The oldest restaurant in Madrid celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2025. Founded in 1725, the Guinness Book of Records recognizes it as the oldest in the world and Forbes as the third best classic restaurant in the world. But beyond the titles, Botín (Calle de Cuchilleros, 17) is, above all, a piece of Madrid’s history in the heart of the Austrias district.
The building in which this historic eating house continues to offer its famous Castilian-style roast suckling pig and roast lamb to locals and visitors alike was first recorded in 1590. Some time later, when Madrid was once again the capital, the French chef Jean Botín, accompanied by his wife -of Asturian origin, by the way-, decided to open a business that has survived to the present day.
Not only that: his wood-fired oven has always been in operation even during some of the darkest episodes of our history. During the Civil War it continued to serve meals and, although it had to close during the pandemic, the González family (current owners) kept the oven always on.
Botín, literature and Goya
Throughout its history, what is now the oldest restaurant in Madrid has not only become a gastronomic reference in the capital, but has also become an unmistakable part of its history, permeating, for example, literature.
From Benito Pérez Galdós, who used it as a setting in his novels, to Ramón Gómez de la Serna, who included it in some of his greguerías. Although perhaps one of the most famous cases is that of Ernest Hemingway, who referred to the restaurant in two of his works: Fiesta and Muerte en la tarde.
Botín’s close relationship with the great figures of culture, not only in Madrid but also in Spain, is reflected in an anecdote that places Goya, one of the greatest painters in our history, as a dishwasher in the restaurant in his teenage days. At least this is what the Guinness Book of Records of 1987 records.
More restaurants with tradition in Madrid
In addition to Botín, in the capital we can still find numerous traditional restaurants with a great historical and gastronomic background: from the Lhardy to Casa Ciriaco, you can consult them in this article.