Going HAM on Jamón: Where to Eat Spanish Ham in Seville
There’s something magical about Spanish ham.
It’s one of those foods that just keeps tasting better the more you eat it and the more you learn about it. Not only that, but it also carries an astonishing amount of flavour and history, especially considering that Spanish ham is just pork that’s been left outside too long!
For me, no trip to Seville is complete without at least one tasting of top-tier jamón ibérico de bellota. But why stop there?
While the best ham is certainly not an everyday food (your wallet would never forgive you), it’s certainly something worth spending every last bit of vacation/treat-yo-self budget on.
Read more: Before eating the ham, learn what Iberian ham is and why locals will pay over $4,500 for a single leg of it!
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Iberian Ham in Seville
Now let’s get one thing straight.
We’re talking about jamón ibérico de bellota here.
This is Spain’s culinary treasure, it’s acorn-fed Iberian ham. This is the king of all meat, the crown jewel, the ham that makes vegetarian question their life choices.
It’s as luxury as food gets in Spain, and it’s not uncommon to see it sold for over 200 euros per kilo.
Given the quality of the produce that we’re dealing with here, it needs to treated with care, so finding the right bar and the right ham-slicer is key.
Luckily, I’ve done the hard research to work out the best places to get your fix of decadent, acorn-sweet Iberian ham!
Where to eat Spanish Ham in Seville
Corta y Cata
Practical information:
- Address: Mercado de la Encarnación, Puesto 10.
- Hours: 9am-3pm, Monday to Saturday.
Okay, so to be fair; this isn’t a bar or a restaurant. Corta y Cata is actually a dedicated ham stall at the food market beneath Las Setas—the “Mushrooms” monument in Seville.
But this is honestly where I’ve tried the best jamón ibérico de bellota from D.O.P. Jabugo, sliced as thinly as possible so that the beautifully nutty fat just melts in your mouth. The stall-owner, Gema, is also more than happy to explain literally everything there is to know about the hams and other Andalucian delicacies on offer!
Salsamento
Practical information:
- Address: Calle Jerónimo Hernández, 19.
- Hours: 1pm-4pm and 8pm-12am, Tuesday to Saturday; 1pm-4pm on Sundays.
Salsamento is a fantastically modern reinvention of the classic Seville abacería; a deli-like store and bar serving gourmet Iberian products in a chic setting. There’s also a fantastic Andalucian wine list for pairing purposes, and a selection of blue cheeses from the north of Spain that will blow your head off!
Maestro Marcelino
Practical information:
- Address: Calle Hernando Colón, 9.
- Hours: 9am-12am, Monday to Friday; 10am-12am, Saturdays and Sundays.
Another abacería close to the Cathedral of Seville, Maestro Marcelino offers a tasting of three types of jamón ibérico and paleta, ranging from grain-fed to one of the most luxurious Jabugo brands available; Cinco Jotas. For anyone looking to see if you can really taste the difference between the different grades, this will prove it to you!
*Psst: They also made my list of the best places to sample delicious, homemade Spanish vermouth!
Bar Las Teresas
Practical information:
- Address: Calle Santa Teresa, 2.
- Hours: 10am-12am, Monday to Sunday.
Opened in 1870, this is said to be the oldest bar in Seville’s beautiful Jewish Quarter. Las Teresas rocks a ceiling completely covered in hanging legs of ham, and is one of the most famous spots in town to get your jamón on!
The hanging legs are basically a conveyor belt system, with the bar’s master ham-slicer, Rafael, cutting through three legs every day. So proud is Rafael of the tools of his trade that he has put all of his past ham knives on display in the bar, dating all the way back to 1984.
Read more:
More on the history of jamón ibérico in Spain (in Spanish).
Read about my trip to the annual festival of ham in Aracena, near Seville.
Ham is great, but that’s just the tip of the tapas iceberg! Read more about the best tapas in Seville, and what you can’t afford to miss. And for everything else, check out my ultimate foodie’s guide to where to eat in Seville.