When I was planning the trip, I really had no plans on trying this place out. Besides, how could I when I hadn't even heard about it?! It was my colleague, Les, who introduced me to the "World's Earliest Restaurant" - Botin! We used to travel online together!!! *wink
It was my first day in Madrid. I had just arrived from an overnight train travel from Paris. Overnight = exhausting. After having checked in the hostel, although still a bit worn out, I was still excited somehow to find the place. However, I have to admit, I was bad with directions - still is. I asked several people for help but unfortunately, they weren't so familiar with the place either. Until now, I wonder why?! So, it took me almost an hour maybe to spot it!
I came in and asked to be seated. Luckily, there was an available seat. Others would recommend though that you book ahead as the place is always full! Anyways, so the place was old, ok. The people were nice. As I was clueless what's the best in the menu, I had someone else order for me - the person working there.
It was my first day in Madrid. I had just arrived from an overnight train travel from Paris. Overnight = exhausting. After having checked in the hostel, although still a bit worn out, I was still excited somehow to find the place. However, I have to admit, I was bad with directions - still is. I asked several people for help but unfortunately, they weren't so familiar with the place either. Until now, I wonder why?! So, it took me almost an hour maybe to spot it!
I came in and asked to be seated. Luckily, there was an available seat. Others would recommend though that you book ahead as the place is always full! Anyways, so the place was old, ok. The people were nice. As I was clueless what's the best in the menu, I had someone else order for me - the person working there.
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| The Menu - Botin Ready to order? This was what I had... The House Menu @ 40.20Euros. My face? looked like this: '$o$' ..cost me an arm and a leg as I wasn't used to spending that much only in one meal.. and just for one person! Not even buffet. Gazpacho was served first. To my surprise, it was cold so I was to call the waiter and ask why but since I wasn't aware of what I was having, I decided to look it up in my mobile phone's dictionary first - only to find out that "Gazpacho - a spicy soup made from tomatoes and other raw vegetables, and eaten cold : Cambridge"! o_O Next was the main course. It was just like "lechon" - only ours, in my biased opinion, is tastier! It was served with potatoes, no rice! I didn't finish the whole slab of meat. I could not. I wanted ice cream. And, I had ice cream - gelato as they call it!!  The House Menu - Roast Suckling Pig + Bread + Water + Wine + Andalusian Cold Soup (Gazpacho) + gelato  Sobrino de Botín (Calle de los Cuchilleros 17, 28005 Madrid, Spain) is a restaurant established in 1725. It is listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest eatery in the world. The artist Francisco de Goya worked there as a waiter while waiting to get accepted into the "Royal Academy of Fine Arts". The restaurant is also mentioned in the book Fortunata y Jacinta by Benito Pérez Galdós (published 1886-1887). The restaurant was founded by Spanish man James Botin and his spouse, and was originally called Casa Botín. It was inherited by a nephew of theirs called Candido Remis, thus explaining the change of name to Sobrino de Botín, which survives to this day. The Sobrino and its speciality of cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig) are mentioned in the closing pages of Ernest Hemingway'snovel, The Sun Also Rises. 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. - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sobrino_de_Bot%C3%ADn |
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