Mesón Cinco Jotas, Bilbao

This establishment specialises in one of the most typical ingredients of Spanish gastronomy: Iberian ham, or, more specifically, that of Jabugo. It is probably one of the foods most asked for by foreigners and one that is surprising in being so uncomplicated yet delicious. Because it's a popular food, though, does not mean it should be eaten any old how in any old place. The Mesón Cinco Jotas offers a select and elegant atmosphere in which to sample its other specialities, such as the "chacina", which is a sort of meat salad. The restaurant's products are all home-made, like the acorn-fed pork loin, "morcón", a morcilla made with a very specific piece of the animal's intestine (similar to a black pudding), country style morcilla, and other "gastronomic delicacies from the mountains of Andalusia". It is not just in Bilbao that this restaurant is popular. The Mesón Cinco Jotas is present in other Spanish cities, too. In Madrid, for example, it has several branches, all of which are always packed.