As someone who has lived and studied in London for the last several years, I’ve made it my business to try out all the places my student budget allows me to. Finding cheap eats with genuinely good food isn’t always easy, but that’s part of the adventure. Let me tell you how I stumbled upon my all-time favourite.
It was a cold autumn day in London. The wind was whipping, the leaves were falling, and I had just been to see my first production of Don Quixote at the Royal Opera House. My friend and I were on a mission. A search to find a little something warm to munch on. That’s when my friend introduced me to my all-time favorite London cheap eat. A place that I now take all my friends to, and guess what? I’m here to share it with you too.
Whether you’re a long-term resident looking for your next cost-effective lunch plan or are visiting London for the first time, I have something for every budget. London has a pretty bad rep for being expensive. But the thing is, there are countless affordable options if you know where to look. From dirt-cheap noodles to fancy 3-course meals, here are my top cheap eats to try on your next London day out.
1: Marugame Udon: Noodles for under £3 on Mondays
@rach.is.hungry This is the spot for affordable noodles in London 🍜😍 📍 Marugame Udon @marugameuk #londoncheapeats #londonfoodspots #londonfoodguide #londonfoodie #londonnoodles ♬ original sound – Rachel | London foodie
If you’re in London on a Monday and looking for a steaming hot bowl of udon noodles, then I have just the place for you. Margugame Udon offers half-price kake udon to members on Mondays, and guess what? Membership is free.
At the time I’m writing this, the regular price of kake udon is £4.95 for a small bowl and £8.95 for a large one. That means you could have a meal for under £2.50 if you go on a Monday. Plus, even if you visit on another day, the prices still aren’t bad for London.
Margugame has a relaxed atmosphere with simple tables, stools, and sofas. They offer a large range of Japanese food, including katsu curry, tempura, and rice bowls. Be warned though, the tempura and other menu items can be quite pricey for a fast-food-style restaurant.
There are multiple locations in Central London, but my favorite one is on Kensington Street, as that branch has a cozy upstairs seating area. If you’re looking for an affordable meal with friends or a place to study while eating lunch, I’d highly recommend visiting Marugame Udon on a Monday.
Top Tip:
Marugame Udon also offers members a 10% student discount on full-price items. If you’re going on a different day or buying another menu option, make sure to add the student discount to your account.
2: The viral Spitalfields Market £5 folding pizza
What comes to mind when you think of buying pizza in London? Boujee Italian restaurants, characteristic pizza takeaways, or just a good old-fashioned piece sold by the slice? Well, think again, maybe there’s another option, and guess what? It’s only £5!
If you’re like me, you may not have thought about folding a pizza, but it’s surprisingly convenient. You don’t need a plate, you don’t get greasy fingers, and you don’t have to cut it. Your pizza comes folded up in a wrapper, ready for you to munch on.
The viral folding pizza van is located just on the edge of Spitalfields Market. The area is a wash of color with numerous handicraft stalls, bakeries, and takeaways. The only downside is that there’s very limited seating, so you’ll likely have to stand or walk with your food. That’s not unusual for a London market though.
Top Tip:
If you want to visit, why not make a day of it? You could start at Liverpool Street Station, visit Eataly (a large indoor Italian food destination), then wander over to Spitalfields Market. After that, you could visit Brick Lane, which boasts an array of vintage clothing stalls, another food market, and classic East London Character.
3: Urban Food Court: Big portion sizes for under £10
If you’re in the City of London near St Paul’s Cathedral, you may assume that food prices are through the roof. In general, you’d be right, but there are many charming eateries that you can visit on a budget.
Just a two-minute walk from the hustle and bustle of Bank Station is a quaint shop-lined lane with a picturesque view of St Paul’s Cathedral. Watling Street has many cafes, takeaways, and shops. My favorite place, I stumbled upon accidentally with my bestie while having a picnic in the grounds of St Paul’s Cathedral.
Urban Food Court has a variety of options, from steaming fried rice to traditional Thai green curry. My friend and I bought rice bowls for under £10 each, expecting them to be tiny. Boy were we wrong. The food came, and to our surprise, the portion sizes were much bigger than in other places. I have a decent appetite, and even I struggled to finish mine.
Top Tip:
If you’re looking for an affordable day out, why not buy food on Watling Street, eat it in the gardens of St Paul’s Cathedral, then cross over the famous Millennium Bridge (The bridge shown in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince). After that, you could explore the Iconic Tate Modern.
4: Looking for a £10 pizza? Why not try Franco Manca?
If you’re looking for a classic Italian restaurant experience with table service, Franco Manca offers a wide variety of pizzas at a remarkably low price. When you walk through the doors, you can see chefs rolling dough and sliding laden pizzas into the characteristic, tiled pizza oven.
The prices are surprisingly affordable for London. A margarita pizza will only set you back around £10. There are, of course, many more options, which come in at around £15.
The restaurant has a relaxed and homey vibe with simple tables and stools. The only downside is that it can feel slightly cramped if you have a table for two. There are multiple Franco Manca locations across London, making it very convenient to fit in alongside other plans.
5: Lanzhou Lamian Noodle Bar: Fresh handmade noodles for under £13
If you were wondering about my top recommendation and favorite cheap eat of all time, wonder no longer. This noodle bar definitely takes first place. When you walk through the door, the first thing that strikes you is the chef hand-making traditional Chinese noodles. The queues are often pretty manic, and the seating is rather cramped, but the food is 100% worth it!
Having visited on an embarrassingly regular basis, I’ve seen numerous people underestimate the portion sizes and order multiple items. Trust me when I say one dish will be enough. The bowls are gigantic, and the food comes remarkably fast.
If you’re looking for a hearty bowl of authentic noodle soup, you can purchase a giant portion for under £13. At the time of writing this, the takeaway price is around £10.90 (depending on the dish) with an extra £2 charge for eating in. Considering that the noodle bar is in the centre of Leicester Square, this is actually a very reasonable deal.
Lanzhou Lamian offers a wide variety of Chinese food, both to take away and eat in. But be aware, if you want to eat in, the lines are often very long, and the seating arrangement is not like a restaurant. You may be crammed on a picnic bench with multiple strangers or asked to sit at a small table in the basement with random people.
6: Max Orient buffet: All you can eat for under £13
Buffets are a pretty fun experience. Let’s face it, you can taste a little bit of everything, eat as much as you want, and choose what to come back for. The only downside in London is that they often come with a pretty hefty price tag.
As long as you don’t require a super fine dining experience, there are many cheaper options if you know where to look. The best affordable buffet I have found is Max Orient in Camden Town, which has a huge selection of food for under £13 (at the time I’m writing this).
Don’t get me wrong, there are numerous budget buffets, especially near Chinatown. The problem is that most of them have very few options available. As someone who has tried and tested many of them, I can tell you, Max Orient has the largest selection by far.
Located in the hustle and bustle of Camden Town, the restaurant has a pretty chaotic vibe. The tables are small and very close together, but as long as you’re not looking for a fine dining experience, it’s worth it for the price.
7: Pillars Restaurant: Fine dining for under £30
If you’re looking for a quintessential British fine dining experience at a fraction of the cost, Pillars is the place to go. The restaurant offers high-end hospitality with the staff taking your coats, refilling your glasses, and providing attentive service.
As part of the University of West London, the restaurant runs to train aspiring culinary students. All operations are supervised by highly knowledgeable staff, making the experience comfortable and professional. Although there are only around three menu options per day, the food is high-quality and presented as it would be in a high-end restaurant.
At the time of writing this, a two-course lunch is £20, a three-course lunch is £22, a two-course dinner is £27, and a three-course dinner is £30. Pillars restaurant is very popular, so make sure to book online with plenty of notice.
8: Ognisko Restaurant: A two-course set lunch for under £30
Let me tell you about a memorable lunch date. The atmosphere was warm, the candles were burning, and the antique wooden chairs were pulled up to the elegantly set tables. The first thing that struck me when walking into the room were the magnificent white pillars standing strong under the embellished white ceiling.
After months apart, my dad had come to visit me in London. Before sightseeing, we wanted to find a chic place to enjoy lunch together. He had discovered the restaurant, as it was previously mentioned in the Michelin Guide.
If you’re looking for a nice place to eat out in the heart of South Kensington, Ognisko is reasonably affordable if you order the set lunch menu. At the time of writing this, a two-course lunch is £27 and a three-course lunch is £31.
Ognisko is a Polish restaurant and has a wide range of options, although the set menu is more limited. The establishment offers an elegant dining experience and is well worth the price tag of £30.
Top Tip:
Nested in the center of South Kensington, Ognisko restaurant is a very short walk from famous attractions, including the V&A Museum, Hyde Park, and the Natural History Museum. Visiting the area, why not make a day of it?
If you’re looking for inspiration, you could start the morning by visiting the V&A, before heading over to Ognisko for lunch. After that, you could take a wander through Hyde Park, then explore the iconic Harrods department store.
Don’t tell yourself you can’t eat out… ask yourself how you can afford to eat out
Dining out can become pretty expensive if you visit all of the typical places, but there are many ways to stretch your budget. Rather than telling yourself that you can’t have something, find a way to make it possible.
Whether you spend time researching cheap eats or shop around while you’re out, money saving can become a pretty fun challenge. If you want to take it a step further, there are many other ways to save money. From receiving cashback on restaurant gift cards to maxing out loyalty schemes, never underestimate how much the pennies add up.
Happy dining, and do let me know your favorite money-saving hacks in the comments!
