Interview first published in Spanish, April 2025, on idealista.com/news.
It’s an ordinary weekday, nothing out of the ordinary. Outside the door of a restaurant in Madrid, a large group of tourists listens to the story of the place. In just over half an hour, another crowd will form right beside them: this time, the queue of people without reservations hoping to eat here.
Why so special? This place is officially recognised as the oldest restaurant in the world by the Guinness Book of Records.
As we step inside Casa Botín in Madrid, we’re politely asked to slide the bolt across, otherwise someone might walk in before opening time. We soon see why. Ten minutes later, even though it’s not yet lunchtime, a man tries to force the door handle open.
Inside, there’s the familiar bustle of a restaurant preparing to open: ham being sliced, salt cellars filled, tables laid and crockery arranged.
Over the centuries, countless famous names have passed through these rooms: Pérez Galdós, Alberti, Hemingway, Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Bruce Springsteen, Jackie Kennedy and Catherine Deneuve, to name just a few.
We head down to the oldest part of the restaurant, which celebrated 300 years, to speak with one of the owners, José González Gozalbo. Originally, this area wasn’t used to seat diners, but over time visitors began insisting they wanted to eat there.
Beneath this cellar lies another, even deeper one, with 90% humidity. Wines removed from the menu are stored there. The space can’t be used for anything else, as the damp is so intense it even damages the bottle labels.
We are in the oldest restaurant in the world…
“Let me explain why it’s the oldest,” he says. “Because it’s the only one that has operated continuously, in the same location, under the same name and with the same activity.
Since 1987, when the Guinness Book of Records recognised us, we’ve held that record. There are other restaurants that are older, but for various reasons — the two world wars, or in Spain’s case the Civil War — they had to close their doors at some point.”
And I believe this is the oldest part of the restaurant…
“Originally, this stretch of Calle Cuchilleros was little more than a runoff channel for the city, a sort of shallow streambed where rainwater flowed. At the end of the 16th century, this cellar and a two-storey building were constructed over it. That building was later demolished and another erected in its place. The room we’re in now, which we call the cellar dining room, was once used for storage and, above all, as a pastry workshop. When my grandparents arrived here in the last century, there was still a pastry workshop operating in this space.”
What events are planned to mark the 300th anniversary?
“Last year we launched a competition to design a logo. We also developed a couple of cocktails in collaboration with Javier de las Muelas, who is a true master. They reflect the spirit of my grandparents: one non-alcoholic cocktail called Emilio, after my grandfather, and another with alcohol called Amparo, after my grandmother.”
Some elements of the restaurant are decorated with gold leaf. What has been preserved and what has been renovated?
“The space we’re in now is exactly as it was in the 16th century. Well, not exactly, as you can see there’s air conditioning. The only major intervention my family made was in 1973, when the final dining room, known as the Felipe IV room, was created. My father went to El Rastro and brought back all the old shutters you see here, salvaged from historic houses. The flooring was also replaced. But essentially, everything remains much the same.”
Who is the longest-serving employee?
“I believe he’s about to retire,” he says. “If I’m not mistaken — and we currently have nearly 95 employees — it’s Javier Sánchez Sánchez, our deputy manager, a sort of MacGyver. With people like Javier, we’ve been able to deal with every difficulty without losing our cool. There were countless occasions when we were due to open at eight and at ten to eight the entire restaurant lost power. If it hadn’t been for him… he’d roll up his sleeves, head downstairs, climb into the machinery to fix the air-conditioning fan belt, change a fuse, whatever was needed. Then he’d be back in the dining room, serving customers and telling stories.”
“We’re proud not to have photos with clients, as we believe respecting their privacy is essential. And yet this man, of all the famous figures who’ve come through here, probably has a photo with almost every one of them.”
I imagine the most popular dish is the suckling pig. How many do you serve each day?
“Roughly 50 to 60 suckling pigs a day. We still prepare them following my dear grandfather’s recipe. He was from Villanubla, a village in Valladolid, and he knew exactly what a proper roast should be. We season it very simply, which is what distinguishes the traditional Castilian style: just water, lard and sometimes a touch of lemon.”
“We cook them in an oven which isn’t better because it’s old, but because it roasts in the right way. The construction is remarkable: 30-centimetre refractory bricks and a granite floor. Combined with top-quality ingredients and holm oak firewood, which produces high heat with low moisture, it’s what gives us the second-best suckling pig in the world.”
And the oven, one of the restaurant’s main attractions, is that original too?
“Yes, it’s completely original. It was built in what used to be the building’s interior courtyard.”
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