This last few days has been a trying period, stuck in Madrid while sherrylovers of every description have been tasting, drinking, and partying down in Jerez during Vinoble. But on the whole I can’t complain too much since some friends and I were able to get a cheeky table for seven at Sacha this Monday evening (might sound easy enough but the place was chock full to the rafters).

Sacha is very much the Chef’s choice of restauranteur in Madrid and once you have been it is easy to see why. Simple but perfectly executed preparations of first class produce and a series of super flavours. The shellfish we had on Monday had some of the lads wishing they were otters, and the good stuff kept coming: asparagus, mushrooms, ray, steak tartare, tuetano, spicey lamb, a yogurt dessert – and although it would be very hard to leave any of them out if I had to pick one it would be the “lazy tortilla” with truffle. Absolutely first class.

The service was excellent in trying circumstances (we tend to bring the chaos with us – tables full of wine glasses etc) Sacha was on hand to explain the dishes to us and his sense of humour added to the fun considerably. He comes across as a chap who knows a few things but is able to focus on the important ones, and a really good bloke to have around.

Of course it also helped that we were able to wash it all down with some equally excellent bottles, and while I completely failed to take a picture or even a note of the famously concise and precise winelist, I can tell you that they had some very interesting bottles indeed: some of those little ones with numbers on the labels by Equipo Navazos, a magnum of “Zerej”, and when we asked what to pair with an asparugus, the lovely manzanilla en rama by Blanca Reyes.  Take my word for it, you can go here safe in the knowledge that nice bottles of sherry are available.