The “First” Name in Taste Botin

A restaurant in the heart of Madrid that’s been in business for close to 300 years...
Let’s go ahead and take a trip back in time at Restaurante Sobrino de Botín. Take
a moment to listen to what Antonio González has to tell us about the restaurant and
about the González family that has been running it for four generations.

When it comes to gastronomy Spain is one of 

the countries that has made its mark not just 

on Europe, but on the entire world. World-

famous chefs like Juan Mari Arzak, Ferran 

Adrià and the Roca Brothers are just a few of 

the names who have brought Spanish cuisine 

to the attention of the world of gastronomy by 

adding their own spice to traditional restaurant 

recipes. One of the most famous names in 

a country rich in history is the Restaurante 

Sobrino de Botín, located in Madrid, the capital 

of this fiery Mediterranean country. According 

to the Guinness Book of World Records, it’s the 

oldest restaurant in the world. 

The Botín Story

Sobrino de Botín is located on Calle de 

Cuchilleros, the street behind the Plaza Mayor, 

one of the city’s main tourist plazas. The 

restaurant has been operating continuously 

ever since it first opened its doors in 1725 

under the name of “Casa Botín”, after its 

founder, the Frenchman Jean Botín. When 

Jean Botín passed away, the restaurant passed 

to his nephew, who changed the name to 

“Sobrino de Botín” – a reference to “sobrino”, 

the Spanish word for “nephew”. In 1930, 

management of the restaurant was turned over 

to the González family, who have preserved the 

historic look, service and cuisine up until today. 

Antonio González, part of the third generation 

managing the restaurant, had this to say about 

the restaurant’s past and present: “My family 

has managed this restaurant for 87 years. I’m 

of the third generation, and my son, who has 

started to work along with me, is the fourth 

generation.

We are continuing to present a blend of 

traditional Spanish cuisine in a 18th-century 

atmosphere. We may make a few small 

revisions to our menu from time to time, but 

we always remain true to our classical style 

and identity.”

From outside, the restaurant appears to be 

a single-story establishment, but in fact, 

counting the cellar hidden away in the depths, 

there are four floors to Botín. The restaurant 

has managed to preserve the atmosphere of 

a traditional Spanish tavern. It consists of 

three separate dining rooms – “The Cellar”, 

“Castilla” and “Phillip IV” – each with its own 

unique decor. The Cellar, which is the most 

authentic, is one-story below ground, so you 

can enjoy your meal and the atmosphere in a 

refreshingly cool environment while the rest 

of Madrid is roasting in the heat. The coolness 

and the atmosphere of the Cellar may be 

reminiscent of the caves of Cappadocia, 

but the meals here offer a unique type of 

experience you won’t find just anywhere! 

And that brings us to Botín’s delightfully 

delicious dishes. The restaurant’s most 

famous is “Cordero”, roast lamb. The dish is 

cooked in traditional Spanish style and served 

with boiled potatoes. Antonio González says 

that these types of dishes have been cooked 

in the same oven since 1725. Among the other 

traditional Spanish dishes you can sample at 

Botín’s along with this masterfully prepared 

entrée are “callos”, a type of stew; “gazpacho”, 

a cold tomato soup; garlic soup thickened with 

eggs; squid cooked in its own ink; and a wide 

variety of the famous snacks called “tapas”.   

 

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Of course, Botín’s delicious food and status as 

the oldest restaurant in the world are not its 

only claim to fame. It’s also the visitors, their 

accumulated stories, and the place it has in 

literature that makes Botín so unique. Goya, the 

famous Spanish painter (1746-1828), is said to 

have worked here washing dishes in 1765, and 

the American author Ernest Hemingway (1899-

1961) was one of Botín’s regular customers. In 

fact, if you’ve read Hemingway’s novel, “The 

Sun Also Rises”, you might recall that in it he 

mentions one of his lunches at Botín’s, which he 

describes as “the best restaurant in the world”. 

The table Hemingway sat at on the restaurant’s 

top floor is still there today. There’s no question 

that the century-old ceramics decorating the 

walls, wooden staircases and stones in the cellar 

that have been preserved intact for hundreds of 

years will take you back into the past. Listening 

to their stories, it’s impossible not to wonder 

what other memories are hidden away in these 

tables. In short, a meal at Botín’s is not just a 

matter of the food you’re eating, it also involves 

remembering artists who left behind immortal 

works and taking a quick journey into the past... 

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