Restaurante Botín

The world’s oldest operating restaurant, founded in 1725, Restaurante Botín still roasts suckling pig and lamb in the original oak-fired, cast-iron oven. Located near the Habsburg-era Plaza Mayor, the three-story restaurant has exposed beams and tiles in its upstairs dining rooms, and arched brick ceilings in the cavernous cellar. Besides the signature Castilian meats, the menu includes garlic soup, Cordobesa-style eggplant, and squids served in their own ink. Among the restaurant’s former patrons are Francisco de Goya, who worked at the restaurant in the 18th century, and Ernest Hemingway, who wrote about Botín in Death in the Afternoon.