Ávila's food identity centres on two things: beef and sweets. The avileña beef — a chuletón grilled over charcoal — is the default meal in the restaurants around the walled centre. The yemas de Santa Teresa, egg-yolk sweets sold from convent shops, are the traditional way to finish. Between these two poles is straightforward Castilian cooking: roast lamb (lechazo), bean stews, thick soups, and the local wine.
Most of the restaurants cluster around the Plaza del Mercado Chico and on the streets just inside the main gates. El Almacén and Las Cancelas are well-regarded for traditional cooking; the latter is in a 15th-century building on Calle la Cruz Vieja. Prices are moderate to high by Spanish standards for a provincial city — the beef trade creates expectations. Lunch is the main meal: expect to eat between 2pm and 4pm, with the restaurants quieter in the evenings.