Sobrino de Botín
Ernest Hemingway really ate here and set a scene in Botín at the end of The Sun Also Rises. The establishment has been trading on that publicity ever since, along with the ruling by the Guinness Book of Records that it is the world’s oldest restaurant still in business (since 1725). It is of course a tourist trap, but a good one—the food, wine, and service are excellent, if pricey. As you enter, peek into the kitchen to see racks of suckling pigs ready to go into the wood-fired oven. If your party is large enough to order a whole one, it is brought to the table with great ceremony and the crisp skin is smashed on top to break it into parts. If your party is large enough to order a whole one, it will be brought to the table with great ceremony and carved into parts with the edge of a dinner plate. Tours of the historic dining rooms, the restaurant’s underground tunnel, and the original oven are available before lunch and dinner each day, including a set menu with a choice of suckling pig or lamb. You’ll need to reserve online and pay a deposit in advance.
Ernest Hemingway really ate here and set a scene in Botín at the end of The Sun Also Rises. The establishment has been trading on that publicity ever since, along with the ruling by the Guinness Book of Records that it is the world’s oldest restaurant still in business (since 1725). It is of course a tourist trap, but a good one—the food, wine, and service are excellent, if pricey. As you enter, peek into the kitchen to see racks of suckling pigs ready to go into the wood-fired oven. If your party is large enough to order a whole one, it is brought to the table with great ceremony and the crisp skin is smashed on top to break it into parts. If your party is large enough to order a whole one, it will be brought to the table with great ceremony and carved into parts with the edge of a dinner plate. Tours of the historic dining rooms, the restaurant’s underground tunnel, and the original oven are available before lunch and dinner each day, including a set menu with a choice of suckling pig or lamb. You’ll need to reserve online and pay a deposit in advance.
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