What to expect when you eat at the world’s oldest restaurant

Is it a warning against sinful behaviour? Or a fine depiction of paradise lost? And why is there so much pink?

I’m standing in the Prado, Madrid’s answer to the Louvre, pondering the painting known as The Garden of Earthly Delights. Painted around the start of the 16th century by Dutch artist Hieronymus Bosch, its three panels depict the Garden of Eden on the left, Hell on the right and an ambiguous crowd scene in the larger central section. Here, naked people cavort among lakes and gardens, some riding exotic animals. The pink plants and buildings standing in the lake seem out of place, as I think of pink as a modern-day tone.

Established in 1725, Botin is considered the oldest restaurant in the world.Credit: Getty

It’s a magnificent painting with an enormous amount of playful detail, and much room for ambiguity in its interpretation. Luckily, I have a bunch of fellow art lovers to speculate with, as I’m visiting this famous gallery as part of a tour which includes lunch at a historic restaurant.

Our guide for this feast of art and food is Arantxa, who comes with foodie qualifications: she studied at culinary institution Le Cordon Bleu, and also presents cooking classes. As for art, she’s a gun on the Prado’s collection, leading us on a confident zigzag course through its many halls.

Arantxa takes us to works from such local greats as Diego Velázquez and Francisco Goya, and international stars including Titian and El Greco. We also hear much about King Philip II, who made Madrid his capital in 1561 and – in a surprisingly progressive move – commissioned a female painter, Sofonisba Anguissola, to paint his portrait. He looks intelligent and regal in her painting, wearing black clothing and a lace ruff.

Sated with art, we’re off to lunch, via a walk west through the city’s attractive Literary Quarter. We stroll along a path studded with quotes from writers, including the great Miguel de Cervantes. Taking a breather on the way at a bar named Santa Ana, we sip vermouth, a favourite local aperitif, served with simple tapas.

This is merely a curtain-raiser for the final star of the tour: Botin, the world’s oldest continuously operating restaurant, open since 1725. We arrive just before opening hours, so Arantxa slips us past the waiting queue to inspect the historic cellar before we ascend to the second floor. Our group is seated at a long table of white tablecloths, silverware and glassware, beneath a timber-lined ceiling and elaborate chandeliers.

Suckling pig is the speciality here, with alternative main courses involving lamb, fish or chicken, following starters of artichoke with ham, and chicken and pork croquettes. “We’re a country of red wine,” declares our guide, so there’s also wine from the Rioja region, made from the tempranillo grape.

One thing the visitor to Spain quickly learns is there will be a lot of pork. Soon enough, a white-jacketed waiter delivers plates of suckling pig with potatoes on the side, the skin crispy and the white meat succulent.

As the afternoon progresses our group eats, drinks and chats, getting loud along with the rest of the noisy crowd, as diners have done here for 300 years. Beyond the food we have art to talk about, of course, and plenty of it. Perhaps this is a modern take on Bosch’s garden of earthly delights, right here at a table in Madrid.

The writer was hosted by Eurail, Turespana and Airbnb. The Madrid Prado Museum Tour & VIP Botin Lunch costs 149 euros per person.

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