LEON is a traditional Spanish city that offers traditional hospitality. In every bar you are still treated to a free tapa with every drink you order.

This may be as humble as a few slices of chorizo, but in León this is not to be sneered at, since you are eating the king of this national spicy sausage. Or it may involve a more substantial plate.

Something very typical is a bowl of warming garlic soup, into which locals tip a drop of their favourite tipple, clarete, a young rosé wine to you and me. A glass of wine or a corto (a stubby beer) and a nibble costs about 50 pence.

It is easy to dine out and experience a range of local specialities for very little — and the cabaret comes free. By this I mean the traditional roar of the football on the television in the corner, the robotic splutter of the tragaperras or slot machine, the click and clatter of dominos and the general hubbub of Europe’s most sociable people.

I am a big fan of the Spanish menu del dia, the set lunch, and one of the best I have ever eaten was in Casa Rafa, (Calle Ramiro Valbuena 4,) even if it did break my usual limit of 20 euros (£13.50). Leones food is big on hearty stews of pulses, vegetables and meats as well as plates of succulent sausages and cured meats such as cecina. The local cheeses from Valdeon are a perfect finish to a meal.

If your budget allows, it is worth visiting Restaurante Vivaldi (Calle Platerias 4), often described as the province’s best restaurant serving memorable menus based on local produce. It is impossible to go wrong with the tapas bars, but the Nuevo Racimo de Oro in Plaza San Martin is a must because of its atmospheric timber and brick walls.

La Ribera (Calle Fernando González Regueral), is the place if you like offal — the locals love their kidneys and fried potatoes.

It is probably best to have a lie down after all that heavy food but do not forget to set your alarm for around midnight, when León’s busy nightlife takes off. At least you will not have far to stagger from dining table to bar stool because it is all going on in the Barrio Húmedo in León’s old quarter, again.

Ease yourself gently into the frenetic pace with a visit first to El Capitán on Calle Ancha. With its candlelit tables and antique furniture, it is just quiet enough here to chat.

At the other end of the scale is Glam — its name gives it away, does it not? — popular with the young Leones crowd. It may come as a surprise to learn that bars must close by 4am, because it is all too easy to keep going until the sun comes up and breakfast beckons.

Must see places in Castilla y Leon

• León, the Royal Basilica of San Isidoro, a Romanesque jewel; the cathedral, whose construction began in 1205, Spain’s finest example of French Gothic; Hostal de San Marcos, formerly a pilgrims’ hostel, prison and royal residence
• Astorga, the Bishop’s Palace designed by Gaudi, which looks as if has come straight out of the pages of a fairytale.
• Ponferrada, the Knights Templars Castle, which dominates the capital of El Bierzo’s old quarter
• Villafranca del Bierzo, Calle Agua, an arching street of fine palaces once home to wealthy merchant families
• Las Médulas, fascinating national park based upon Roman opencast gold mines. Great for walks, you can also rent bicycles and be taken on a tour of a mine

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