a cozy eatery in Madrid, Spain, was founded in 1725 and holds the .
And like most dining establishments, Restaurante Bot铆n was forced to close its doors when the coronavirus swept across Europe.
“When we closed the restaurant during the pandemic, we felt devastated because it never closed before, even during the Spanish Civil War, my grandfather kept Bot铆n open,” Antonio Gonz谩lez, general manager of Bot铆n, said.
They serve traditional Spanish dishes — from cordero asado, which is roasted baby lamb, to cochinillo asado, which is roasted suckling pig. Before the pandemic, the cook would receive a shipment of lambs and pigs three or four times a week from the Sep煤lveda-Aranda-Riaza region, which is about 100 miles north of Madrid.
The dining area is also a part of the experience, with Gonz谩lez calling the establishment a “restaurant museum.” Guests can choose to dine in one of the antiquated rooms in the four-story restaurant, including Gonz谩lez’s favorite, the wine cellar.
A taste of history
The restaurant was opened nearly three centuries ago by a French cook named Jan Bot铆n, but it was more of a tavern than a restaurant. During the 18th century, the establishment could only cook food that guests brought into the restaurant. This was because selling food was banned at the time because it could hurt other businesses.
The restaurant was passed down through the Bot铆n family until the 20th century. Gonz谩lez’s grandparents took over the restaurant in 1930 and continued to expand the establishment.
Throughout the centuries, many noteworthy authors have dined here, from Ernest Hemingway to F. Scott Fitzgerald. Some have also mentioned Bot铆n in their writing, such as Hemingway in his novel “The Sun Also Rises.”
The restaurant has hosted several generations of diners, and luckily, they won’t lose their Guinness World Record because of the coronavirus shutdown.
Trying to stay positive
The eatery reopened its doors on July 1, is serving a fraction of the guests it used to serve before the coronavirus. Gonz谩lez said that they used to serve 600 guests per day — now it’s a mere 60.
But Gonz谩lez isn’t discouraged. His plan is to stabilize their losses as best he can and focus on the future.
“I am looking forward to navigate out of the crisis and being stronger and better than before,” Gonz谩lez said. “It is a fantastic opportunity to make reflections and to improve the most we can.”
