A must try if you are in town. The roast suckling pig was tender, juicy, and the skin was very crispy. The sangria was very strong here. We chose to sit in the basement which is where the original restaurant was. It has a cool cave like environment. The service is quick, and the waiter was very friendly. Make sure to make reservations ahead of time. read more

Really enjoyed my dining experience here. Just make sure to make reservations ahead of time! There's usually people waiting right before opening hours, so I would definitely suggest to schedule a time to feast ahead of time. It's located near the plaza in a nice area to walk around and find shops. Was seated upstairs immediately with our reservation time. Menus in English were a plus. Lots of deliciousness to choose from, it was definitely hard to narrow down. If I could, I would have eaten here again while we were in Madrid. I really enjoyed the food here, especially in comparison to the other restaurants in the area. We ended up sharing the Salad Botin, Suckling Pig and the Squid Ink in their own ink with rice. I loved the salad, it had a lot of different ingredients so it was really nice to navigate around it. The suckling pig was tender and flavorful, definitely spot on on what I was expecting. The Squid Ink in its' own ink with rice was good, it was really filling though and of course, on the salty side. Be careful with the ink because it definitely does get stuck in your teeth and stain your lips. I would have to say that I wish I had gone with another dish. I saw someone else order a fish, grilled whole and it looked AMAZING. Next time, I'm definitely going to go for that. Washed all this down with half order pitcher of sangria. The sangria was one of the best that I had in Spain....it was sweeter than what I was getting in other places. The only downfall was that I had a dead fly in my sangria when the waiter served it to me. I let him know but he just dumped out the sangria and that was it, no apology or another glass. Regardless of that, I would still return in the future, just because it's the oldest restaurant in the world and just because the food is great. read more

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I don't care how good the food is going to be, service is totally shit, the waiter is impatient and rude.

LOVE the roast suckling pig. We also ordered the squid in black ink sauce and rice. I really think this place is well worth it just for the pig. The Chinese make an amazing roast pork as well but this is just so much juicier because of the size of the piglet and the way it's cooked at the oldest restaurant in the world. I'll admit that its pretty touristy though. In the small dining room where we were seated, I saw....a table fo tourists from Korea and a different table of tourists from Japan. Must get that pig if you're in Madrid. read more

Legendary taste, the kind that Hemingway immortalized. Get the suckling pig and some sangria and enjoy every bite 'til the last. There is a good reason this place has been in business so long. If you happen to eat there, you'll know why. Be sure to take a look around the restaurant before you leave; it's very cool. And peek in the kitchen where there's a mass cook-off of swine; also very cool. read more

This was a very nice dinner. Certainly a place with a lot of character. I don't know that it's a place where any locals would legitimately choose to dine, but the food was good and service was excellent. The roast suckling pig and the vegetable plate with artichoke are a must when dining here. read more

Five stars for the ambiance, because sitting in an old cellar while eating and drinking is not something I do everyday or ever. 3 stars for the food, because the sucking pig was disappointing. I am no health addict, because I eat pork belly like I drink water, however the pig here was too fatty and lacked flavor. The lamb was also just an ok (disclaimer: I'm not a lamb eater). I would still recommend you tourist to come, because..the cellar was truly spectacular. read more

Ordered filet minion Botin was given sirloin in Botin style. Blatant effort to pass off lower quality cut.

The food was great. We decided to skip the appetizers, ordered the mushrooms and artichoke side dishes (the mushroom was awesome!) and got one of the roasted pork and one lamb to share. The wine list has a good selection or reds from all over spain and while we were there a group of costumed guitar players entertained us. We still struggled to finish our food, and lingered over our wine as we watched the waiters start to straighten up and prepare the restaurant for the next day. We left very content and satisfied, enjoying our eating experience. read more

I have never been so excited and anxious to eat at a restaurant before. Excited, because, come on, its the oldest known restaurant in the world! Anxious, because of the many mixed reviews of rude an pushy wait staff, the fact that locals don't really know too much about it and that it's just a tourist trap. Celebrating our honeymoon in Spain, we really wanted the experience to go well. Whew! Thank God it did! We made reservations at 8pm for two days later. The only other reservation time was 11:30pm for the very next night. I know locals eat really late into the night, but we just couldn't do that. We asked to be seated in the basement, which was a really cool atmosphere. Of course, everyone was a tourist. But it's ok. Still pretty cool. We ordered their specialties, roasted suckling pig and roasted lamb, with a side of mushrooms. We also ordered a jar of sangria and dessert after dinner. Delicioso!!! Mui bien! Everything was so juicy, so tender, slightly crisp skin on the suckling pig, a tiny bit salty for my liking, but really really good. The sangria was not too strong, but not too weak either. The dessert was mango pieces with ice cream and custard. Soo yummy! We made lovely conversation with an American family next to us, and we sat there eating for over two hours. No one rushed us, no musician came up to us asking for money like other yelp reviews noted, nada. Todo bien. We remembered that they will charge for bread if they placed it on your table, so we politely declined it when they placed it on our table. We also wanted to save room for dessert. They did end up charging us for the bread even though we didn't eat it, but after explaining this to our waiter, he went to get it changed. He ended up giving us the same bill with the charged bread, but he had it fixed again. Not sure if that was their way of sneaking in a few extra euros or an honest mistake, but it didn't turn out to be a big deal. Our friendly diners next to us had a huge cockroach in their jar of sangria. That was pretty nasty. The waiter took all the glasses from them and their jar, and returned with a new jar and glasses. The thing is, the sangria is in one giant vat. So the new sangria they have and the sangria I was drinking still probably had cockroach juices all up in there. Gross. "Don't think about it too much... Restaurants are all like this." I thought to myself. No one made a big scene, and again, it was fine. Now, cost. Yes, it is a bit on the expensive side. I think we ended up spending close to $100 USD, but for the amount of food we had and its quality, along with the ambience an culture, it was definitely worth it. In NYC, the fact that it's a known tourist attraction would have hiked up these prices double! For real, son. All the wait staff was friendly. After dinner, I wanted to take a picture of this one cook cutting up the jamon. He not only let me take the picture, but he and his colleague encouraged me and went out of his way to let me cut it and show me the proper technique of cutting it!!! And took a pic of me and my husband while doing that. They started to clap and laughed and complimented me. I know they were just being nice since I really didn't know what I was doing, but it was just, on the whole, very very great experience. Loved it!! read more

The suckling pig is tremendous, as is the atmosphere. But is it the best food in Madrid? No. I'd rather be eating at tapas restaurants and drinking at small wine bars. Won't stop this place from being around for another 300 years. read more

Absolutely outstanding! The roast suckling pig is very good as was the service and ambiance. Definitely a must visit in Madrid for any foodie! read more

I was very excited to have gotten a reservation at the World's oldest restaurant. I reserved the day before so only 11:15pm was available. When I arrived at around 11:05pm it was half empty and they didn't even check if I had a real reservation, they just sat me. So, if you plan to do a walk-in I'd suggest coming at 11pm. I had gone by the day before at 7:45pm (15 mins before they open for dinner) and they were fully booked. The suckling pig was good but I did have a juicier one in Segovia so I can't say it was the best but Botin's was good. I also had the fillet mignon Botin. It was in mushrooms and gravy. The steak was good; not the greatest but it was good. The mushroom with Iberian ham (vegetable side dish) was the least favourite only because it was too salty. Had there been less salt it would've been enjoyable. however, we had only three small slivers of Iberian ham with the dish - so little it wasn't worth mentioning the ham as part of the dish in the menu. Overall, I'm very happy I had the chance to dine here for the experience but also happy the food was good, too. read more

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Seriously overated food. If one could vote fot ambiance only they would get 5-Stars, unfortunately their food got in the way.

Well I think it's a bit overrated- the food was good but not spectacular. Gazpacho was awesome though

World's oldest restaurant! two must haves are the suckling pig and leg of lamb. although i personally prefer the leg. Also call in advance to book for the basement since that's the original restaurant. the 2nd & 3rd are completely remodeled. read more

El cochinillo was perfect. Very authentic and intimate. The food is very very good. You must make reservations, they are always booked. One of Madrid's most famous restaurants. Loved it! read more

Just being at the oldest restaurant still operating was awesome but the pork was very good. Wine was nothing to write about but overall experience was good. read more

Worth a visit if you're in town. The gimmick is that it's the oldest restaurant in the world. Normally you'd expect that they would trade on this novelty and have over-price mediocre fare but this is an exception. It was simply divine. Ambience: A very small place but once you're seated it doesn't seem too crowded. Cosy would be a good word. Service: Very good. They seem to walk the fine line between white-glove and snooty successfully. The maitre d' is a really nice guy and is happy to let people feel at ease. Food: Well, obviously since it was my first visit I had to try their suckling pig and my only problem would be that if I ever go back I would never want anything else. This was quite simply the best pig I've ever had. Simple, but done to perfection. Good selection of wines but I didn't try any desserts. Price: High for Madrid but really, this is a special place and by US standard it's a steal. Go here - not just for its claim to fame, but for a really really good meal. read more

The oldest restaurant in the world! That alone should get you to come here and try it out. The food was really good too! BF got the baby lamb, I got shrimp, we shared mushrooms and jamón and flan for dessert and a bottle of wine..all for 80€! We ate downstairs, really authentic feel to the place. Would recommend this place to any visitors! read more

You don't come to this place to eat only but to be part of history. It's a wonderful experience, kind of pricy, which is good to maintain a certain ambiance. The staff was great... Loved it! read more

The "worlds oldest restaurant" and one of Hemingway's old stomping grounds is worth the time to make a reservation to enjoy a meal here during your stay in Madrid. If you sit down stairs in the bodega it has an old cave like feel. The suckling pig is a must try! read more

Had an awesome time here for lunch today!! We had such great service and the food was good as well!! I recommend the suckling pig, but the mixed vegetables were not up to par with it. ALL in ALL it was a very memorable time!! The staff was amazing and were up for our picture taking and were helpful in every respect to making it a great experience for us!!! read more

Oldest restaurant in the record books. Service was a bit slow considering everyone at our table spoke Spanish. One piece of advice is don't order the steak in Spain, keep to the pig or lamb as they do it right. Make sure you order a bottle of Marqués de Riscal Baron de Chirel while your there read more

World's Oldest Restaurant as certified by Guiness Book of World Records! The crackling pig was outstanding!

We made a reservation for 8pm on our anniversary (1 of the two nights in Madrid). So glad we did! Everything was great! The onion soup, the baby pig, the clam, and the scrabbled egg with squid. All delicious - my two kids loved them as well. They provided high chair, crayons, etc. Pleasantly surprised. Thank you for a lovely dinner. read more

Gourmands, pork-lovers, and carnivores unite! Botín has long been one of Madrid's (and Spain's) culinary institutions, boasting its Cochinillo (roast suckling pig) and roast baby lamb. The oldest restaurant in the world, Botín will satisfy the snobbiest of meat-lovers. For those food connoisseurs who enjoy crispy roast pig (such as Chinese roast pig), then the Cochinillo is a must. Though it's a bit sad to see whole (it is a wee baby piglet, after all), your first taste will trump all feelings of sympathy for the creature. During our Botín adventure, the Cochinillo flooded our palates with its succulent, juicy, crispy, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth meat. If you think you know the taste of pork, think again; you have not yet experienced the taste of true, fresh, and 100% un-fooled-around-with meat. The Cochinillo has a much subtler, lighter taste that still emanates essence of pork. In addition to the Cochinillo, the Cordero (roast baby lamb), squid in its own ink, and seafood sopa del día (soup of the day) were excellent. Though Botín is a bit of a splurge, dining at this establishment is a once-in-a-lifetime experience food-lovers should take part in. For a most memorable time, go with a large group so that you can taste various dishes and enjoy an entire Cochinillo al horno! read more

I would go back here for the interior, ambiance and maybe the suckling pig. I only give this restaurant 4 stars because the waiter tried to dissuade us from ordering a whole suckling pig because we might not be able to finish it. We are die-hard "foodies" so telling us that is like telling a fish not to swim. Before the resto opened the next day, the workers let us go to the restaurant basement level to take selfies. That made up for all of that! read more

The "Oldest Restaurant" always lives up to the hype. I've been twice and both experiences were great. Be sure to check out the old wine cellar! read more

AMAZING! The food was great and the hospitality each person demonstrated was out of this world. The pork was very tasty, this history is amazing.. Open for centuries and still doing great things.. Worth starving yourself for the day to enjoy all of the food read more

You must sit down stairs as its beautiful with the brick all around you and a neat wine cellar. It does cost $$$......but if your on vacation just go for it! It's famous for the suckling pig. Again you must try this. I personally really enjoyed the soup. read more

Not great. Looks more like a tourist trap. High prices. Got to get to the table thought the kitchen.

This is an excellent restaurant and one of the best I know anywhere if you like suckling pig. I have visited a number of times over the years, maybe not every time I visit Madrid but most times. read more

Oldest restaurant in the world and they bank on it. Food is OK, nothing special. Service is hit and miss. Our waiter did not even bring back the change. We did not make a big fuss given that we had decided to leave that amount as tip, but still, he took it before giving us a chance to leave it to him. No salutations from the waiters on our way out. I understand it is a busy restaurant, but a "thank you" or "good night" would have been appreciated. read more

Oldest restaurant in the world? Expected a decrepit run down dump.. but was pleasantly surprised. Cave couture, cozy, immaculate service. Try the crispy duck..its to die for. read more

A classic Madrid eat. This place boasts one of their frequent customers: Hemingway. Traditional spot to go, have had better and bigger suckling pig (cochinillo) in Segovia! read more

Oldest restaurant in the world -- provides a neat experience. Traditional spanish food is good but dishes are appreciably better than anyone else that serve's bull tail stew. My meal was good but didn't have a wow factor for the added price. read more

Top quality atmosphere, kind-hearted and friendly staff coupled with superb food, wine and relatively easy to make a reservation.

The chicken here is fantastic!! So tender and moist I was so impressed! The ambiance is super cool too; it feels like you are inside a cave. You absolutely need to book a reservation in advance because they are always booked up. The crowd is pretty touristy being that it is the oldest restaurant in the world but some Madrileños go as well. All in all, I highly recommend this place! read more

I was worried about getting a touristy and bland vibe from the world's oldest restaurant, but I was happily mistaken. The service was great and the roast suckling pig was tender and flavorful. No wonder Hemingway loved it so much. read more