León is excellent for eating well without spending much. The tapas culture means a drink usually comes with a free pincho, but the city also has proper sit-down restaurants serving regional Castilian food.
The Barrio Húmedo is the obvious place to start, but the surrounding streets offer more variety. Regional specialities worth seeking out include cecina (air-dried cured beef, comparable to bresaola but more intense), botillo del Bierzo (a slow-cooked pork offal dish from the western province), and morcilla leonesa — a blood sausage made with rice and onion that is grilled or fried rather than boiled.