Madrid Tapas, Taverns and History Tour with Botín Special Access

Casa Alberto: vermouth in Cervantes' old address

Begin at Casa Alberto, a centennial tavern set on the ground floor of the building where Miguel de Cervantes once lived. Over a glass of vermouth and a plate of Manchego cheese, your guide explains the ritual behind Madrid's favorite aperitif. This is where the night's history lesson begins, a few steps from where Don Quijote was written.

Casa del Abuelo: the shrimp dish born from hunger

Next, walk to Casa del Abuelo, a family-run tavern serving gambas al ajillo, sizzling garlic shrimp invented as a way to stretch a poor family's ingredients and now one of Spain's most-loved dishes. Alongside it, taste the house wine, made at the family's own vineyard and served here for generations. The sizzle of the pan reaches your table before the plate does.

Botín Before Opening: the parts no other guest sees

Before Botín opens its doors to the public, your group heads inside, starting on the lower floor and into the wine cellar, once nearly lost to flooding and off-limits to anyone outside your group. Upstairs, you'll get to look into the wood-fired oven that's roasted cochinillo without interruption for more than 300 years, through war, famine, and even the pandemic. Your guide leads you past the artwork and centuries-old tiled walls that line the dining room above.

Dinner at Botín: three centuries, one table

The evening ends at the table, with a full dinner inside the restaurant that's run continuously the longest of anywhere in the world. Your guide has already shown you the kitchen and the cellar; now you get to taste what they produce, three centuries of the same oven, on your plate.