Page 85 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2022 DISCOVERING MADRID

Sinatra, royalty, politicians, popes and movie
stars. It’s also remains very popular among lo-
cals and foodie travelers like us. One pair of
tablemates was celebrating a birthday; another
couple was lost in conversation with a young
friend.
Devour offers a tour that includes Botin, but
we opted to make our own reservation for
lunch. We were escorted to our table on the
light-filled second floor by a maitre d in a white
tux. Servers here are dedicated and fit, march-
ing up and down stairs with heavy trays of food
and drink all day. Most have been with the
restaurant for decades. They take their jobs se-
riously but provide friendly service with a quick
smile.
Of course, we ordered the suckling pig, and it
was magnificent - melt-in-your-mouth tender
with rich slight smoky pork flavor. You could al-
most sense the ghosts of the diners who had sa-
vored this same meal hundreds of years ago. In
our mind's eye we imagined Hemingway raise
his glass of rioja alta our way, a toast to a shared
afternoon delight.

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