Born in Barcelona in 2022, Berto’s Milanesa has chosen Zaragoza to open its eighth restaurant and its first outside Catalonia, as well as to launch its franchise model. Alberto Bonhomme, one of the brand’s founders, is leading the project and also has family ties to Aragon. "My grandfather was from Celadas, a village in Teruel. My father did his military service here in Zaragoza," he explains.
The chain’s goal is to recapture the essence of traditional Argentine bodegones, establishments where home cooking and a family atmosphere go hand in hand. That philosophy has been brought to the new Zaragoza restaurant, a warm space with wood, comfortable sofas, indirect lighting and room for around 70 diners, with a terrace also set to be added.
But one detail is particularly striking: the walls are covered with photographs of famous people eating, from Katy Perry and David Beckham to Alberto Chicote, La Pija y la Quinqui, El Rubius and Queen Elizabeth II. The decor invites diners to spot familiar faces and, in a way, share a table with them. "It always sparks a fun conversation," says Bonhomme, who explains that the images were chosen so people from different generations could recognize their own icons.
Families, groups of friends, couples and people dining alone are all welcome at the restaurant. Photo: E.F / Actualidad Media
Berto’s is not targeting a specific demographic. Families, groups of friends, couples and solo diners all have a place at the restaurant, which has also installed televisions for watching football matches. "It’s a place where you can feel comfortable and feel as if you were going to a friend’s house for dinner," its founder says.
MORE THAN 1,000 MILANESAS A DAY: HOW THEY PREPARE THEIR SIGNATURE DISH
Although the menu includes starters, salads, pasta and pizzas made with focaccia dough, the real stars are the milanesas. The restaurant offers 13 different varieties, prepared with chicken, beef or pork and combined with ingredients such as mozzarella, Iberian ham, Mallorcan sobrasada, goat cheese or pistachio.
The concept is based on a traditional Argentine recipe but incorporates Mediterranean flavors. "In the end, it’s a breaded piece of meat with pizza toppings," Bonhomme explains, highlighting that it is a familiar dish for Spanish diners, who have been accustomed to similar preparations since childhood.
Menu options include the Mallorca, with sobrasada and honey; the Capra, with caramelized onion, goat cheese and walnuts; the Diábola, for those who prefer spicy flavors; and the Berto’s, with mozzarella, ham and a fried egg. There is also the classic A caballo milanesa, served with two fried eggs.
The popularity of this specialty is reflected in the company’s figures. "We’re currently at around 1,000 a day across all the restaurants," Bonhomme reveals, explaining that maintaining the same quality at every location requires a carefully controlled preparation process. Each milanesa involves considerably more work than might appear. The meat is flattened by hand with a mallet and then marinated in yogurt, egg and spices to achieve a particularly tender texture.
One of its specialties is the Berto’s. Photo: E. F / Actualidad Media
As the chain began to grow, preparing so many milanesas forced it to move part of the work to a central production kitchen. There, five people work eight hours a day making the product by hand. The company uses everyday ingredients found in a home kitchen, such as yogurt, pasteurized liquid egg and fresh spices, without using preservatives, colorings or flavorings in the process, Bonhomme explains.
This system allows the restaurants to be supplied from a single location while preserving the flavor of their recipes. "Thanks to having that production kitchen, we can afford to open here and know that it’s the same milanesa," he says.
ZARAGOZA, THE FIRST STEP IN ITS EXPANSION OUTSIDE CATALONIA
The opening in Zaragoza marks an important step for Berto’s Milanesa, which until now had concentrated its seven restaurants in Barcelona and the surrounding area. The location on Calle Azoque is the first to operate under the franchise model and opens a new stage of growth for the company.
The choice of the Aragonese capital was not accidental either. Bonhomme acknowledges that new food openings in the city center and the positive experiences of other brands have strengthened the company’s confidence in the city. "Zaragoza is a difficult market, and what works here works because of that whole reality," he says.
Following its launch in Aragon, the chain plans to continue its expansion with a new opening in Valencia in November. Its aim is to keep bringing its milanesas to other Spanish cities without losing the artisanal, family-oriented spirit with which the project began.
