A Spanish one in town! Restaurant Sagardi in Amsterdam cooks like they do in the Basque Country
Put one foot inside Sagardi and you immediately imagine yourself in a Spanish atmosphere. Or actually in a Basque atmosphere, to be exact. We'll tell you in advance: lots of meat, lots of fish, lots of flavour. So many good things! Real Basque dishes, not very easy to pronounce “txistorra” (small, juicy sausages), and very tasty wines. As if you are not in the center of Amsterdam, but have walked into a very good restaurant somewhere in the Basque Country.
Sagardi – the name that hides a real family business – has several locations around the world. We have also visited Sagardi in Valencia, and you can find them in London, Porto and Buenos Aires (among others). Of course, Amsterdam could not be left behind and now Sagardi has been an established name in our capital for a few years.
You will find Sagardi on the Spui, and the building extends all the way to the Singel, with another terrace including a view over the canal. The restaurant area of Sagardi is located at the back of the attractive canal house, overlooking the Singel. The pintxos bar is at the front, where you can enjoy a glass of wine and a pintxos from the bar on the Spuistraat side. In the middle the kitchen, including a Basque grill where you 'tu' says against. This grill produces all kinds of delicious fresh fish and meat, which Sagardi's staff will happily tell you all about. About 85% (!) of the ingredients they use in the kitchen for their dishes come directly from the Basque region. So here they really know what people are talking about so passionately. We love. It is indeed not sustainable in terms of travel kilometers, but the quality of the meat, fish and vegetables ensure that we do not make a fuss about it at Sagardi.
So all kinds of fresh, pure flavors on the menu. And what do we recommend, you ask? The whole menu of course. Thanks to the seasonal dishes, something different every season (duh). During the spring of 2024, for example, they will be serving asparagus, fish gills three ways (which is really much tastier than it sounds), lightly marinated mackerel, crispy lettuce and fresh snow peas. Of course there are enough pearls that remain on the map. We definitely recommend the SAGARDI classics such as the wild fish and the Txuleton, a pre-sliced piece of matured beef with a garnish of Basque pride.
We hear you thinking... yes, nice, but what do we drink with that? Well, for starters, a delicious Spanish sidra (cider), for example? Always fun, spectacular from a great height – so, hop – poured into your glass (because more air = more taste for you, you understand). But in addition to cider, there is also an incredibly impressive wine list at Sagardi. Once again our advice is to let the staff advise you and pamper you, because they seem to know very well what you like.
Successful evening guaranteed. Sweet service with a passion for the business (literally) and the Basque Country, Sagardi is where you come from good. The only disadvantage is that it will eventually be time to return from this evening in the Basque Country to our own cold little country. Don't be shocked if you walk outside and forget for a moment that you were actually eating in the Netherlands. That's what Sagardi does to you.
And when you think of the Basque Country and Spanish dishes, you only think of large hams and spicy sausages? Then Sagardi has a surprise for you, because there is also plenty of choice for vegetarians. Not as much as for the carnivores, but they certainly don't go hungry. There are a number of dishes on the menu, but you can also request the options of the day. bInterior no time you have a colorful vegetarian plate in front of you with all kinds of trimmings from the Hernani vegetable garden.
