The best cheap eats in Sydney right now

What is it? A tiny, sunflower-yellow Vietnamese eatery on a Marrickville corner that specialises in banh cuon, a steamed rice noodle dish originating from northern Vietnam.

Why we love it: These silky, slippery rice noodles are typically eaten for breakfast in Vietnam – but you can enjoy them all day at Banh Cuon Ba Oanh. They’re stuffed with ground pork and wood-ear mushrooms, and served with fresh herbs, crisp shallots and a bright, delicious nuoc cham so you can double-dip as you please. 

Time Out tip: This place gets busy, so we recommend going at an off-peak time to score a table.

Address: 343 Illawarra Road, Marrickville NSW 2204

Expect to pay: Around $15

What is it? The only restaurant in Sydney serving recipes from Christmas and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The style is heavily Malay-influenced, so expect charcoal-grilled skewers of satay, homemade roti, saucy curries and plenty of spice.

Why we love it: The satay is among the best in Sydney, the bain-marie selections are bold and both generously spiced and priced, and the decor has barely changed since the cafe-restaurant opened in the '90s.

Time Out tip: If you want to try some islander specials, like pumpkin jam with roti and grilled chilli chicken, call ahead with a request.

Address: 47-49 Haldon St, Lakemba NSW 2195

Expect to pay: Biryani, satay, noodles and curry over rice all fit in the $15-$20 range

What is it? A no-frills takeaway burger spot serving out of the front window of a Rozelle butchery. The speciality is Oklahoma-style smash burgers with a caramelised, crisp edge.

Why we love it: Eat at ROBs pumps out some of the best burgers in Sydney. Greater than the sum of its parts, the smash burgers feature mince ground on-site, caramelised onion and melted cheese on Martin’s Potato Rolls – soft, squishy and a little bit sweet. It’s a delicious mess.

Time Out tip: You may be tempted to get a double – and at $12.50, it’s still great value – but unless you’re starving, a single with added lettuce, pickles and ROBs sauce will do the trick.

Address: 621 Darling St, Rozelle NSW 2039

What is it? Mami’s is an all-day cantina serving delicious Mexican fare cooked by Mexicans. Pick from a huge range of fillings - we’re talking chicken, mushroom, beef, pork, chorizo, lamb, carne asada, cactus and rotating specials.

Why we love it: Besides the nachos, nothing on the menu costs more than $20. They source their veggies daily from local farmers, and their meat comes from a butcher down the road in Randwick. Don’t skip their signature pork taco.

Time Out tip: While they’re open all day every day, breakfast items like chilaquiles, enfrijoladas (bean enchiladas,) and huevos a la Mexicana are only served until 2pm.

Address: 286 Bondi Rd, Bondi NSW 2026

Expect to pay: $15-$20

What is it? You’ll probably find a line outside Tan Viet Noodle House – a Cabramatta institution for more than 30 years – but don’t worry, it goes quickly. The family-owned-and-run restaurant draws on the flavours of its owner’s Chinese and Vietnamese heritage, and servings are generous and well-priced.

Why we love it: Tan Viet Noodle House’s signature chicken arrives with bronzed armour wrapped around juicy and succulent meat. The paper-thin, salty skin is so crispy you’d think it was dusted with flour before cooking.

Time Out tip: You can get your chicken with two types of rice or five types of noodles – the noodles can also be served dry or in a soup.

Address: 100 John St, Cabramatta NSW 2166.

Expect to pay: Chicken with rice or noodles is around $20

What is it? A Harris Park go-to for fiery curries, Indo-Chinese, chaat and more than 50 types of dosas – some of Sydney’s best.

Why we love it: Just as the 16,000+ Google reviews from repeat customers mention, the food at Dosa Hut is fiery and full of flavour. Plus, the prices are reasonable, with most dishes under $20. 

Time Out tip: There are 25 Dosa Huts across Australia – they’re not hard to find the next time you’re hankering for an Indian feast.

Address: Shop 69 Wigram St, Harris Park NSW 2150

Expect to pay: Mains around $20 – but you’ll want to share a few

What is it? If you walk past 91 Enmore Road in Newtown at dinnertime on a Friday night, you’ll notice two things – the grapes hanging from the roof and how pumping it is. Hungry Sydneysiders flock to this casual BYO eatery for its banging prices and Northern-style dumplings.

Why we love it: This brightly lit joint is one of many Northern-style Chinese dumpling joints (Chinese Noodle Restaurant is another legend in the industry). The famous dumplings come pan-fried, boiled or steamed, in flavours like pork and chive, and chicken, onion and coriander, with a half-serve setting you back around $8.80. Be sure to load up on the roasted chilli oil and black vinegar at your table. There are also hand-pulled noodles, the iconic special braised eggplant, and classics like sweet and sour pork, and salt and pepper squid. But if you come here and only eat dumplings, we get it.

Time Out tip: They do $5 Tsingtaos, making it a great pre- or post-Enmore Theatre spot for a drink and a feed.

Address: 91 Enmore Rd, Newtown NSW 2042

Expect to pay: $15-$25 for a decent feed

What is it? A no-frills, takeaway-only shop in Surry Hills that pumps out fresh, made-to-order sandwiches, wraps and salads. Don’t be put off by the line – it moves quickly, and we promise it’s worth it. 

Why we love it: There’s a lot to love here, starting with the fact you can get a really bloody good and fresh sandwich for just $14. There’s a wide range of options – including solid vegetarian ones (hello, crumbed eggplant) – but we’re fans of the old-school-style classic chicken and salad sambo. Also, the owner, Tommy, is a legend. Don’t be surprised if he knows your name after a couple of visits.

Time Out tip: Not that hungry? They also have half-portion sandwiches available for around half the price. Also know, City Edge is closed on weekends, so this is a weekday lunch spot.

Address: Shop 2/55 Holt St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Expect to pay: Around $14-17

What is it? A former hole in a wall banh mi shop that’s spawned a local empire, there’s always a queue but the team of aunties makes it move like factory work. Pick from traditional pork (a cold cut combo), barbecue pork, roast pork belly, shredded chicken, vegetarian or bouncy meatballs – the latter being a particularly hefty, rich order.

Why we love it: The freshly baked bread is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside (expect to be showered in crumbs). Along with their savoury pâté, it lays the foundation for all their stacked rolls.

Time Out tip: Add extra meat for only $1 more if you’re hungry. You can also get your Marrickville Pork Roll fix in Darling Square and the Quay Quarter.

Address: 236 Illawarra Road, Marrickville NSW 2204

Expect to pay: $9-$12

What is it? Haymarket’s Spicy Joint isn’t a classic cheap eats diner, it’s a big banquet kind of restaurant but the menu hides some incredible deals. Check out the Dan Dan noodles, setting you back just $5.90. Other notable steals are the pork wonton in red chilli oil number, and the crunchy cucumber salad with chilli and enough garlic to repel Edward Cullen and co.

Why we love it: There aren’t too many places to get two amply sized bowls of noodles for under $12 in this day and age.

Time Out tip: The rest of the menu is nowhere near as cheap as the Dan Dan noodles but worth sharing in a group. You can also find them in Burwood, Rhodes and Chatswood.

Address: Level 4/25-29 Dixon St, Haymarket NSW 2000

Expect to pay: $6-$20 if you stick to the cheap options

What is it? One of the busiest and most loved Indian restaurants in Sydney. Found in Sydney’s Little India, the diner serves an absurd array of Indian dishes to seemingly every kind of diner in the Indian community - families, crews of friends, solo workers, everyone, it’s that kind of place. But despite the huge menu, the specialty is the carb-heavy, comfort dining stylings of Mumbai street food.

Why we love it: Same reason everyone else does - it’s fun, cheap, unpretentious and everything is covered in butter. It’s also completely vegetarian and serves one of the best pav bhajis in Sydney.

Time Out tip: There are no bookings and regular queues on weekends, but the wait for tables and food is short. 

Address: Shop 4-6/14-20 Station St E, Harris Park NSW 2150

Expect to pay: Very little. Almost everything is under $20, there are even options for under $10

What is it? An exceptional Lebanese-Australian charcoal chicken shop that combines Aus chicken shop standards with Lebanese home cooking.

Why we love it: Every bird is finished (after the skin is golden and crisp) with a wrapping of Lebanese bread. The chicken is insulated, and the bread soaks up any chicken flavour attempting to flee. The other factor setting this joint apart from chicken competitors is the range of side dishes, like molokhiya (a herby Middle Eastern stew) and Lebanese okra and garlic-butter chicken liver.

Time Out tip: There’s a long, leafy courtyard out back with TVs for live footy.

Address: 140 Railway Parade, Kogarah NSW 2217

Expect to pay: Quarter chicken, chips, pickles and toum for under $20

What is it? Ama feels like something only Sydney could create - imagine a Thai noodle diner but served with the style, aesthetic and drinks menu of a Sydney cafe. The two sisters who run it, Rowena and Kate Chansiri, serve their grandma’s recipe for beef noodle soup, a Thai-Chinese staple that’s slurped in Chinatowns all over Thailand.

Why we love it: The care, depth of flavour and quality of ingredients on show wouldn’t be out of place in Bangkok’s Chinatown, while the coffee service is exactly the quality you’d expect from the duo who run small batch roaster Ickle Coffee. 

Time Out tip: Each of the condiments (they’ll come to your table after your order lands) represent one of the basic tastes of Thai cooking - sweet, sour, salty and spicy. Taste the broth, then experiment until you have it just as you like it. 

Address: Unit 1/47 Cooper St, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Expect to pay: Noodle soups under $20

What is it? Every Malaysian in Sydney knows Albee’s Kitchen. Not only has the legendary restaurant been around for more than two decades, and it’s spent that time serving some of the best laksas the city has ever seen.

Why we love it: The owner, Albee Thu, honed her trade working a hawker stall in Kuala Lumpur - the kind of trial a chef needs to deliver a menu with 37 pages of options. If you have a hard to find Malaysian dish on your mind, this is where you’re going.

Time Out tip: Albee’s is one of the only places in Sydney where you can get a Sarawak laksa, the spicy, shrimp-paste emboldened style from Thu’s hometown. 

Address: 273 Beamish Street, Campsie NSW 2194

Expect to pay: the most basic of noodles, kolo mee (one of Thu’s specialities) goes for around $11. Laksa are $18-25

What is it? This family-owned restaurant has been in business for more than 30 years like a relic in time – a perfect snapshot where the early '90s never ended, and the handshake deals and Crown Lager-swilling crowd are still out in full force in the terracotta-hued courtyard.

Why we love it: The seasons change but what never changes is the steadfast joy of eating old-school Italian fare at this long-serving choose-your-own-adventure joint where you pick your pasta shape.

Time Out tip: If you don’t have a huge amount in the bank, head here for a pizza and pasta party and BYO. It's only $4 a head.

Address: 135 Crown St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010

Expect to pay: Pastas start at $20 and pizzas at $22

What is it? Fish and chips wrapped in paper, proper old-school like, so you can cart them down the hill to the beach, and burgers layered with beetroot, equally old-school, so you can experience a nostalgic purple drip down your arm.

Why we love it: Homemade sauces, fish burgers with pineapple and plates of fish and chips for under $15. Also, one of the few remaining fast food joints that hasn’t succumbed to the Americanisation of Australian burgers.

Time Out tip: If your goal is to be as full as possible for the cheapest price, potato scallops are $1. You know what to do.

Address: 2/272 Clovelly Rd, Coogee NSW 2034

Expect to pay: Burgers are $15-18, fish and chips from $14-ish

What is it? This family-owned and operated bakery, humbly located in the Top Ryde shopping centre, has some of the most regular and long lines of any Sydney takeaway.

Why we love it: The rolls here are jam-packed – slathered with sweet mayo and pâté before being topped with generous fillings and fried shallots for texture. It’s a mighty roll, and one of the most delicious in town, thanks to its perfect balance of sweet and salty, fatty and fresh.

Time Out tip: The $12 crispy pork is arguably the best in Sydney but you’ll need an appetite to conquer it.

Address: LG2/109 Blaxland Rd, Ryde NSW 2112

Expect to pay: $8-$12

What is it? A Newtown institution and one of the few restaurants in Sydney serving genuine Egyptian food. That means fava bean falafels (which explains the green, not brown, interiors) in pita with tahini and pickles, lamb and cauliflower pilaf (ask for maalouba), grilled meats and mint tea.

Why we love it: Best falafel in Sydney? It's a big call, but these super crisp, soft-centred, fried-to-order versions are, at the very least, contenders. 

Time Out tip: Get in early or expect to do as the locals do and squat, gutter-side, until your name is called. 

Address: 81 Enmore Rd, Newtown NSW 2042

Expect to pay: Pita pockets are under $15, plates are $20-$30 range

What is it? Unlike most Indonesian restaurants across Sydney that focus on Javanese cuisine, here you’ll find the food of Medan, the North Sumatran capital known for its distinct mix of indigenous Batak, Malay and Chinese flavours.

Why we love it: It’s the maximalist’s approach to eating – noodles are laced with wok hei, curries are the distinct colour that comes from the marriage of spice and time, and, as if the nasi lemak doesn’t come with enough flavour punches, you get chilli-doused crisps on the side.

Time Out tip: The rendang at Medan Ciak is where it’s at, tender as heck, with the slow-cooked complexity that comes from time and dozens of ingredients.

Address: 10/339 Sussex St, Sydney NSW 2000

Expect to pay: You can get a quarter chicken (bronzed from an Indonesian glaze), sambal and rice for under $15. Bigger dishes are in the $15-25 range

What is it? Queues have been snaking outside this Chinatown cheap eat for more than a decade. The reason is Mamak’s handmade roti, the paper-thin, stretchy flat breads you see being twirled and tossed in the window – a perfect vehicle to mop up any curry and sambal. 

Why we love it: Along with roti canai, our go-to is Malaysia’s national dish: nasi lemak. Coconut rice is surrounded by crisp fried anchovies, sweet and fiery sambal, cool cucumbers, a boiled egg and peanuts.

Time Out tip: The nasi lemak is a steal at $14, and you can opt to add a fragrant chicken curry for an extra $5.

Address: 15 Goulburn St, Haymarket NSW 2000

Expect to pay: $11-$20

What is it? Easily the most famous laksa restaurant in Sydney. They specialise in laksa lemak – made from coconut milk and curry paste and devoured at hawker stalls in Malaysia and Singapore. There are 11 types to choose from, chicken, prawn, tofu and all the other usual suspects plus a beef version.

Why we love it: The laksa is rich, creamy and layered with fragrance – thanks to galangal, ginger and garlic. It surrounds a clump of vermicelli and hokkein noodles dotted with silky chicken, plump prawns, and tofu puffs that look like honeycombs holding glorious fiery soup like a sponge.

Time Out tip: The CBD has a number of historic and affordable takeaway laksa joints. Use your office lunch break to try Sayong Laksa and Laksa, Alice’s Makan and Happy Chef.

Address: Shop CQT06/33 Pitt St, Sydney NSW 2000

Expect to pay: $17-$20

What is it? This much-loved Vietnamese bakery known for its full-to-the-brim banh mi is finished with soy sauce, and salt and pepper. One bite and it’ll take you from Forest Road straight to the happening streets of Hoi An.

Why we love it: They have an excellent range, including pork crackling rolls, teriyaki chicken numbers, char siu rolls and roast duck rolls. One of King’s best-sellers is the pork and dim sim roll, which is, incredibly, exactly what it sounds like.

Time Out tip: Come at 1pm to get your bread hot.

Address: 273 Forest Rd, Hurstville NSW 2220

Expect to pay: $10-$13.50

What is it? A Korean tea café and kitchen serving bento boxes, bibimbap and poke bowls. You won’t be able to find a website, a phone number, or even an Instagram for Kood, but the lines speak for themselves.

Why we love it: The bento comes with two main numbers, three sides, rice and japchae. The chilli pork here is a fave due to a chilli kick, a beautiful fruity flavour from cooked-down apple and pear, and the ideal amount of salt and garlic. This is Seoul food at its best. 

Time Out tip: Owner May Lee swaps three of the dishes every couple of days so come back for more choices. There’s also onigiri for a quick grab and go for under $4.

Address: 414 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2210

Expect to pay: $17.50 just for a bento, up to $25 if you add extras

What is it? Ex-Aria and Barangaroo House chef Omar Hsu dishes up the street food flavours of his homeland with dons (rice bowls), a range of hot snacks like Taiwanese sausage, crispy taro balls, and fried prawn rolls. There’s also an array of cold sides including their golden kimchi and fresh lemon tea.

Why we love it: There’s a huge variety of don bowls to pick from, including braised pork hock, boneless fried chicken, and flame torched wagyu beef with your choice of sushi rice, purple rice or udon noodles. Ommi Don’s three-cup chicken has a yum sweet, savoury and umami-rich flavour.

Time Out tip: Ultimo has recently shut but you can also find them in Chatswood.

Address: 7-9 Gibbons St, Redfern NSW 2016

Expect to pay: $14 for a don bowl, $20 if you add sides and a drink

What is it? One of the oldest Indonesian restaurants in Sydney and the first to open on the now famous Kensington-Kingsford Anzac Parade strip.

Why we love it: The chicken – grilled over charcoal; deep-fried; or deep-fried and coated in a sweet Javanese-style glaze. All slow-cooked in a ginger-garlic-galangal marinade before the final step. All ordered by the piece.

Time Out tip: Despite the name (translates to fried chicken), the Sathia family will tell you the grilled chicken is their signature dish. Also know, the sambal, which carries its own legend, is available in take-home jars.

Address: 464 Anzac Parade, Kingsford NSW 2032

Expect to pay: $9 for a quarter chicken

What is it? A Vietnamese eatery whose menu is a tale of two stories. On one side you can replicate a Northern Vietnamese family meal for one with a bento box that includes: rice, main, veggie, salad and soup. On the other side it’s a street food affair with single serves of northern Vietnamese classics.

Why we love it: With more than 330 possible combinations of items to choose for your bento box, it’s too hard to stop at one visit.

Time Out tip: The bun cha with its grilled lemongrass pork and thin rice vermicelli noodles made for dipping is one of the best you’ll find in Sydney.

Address: 294 Illawarra Road, Marrickville NSW 2204

Expect to pay: Around $17 for a bento

Loyalists swear by the ramen at Ryo’s, and who could blame them? Duck your way past the noren curtains and you’ll think you’re in a traditional Tokyo noodle house. Everywhere you look, it’s heads down, hoeing away and slurping full-throttle tonkotsu broth and squiggly noodles from giant bowls very, very loudly.

It’s worth pausing a minute when your bowl of pho arrives at Pho Tau Bay. Hold your head over the deep bowl of beef soup chock-a-block with rice noodles, raw beef slices and curls of onion and breathe in deep. The stock is the clincher in any pho noodle soup, and the version here is a winner – light on oil and punchy with flavour. 

Thai food takes some modern turns at this buzzy Chatswood eatery beneath Westfield. Case in point: the ‘yum salmon’, a tartare of sorts with seaweed, shallots, kaffir lime leaf and a palm sugar dressing, and then there's those tom-yum-flavoured chicken wings. You can, however, still get your hands on classics like a killer kra pao. Holy Basil, indeed. 

Taj boasts one of the biggest ranges of Subcontinental sweets in Australia – we’re talking probably close to 100 different chewy, sticky, stretchy, fragrant treats. That’s what greets you at the door and it’s probably enough to stop you in your tracks, but have a seat and go to town on the all-vegetarian menu first. North and South Indian thali plates are a smart way to try as much as possible.

Combinations of flavours and textures don’t get much better than gyros – how the charry, pillowy pita soaks up the juices from the freshly carved pork and hits the high notes with the crisp chips, thick tzatziki, slivers of sharp red onion and sweet tomatoes. It’s impossible to eat one of Gyradiko’s without making a royal mess, but let’s be honest, that’s most of the fun.

You know the drill. It starts with the slowly spinning vertical rotisserie, jammed tight with chicken, lamb or beef. Pick your protein and they’ll carve on the spot, stuffing it into a lightly toasted flatbread wrapped up with lettuce, tomato, onion and your choice of sauce. It's the simple things.