oven. It was a popular literary hangout of Hemingway and others such as Fitzgerald and once was where Francisco de Goya worked as a waiter and dishwasher before he was accepted into the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.
Historic, fascinating, steeped in culture and rather good (or so we're told!), this is a must-try experience for foodies who have found a vacation rental in Madrid!
Botín, Calle Cuchilleros, 17, 28005 Madrid, Spain, +34 913 66 42 17
Today, the restaurant is famous for its speciality of cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig), which is mentioned in the closing pages of Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" and has been made for centuries in the same wood-fired oven. It was a popular literary hangout of Hemingway and others such as Fitzgerald and once was where Francisco de Goya worked as a waiter and dishwasher before he was accepted into the Royal Academy of Fine Arts.
Historic, fascinating, steeped in culture and rather good (or so we're told!), this is a must-try experience for foodies who have found a vacation rental in Madrid!
Botín, Calle Cuchilleros, 17, 28005 Madrid, Spain, +34 913 66 42 17