Sagardi is all about Basque gastronomy in a very direct form: grilling on an open fire and eating at the bar. The restaurant is part of the international Sagardi Group, set up by brothers Iñaki and Mikel López de Viñaspre. They are building concepts around Basque cuisine in several cities, and this location brings that same idea to downtown.
The heart of Sagardi is the Basque-style charcoal grill. Here, large cuts of meat and fish come directly over the open fire. The kitchen works with high-quality cuts of meat and seasonal produce, so the offerings change with the year. You see the grill as a fixed point in the space: that open fire determines much of what comes out of the kitchen.
At the front sits the pintxo bar, which is more about small dishes. On the bar is an ever-changing selection of pintxos, which moves with the seasons. As a result, the bar never looks exactly the same twice. The combination of restaurant and bar means that you can have an extensive meal as well as drop in for some pintxos.
Because Sagardi is part of a larger international group, its offerings are in line with other locations in cities such as Barcelona, London, Porto and Buenos Aires. At the same time, this establishment is clearly focused on downtown, with a mix of local guests and international visitors. For those curious about traditional Basque grill culture, Sagardi offers a combination of open fire, pintxos and group tables under one roof.