At the new Spanish restaurant Sagardi Amsterdam at Spui/ Singel they serve traditional, refined dishes from Basque grandmothers, super fresh pinchos at the pinchobar and they have a very special grill. The ingredients come directly from the Basque Country, that is unique in Amsterdam, or from their own Basque garden and North Sea. I was invited to come over and try the menu!

Basque chefs Iñaki and Mikel López de Viñaspre opened their very first Sagardi in Barcelona in 1996, offering regional dishes based on recipes from their grandmothers. Now there are 10 restaurants all over the world!

Portrait of an “abuela” | Sagardi Amsterdam

When I enter Sagardi Amsterdam, I immediately bump into the pinchos bar and notice cozy corners to sit. I have no idea that there is another part of the restaurant in the back. What a beautiful interior! On the wall a huge and impressive portrait of an “abuela”: grandma keeps a culinary eye on things. The brick walls, with modern, warm lamps and wooden tables, make me feel right at home here. In the heart of the restaurant is the famous Sagardi grill located. On this grill, the carefully matured Txuleton meat is first cauterised in the flames so that the juices cannot escape. Both at the front and the back of the restaurant you can sit outside.

We enjoy a delicious lunch at Sagardi. My favourite dishes: the anchovy with olives and mild green pepper, chorizo with cheese rolls and the divine octopus. Meat lovers can also indulge themselves here: matured beef is a speciality on the menu.

The octopus is my favorite dish!

You can order some of the wines that you normally only buy by the bottle, by the glass. My favorites during lunch are the fresh Talai Berri 2019: a Chardonnay with lots of minerals and the full bodied red Leda 2017. The dessert wine is also super delicious! It is a dessert cider: Bizi Goxo. Highly recommended!

Try the Bizi Goxo dessert cider with your dessert! | Sagardi Amsterdam

Because of the corona crisis, Chefs Iñaki and Mikel decided last March to postpone their activities worldwide, so that they could offer support to their severely affected homeland. Since then, Sagardi has provided 5,000 free three-course meals for vulnerable elderly people in Barcelona every day.

The average price of a main course is € 24,-.
Click HERE for the full menu of Sagardi Amsterdam!

Looking for even more culinary inspiration for Amsterdam? Click HERE!