La Serena's food scene is built on seafood — locally caught reineta, congrio, corvina, sea urchins, and the giant locos (Chilean abalone) — and the produce of the Elqui Valley behind it: papayas, olives, goat's cheese, and pisco. The best restaurants are clustered around the Mercado La Recova in the centre, with a parallel strip of seafood places along Avenida del Mar that fills up with families in summer.