Do you need a reservation at Botín in Madrid?
Do you need a reservation at Botín in Madrid? Yes. I'd book it online on Botín's own booking page for 1pm, the first lunch seating, and order the roast suckling pig. That page also has the trick for a full night, checked November 1, 2026: if the time you want is taken, Botín offers tables online any day at 1pm or 11:15pm, except on exceptional dates.
Botín, on Calle Cuchilleros just below the Plaza Mayor, was founded in 1725 and is listed by Guinness World Records as the oldest restaurant in the world. It is known for suckling pig and lamb roasted in its original wood oven, and it opens every day from 1pm to 11:30pm.
The 1pm table is the one I'd want anyway. The dining rooms are at their quietest before Madrid's late lunch hour fills them, and an 11:15pm table is a very Spanish dinner but a late one after a day of walking.
What are Botín's booking rules?
| Rule | What the restaurant says |
|---|---|
| Hours | Every day, 1pm to 11:30pm |
| How to book | The booking form on Botín's booking page, run through TheFork |
| If your time is full | Tables offered online any day at 1pm or 11:15pm, except exceptional dates |
| Changes | Change the number of guests by phone, +34 91 366 42 17, or email, botin@restaurantebotin.com |
| Roast suckling pig | 32.50 euros |
| Roast lamb | 33 euros |
| Address | Calle Cuchilleros 17, Madrid |
The booking page also asks you to check your spam folder for the confirmation email. If it doesn't arrive, call before you assume you have a table.
What should you order at Botín?
The suckling pig, with one shared starter. It is the dish the oven is famous for, and at 32.50 euros on the current menu it is a main course for one, not a platter. Lamb is the other roast, at 33 euros. Add a plate of Iberian ham or roasted peppers to share and skip the rest of the starters; the roast is the meal.
Botín is a traditional Madrid restaurant in a 16th century building, not a tasting menu. The reason to go is the room and the roast. I'd pair it with a modern Madrid dinner another night rather than expect it to be both.
Can you get into Botín without a reservation?
I wouldn't count on it. The booking page apologizes for the number of customers and points anyone it can't fit to the 1pm and 11:15pm tables or the phone line, which tells you how full the evenings run. If you are already in Madrid with no booking, open the booking page first and take the 1pm table for the next day.
If you still want to try in person, go at 1pm when the doors open, not at 9pm with everyone else.
Where does Botín fit in a Madrid trip?
Make it a long lunch on the day you see the old center: the Plaza Mayor is up the steps from Calle Cuchilleros, and the Royal Palace is a ten minute walk. Then rest; Madrid dinners start late. Three days in Madrid has the day it fits, and what to book before Madrid puts it in order with the museum tickets.
For the modern counterpart, the DiverXO guide covers Madrid's hardest tasting menu table, which opens 90 days ahead.