The Oldest Restaurant in the World

It may sound like a hoax, but it's true, Restaurante Botin is, per the Guiness book of World Records, the oldest restaurant in the world. Opened and operated as a restaurant since 1725, never once closing its doors to the public except when it was forced to during the Covid pandemic. While on a trip to Madrid, my parent and I had the pleasure of taking a tour and eating at the famous restaurant. Needless to say, it was divine!

When I was researching things for my parents and I to do while they were visiting me in Madrid, I stumbled into this restaurant. Not only is the food famous, but it has been frequented by many famous people over time. Our tour revealed the deeply historical elements of the restaurant, how they have maintained the same recipes since they have opened, and some of the special visitors. 

If you were walking down the street Botin is on, nothing would make it stand out, you'd think it was just an old restaurant. The family who originally purchased the property in the 1700s had the surname Botin, a French name, hence the restaurant name. However, the restaurant is now owned and operated by the Gonzalez family since the 1900s. The building has remained the same since it has been opened, a three story building with a basement. However, in the beginning the second floor was the only dining room. Now all four floors operate as a dining room to accommodate the many guests they serve on a daily basis. 

The dining room when you first walk into the restaurant is small as the kitchen takes up most of the first floor, this room is mostly used for last minute walk-ins. The second-floor dining room is the original dining room, one which has been graced with the presence of many celebrities (we'll get into this later). The Third floor is now used for private groups of at least six people and was once where the employees lived, including the Gonzalez family. Finally, the basement is reminiscent of a cellar with a tight staircase you have to walk down. In one corner of the basement there actually is an old wine cellar too! This is where we had the pleasure of enjoying our dinner. 

While there are many famous parts of the restaurant, I will outline a few we learned about on the tour. 

1. The original door to the restaurant is still in existence where there is an inscription carved at the top of the doorframe. This was common at the time the building was constructed, and the inscription includes a cross, JHS (Jesus Hominum Salvator – Jesus Savior of Mankind), Mary and Joseph, and in the year of the Lord 1725. 

   
   The original front door with the inscription. 

2. Once in the restaurant you can see back into the kitchen where the wood burning oven rests, an oven which is not turned off. This oven is where they cook their famous suckling pig, a recipe which has stayed the same since the day the restaurant opened. 

   
   The famous wood burning oven.

   3. Up on the second floor of the restaurant is where you can see glimpses of the many visitors to the restaurant. From the table used by Ernest Hemmingway to the Mickey Mouse drawing from Ub Iwerks, and a letter of thanks from Nancy Reagan. While the list of visitors to Botin goes on and on, the restaurant's owners prefer to maintain the original integrity of the decorations instead of adorning it with pictures of their visitors. This makes the history and stories of the restaurant all the more exciting as stories can only be passed down by word of mouth. However, our tour guide took the time to point out some of the gifts the owners had received from guests. 

   
   The Ernest Hemmingway table with a letter from Nancy Reagan behind it. 
   
   Custom drawing of Mickey Mouse with the suckling pig.

The name Botin can be found in various works of literature and movies, as well as featured in many articles and productions. Our tasting menu for dinner to start red wine, Manchego cheese, bread, peppers and tuna, ham and cheese croquettes (my Dad's new favorite food), and eggs and morcilla (a popular Spanish sausage). Then our main course was the suckling pig with mushrooms, it was utterly delicious. Finally, in true Kormanik fashion we shared some desserts which were carrot cake, crème brûlée, and Spanish cheesecake. Completely different from cheesecake seen in America, Spanish cheesecake is more of a custard, absolutely divine, and I will be finding a recipe to be able to recreate it! 

Hop on a plane to Madrid and experience Botin for yourself! If the food is not enough to convince you, the history within the restaurant is enough to make it a part of your visit.