Casa Botín-Madrid | World´s Oldest Restaurant and its Great Cuisine.

Casa Botín is undoubtedly in its kind one of the iconic landmarks of Madrid because it is not a simple or ordinary catering establishment but the world´s oldest restaurant and its great cuisine loyal to the most, typical, local gastronomic traditions is well known to be highly appreciated since a long time ago eternally ready to satisfy the most demanding palates in the charming Spanish capital.

Situated at a very short distance from the magnificent, emblematic Plaza Mayor, one of the most appealing and fascinating squares of the entire city developed in the early 17th century during the reign of Philip III, that prestigious site is also pretty close to the lively, vibrant Puerta del Sol, the notorious gate of the sun, bustling, beating metropolitan heart well known to be the kilometre 0 of the urban grid, core of the radial network of the main roads of the major Iberian centre.

Its  location is simply great, encircled by several historic  monuments in a point considered as one of the liveliest spots of that metropolis, a great chance  during your visit of Madrid to stop in that renowned restaurant enjoying a delicious meal.

Established along a captivating street called Calle Cuchilleros at the civic number 17 in a splendid historic building reflecting the traditional identity of the most refined architecture of the 16th century, the Casa Botín currently also known as Sobrino de Botín which translated means Nephew of Botin is definitely an emblem also for the titles achieved during its long history.

It is enough to mention some of those considerable awards starting from when it was listed in the Top 10 Classical Restaurants in the famous Forbes List continuing with the prestigious Golden Plaque for Tourist Merit next to the Silver medal delivered by the Community of Madrid adding to them the emblematic prize received by the Guinness Book of Records which awarded, identified and classified it as the Oldest Restaurant in the globe.

Its popularity is undoubtedly linked to a glorious  start-up of its historic  date of foundation when it opened its doors in 1725, a detail which certainly increased furthermore a relevant prestige collecting in more recent times many other important honours which consecrated furthermore its image and name as a sort of national icon devoted to the hospitality  industry.

Different countries after the Madrid's restaurant obtained that prestigious title  claimed more than once that assignment because they affirmed to have older establishments previously founded than Casa Botin.

From Paris was well known a notorious complaint to that Institution which delivered that award declaring that the famed Tour D´Argent located in the charming avenue Quai de la Tournelle next the emblematic Boulevard Saint-Germain well known all around the world to offer from its rooms magnificent, panoramic views towards the Seine River and Notre Dame Cathedral was founded in 1582, classified since that date as an official restaurant.

Also from Austria, concretely from the beautiful Mozart's city, Salzburg there was a notification affirming that the renowned Stiftskeller Sankt Peter was established including some centuries before than that mentioned Parisian site which claimed that record because that Austrian establishment opened its doors in 803 within the walls of the famed St.Paul's Abbey.

Including from the marvellous Capital of Bavaria, Munich according to historic information there was a further claim linked to an official gastronomic site called Hundskugel located at just two steps from the distinctive, monumental square Marienplatz affirming that it was officially declared a catering business since 1440.


Despite all that Casa Botín  kept with pride that title becoming thanks to that superb reward one of the most famous restaurants at international level.

The year of foundation is currently visible at the entrance of the establishment and you will notice that emblematic number "1725" corresponding to its opening thanks to a French gentleman called Jean Botin who with his wife native of Asturias emigrated to Madrid to work for an aristocrat linked to the House of Habsburg but the history had a different destiny.
 

The Spanish city was in that period in continuous expansion following times of a very active, artistic life started in the 16th century, a period in which that area was furthermore embellished by several, stylish, majestic buildings with protagonist of their elevation the Austrian Emperors who ruled the Iberian country from 1504 to 1700 with the notorious King Charles II as last Sovereign.

The activity started during times in which the historic core notably increased its image and size, it already had an ample monumental grid, the the nearest Plaza Mayor was refurbished over one century before exactly in 1620 and that progressive ascent called several immigrants who started to give a more cosmopolitan aspect to that centre on the shore of the Manzanares river.

Jean Botin once there despite he had not that promised job thanks to emergent opportunities  started to manage a former Posada, a simple Inn with a wood-fired oven originally denominated Hosteria Botín  which became later the distinguished, present restaurant transformed in a sort of legend.

Upon the death of the founder who did not have sons the activity was run by a nephew called Candido Remis who continued year by year to have success  with a brilliant escalation and it was since then when it acquired the current name Sobrino de  Botín officially recorded in 1868.

The World´s oldest restaurant in the 19th century was a simple tavern, it had some restorations with partial renovations especially in its exterior adding new, large windows, wooden frieze next to  some architectural elements inserted at the entrance as some gold leaf decorations. 

There was furthermore a re-arrangement of the outlines of  the entire facade of the building but apart that Casa Botín never had notable changes as other establishments which totally changed their original aspect.

In the following years despite some further restorations of the exterior layout it integrally kept its charismatic image, it did not have relevant alterations preserving in large part the original identity.
  
For that it was and is loved by many people for that brilliant conservation, a detail which still nowadays captures the attention of many people for its true authenticity which played an important role becoming in its kind a myth also for that feature.

In the 20th century the activity started to be run by González family formed by Emilio González and his wife Amparo Martin when the restaurant in that time was not too big with just seven workers.

Despite that with including the times related the Civil War of the 30's corresponding to one of darkest, historic pages of the entire country the legend of that establishment continued to be more alive than ever.

The owners brilliantly kept a glorious secular tradition with another significant, historical chronological stage  preserving a prestige never lost since its inception with including the opening of a branch in Mexico with furthermore future projects of others in Moscow, Russia, Japan and Puerto Rico.

The great success of that site was in addition highlighted because it hosted famous, prominent figures linked to the highest cultural, international nomenclature a relevant aspect which consolidated an eternal fame which will never die.

The history of that restaurant is in addition full of memories, anecdotes, testimonies, many of them narrated with memorable episodes and very suggestive stories.

The Guinness Record Book apart to award that site in an edition published  1987 after some meticulous, historical researches declared that in that famous restaurant worked as dishwasher Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes simply known as Francisco Goya, one of the greatest exponents of the Romantic painting, probably the most talented, Spanish artist of the late 18th century.


That eminent master was well known for his unmistakable style visible in many of his masterpieces highlighted by superb, defined lines with imaginative executions combined with an eclectic use of colours in which lights and shades are equally protagonists on stunning, marked perspectives, features which were a great source of inspiration for emblematic artists as Pablo Picasso but also Édouard Monet among others.

According to historic documentations that young future Royal Court painter came to Madrid from his native hometown Fuendetodos, a small centre of Aragón and he worked in 1765 in  Casa Botín to pay his academical studies when he was 19 years old.

The restaurant is also closely related to the notorious, American writer Ernest Hemingway who mentioned it in a famed literary work written in 1926 titled The Sun Also Rises, one of the most outstanding masterpieces of that talented character narrating a trip of a group of American and British expatriates from Paris to Spain.

Casa Botín was cited during a journey across the Iberian Peninsula which had as main protagonist Pamplona visited by that unforgettable author from Illinois in occasion of the famous Feria de San Firmin, that popular Festival linked to the running of bulls in the streets of that attractive city of Navarra.

The great journalist, novelist from Oak Park during his Spanish tour also visited Madrid and the mention regarding the restaurant was mainly linked to a tastefully gastronomic speciality, the famous Cochinillo, that kind of traditional roast suckling pig also well known with the name Lechón, a very popular plate of the Comunidad of Castilla y León.

That plate which has its cradle in Segovia considered the motherland of that typical, gastronomic emblem of Castile is well known all around the country was included in the great cuisine since a long time ago as one of the symbols of the most traditional culinary art of the entire Nation impressed very much the American genius.

That popular character who was also awarded years later with the Noble prize in Literature in 1954 with that kind of promotion certainly supported the increasing fame of  the restaurant which reached  in a while since then an extreme notoriety worldwide.

The Restaurant is housed in a four storey- building representing in all its essence the loyal architectural canons in vogue in the Madrid of five centuries ago boasting a captivating, brick facade highlighted by fine lines and stylish details present in its balanced layout which give that structure a brilliant, aesthetic appeal.

When you come in the interior the first impression is immediately great with a stylish presence of refined furniture, superb, showy decorations masterfully arranged around rooms which also boast arrangements closely linked to the true Castilian,decorative handicraft.

The environment is furthermore a place full of light highlighted by the scenic presence of bright tiles which increase the charm of an interior perfectly studied to welcome the customer in a typical, cosy atmosphere with a very attractive artistic touch but not too glitzy or pompous.

The ground floor greatly which conserved in many details its original aspect could be vaguely compared to a classical Belle Époque French Bistro or in a far comparison to an elegant Parisian Brasserie but not extremely sophisticated.

Cordovan leather covering the walls, the presence of different paintings encircled by in refined, golden frames, elegant wooden elements placed in the ceiling, crystal chandeliers transmitting an inviting, pleasant light supported by ample windows transmitting across them a shining luminosity  from the exterior reaching all the spaces are all together special highlights of a a setting furnished with taste.

The excellent, interior layout is highlighted by rectangular tables placed on two lines on the sides of the rooms with a floor characterised by a design composed by white and dark rhombus in perfect harmony with the entire setting. 

 Including the light tonality of a lounge boasting a beautiful barrel vault forming a very scenic arcade with walls covered by captivating bricks are attractive details which make the environment rustic but at the same time eclectic, highly captivating and extremely cosy.

The restaurant today has approximately 70 workers with a capacity of over 200 people and according to some hospitality & catering reported statistics Casa Botín serves approximately 750 customers a day.

Those numbers speaking for themselves, absolutely impressive, also that undoubtedly consolidated its name in the Top List of affluence closely linked to the preferences to eat out in the major Iberian centre.

Madrid is a city in which that very marked culture is deeply rooted, very entrenched since a long time ago, elevating the restaurant during a stay in that city as mandatory, a great choice to taste the 100% typical Cocina Madrileña, the typical, local cuisine thanks to a list boasting an an ample gastronomic selection of exquisite plates  loyal to the oldest, culinary traditions.

The gastronomy of the restaurant is a sublime hymn to the most representative, distinctive delights of Spain and Castile offering delectable starters, varied tapas as the famed Morcilla de Burgos, that emblematic blood sausage produced in that famous city of Eastern Castilla y León well known for its special taste also used in the preparation of different kinds of stews.

As great alternative you can order a superb Morcilla Negra, a variant of the previous consisting in a thicker black sausage simply great on a toasted slice of fragrant bread, a very inviting speciality of northern and central Spain.
 
You will have the great chance to try other  true, emblematic Iberian products consisting in delicious Jamones Serranos, Pata Negra and Salamanca, those famed hams coming from different geographical areas accompanied by a fresh, juicy melon.

An exquisite Chorizo, that typical sausage well known to be extremely spicy for the presence of a high quantity of paprika is another highlight.

In addition the restaurant in a very eclectic way with clever strategic operations to attract more people who desire to be delighted b y other delicious, Iberian specialities provides a wide menu including many of the most famous Spanish delights of diverse provenance with a very high level of quality.

In summer season is also served an excellent Andalusian Gazpacho ready to satisfy the most demanding palates for the excellent quality of that notorious recipe made with fresh vegetables extremely loyal to the true, genuine preparation of that speciality so famous in Seville and all around Andalusia, a gastronomic icon of that magnificent community.

The variety of the main courses is simply great and obviously it includes the very famous Cochinillo, that distinctive, gastronomic emblem mentioned by Hemingway.

It consists in a suckling pig which to be loyal to the oldest tradition it has a weight not over 6,5 kilos considered the best in terms of quality of about three weeks of age due to its tender meat because that very young swine is fed only by milk despite there are exceptions with some a bit older but never over two months of age.

That famed speciality has to be baked in oven at a temperature of 90º degrees for approximately 75 minutes, according to the most traditional process of preparation the typical Cochinillo of Segovia is seasoned with laurel, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and a good quantity of Manteca de cerdo consisting in pork fat.

Depending of the various, local traditions and styles there is also an addition of common butter, a bit of onion and olive oil.

Of good quality are also some pigs with less than two years of age despite they are more appropriate for the cochinillo frito, a speciality in which the meat is fried while a further one  is a notorious plate called Manitas de cochinillo rebozadas consisting in pig trotters fried with eggs, breadcrumb, laurel, salt, olive oil with a final addition of chili pepper.

If you love other kinds of meats try the Cordero asado, a superb roast lamb or in the case you are attracted by the pure, rooted Madrid plates, an option is  the Callos a la Madrileña, a kind of stew using as main ingredient beef tripe.

Very appreciated for its traditional style is also the popular Cocido Madrileño, a casserole whose main ingredient are chickpeas with great prominence of various vegetables accompanying pork meat, some slices of morcilla sausage, a plate as the previous generally served in winter season.

That iconic catering establishment also offers famous Sopas Castellanas, Castilian soups among them the renowned Sopa de Ajo, a garlic soup boasting a very old tradition since the times of the first peasants who populated the high plateau of the Sierra of Madrid but as alternative you can also enjoy a sopa al cuarto de hora, a fish soup made with cod, clam and mussels.

About pastry and desserts Casa Botín offers the best providing a considerable list which includes the notorious Flan de Huevo, Buñuelos, Pestiños and Bartolillos among others.

Relevant is also a wide selection of fine wines with a great choice in which you can taste among the most prestigious Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Toro next to many others with in addition a great selection of excellent, foreign wines.  

That place apart Hemingway and Goya and its illustrious past delighting millions of people hosted many other prominent figures who visited that prestigious Madrid's landmark. 

The British writer Graham Greene after a visit mentioned the restaurant in his book Señor Quixote but also his compatriot Frederick Forsyth did the same in one of his successful works titled Clear black.
 

Naturally also Spanish artists dedicated something to that legendary place with memories or episodes related that distinguished icon as the famous politician, journalist Indalencio Prieto who in his book Mi Vida,  My Life, written in 1965 during his Mexican exile mentioned with a sort of nostalgia the sweet Bartolillos prepared in that restaurant.

Also the  popular writer Benito Pérez Galdós in one of his literary works titled Fortunata y Jacinta cited it in that realist novel published in 1887 with protagonists the characters of Juanita Santa Cruz and those two women named Fortunata and Jacinta.  

The truth is that in the narration the protagonist is a bakery with a phrase saying "last night dined at the bakery's nephew Botin" and it was also cited in Mercy, another literary work dated 1897.

Other renowned characters such as Scott Fitzgerald, John Dos Passos frequented that site while in more recent times popular figures such as Quentin Tarantino, Catherine Z Jones, Pedro Almodóvar, Antonio Banderas, Alejandro Sanz,  Members of the Spanish Royal family often sat at the tables of that  iconic establishment tasting its special delights.

Madrid is a beautiful city, famous for its great Neoclassical architecture along the emblematic artery Gran Via or in the area corresponding to Alcalá, in proximity of Plaza de España, a centre packed by great Museums such as El Prado, Museo Thyssen- Bornemisza and Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia located in a specific urban area called the triangle of art for the presence of those three outstanding exhibitions not far from Casa Botín.

Imposing palaces as the splendid Palacio Real, the Royal Palace residence of the House of Bourbon is also very close and in a break during a visit admiring all those artistic, historic beauties, a great idea could be that to enjoy a meal in that restaurant just two steps from  those stunning attractions.

I wrote some links below useful to plan your stay in that city with the chance to find many other things to do. (I wrote also a post about Madrid in the case you are interested)

That metropolis offers next to a notable vibrant nightlife many excellent places to eat out, that establishment is definitely one of them, always ready to delight the most varied tastes with a delicious cuisine, apart the fascination to visit the World´s oldest restaurant enjoying  its cosy atmosphere.

If you are planning to visit that Iberian centre do not miss that place, it is a must simply for its history next to delectable plates you could taste there with a very ample choice.

Its perfect, privileged location in the beating heart of the splendid Spanish capital is an inviting incentive, a great site suggested for a lunch or dinner taking home with you memories of a  legendary gastronomic Institution which is also in its kind a distinctive emblem of that more than attractive metropolis of Southern Europe.

Francesco Mari

Useful links

 www.restaurantebotin.com

 www.botin.es

 www.gomadrid.com

 www.descubremadrid.com
www.madridtourist.info
www.turismomadrid.es