Sagardi

Walking into Sagardi for the first time is a small piece of theatre, and that is before any food has arrived.

The room is exactly what you want it to be: cider-house energy, long shared tables. We were seated near the back, given menus we hardly needed, and brought a small bowl of olives without being asked.

We started with burrata with peaches and basil, which set the tone — generous, unfussy, and confident enough not to crowd what was coming. With it we ordered a glass of port to finish, and then another, and were glad of both.

Then the main event: txuleta, the dish that puts Sagardi on every short list. It was, frankly, the best version of this cut I have had this year. The signature touch — pintxos at the bar, then the chuleta in back — is not a gimmick; it is the reason to come.

For sides we asked for grilled radicchio with anchovy butter and buttered haricots verts. Both arrived hot, both arrived early, both were exactly large enough to overdo it. We overdid it.

Dessert was crème brûlée with a proper glass crust, mostly because the waiter raised an eyebrow when we hesitated. He was right to.

It is not cheap. It is, in this case, worth it.