London's best cheap eats
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By Guy Dimond and Charmaine Mok. Photography Tricia de Courcy Ling
Updated: Tue Oct 20 2009
Central | North | South | East | WestCheap restaurants in west London
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Cha Cha Moon
Unit 205, Whiteleys Shopping Centre, Bayswater, W2 4YN
Prices may have risen slightly at Alan Yau’s modern Chinese noodle bar, but with dishes toeing the £5-£6 mark there is a remarkably wallet-friendly meal to be had. Meal for two with drinks and service: around £30. Read more
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Byron
The Loft, Westfield London, Shepherd's Bush, W12 7LS
How good can a burger get? Just don’t mess with the basic formula. We want a good, soft bun; juicy beef, never overdone; fresh, sprightly toppings – and that's where Byron gets it right. Meal for two with soft drinks and service: around £30. Read more
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Lazeez
253 Acton High St, Acton, W3 9BY
Reliably good family-owned Lebanese everything about the food is delightfully fresh. With an average spend of £30 for two (without alcohol – but there’s no corkage charge for BYO), it seems almost insulting to pay so little for such hospitality and good food. Read more
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Mandalay
Classic cheap eat, 444 Edgware Road, Edgware Road, W2 1EG
This tiny Burmese restaurant in a simple shop unit is an unexpected treat. Expect plenty of fish and seafood, fragrant bowls of rice and noodles, and light aromatic curries. Meal for two with drinks and service: around £35. Read more
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Patio
5 Goldhawk Road, Shepherd's Bush, W12 8QQ
This sweet, thoroughly quirky restaurant excels in traditional Polish fare – smoked salmon blinis, herrings, potato pancakes et al – and the desserts do hit the spot. Meal for two with drinks and service: around £45. Set meal £16.40 three courses including vodka shot. Read more
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Sushi-Hiro
1 Station Parade, Uxbridge Road, Ealing, W5 3LD
Toro (fatty tuna belly), scallop, crab leg, ikura (salmon roe), yellowtail… you would expect to pay a premium for a sushi plate with such quality fish, but at this non-descript Japanese restaurant, a plate of 13 pieces of nigiri will only set you back £18. Meal for two with drinks and service: around £45. Set meal £8-£18. Read more
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Bonda Café
Eat here for under £10, 190 Sussex Gardens, Paddington, W2 1PU
A favourite of budget-conscious students and Malay families, this Malaysian caff has an extensive menu. Order nasi campur ('mixed rice'), which will get you steamed rice, vegetables and up to three freshly cooked specials from the counter. Cost per person without wine or service: £8.65. Read more
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44 comments
Thought I'd add another place, I use this place every couple of weeks as it's consistantly good, nice staff and it's a BYO. Cafe Nawaz on Snowfields, just behind Guy's hospital. REally good Indian food.
Hello, we've been in London in summer and went to some "cheap eats" and it was really good to have your guide.
My big Pro: The "Dehli Wala" got the best veggie indian food I'd ever had (...and I had a lot!)
My big "Con" was a cafe at carnaby street/Marlborough.
Quite expensive, old scones, cold water for the tea and unprofessional waiters...
But to make along story short: Your guide is really helpful and we will use it next year again.
Keep at it!!!
Greetings from Braunschweig/ Germany
I love this - a lot. There are so many great places in London to eat cheaply and really enjoy yourself. I find that I don't really enjoy fine dining - I prefer spending between £5 and £20 on some good food, a few drinks and a great atmosphere. My favourites include: Many of the Vietnamese and Turkish places in Shoreditch, Leon, Wahaca, Strada and Zizzi (with vouchers!), Giraffe, Daddy Donkey Mexican Grill and Wagamama.
Time Out - come one! Chaat over Mien Tay?!!! Chaat curries swim in sauce and so long to arrive, not only that but there is only a choice of about 3 dishes so there is NO excuse. Mien Tay is unreal - you missed a trick here.
I had a wheatgrass shot, then a delicious curry meal followed by a homemade superfood truffle at the Inspiral Lounge in Camden, paid about a fiver! Staff were lovely too :-) Inspiral gets my vote!
I have been to inSpiral lounge in Camden on several occasions for the delicious food and exciting events they do there.
I am also surprised not to see the venue listed in Time Out as its the most exciting place I have been to in London.
They have great dance events, DJ,s, singer songwriter performances and the quality of the food including vegan ice cream, makes it a real land mark for alternative entertainment and healthy eating. All Londoners should know about inSpiral lounge.
Agreed on the inSpiral Lounge comment. This place should really be up here. It has awesome food for bargain prices, not to mention the AMAZING healthy dairy, sugar and cholesterol free ice cream and cakes...yum! Best place in Camden in my opinion.
I have been to many restaurants, i must agree with Time Out, Comptoir does it for its 10 out of 10 for less than £10.
Go there have a lamb & prunes tagine with fluffy organic coucous and rose water lemonade all in £8.30.
go there during the day they have free wifi, or in the evening where you can bring your own wine with no corckage.
well worth a try.
Da siva
great selection, but i can't believe you left out inSpiral Lounge in Camden high street. having visited many of the restaurants you feature here, none of them compare to the wide range of tasty and healthy food at inSpiral. that gets my vote
A bit weary of this list as it excludes probably the best cheap eat I have been to in all of London - Hot Stuff in Vauxhall. Great, fresh food that is very reasonably priced and free corkage BYOB on meaning you won't get over £15 pp all in for the entire evening out.
None the less I think I'll give a few of these places a whirl.
The best cheap eat in London is Sheba Restaurant in Brick Lane under £15 per head and the most gorgeous food you will ever have.
the chippy is well nice mann its fish and chipss mmmmmmmmmmmm fish
Won Kei - good chinese?? Baozi would get my vote over that place any day. Next we'll be having recommendations for Mr Wu's chinese buffet as being authentic dim sum!
Hi David, Won Kei also in Chinatown gets my vote.. they're affordable, and the food is better than Bao Zi, although their place is more simple, canteen-like. I know we're talking about value for money here however I have to be honest, Bao Zi's use of oil in their noodle it really is too liberal... I don't know how they get away with it! Try their spicy soup noodle you'll see what I mean.
Also I did not question Baozi's authenticity. Read my post again!
Anita,
These are cheap eats. We're talking relative here and for the price Baozi is surely a very good option. If you want something better you've got to pay more or go to China. Also, not that I know for sure, I get the idea that Baozi offers something a bit more authentic in an area full of Anglicised Chinese restaurants which for me wins it extra points.