We had the pleasure dining here tonight. I would like to first start with the fact that I accidentally made reservations for tomorrow and when we showed up for the reservation tonight I was completely embarrassed when the restaurant manager pointed it out. However, he was so gracious and sat us anyway at the Hemingway table. It was so very kind of him and we are so grateful that we were able to spend out last dinner in Madrid here. The service was world class and the food was delicious. We of course had the suckling pig and it was nothing less than amazing. We also had the mushrooms with jamón, squid in black ink, a pitcher of sangria, torta botin, and the cheesecake. The mushrooms were a little on the salty side. The squid was extremely tasty, sangria was delicious and the cheesecake and torta botin were extremely light. It is important to note that you pay for everything here, including the bread. However, the whole meal was pretty reasonable at €89 total. read more

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It is great to check this off our bucket list, to dined at the oldest restaurant according to the Guinness world of records. The place is historic and well preserved. The food was really good. We ordered a roast suckling pig and baby squid with ink on rice and a pitcher of sangria. The portion was good and the service is good. We got there just ahead of the lunch crowd so we don't need to get a reservation. I recommend on a hot day to pick a table in the cellar. read more

Botín - Roast suckling pig fresh from the oven - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

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It is a tourist place, seafood not fresh at all, the meat tasty horrible very low quality ingredients however the service was good.

When life's not funny, it's no fun for me. That's not to say I don't take things seriously, I do, but I realize in the long wash the worst disasters become the best stories. I try to be nice. I really do. I've learned that if you let negativity have a seam into your world it can spread like a plague. So I deliberated writing this review, repugnant as it makes me feel. I just thought "knowledge is power". Maybe, just maybe, it was a off night. I should have known when I walked up without a reservation and was seated immediately. Generally I'd think that was good luck? I think, if you are Spanish, and by this I mean a Madrileño, you don't come here, because you know where to find better quality at a better (lower) price. It's a sad thing when you start to trade on your reputation, and the quality goes to the s**t house, but that (it seems to me) is what has happened here. The famous suckling Pig is a disaster. The skin like lacquer, the shiny coating the color of mahogany, with a taste much the same (imagine eating dampened sawdust). The boney interior flavorless, and dry, a thin lawyer of consommé added. Mass production (to meet demand that must be falling short) leads me to believe that quality control is lacking. The chicken (I told them not to order!) rubbery and flavorless (in a country where delicious spices are so aptly available!). We all agreed Costco/Sam's is better. The sangria, a local table wine, heavy on fruit and ice, lacking even the cheap/tasty bottom barrel grape squeezin (oft used for port) that could have reduced the somber moments, and placated my guest. The salad was fine. Vegetables were pickled, and probably from a jar, the egg with that gray corona around the yoke (which gives away its age), olives were perfectly pitted (the worst kind) and from a #10 can, but it was fine. I sent my first order of suckling pig back, only to have it replaced by a slightly happier version of the same. This led me to believe that the chef was into paper mache and any further attempts would be futile. Believe it or not, I didn't wanna embarrass my guest. This place is a tourist trap, and I the fly stuck in a sickly, sour honey. I blame Hemingway. Two weeks after dining at Botin and I still can't see how it could have been any worse. I guess the place could'ah caught fire and burned to the ground with us in it. So I'm lucky. I feel lucky. Aloha read more

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After spend a month and a half in Spain, we finally found a really good restaurant. Honestly, there aren't many restaurants I actually recommend and rare for me to give 5 stars My husband and I are foodies and really enjoyed everything we ordered. You must order the suckling pig and sangria! Oh and the restaurant is really cute with a really nice old feel to it. We wish we had sat downstairs because it is super cute but bring a sweater. it's cold down there! Also, really really great service, our waiter was the sweetest most genuine man. Why you MUST order the suckling pig: 1) It is the most traditional food in the country 2) The restaurant specializes in making it as it is on Cochinillo Road AKA Suckling Pig Road 3) It has been serving this from 1725, as the oldest restaurant in the world 4) It is DELICIOUS (moist and savory) You will not regret ordering this (the table next to us seemed very unhappy with their fish and steak) The Botin salad was also good. Definitely order the Sangria, it is really delicious. Yes, it may seem expensive but you really only have to order one meat dish for 2 people because the portion is large. Enjoy :) read more

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Their grilled lamb is really, really good. Impeccable and friendly service. A must try place for its' history as the oldest operating restaurant and Hemingway's favorite whenever he was in to read more

Every dish was a swing and a miss. All of the vegetables were over cooked. The asparagus were mush. Both the Suckling pig and the chicken were stringy and dry. The most expensive and worst meal we have had in all of Spain so far. read more

We went here knowing it's oldest restaurant in the world according to the Guinness world records Wikipedia. We ordered most popular item in the menu Suckling Pig. It was interesting but in a good way. Very cozy nice interior, totally reminds me of medieval times. Very nice !!!! read more

So, after hearing all the hype of the suckling pig and the world's oldest restaurant after visiting Spain I had to come check it out. What a disappointment and waste of money, time, and culinary experience. First of all, my friend and I arrived at the restaurant and we were seated at the utmost farthest area of the restaurant. If you suffer from claustrophobia, beware. Good luck being able to Snapchat or Instagram your photos because your phone will not work since you're seating at a cave. I'll give credit where it's due, the decor is cute, it goes with the restaurant. The brick decorations and wooden tables were nice. Then, it was time to order the food. We ordered obviously the suckling pig with potatoes and I added a side of rice. My friend ordered the same with vegetables. The pig took about 45 minutes to get to our table, I wish it would've never came. This "baby pig" came in a form of three ribs. I wanted to try this meat which was so tender and melted right off the bone. But to my surprise, there was no meat on this thing. It was just the skin, fat, and the bone. Last time I remembered bone isn't meat so where is the meat?? I took a few attempts to grab some meat out of this baby pig and I perhaps got a spoon worth. The other spoon was a spoon of grease and cholesterol. How nasty. At this point I continued to eat my rice which was white rice and the three tiny potatoes with no seasoning or any flavor to them. My poor friend received her cute little baby pig in a form of a thigh which also just happened to be bone. We asked our not so pleasant server to exchange it for another area of the pig. For her experience with the other area refer to the first part of my review. It was exactly the same, no meat, all goey fat and bone. We were so grossed out by this pig, we would not recommend this place to anyone. Whoever says this is the world's greatest pig has never had a Cuban pig which is at every corner of Miami, Cuba, or the Caribbean. A pig which actually has meat you can chew on and enjoy. Super over priced for such nasty food. I don't care if Ernest Hemingway ate here or if this restaurant is the oldest, if the food sucks it's not going to get any merit. Have some croquetas de jamón and don't waste your time coming here for real food. read more

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Summary: Huge tourist trap. Stay away! The food here is absolutely terrible here for the level it's priced. Period. I don't know how some other reviewers here may think it's "amazing". This is not subjective. I left the restaurant and lighted a cigarette, another guy who came out for smoking walked up to me and started complaining about the food. He pointed it out that pig was probably cooked hours ago and then just heated up. In hindsight I think he was right. Clearly people who run this place bank on their "oldest restaurant in the world" title to pack the place up with tourists and it works. And the ambiance is not bad. If you must go there for the experience, I suggest have a glass of wine and leave... read more

Great atmosphere but the food is mediocre at best. We ordered a set menu with the bread, gazpacho, suckling pig, ice cream, red wine, and another main of roasted chicken. To put it bluntly, the meat wasn't flavorful and was dry. I shouldn't immediately think a dish needs salt or sauce when it's this revered, but here we are. The gazpacho was pleasant enough, I'd never tried it before so I suppose I'm not the best judge here. The ice cream was also good, I mean, it's ice cream. Bread was dry as a bone, again, no flavor. My wife liked the red wine. This place just feels like a tourist trap, one that's relied on name and it being the "oldest" restaurant in the world. The food is phoned in, not worth the money at all. There are much better places to eat pork, chicken, heck anything that this place serves for a fraction of the cost and your valuable time. Save yourself both and ask to go in and look around. read more

Total tourist trap. The food is poorly prepared and low quality. Stay away unless you are willing to pay 100 euros per person to sit in the world's oldest restaurant! read more

Botin, established in 1725, is widely recognised as the oldest restaurant in the world. We started with garlic soup made with garlic and bread and egg. It was delicious. Then came the real purpose of our visit - the roast suckling pig cooked in traditional wood fired stove. Absolutely out of this world! Tender and moist meat with wonderful crispy bits of crackling. I've had this dish in a number of Spanish restaurants but this was easily the best. Service was excellent. The restaurant is spread over three floors and if you want to eat in the old cellar you should request this at the time of your booking. read more

Botín - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

No trip to Madrid is complete without visiting the oldest restaurant in the world! I remember seeing this on some food network show many years ago and thinking that I would never get to go to this place. Fast forward years later and I'm standing in front of it about to go eat inside on a warm July night (life is so crazy, huh?). Everything I read said that the suckling pig was the way to go and if you could, to eat in the cave downstairs. As luck would have it, I got to do both all without a reservation (ha!). Everything i read about the cave was right. It was cozy, old and a really good place to experience the authenticity of this restaurant. All that plus, the sangria didn't hurt :-) Suckling pig was good (but not great). Skin was crispy and it was served with a few roasted potatoes. If you've never had suckling pig, this might not be the dish for you but at the same time, you shouldn't be going halfway around the world to not be adventurous. Overall it was a great experience, mostly for the history behind the place. The food was good but not amazing and it's definitely not cheap. read more

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20 years of dreaming about this place and I finally made it! The suckling pig was fantastic! Crispy golden brown skin, succulent meat, a meal to remember. Go for lunch so you'll have time to walk it off before bedtime. We did not have reservations but were seated immediately. How fortunate we were led down to the old wine cellar for the meal. It was a very charming room. The staff was so nice and accommodating. And so, another bookmark! read more

Botín - The chef at work! - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

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Eating at the oldest restaurant in the would was quite the experience. The place is warming, inviting and nostalgic. The staff was great, as expected. We had the lamb and the cochinito(Pork), which were both amazing. We ordered a bottle of house red and a dessert and it all came out to about $100 USD, which can't be beaten. read more

Second time in this restaurant after almost 13 years. The dinner reservation at 8PM. Lucky to have that reservation, last time we were here the only reservation available for our group is at 11PM. Seems less people than before.Food is good. Service is a little... read more

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When in Madrid, it's a must to visit this place for the baby pork. The skin so crispy and the meat so tender and juicy. Service is great. Roasted potatoes and the Flan for dessert were awesome also. The pork was so good we ordered it twice.. read more

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First time here. The table was perfect. We had a late lunch / early dinner. Service is spectacular.. the Sangria is delicious.. I had the Veal Cutlet. More food than I could handle. Very Generous portions. Just an overall wonderful experience for our last night in Madrid. read more

Botín - Gazpacho was awesome! - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

My husband and I came across this adorable restaurant just by chance as we strolled through the quaint cobblestone streets of Madrid. We were lucky enough to get a table for two, as we had not made reservations, on the second floor. Tables started filling up fast as we drank the most delicious sangria that had a full body taste with hints of citrus that gave the wine a slight sweetness. My husband had the gazpacho to start and the waiter quickly brought over croutons. Scallions And fresh chopped tomatoes to stir in - yum - creamy gazpacho was so smooth like silk! I had the white asparagus that was served with a buttery rich creamy sauce on the side .. not sure it was a traditional holandaise, but whatever it was it paired very well with the chubby asparagus tips. The main courses were roast pig and roast lamb - both served with small white potatoes ... topped off with creme brullee for me and a chocolate ice cream with chocolate sauce for my husband. Delicious and very reasonable as well - recommend highly if your visiting Madrid. read more

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It's a novelty I suppose to go the oldest restaurant in the world and so you have to, don't you. The decor is cosy and the service was good. The gazpacho is one of the best I've had in Spain. The artichokes were awful, overcooked, as were the green beans, just yuck. My friend had the chicken which was dry and bland. The crime brûlée was very nice and with a coffee, yum. It's not fine dining at all, just basic flavours. Also the servings are ridiculously huge, such a waste really. read more

Botín - Gazpacho was Devine - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

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Summary: 1-tourist trap = no effort from kitchen or staff 2-waste of time & money Honestly I was very disappointed because the reviews were so good. What a waste of time and money. read more

We didn't have a reservation or want a big meal but the staff was friendly and accommodating. We had a delicious pitcher of sangria and a couple appetizers and were treated with attentive and enthusiastic service. The history of the place is fantastic and you can have your own little Hemingway daydream and revel in the story of The Sun Also Rises. read more

Dining at Sobrino de Botin was surreal. What an incredible honor it is to sit and be served the same meals that leant inspiration to the likes of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald! Disregarding its literary significance and status as the oldest operating restaurant in the world, Botin is well worth its hype. Like most of our fellow diners, we could not resist ordering the roast suckling pig, one of Botin's more infamous entrees. The meat was incredibly juicy and tender, and the simplicity of its seasoning allowed one to truly taste the meat. Meanwhile the skin was roasted to a perfect crunch; not at all soggy/ chewy or necessitating a dental appointment in the morning. The lamb was also cooked to perfection; note: I prefer my meat less gamey. We ended our dinner with fantastic desserts and a surprise performance by a mariachi band! To note, the service at this restaurant couldn't have been better. Each and every person we spoke to was warm and hospitable, despite my broken Spanish. Bonus: English menus are available! Tips: Definitely make a reservation! We booked ours the night of via The Fork app. Also, the street Botin is on is pretty magical, so if you're inclined to do dinner "Spanish style", definitely come early and hit up a couple of the tapas restaurants on that street. read more

My wife and I made reservations online for lunch a few weeks before our visit (at 3PM-- you can't make reservations for a party of less than 3 persons for dinner, so we chose a late lunch). It's an odd hour to go but worth it because it wasn't as crowded and by the time we finished our meal we virtually had the whole floor to ourselves. We shared the roast baby lamb and mixed vegetables. The lamb was succulent and we were glad to have chosen that over the roast suckling pig because that dish looked too dry. The mixed vegetables we ordered were a little overcooked and on the salty side. Be aware the mixed vegetable dish has small bits of ham in it (Spain is certainly not a country for vegetarians). As others have mentioned they charged for bread but it was warm and tasty. Their sangria was stronger than most we've had in Spain, having an almost wine-like quality to it, but it still good nonetheless. We enjoyed the dessert with marscapone, ice cream, and mango. Service was attentive and cordial. Overall, Botin is well worth a visit given it's food and historical value. By the way, remember to ask for a copy of the menu as a souvenir! read more

Botín - The menu is the small paper one (you can ask for a copy as a souvenir). The burgundy one is the wine list. - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

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The only good review for this place is that because it is the oldest restaurant in the world, according to guiness records, then one should give it a try only for that. Besides that, there is nothing else good there. It is very expensive for the poor quality of the meal. They even charge you for the bread and butter, when almost in every decent restaurant in Madrid those things are complimentary, even including iberic ham. They told us to have the suckling pig, because they are famous for that. But let me tell you, that the pig is only three ribs, with more fat than meat. The savor was okay, but the potatoes that came with it didn't have any flavor at all. After that experience, someone told me that if a want to try the traditional suckling pig, I should go to Segovia. read more

A must when visiting Madrid. It's the oldest restaurant in the world according to Guinness. Their two specialties on the menu were the suckling pig and the lamb. Both were really good and filling. You can actually see the room with oven where they cook the pigs. Another must is the sangria. Seriously the best sangria I had in my life. Delicious, strong, and cheap! Half a pitcher was like $7 and it was enough for almost 4 glasses. read more

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My husband and I had a beautiful dinner here 16 years ago. I know things change but the service and the morcilla were excellent

We had to include this on our journey here. The last time I enjoyed this restaurant neither the internet nor Yelp existed, but the same was true with Columbus before he headed west on his grand adventure. Go here, you will not regret it. read more

Botín is simply an experience. It's hard to beat dining in the world's oldest restaurant. Not only was there a story, but the food was very good too. I ate here while on a tour with Devour Madrid, so we were given VIP access to the restaurant before they open and were allowed to tour the entire facility, from wine cellar to kitchen. We then enjoyed a three-course meal, with amazing croquettes, artichokes topped with ham, and a freshly cooked suckling pig. For dessert, Botín is known for their cheesecake, and while I didn't have any myself, the others said it was fantastic. In my opinion, the best way to enjoy Botín is through the Devour Madrid tour. read more

Really surprising that everything was so good given its a natural tourist trap. I came around 9:30 on a Saturday night without a reservation and was seated no problem. It was very busy but there were several open tables. I had the filet mignon which was tender, juicy, and very flavorful. The half pitcher of sangria was enough for two completely full glasses and was very good. Servers were very professional and attentive. Highly recommend. . Prices were in the 20-26 euro range which is not bad for a nice restaurant such as this. read more

Beware: the bread isn't free even if they give it to you as if it is. But the suckling pig and baby lamb were absolutely delicious. They are very stingy with the portion of the potato side, but we were fine since we ordered a side of vegetables. This is the oldest restaurant in Spain, if not the world, so it's quite a novelty to eat here. Even the decor is cozy and pleasant. Slow service, but not too bad. read more

My mother came here 45 years ago and suggested I go when visiting Madrid this fall. I was not disappointed. The food was amazing along with the wait staff. I was even able to purchase a wine carafe that my mother had bought here and unfortunately broke. I can't wait to surprise her with a replacement! read more

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This was a most fantastic dinner!!! Sucking pig roasted lamb are to die for. Excellent wait staff!! read more

Loads of charm and pretty good food. This is mainly a touristic spot and not anything resembling fine-dining, but the settingmoozes with charm and it is well worth a visit! read more

Boltin is famously known as the oldest restaurant in the world. Walking into this fine establishment one truly feels as if they have gone back in time. The decor and design of this restaurant is beautifully antique yet fundamentally modern with it's overall atmosphere. The wait staff is top notch and very respectful. Their famous sucking pig was tender and very good, but not the best I've had. Stay away from the "garlic soup with egg" it wasn't very appetizing. But the cheesecake with white chocolate on top made up for the soup and it was a nice way to end the meal. Overall a fun experience and good food. Be prepared to send a decent amount. read more

Botín - Potatoes and roasted duck - Spanish Near Me - Madrid, M

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Suckling pig was really good. Almost didn't seem like pork. That's how soft it was. The filet Mignon was also soft and tender. I recommend this place, but be sure to make a reservation. It was also really cool to see the place that Hemingway sat at when eating at the restaurant. --Philip read more

Botin is a must for tourists to Madrid. If you've managed to keep your business thriving in the same location since 1725, you must be doing something right! Food is good and occasionally, excellent. The atmosphere--old Madrid at its finest. Don't forget to check out the tile lined, walk-in roasting oven as you start for the stairs to the upper floors. Book reservations through your hotel a couple of days in advance. The later in the evening your reservation, the more likely the tuna will come by to serenade you. The tuna is not a fish. Come prepared for a pleasant surprise at about 10 PM. Literary buffs will enjoy sitting at Hemingway's table on the second floor. read more

Going by the reputation of this restaurant, we went to dine here. It's a huge place and we were seated in the basement, under the beautiful old brick walls full of character. As I sat closer to the wall, I noticed something fell on my side of the table: it was the loose cement from above. I thought it probably just that corner and I moved to the other side, away from the wall. Our food arrived and it was quite tasty. Towards the last few pieces, we started to feel the cement in our mouths. Turned out, the loose cement fell into our food and we are some. Not good!! It was a terrible end to a great evening... Especially because we were recovering from food poisoning. We expressed our disappointment to the staff and it turned out they knew if this problem. I found that really odd that they still seat is under a wall that was shedding cement. Anyhow, he apologized, also did not charge us for the affected item. That was nice of them but I'd expect a restaurant of such a reputation to really take care of such issues before they become an issue. read more

Grateful we had reservations which is pretty much a must if you don't wish to wait several hours for seating. We had numerous selections of foods, breads tapas, sangria, wine, and desserts. All selections were absolutely delicious and were surprised at how reasonable the overall total was. We actually thought they made a mistake on the total. To seal-the-deal for the evening a four piece Guitar group stole the night as we sang along to songs we didn't know. A definite return visit to this historical restaurant on our next visit. read more