Visit the world's oldest restaurant in Madrid

“Upon entering the ground floor dining room—featuring exposed beams, ceramic tile from Talavera de la Reina and traditional handicrafts—I immediately encountered a head waiter meticulously “playing the Spanish violin,” the local term for artfully carving an Iberian ham leg. A few steps farther and I couldn’t help but peer into the room where some of the approximately 20,000 suckling piglets served to patrons each year were splayed out on platters ready for roasting in Botín’s continuously burning, woodfired, granite oven—it’s practically a living artifact. As I descended the wooden steps to the musty wine cellar—the oldest part of the building—it felt as though I had walked through a time portal. There are remnants of the old confectionary and dining tables with white linen on either side of the cavernous brick-arched room.”

“The menu and recipes at Sobrino de Botin have also remained unchanged since the 1700s. I had their popular Cochinillo Asado ($23.45) which is made in el horno. El Cochinillo Asado consists of a suckling pig with the most crispy and juicy skin you'll ever bite your teeth into, and a side of medium sized whole potatoes covered in light olive oil and salt. THAT'S IT. [...] I walk through Botin’s arched brick walls, immediately spotting the walls covered with ceramic tiles depicting animals as they looked in the 1700s like deer and rabbit. Industrial chandeliers hang from the ceilings and heavy metal sculptures stand in stark contrast to the old black and white lithographs of an old Madrid and oil paintings of fruits and home centuries old. I sat up the squeaking staircase where there is a saloon of about 12-15 tables surrounded by small amounts of natural lighting coming in through stained glass windows. This home is a real blast from the past.”