The best cheap eats in London
Eating out without breaking the bank is a secret skill of Londoners. We’re savvy with our cash in that we need to save the majority of it for rent. So cheap eats in the city become our speciality.
Nothing feels better than coming away from a tasty meal that was also under £30, all in. An event such as this puts a spring in your step, you all split the bill happily, and even offer to get a round in at the pub after. You feel as though you’ve made money.
Searching for the best dinner deal or lunch combo takes some trying and testing. They are often the places you discover through a friend of a friend recommendation, or are located down a backstreet you happened to stumble upon, but sometimes they are right under your nose.
So, after much research, here are some of the best cheap eats in London.
Guacamoles
Constantly on the search for the best tacos (or best Mexican food) in London, Guacamoles is right near the top of my list. Found at Rye Lane Indoor Market, this taqueria is authentic in its flavours and its prices.
The price per taco is pretty good every day, but Taco Tuesday sees three tacos for £9. That’s cheaper than a pint in some places. Expect flavours such as beef birria, fish tacos, al pastor pork tacos, and pork carnitas.
My best tip? Spend £1 for a double layer of tortillas to catch every filling that escapes as you’re eating, then you can have double the deliciousness.
And don’t forget to wash it all down with a glass of Mexican aguas frescas for just £2.50. I always go for Jamaica, which is a delicious hibiscus-flavoured water.
Peckham, SE15 | guacamoles.uk
Andu Cafe
A vegan Ethiopian feast for £13 (or even cheaper the more mates you bring along with you to share in the goodness). Dalston’s Andu Cafe is a laid-back favourite, which serves a mix of stews and curries on a traditional Injera, a fermented pancake-like flatbread.
The menu features just six items, but all of which are colourful and bursting with flavour. You’ll find zesty lentils, a comfort food of mild split peas, veggie stews, and chopped greens, mixing and meeting as you dive back in for more and more bites.
Plus, it’s BYOB. If this place could get any better.
Dalston, E8 | anduvegancafe.com
The Devonshire
London’s hottest place for a pint of Guinness also does a reasonably priced set menu for Central. The Devonshire’s set menu is, well, set – sorry if you have any dietaries.
You’ve got a prawn and langoustine cocktail for starter, skirt steak, chips, and béarnaise sauce for main, and a sticky toffee pud to finish it off for the lovely price of £25 for two courses or £29 for all three.
It serves the set menu all day in the restaurant from Monday to Saturday, and for dinner service on Sunday, subject to availability.
Soho, W1D | devonshiresoho.co.uk
Dom’s Subs
Sarnies reign supreme as an on-the-go, cheap eats snack. But what if the sarnie was the main event? Not only is this sandwich a good price, but it also packs a punch with flavour. Dom’s Subs in East London is that for me. I will make a pilgrimage from South to secure one of those Impeccable Sandwiches.
With three sites to arrange pick up or delivery from, Dom’s Subs specialises in hoagies and even has a secret menu.
If I’m not going for That Spicy D – which is stuffed with schiacciata piccante, salame napoli, sharp provolone, and ham on caponata with rocket, long hots, burnt chilli mayo, and pangrattato, costing £11 – from the main menu, it has the be the equally massive and not-so-secret Slasher sub – filled with spicy Thai ground chicken and marinated aubergine on gem with mayo and sex nuts (cashews) – for £12. A tasty price and a tastier sarnie.
Hackney, E2, and two sites in the City, EC3M | impeccablesandwiches.co.uk
Ria’s
It’s Ria’s world and we’re just living in it, enjoying slabs of Detroit-style pizza, where the house pie (slow-cooked special house marinara sauce, a cheese mix, ricotta drizzle, and basil and lemon sauce) is £5.50 per slice. And they’re big boys.
With interesting flavour combos to tickle your buds, like roasted king prawns or spicy merguez sausage and pickled chillies, you can get whole pies here to share between friends for around £20.
Have a cheeky start with the chef’s special of an ice-cold vodka with Ria’s large caperberries from Spain for just £4.50. That’s a tipple with an easy pricetag.
Notting Hill, W11 | rias.world
Silk Road
The Sichuan-style dishes of Camberwell’s Silk Road bring people from far and wide to South London. Its long wooden benches, sometimes going shoulder to shoulder with strangers, add to the dining experience as plates patchwork the table because, here, the more you order, the better – and with a clear conscience that you won’t have to quickly transfer money out of your pathetic “savings” pot under the table to pay for the bill at the end.
The menu ranges in price from £3 for a Xinjiang spicy salad to £7 for Yu-Shiang shredded pork, £3 for dumplings, and £2 for hand-pulled noodles.
Camberwell, SE5 | silkroadlondon.has.restaurant
Mangia Bene
A glass of wine and a plate of pasta for under £25? Don’t mind if I do. Bringing the flavours and a tiny bit of the chaos of Italy to North London, Mangia Bene is a traditional Italian eatery with that rustic feel to its interiors and space for al fresco dining.
The carbonara, just like Nonna used to make, is £11.50, as is the arrabiatta. Lasagne goes up to £14.50, but that three quid pays for itself in the deep flavour of the ragu.
A glass of house wine sets you back £6.50, with just enough room left in the budget for an after-dinner espresso at £2.50. Now that is mangia bene.
Islington, N1 | mangiabene.co.uk
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