In the heart of Madrid, a culinary controversy simmers as two historic taverns, Sobrino de Botín and Casa Pedro, vie for the title of the world's oldest restaurant. Sobrino de Botín, currently holding the Guinness World Record, has been serving Castilian classics since 1725. However, Casa Pedro, located on the outskirts of Madrid, claims an even older lineage, asserting its establishment dates back to 1702.
The dispute has led Casa Pedro's eighth-generation proprietor, Irene Guiñales, to embark on a quest to prove her family's tavern's age. Despite the restaurant's logo boldly stating 'since 1702,' Guiñales acknowledges the need for concrete evidence. Hiring a historian, the family has uncovered documents tracing Casa Pedro's operations back to at least 1750, bringing them tantalizingly close to challenging Botín's record.
Both establishments share more than just a rivalry for the title. They are bastions of Castilian cuisine, offering dishes like stewed tripe and roast suckling pig, served in settings adorned with Spanish tiles and featuring ceilings with exposed wooden beams. Their rich histories are not just about food but also about the cultural and literary figures they've hosted over the centuries.
As the debate over which tavern holds the rightful claim to being the oldest continues, patrons of both establishments can enjoy not just a meal but a piece of history. Whether Casa Pedro can definitively prove its earlier origins remains to be seen, but the competition highlights the enduring appeal of Madrid's historic culinary scene.
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