Legado builds a wine-led vision - Dining and Cooking

A Michelin star within six months has put chef patron Nieves Barragán Mohacho’s Shoreditch restaurant Legado in the spotlight, where an expansive wine list and Sherry-led approach underpin the concept.

Chef patron Nieves Barragán Mohacho’s latest London restaurant, Legado, has been awarded its first Michelin star just six months after opening, cementing its position as a major new player in the capital’s Spanish dining scene.

Opened in late summer 2025 in Shoreditch, Legado is described as Barragán Mohacho’s “creative playground”, bringing together her personal history, culinary influences and deep exploration of Spain’s regional food culture.

The restaurant follows the success of Sabor, but offers a broader and more expansive concept. As head sommelier Marcos Rapado Segurado explains: “Legado would be Sabor’s older sibling. Despite Sabor coming first, the space at Legado is bigger, the food menu is larger, and the wine list is larger as well. The best part is that you can have all the good things from Sabor in Legado, plus more to discover about Spanish gastronomy.”

A personal vision of Spanish cuisine

At the heart of Legado is a focus on provenance and tradition, with dishes rooted in the diverse regions of Spain. Whole-animal butchery is carried out in-house, while key ingredients are sourced from specific producers across the country, including lamb from Zamora and Iberian pork from Extremadura.

Barragán Mohacho said the restaurant reflects a deeper ambition to showcase lesser-known aspects of Spanish cuisine. “There are always dishes you question, not because you doubt them, but because you know they may be unfamiliar to people here,” she said.

“Some of the dishes I love most are deeply regional, very specific to a place or a memory, and not always what people expect from Spanish food. But for me, authenticity is not about making things easier; it’s about making them understood. I don’t want to change a dish to fit expectations.”

She added: “Over time, people become more open, more curious. That’s how Spanish cuisine evolves outside Spain.”

The menu spans both land and sea, alongside vegetable-led dishes and seasonal desserts, while a theatrical open kitchen centres around two traditional Spanish wood-fired ovens used to cook signature dishes such as roast lamb and suckling pig.

Wine and Sherry take centre stage

Legado’s 150-bin wine list highlights both established and emerging Spanish regions, with a particular emphasis on minimal intervention producers and native grape varieties. Around 18 wines are available by the glass, alongside a dedicated Sherry offering.

Segurado believes Sherry has an important role to play in modern dining. “In my opinion, Sherry is a wine style that needs special context,” he said. “The greater complexity and higher alcohol content make it special, so having great food to pair with it is one of the best ways to enjoy it.”

He pointed to shifting consumer habits as an opportunity for the category. “Nowadays, people are more conscious of their drinking habits and how it influences their daily schedules. Creating a space where a drink like this can be enjoyed with delicious small bites or simpler recipes in a casual setting makes drinking sherry more convenient, creating a perfect balance between food and drink.”

“Many bars and restaurants in London have started to take note of the power of the union of sherry and food due to a wider range of flavours and textures,” he added. “Even a cigar after a meal is a suitable setting for a great glass of 18-year-old amontillado.”

“So, for me, Sherry is here again to enhance the dining experience and showcase the possibilities for wine lovers and people seeking deeper, more complex food experiences.”

Building a legacy

For Barragán Mohacho, Legado represents a culmination of her journey from Bilbao to becoming one of London’s leading Spanish chefs.

“Spain’s food heritage is incredible and has rightly deserved recognition in London and globally,” she said. “However, many dishes I love, I have never seen outside the country and I want to bring them and even more, to London. I wanted to give Spanish cuisine the legacy it deserves.”

With its early Michelin success and ambitious scope, Legado appears well on its way to doing just that.