Sobrino de Botin is a historic restaurant located in the heart of Madrid's city center, near the Plaza Mayor. The restaurant was founded in 1725 by French chef Jean Botin and his Spanish wife, and it has been in continuous operation ever since.
Originally known as Casa Botin, the restaurant began as a simple tavern that served traditional Castilian cuisine. Over time, it became a popular gathering place for artists, writers, and politicians, and it earned a reputation as one of the best restaurants in Madrid.
Throughout its long history, Sobrino de Botin has remained a family-run business, passing down from generation to generation. The restaurant's menu has also remained largely unchanged, with many of its signature dishes dating back to the 18th century.
Today, Sobrino de Botin is still a popular destination for both locals and tourists alike, and it continues to serve traditional Spanish dishes such as roast suckling pig and cochinillo (roast suckling pig). The restaurant has also been featured in numerous books and films, and it remains an important cultural landmark in Madrid's culinary scene.
A cook called Jean Botín
“In 1606 the Court returned to Madrid and in 1620 with the refurbishment of the Plaza Mayor (previously the Plaza del Arrabal) the area became the main commercial enclave in the city with shoemakers, tanners, cutlers, braziers, and blacksmiths. The streets in the area even adopted the name of the trades carried out there: “Ribera de Curtidores” (Tanners Bank), “Plaza de Herradores” (Blacksmith Plaza) and of course “Calle Cuchilleros” (Cutlery Street). It was on one of these streets where a French cook by the name of Jean Botín arrived in Madrid together with his wife a native of Asturias with the intention of working for a nobleman from the Court of Habsburg. In 1725, a nephew of Botín’s wife,opened a small inn on the Calle Cuchilleros and carried out a refurbishment to the ground floor of the building, closing the existing arcade. Evidence of this work remains in the form of a slab at the building’s entrance which features the date. The wood oven also dates from that year and even today continues to attract diners with its tempting aromas.
Vintage curiosities An interesting fact is that until well into the 18th Century it was forbidden to sell meat, wine and other foodstuffs as it was considered an imposition which would jeopardise other trades. As a result, you could only serve what the guest brought to be cooked. From here came the legend that “in Spanish inns you only found what the traveller brought”. During the 19th century, the ground floor underwent more renovations. As part of this process, the polychrome wooden frieze with gold leaf was constructed at the entrance, in addition to the large windows and the confectionery counter where fritters, crème pastries, sugar-topped sweet rolls and cream glory cakes are displayed. Back then, Botín was considered as a type of tavern, since the term ‘restaurant’ was solely used for the few and rather exclusive places which attempted to emulate Parisian establishments.
Botín History
By way of an anecdote referring to this time, the 1987 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records stated that in 1765, the adolescent Goya was employed at Botín as a dishwasher. The same edition also names Botín as the oldest restaurant in the world.
The González family and the spirit of Botín
With the arrival of the 20th century, Botín fell into the hands of its current owners, the González family. At that time, only the entrance and first floor were dedicated to the restaurant, with the wine cellar being used for storage and the second and third floors for the family dwelling. When Amparo Martín and her husband Emilio González took hold of the reins, Botín was only a small family business with just seven employees, including the couple and their three children.
The Botín restaurant
Currently, the restaurant is made up of four floors, all of which have preserved the charming atmosphere of a traditional tavern. Situated at the heart of Madrid of the Habsburgs, Botín boasts a truly unbeatable location. This is exactly why great effort has been taken to maintain the restaurant’s original appearance. A series of renovation processes have been executed to cater for the ever-growing number of customers, without changing the building’s characteristic features.
Real Realty Spain
Interesting place but takes forever to get there. Get a reservation a few months before🙄