Madrid’s oldest surviving ironmonger’s shop (ferretería), dating from
1888, was converted into this bar-restaurant in 2018, leaving many of the antique fittings intact. Screwdrivers and keys
grace its cupboards, alongside cocktail tongs. In the window, an industrial contraption has been adapted to display the
jamón that is its new stock-in-trade. It all works remarkably well, a proud combination of tradition and innovation. And
the food is no gimmick. EGO is the initials of Emilio García Ortigosa, a big cheese in the world of ham. Have a glass


of wine at the bar and try some of his creations: top-rated (and expensive) acorn-fed ham, carved to perfection; lagrimas
de jamón (ham “teardrops,” with cold ajo blanco soup), or delicious Ibérico croquettes. By some extraordinary twist of
fate, the new proprietor shares his initials with the original ironmonger, one Esteban G. Ochandatay.