Meson de Cervantes in the Plaza Mayor is my favorite, and it's most definitely not scary (unless you're scared away by cigarette smoke). Order a sangria and a sandwich de queso, and sit near the windows. It's fun.

You can also eat all along the Rua Mayor--there's an Italian place if you're in the mood for that, and lots of Spanish restaurants. For something that feels well-lit and sort of American, you can try Tintin--but it's a bit like being in an American mall.

Basically, you can't go wrong in the Plaza Mayor or walking on the Rua Mayor toward the cathedrals. All those places cater to tourists, but they also have the best atmosphere. I am happy to spend a bit more to be at a terraza in the Plaza Mayor, too--most of the places around the Plaza serve outside when the weather's good.

You can get decent food at the Hotel Las Torres restaurant, to the left of the reloj in the Plaza as well.

Have fun in my favorite city in the entire world! Salamanca is like no place on earth, and I long to be back. We were there two weeks ago, and I miss it already.