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Sobrino de Botín is a restaurant in Madrid, Spain.[1] It is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest in the world, said to have been founded in 1725 by French cook Jean Botín and his Asturian wife and to have been operating continuously ever since.[2][3] However, the restaurant had to close during the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]
| Sobrino de Botín | |
|---|---|
 The exterior of the restaurant in 2006 | |
  Location in Spain | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1865 (restaurant) |
| Owner | González family |
| Location | 17 Calle de Cuchilleros, Madrid, Spain |
| Coordinates | 40°24′51″N 3°42′29″W / 40.41420°N 3.70796°W |
| Website | www |
History
editThe Botíns opened an inn in 1725 on the street Calle de Cuchilleros. The inn was not permitted to sell food, but food brought in by customers could be cooked there. The couple had no children, so the establishment passed to a nephew, hence the name Sobrino de Botín, which means "nephew of Botín".[2]
In the 1930s, Botín was acquired by the married couple Amparo Martín and Emilio González.[2] The González family is still the proprietor as of 2025.[5]
The restaurant and its specialty of cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig) are mentioned in the closing pages of Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises.[4] However, Miguel Izu claims that Hemingway most likely was referring to a different restaurant, the Antigua Casa Botín in Plaza de Herradores.[6] Its other signature dish is sopa de ajo (an egg poached in chicken broth, and laced with sherry and garlic), a favorite pick-me-up with madrileño revellers.
Botin overseas
editThe González family, together with local partners, opened restaurants under the same name as Botín in Miami in 1998, in Mexico in 2004, and in Puerto Rico in 2007, but none were successful, and all were closed some time later.[citation needed]
The Puerto Rican actress Von Marie Mendez and her husband, Dr. Vicente Sanchez, in association with Sobrino de Botin, opened a restaurant in Ponce, Puerto Rico, named Botin. The opening was attended by several celebrities, including former governor of Puerto Rico Rafael Hernandez Colon and then current governor Anibal Acevedo Vila, the actor Braulio Castillo, Jr. and the Mexican singer and actor Fernando Allende.[7]
See also
edit- Den gyldene freden, Stockholm (established 1722)
References
edit- ↑ "History and Evolution". Sobrino de Botín. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
- 1 2 3 "Oldest Restaurant". Guinness World Records.
- ↑ Harmsen, Debbie; Rambow, John D. (2006). Fodor's Spain (Pap/Map ed.). Fodor's.
- 1 2 Marples, Megan (4 August 2020). "Can the world's oldest restaurant escape the pandemic's grasp?". CNN Travel. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ Mouriquand, David (11 June 2025). "European fry-up: Two Spanish taverns battle for title of world's oldest restaurant". Euronews. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ Izu, Miguel (Fall 2025). "Ernest Hemingway at Botin's: Facts and Questions". The Hemingway Review. 45 (1).
- ↑ "Von Marie y sus hijos al mando del restaurante más viejo del mundo". primerahora.com (in Spanish). 4 September 2007.