Cheap Eats in London With an Expensive Taste
Mission: Find Delicious But Cheap Eats in London!
Cheap eats in London are one thing. But a lower price doesn’t have to mean that you have to sacrifice the quality of the food.
London can be an expensive place at the best of times, but read on and find out about the top 10 spots you can eat in the capital on an affordable budget.
1. Addie’s Thai
Addie’s has been going strong for over three decades now and is still packed out time after time. The restaurant offers a great value menu containing all of the usual Thai food suspects, including curries, stir-fries, and pad thai.
If you’re looking for Oriental food, you won’t go wrong here if you’re in the area. Even if you’re an ‘out of towner,’ it is well worth making an effort to get there.
Addie’s Thai
121 Earls Court Road, London SW5 9RL
Website: Addie’s Thai
Sample Pricing: Dinner for two people including drinks = £60
2. Ma Petite Jamaica
Based in the eclectic area of Camden, Ma Petite Jamaica is the ideal place to eat that’ll transport you to a Caribbean island for a couple of hours. It’s a jerk pit and reggae bar with an outdoor patio.
Excellent Jamaican food, including curried goat, jerk chicken, and rice and peas amongst others awaits you, alongside some great cocktails to wash it all down.
>>>TIP: Portions are generous, so don’t overorder.
Ma Petite Jamaica
4 Inverness Street, London NW1 7HJ
Website: Ma Petite Jamaica
Sample Pricing: Curried Goat with Rice, Peas, and Plantain = £12.50
3. The Samrat Indian Restaurant
The Samrat is a very underrated Indian restaurant situated in the leafy suburb of Ealing. Offering the real tastes and flavours of both Indian and Bangladeshi food, all dishes here are made using raw, high-quality spices.
Often frequented by celebrities, including ex-England footballer Peter Crouch, you will not be disappointed. Excellent food at even better prices, with regular offers on throughout the week.
The Samrat Indian Restaurant
52 Pitshanger Lane, London W5 1QY
Website: The Samrat Indian Restaurant
Sample Pricing: Banquet Night on Monday & Tuesday – £13.95 per person
4. Pizza Express
Yes, it might be categorized as a chain restaurant, but Pizza Express is a great place to eat out on a budget. You’ll have a wide selection of Italian dishes ranging from pizza to calzone to pasta with a decent side-dish variety, in a very desirable location (you may see the London Eye, Big Ben, and Westminster from here).
A relaxed atmosphere awaits, and you will never wait long for your food to be cooked, which you can watch from an open kitchen. If you’re going for Pizza, give this one a go!
Pizza Express
Unit 3, The White House, 9C Belvedere Road 8E1 8YP
Website: Pizza Express (Royal Festival Hall)
Sample Pricing: Meal for two with drinks – £40 to £45 range
5. Morty & Bob’s
Classic café food aplenty at Morty & Bob’s, which used to be exclusively a street-food stall. This place should be on your “must try” list for cheap eats in London if you’re a cheese lover, as you will never be able to get enough.
The USP of this establishment has been, and probably always will be, grilled cheese toasties at any time of the day, with a variety of flavours you can select. But there is also a range of non-toastie options for those wanting to be a bit more adventurous. All food is cooked fresh.
Easy access via King’s Cross St. Pancras tube station.
Morty & Bob’s
King’s Cross, Stable Street, London N1C 4AB
Sample Pricing: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches start from £6 – NOTE: Card-only payments
6. Singburi
This place is a secret to many people. But if you know, then you know. Singburi brings traditional spicy Thai food to you, cooked in an open kitchen in front of you. A tiny run family establishment that will keep you coming back for more every time.
Favourite dishes include pad thai and curry, but there is also a specials board for you to peruse.
>>>Tip: Singburi is a very popular place. So, when you’re ready to give it a go, it may be worth ringing in advance to get a table booked.
Singburi
593 Leytonstone High Road, London E11 4PA
Website: n/a Phone: +44 20 8281 4801
Sample Pricing: Dinner for two averages about £40. Alcoholic Drinks – BYO
7. Butchies
A straightforward but effective fast food joint that isn’t too taxing on your pocket! Set across two floors, this restaurant gives you succulent fried chicken in an instant. Big burgers, tasty strips, and moreish fries, what more do you really need? Throw in a soft drink too, and you’re good to go.
It’s one of the “cheap eats in London” at its best!
Butchies
22 Rivington Street, Hackney, London EC2A 3DY
Website: Butchies
Sample Pricing: Dinner for two plus drinks averages around £35
8. CookDaily
Based under a railway arch, this cool vegan-friendly eatery serves a range of bowls with various toppings to satisfy your food cravings. Curry dishes and noodle dishes aplenty for you to choose from, and you can choose to dine in or take away.
Toppings are extra but worth the investment, especially the “fake chicken.” You can put it with any dish you select, and it won’t be out of place.
CookDaily
358 Westgate Street, London E8 3RN
Website: CookDaily
Sample Pricing: Dinner for two, including soft drinks = £25
9. Farmstand
If you’re looking for a healthy, nutritious food stop, this unassuming place is the one for you. Serving great-tasting, plant-powered food all day, you can stop off here for breakfast, lunch, dinner. You’ll get quality all of the time across their range of salad boxes.
A menu based on 80% veggie, 5% sustainable fish, and 15% meat is all prepared from scratch to give you the best nutritional content possible.
It’s a great place to relax and unwind, or perhaps catch up with a friend over a coffee, you’re sure to find yourself falling in love with it once you’ve been.
Farmstand
42 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5AJ
Website: Farmstand
Sample Pricing: £8 to £20 for lunch, depending on food selections
10. Andu Café
Andu Café is a brilliant Ethiopian restaurant serving no-frills Ethiopian vegan food at an enticing price.
Here you will get six dishes to feast on accompanied by either a portion of rice or injera (which is a type of pancake). Your six plates will heavily involve beans, greens, and lentils, and this is what makes this eatery so authentic. Close your eyes, and you may find yourself in Addis Ababa in no time!
A cheap and cheerful place to eat, nestled away in a great location, be sure to check them out.
Andu Café
528 Kingsland Road, Dalston, London E8 4AH
Website: Andu Café
Sample Pricing: Dinner for two (no drinks) = £15. Bring your own drinks.
It’s a Wrap on Cheap Eats in London (For Now!)
Our ten picks only scratch the surface of the “cheap eats in London.” But if none of them are beckoning you, you could also check out our Top Five London Pubs.
And, after you get your fill, why not catch a show in your neighborhood? OTL Seat Fillers in London provides members with free pairs of tickets to awesome community events.
