Chamartín is a well-to-do, traditionally residential area of Madrid. Perhaps most notable for Estadio Santiago Bernabéu (Bernabéu Stadium), home to legendary football club Real Madrid, this zone within North-Central Madrid is also in the midst of a burgeoning food movement. Amongst the most famed eateries in Chamartín, Botillería y Fogón Sacha stands tall in its outstanding execution of quality Spanish dishes. As its name implies, a fogón is a traditional Spanish stove for preparation of heavier plates.
Despite being so famous an establishment, the entrance of the Sacha is quite well-hidden! Finding the (very charming) front door was somewhat an adventure in itself…
Salted almendras saladas (salted almonds): Very classic Spanish starter…
Consomé: Though a relatively light and clear broth, the complex beef flavor here was deeply satisfying…
Pan (bread): Baked in-house, the bread came in handy to sop up remnants of some really great plates to come…
Vino blanco: Laureatus Albariño, from the Rías Baixas region (Galicia)… A superb choice to match our dinner!
Falsa lasaña de txangurros y erizos de mar: Sacha’s signature dish, the famous false lasagna did NOT disappoint. This fantastic creation was one of our best bites of the year! Extra virgin olive oil, with tender Basque spider crab and its tomalley, accompanied by uni, all in an almost transparent pastry skin, bathed in sofrito with a hint of garlic. Wow!
Tortilla vaga de morcilla (“lazy” tortilla with blood sausage): Just beautiful! Usually when a Spanish tortilla is made, both sides are cooked. But in this case, Chef Sacha “lets the eggs run” on the top side while browning the potato base underneath, thereby creating a pizza-esque effect. The very thin slices of morcilla and pickled Guindilla peppers make for very tasteful, balanced toppings - A wonderful presentation!
Vino tinto: ValTravieso Roble Crianza 2016, from Ribera del Duero… There’s a beautiful bouquet on this table wine! It paired wonderfully with our meal.
Brocheta solomillo (beef filet skewer, with bell pepper): Spanish beef, and the way the Spaniards prepare it in general, makes for really superb quality bites. This skewer was no exception. The only slight downside was that the accompanying arroz (rice) could have been a bit more seasoned, but I am definitely not complaining, since the beef was the star, and it tasted so outstanding.
Tuetano asado (roasted bone marrow): A classic preparation, except it comes with a bonus side of scrumptious ribeye slices! Truffled sea salt and also smoked salt accompany the dish.
Excellent! And the bread really came in handy to soak in the remaining marrow flavors on the plate!
Dessert time!!!
Helado violeta (violet ice cream): This house-made ice cream was dreamy and delightful.
Pao de lo (bizcocho de yema): Gorgeously golden best describes this fluffy cake with a sinfully rich egg yolk cream center filling. I’ve yet to be able to find anything like this in Los Angeles.
Filloas (stuffed crepes): Traditional crema catalana was the filling used here, and this dessert absolutely hit it out of the park!
El aseo: Definitely not a Toto…
Cortado: Extremely well-pulled.
Service was polished and warm. Most of the staff at Sacha are bilingual (in Castilian and English). The offerings at Sacha can oftentimes be whimsical, yet glimpses throughout the experience reveal serious traditional Spanish cooking. Our dinner here was terrific, and without doubt one of the highlights of this trip to Spain.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Botillería y Fogón Sacha
Juan Hurtado de Mendoza, 11 (zona ajardinera)
28036 Madrid
+34 91 345 59 52
