Last updated: November 1, 2026
If you’re searching for the Sobrino de Botín menu, you’re asking about more than dinner — you’re asking about a meal inside a Guinness World Record. This is the restaurant on Calle de Cuchilleros 17 in Madrid, founded in 1725 and recognized since 1987 as the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the world. The draw: suckling pig and lamb roasted in a wood-fired oven that has been burning since the year the restaurant opened.
The official name is Sobrino de Botín — Casa Botín and Restaurante Botín are the same place, just the names everyone actually uses. Specialties are cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig, ~€27–32 per portion) and cordero asado (roast lamb, ~€27–32), with starters from about €8–26 and desserts around €7. Expect €45–60 per person à la carte. Menus change rarely here — tradition is the point — but confirm prices before visiting.
Menu note: Prices in this guide come from the restaurant’s published carta and recent diner reports (checked October 2026). Portion prices have crept up in recent reports (~€32 vs. €27 on the older printed carta).
At a Glance
| Cuisine | Traditional Spanish — Castilian roasts |
| Location | Calle de Cuchilleros 17, 28005 Madrid — at the foot of the Arco de Cuchilleros, next to Plaza Mayor (Métro: Sol or Ópera) |
| Known for | Cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig) and cordero asado (roast lamb) from the original 1725 wood-fired oven; recognized by Guinness since 1987 as the world’s oldest continuously operating restaurant |
| Price guide | Printed carta: cochinillo €27.15, cordero €27.50 — recent reports put both at ~€32 per portion. Expect €45–60 per person à la carte |
| Hours | Daily 13:00–16:00 (lunch) and 20:00–23:30 (dinner). Closed Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve |
| Reservations | Essential — book online in advance with a deposit; weekends and high season need several weeks’ lead time |
| Official website | botin.es |
Sobrino de Botín Menu at a Glance
| Menu section | Examples | Price range |
|---|---|---|
| Starters | Jamón ibérico, croquetas, morcilla, callos, anchovies | €8.50–€26 |
| Soups | Sopa de ajo (garlic soup), gazpacho | €6.65–€10.50 |
| The roasts | Cochinillo asado, cordero asado (wood-fired oven) | ~€27–32 |
| Other mains | Grilled hake, solomillo, roast chicken, partridge stew | €18.80–€29.30 |
| Fish | Almejas Botín, gambas al ajillo, merluza | €20.40–€28.50 |
| Desserts | Tarta Botín, Basque cheesecake, chocolate torte | €6.80–€7.20 |
Sobrino de Botín Menu Prices (2026)
Starters
| Starter | Price |
|---|---|
| Jamón ibérico de bellota | €26.00 |
| Melón con jamón | €21.20 |
| Anchoas con pimientos | €24.30 |
| Callos a la Madrileña | €17.00 |
| Croquetas de pollo y jamón | €11.90 |
| Morcilla de Burgos | €11.90 |
| Ensaladilla rusa | €12.10 |
| Queso puro de oveja | €12.90 |
| Ensalada Botín | €15.50 |
| Manitas de cochinillo rebozadas | €8.50 |
| Salmón ahumado | €21.00 |
Soups
| Soup | Price |
|---|---|
| Sopa de ajo con huevo y jamón | €10.50 |
| Gazpacho | €9.95 |
| Caldo de ave | €6.65 |
The Roasts — Cochinillo & Cordero
| Roast | Price |
|---|---|
| Cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig) | €27.15 (recent reports ~€32) |
| Cordero asado (roast lamb) | €27.50 (recent reports ~€32) |
Both are roasted in the Castilian style in the original wood-fired oven. For large parties, a whole suckling pig can be ordered — it arrives at the table with ceremony and is traditionally portioned with the edge of a plate to show how tender the meat is.
Other Mains & Grills
| Dish | Price |
|---|---|
| Solomillo a la plancha / Solomillo Botín al champiñón | €29.30 |
| Perdiz estofada (stewed partridge) | €23.35 |
| Pollo asado con verduras | €18.80 |
| Filete / escalope de ternera | €21.00 |
Fish
| Dish | Price |
|---|---|
| Almejas Botín | €26.30 |
| Gambas a la plancha | €26.40 |
| Merluza al horno o frita | €28.10 |
| Lenguado (whole) | €28.50 |
| Gambas al ajillo | €20.40 |
| Calamares fritos | €23.10 |
Desserts
| Dessert | Price |
|---|---|
| Tarta Botín | €7.20 |
| Tarta de queso (grandmother’s recipe Basque cheesecake) | €7.20 |
| Tarta de chocolate con salsa de frutos del bosque | €7.20 |
| Flan de huevo con nata | €6.80 |
| Arroz con leche | €6.85 |
| Crema catalana | €7.20 |
The Set Menus & the €60 Menu
Botín works mainly à la carte, but there are fixed options worth knowing:
- The €60 menu (reported June 2026): gazpacho, roast suckling pig with potatoes, caramel ice cream, plus a half bottle of wine — described by the diner as “very reasonably priced.” Ask what’s currently included when booking, as the composition can change.
- House menu (~€46.50 in older reports): gazpacho, cochinillo, ice cream and a drink.
- Tour + set menu (~€93): the guided tour of the historic dining rooms, underground tunnel and original oven, followed by a three-course lunch with suckling pig or lamb.
- Group menus: closed menus for parties, quoted at reservation time.
What to Order: Cochinillo vs. Cordero
This is the decision that matters, so here it is honestly.
Order the cochinillo if it’s your first (and maybe only) visit. It’s the dish the 300-year-old oven exists for: skin crisped, meat so tender it yields to a plate’s edge. One August 2025 diner paid €32 for the portion and called the experience worth it.
Order the cordero if you prefer deeper flavor or you’ve had suckling pig before. The same August 2025 diner called the roast lamb “exquisito” — exquisite — and several reviewers rate it the better of the two roasts.
Starters: the sopa de ajo (garlic soup with egg and ham, €10.50) is the classic opener; the almejas Botín (€26.30) are the house fish starter. Dessert: the tarta de queso — a Basque-style cheesecake from the owner’s grandmother’s recipe — is the insider pick.
The Tour: Oven, Tunnel & Dining Rooms
Before lunch and dinner service, Botín runs guided tours of the historic dining rooms, the underground tunnel and the original 1725 wood-fired oven — the same oven your lunch is about to come out of. Peek into the kitchen as you enter and you’ll see racks of suckling pigs waiting their turn; the smell of oak smoke and roasting pork hits you before you even sit down.
The tour pairs naturally with the ~€93 set menu (tour + three courses with suckling pig or lamb), and several operators bundle it with a Prado museum morning. Even if you skip the formal tour, ask to see the oven after your meal — staff are used to the request, and seeing the fire that has burned since 1725 is half the experience.
Before You Go
- Reservations are essential and must be booked online in advance with a deposit; weekends and high season need several weeks’ lead time.
- Closed Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
- Guided tours of the dining rooms, underground tunnel and original oven run before lunch and dinner service; a tour + three-course set menu is reported at ~€93.
- Tipping is not customary in Spain — a small rounding-up is plenty.
- Vegetarian options are limited — this is a roast-meat restaurant.
Practical Information
Address: Calle de Cuchilleros 17, 28005 Madrid — at the foot of the Arco de Cuchilleros, next to Plaza Mayor. Métro: Sol or Ópera. Phone: +34 913 66 42 17. Official site: botin.es.
Hours: Daily 13:00–16:00 (lunch) and 20:00–23:30 (dinner). Closed Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Reservations: Essential, and you must book online in advance with a deposit. Weekends and high season need several weeks’ lead time. Note: as in most of Spain, tipping is not customary — a small rounding-up is plenty.
300 Years in 60 Seconds
1725: A French cook named Jean Botín opens a tavern with his wife on Calle de Cuchilleros. The wood-fired oven installed then is still roasting today.
1920s: A young Ernest Hemingway eats here; the final scene of The Sun Also Rises (1926) is set at Botín — “one of the best restaurants in the world,” his characters agree, over cochinillo and Rioja.
1987: Guinness World Records recognizes it as the oldest continuously operating restaurant in the world.
The writers: Benito Pérez Galdós, Ramón Gómez de la Serna, Graham Greene and María Dueñas all wrote about it. Francisco de Goya reportedly worked here as a young man.
Today: Six in ten diners are foreign visitors, but the recipes — “all my grandfather’s,” the family says — haven’t moved.
Tourist Trap or Pilgrimage? An Honest Verdict
Reviews are genuinely split, and you should hear both sides before booking.
The believers (June 2026): “a must-do experience in Madrid” with “professional and attentive” waiters; the €60 menu called “very reasonably priced”; the dining rooms “loved,” the cochinillo devoured.
The skeptics (2025–2026): “mediocre food” and “too expensive for the service”; one diner found the suckling pig’s skin not crispy; another called the 8pm opening queue “a locura.”
The fair summary, and the one this guide stands behind: you don’t come to Botín for Madrid’s best meal — you come for a very good roast dinner inside 300 years of history. The oven is real, the pig is good, the rooms are extraordinary. Go for the cochinillo, the fire, and the Hemingway table — with expectations set to “historic experience” rather than “culinary revelation” — and the believers’ version is the one you’ll get. And if anyone in your party doesn’t eat roast meat, warn them: this is not their restaurant.
FAQs
How much does it cost to eat at Sobrino de Botín?
Around €45–60 per person à la carte (starter, roast, dessert, drink). The cochinillo or cordero runs ~€27–32 per portion; a reported €60 set menu includes gazpacho, suckling pig, dessert and half a bottle of wine.
What is Botín famous for?
Roast suckling pig (cochinillo asado) and roast lamb (cordero asado), cooked in a wood-fired oven in continuous use since 1725.
Is Casa Botín the same as Sobrino de Botín?
Yes. Sobrino de Botín is the official name; Casa Botín and Restaurante Botín are popular forms of the same restaurant.
Do I need a reservation?
Yes — book online at botin.es well in advance; a deposit is required. Weekends need several weeks’ lead time.
What are the opening hours?
Daily 13:00–16:00 for lunch and 20:00–23:30 for dinner. Closed Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
Is Botín really the oldest restaurant in the world?
According to Guinness World Records (since 1987), yes — the oldest continuously operating restaurant, founded in 1725.
Does Botín have vegetarian options?
Limited. This is a roast-meat temple; salads, soups (sopa de ajo has ham), vegetables and egg dishes exist, but vegetarians will find the menu thin.
What did Hemingway order at Botín?
Cochinillo asado and Rioja alta — the meal his characters share in the final scene of The Sun Also Rises.
Enjoying the menu guides?
Follow MenuExplore for daily restaurant menus & prices — know the menu before you go.
