Dining out in London is beginning to border on painful — not the food, which is perhaps better than ever, but the cost. Where once, a reasonable meal for two might come in at around £80, now an evening out is likely to cost perhaps twice that.
Not that it has to. As the list below shows, even the capital's very best restaurants (here's to you, Bocca di Lupo) have dishes that are a steal. Some of these are perfect for a quick lunch or a pit stop, others will make a full meal. And none will come in at more than £10.
Budget stretch a little further? Have a look at our pick of 100 cheap eats for less than £15.
Central
1. Buns, Bun House, £2.80
The cheapest entry on the list with a choice of six Cantonese buns coming in at £2.80 each. Fillings include chicken, beef, pork, lamb and custard, but vegetarians (and vegans) can get excited over the three-mushroom, water chestnut and kow choi option.
WC2, bun.house
2. Classic banh mi, Keu, £9.60
Specialising in French-Vietnamese fusion-food, Keu stuffs fluffy white baguettes with fillings spiced with Asian flavours. The classic is filled with mortadella sausage, chicken liver pate, spicy pork belly, ham terrine and pork floss.
W1, EC2, EC1, thevietnamesekitchen.co.uk
3. Vegan steak and ale pie, Pie Dealers, £3.95
Providing a contemporary take on a London cheap eats classic, Pie Dealers makes its pie and mash dishes without an animal product in sight. The seitan and ale pie is a best-seller for a reason.
NW1, piedealers.co.uk
4. Fried chicken, Good Friend Chicken, from £6
Fried chicken, but not as the Colonel knows it. Good Friend takes the Taiwanese approach, flattening its chicken breast into schnitzel-style steaks and using three flours before frying. The result is super-crispy chicken, dusted with a choice of flavoured powder, from plum to seaweed.
WC2H, 020 7734 2088
5. Noodles with pork mince and vegetables, Master Wei, £9.60
Hand-pulled noodles — few things rouse the senses like those three words. The pork mince with vegetables might be a humble offering, but it’s elevated by the rich flavour of its base.
WC1, master-wei.com
6. Braised chickpeas, Bocca di Lupo, £9
Despite its Michelin star, Bocca di Lupo still offers value. A smaller portion of pasta usually comes in for about £12 or less, but a hearty starter of chickpeas with tomato and mint is a winner.
W1D, boccadilupo.com
7. Breadfruit kari, Hoppers, £10
Head to any of Hoppers’ three branches and the breadfruit kari (curry) is ideal for quick lunch. The aubergine option is even cheaper at £9.50. Got a spare fiver? Mop it all up with the eponymous hopper. Who needs rice?
Three locations in W1 and N1, hopperslondon.com
North
8. Adobada taco, Sonora Taqueria, £3.75
With pork tacos starting at £3.75 and the menu never really getting above £5, this spot is ideal for a taster of a few different tacos and guisados.
N16, sonorataqueria.com
9. Hot roast pork bap or cheese and chutney bap, The Southampton Arms, £5.95
Though the emphasis at this Kentish Town boozer is very much on drinking the ales and ciders, don’t swerve the roast pork bap with crackling and apple sauce. Still hungry? The pork pie is £4.50.
10. Chicken dum biryani, Hawker’s Kitchen, £8.99
The roti (from £3.49) and dosa (from £6.99) justifiably eat up all the attention here, but otherwise look to this plate offering the eternal reassurance of slow-cooked chicken and rice.
11. Roti canai, Roti King, £6
This Malaysian restaurant appears unassuming, but it’s rightly celebrated. The £6 roti canai serves two slices of the restaurant’s famed fluffy, flaky roti with a bowl of flavourful curry dhal. For an extra £1.50, swap dhal for curried chicken, fish or lamb.
NW1, rotiking.com
12. Ham croquetas, Barrafina, £8
Desperate for a taste of one of London’s modern icons? The sturdy crust of Barrafina’s croquetas gives way to an impossibly creamy inside, punctuated with pieces of salty, robust jamon. The queues at the King’s Cross restaurant are often half the size of those at the West End branches.
W1, two in WC2, N1, barrafina.co.uk
13. Pabellon beef arepa, Arepa & Co, £9.95
Crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, arepas are crispy pockets ripe for stuffing with the likes of chicken thighs with avocado, or pabellon beef with black beans. Love the beef? Try the pabellon crillollo, a traditional dish serving the shredded meat in a bowl of beans, rice, plantain and cheese.
N1, E2, arepaandco.com
14. Small skillet, Bird, £7
Here, £7 buys a small skillet of American-style fried chicken, including a drumstick, thigh and two wings — served either glazed, or with a sauce.
Across London, birdrestaurants.com
15. Steak frites, The Beefsteaks, £8
Street market master The Beefsteaks is on a mission to “democratise steak” with its £8 offering. Juicy strips of grass-fed beef are served over triple cooked chips — find them at KERB’s West India Quay location or at Maltby Street Market, depending on the day (be sure to check ahead).
N1, SE1, @thebeefsteaks
East
16. Pan fried soup dumplings, Dumpling Shack, six for £9.50
At one of the stars of Old Spitalfields Market’s transformation into a street food haven, pick up a bowl of pan fried soup dumplings and add lashings of peppery Sichuan chilli oil.
17. Lamb chops, Tayyabs, £9.95
Sometimes there’s an argument for quantity over quality. At just shy of a tenner for four, they make a mockery of similar offerings elsewhere, so order as many as your budget allows. BYOB, too.
E1, tayyabs.co.uk
18. Red stripe or classic pepperoni, Detroit Pizza, £4.99
Pizza is a no-brainer when it comes to cheap eats, but this Motor City-inspired spot really is a name to know. The pepperoni is obvious, but the Red Stripe is classic Detroit: cheese on first, topped with stripes of tomato sauce. The temptation is to order a slice of both.
75 Commercial Street, E1 6BD, detroitpizzalondon.com
19. Salt beef bagel, Beigel Bake, £8.18
The 24-hour bagel shops of Brick Lane are legend for a reason. Believe it or not, this £8.18 bagel is one of the most expensive items on the menu but the combination of meat, pickles and American mustard is worth every penny.
E1, 020 7729 0616
20. Daddy D burrito, Daddy Donkey, £9.50
At Daddy Donkey, whose “kick-ass” (geddit?) Mexican wraps often court queues out the door, go for the black bean-filled Daddy D burrito with hand-pulled pork that has been slow-cooked in cola and guajillo chilli.
EC1N, daddydonkey.co.uk
South
21. Beef and taleggio pie, Mystic Burek, £8
At her BYOB Sydenham café, Spasia Dinkoviski makes burek, a traditional Macedonian pie, following the recipes of her grandmother. The beef pie is a certified banger, but you can’t go wrong.
SE24, mysticburek.com
22. Cod fish fritters, Danclair’s, £8
Brian Danclair’s signature cod fish fritters are an essential order for any Londoner. They arrive with a hot ginger and lime aioli. Can’t find them here? They’re always on at Fish Wings & Tings, nearby.
SW9, danclairskitchenbrixton.co.uk
23. Grilled cheese sandwich, Kappacasein, £8
Kappacasein don’t just grill Ogleshield cheese, but make it on site. The team then mix it with Montgomery cheddar, leeks, garlic and onion. Watch it ooze between two slices of Poilâne bread.
SE1, kappacasein.com
24. Spaniard crêpe, Senzala, £9.80
The menu of crêpes and galettes at this small café is extensive, and this Iberian option puts a kick into breakfast with spicy chorizo and scrambled eggs with spinach and red onion.
25. Moong dal dosa, Horn OK Please, £8
At this meat-free street food stall, a crisp but yielding moong bean dosa is freshly-cooked to order, and then wrapped around a spiced potato filling. It’s served alongside chana chaat, and can easily be made vegan on request.
Two in SE1, @Horn_Please
26. Char siu BBQ pork and rice, Three Uncles, £9.95
The char sui BBQ pork is a hefty, gorgeous main plate. Splash out on the Hainan chilli vinegar for a quid.
SW9, EC2, EC4, NW1, threeuncles.co.uk
27. Croquetas, Jose Pizarro, £7.50
Pizarro’s superb croquetas come in a different flavour each day. Incarnations include black squid ink and prawn, spinach and manchego, and jamon.
SE1, EC2M, josepizarro.com
West
28. Jerk wings, Rum Kitchen, £7.95
This Caribbean restaurant serves jerk in all ways, including this starter-sized dish of chicken wings smothered in its signature barbecue sauce. Want to turn the spice? Go for the “Inferno Hot”.
W1, W11, SW9, therumkitchen.com
29. Bacon naan, Dishoom, £8.90
Dishoom’s take on the hangover classic sports bacon wrapped in a freshly baked naan and smothered with just the right amount of cream cheese and chilli chutney. Avoid queues in Kensington.
Across London, dishoom.com
30. Cheeseburger, Bleecker Burger, £8.50
The cheeseburger consists simply of a juicy patty, American cheese, burger sauce, lettuce and gloriously squishy bun, but is still a contender for London’s best burger.
W12, bleecker.co.uk
31. Chilli chicken ramen, Tonkotsu, £9.45
A crystal clear soup — quite different to the eponymous pork broth also on offer — this ramen is simultaneously hearty, fiery and refreshing. A must, especially if under the weather.
Across London, tonkotsu.co.uk
32. Prawn omusubi, Marugame, £3.45
The omusubi is a Japanese rice ball with a tempura prawn filling and nori seaweed wrap. True, not a full dish, but it works as a delightful snack (especially with a steaming bowl of £4.75 udon).
Across London, marugame.co.uk
33. Paneer makhani, Saravana Bhavan, £7.45
Saravana Bhavan operates seven successful sites across London but the Southall spot is the winner. This paneer makhani is a great little curry, and with budget still left over, parotta (£2.45) and dosa (£4.75) are a must, too.
Across London, saravanabhavanlondon.co.uk
34. Ebi bites, Sticks’n’Sushi, £9.50
For a taste of this upmarket Japanese, this six-piece plate of ebi bites — crunchy tempura shrimp served with aime, chilli, coriander and miso aioli — feel a steal.
Across London, sticksnsushi.co.uk
35. Pork gyros, The Athenian, £5.95
Nuggets of pork are placed into grilled flatbreads at this Greek street food restaurant, and topped with tomato, red onion and oregano. Tzatziki is the classic souvlaki sauce of choice, but The Athenian mix it up with their must-try signature mustard and honey dressing.
