Foodie on a shoestring (Rome and London)
I've just planned a very last minute solo vacation to London and Italy. I'll be
in Rome for a few days and travelling toward Bologna for a food adventure.
Given you're on a budget (think backpacker in a hostel), where would you recommend for London and Italy?
I like good authentic food. Often food stalls and underground/back alley restaurants are the best finds. Do you have any great hidden gems that tourists don't know about and make you truly feel like a local?
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
Recently Commented On in Talk
Recently in Eating Out
Tocino: The Filipino 'Bacon' at Isla Pilipina in Chicago
NectarineGate: Zuni Cafe's $8 Nectarine Dessert Is Actually $4.50
Zuni Cafe's $8 Nectarine Dessert Is Just a Nectarine; Diners Left Confused
Paris Falafel Roundup: Where to Get the Best Falafel in the Marais
120-Ounce Steak: Free if You Finish It, $267 If You Don't
Best Lunch in Paris?: Gourmet Frozen Pasta from Picard Surgelés
6 Comments:
I can't really help with Rome, but London's one of my two home-bases, so here it goes:
London will always be expensive to you if you're converting from dollars, so the following suggestions, while reasonable for London, will not be cheap to you.
People will attempt to recommend Wagamama to you, but don't listen - it's rubbish. Instead, try Leon, which is healthy, well-made, well-sourced and delicious fast food. There is one off Regents Street, and one in Spitalfields Market, and they are really great.
Fish and chips are not necessarily cheap, but they're often cheaper than other options. The Golden Hind, in Marylebone Lane, does some of the best.
Borough Market, which is open on Fridays and Saturdays, is a foodie's dream come true. There are lots of food stalls, many of them fantastic. I'd go on Friday on the early side, if possible, because it gets deservedly crowded.
Kinglsand Road, in Shoreditch, could be called 'Little Vietnam.' Starting from Old Street and walking up, there are plenty of cheap Vietnamese places, many of which are great. My favourite is Song Que, but Hanoi Cafe and Viet Hoa can also be good. Just round the corner in Old Street, Cay Tre has also recently opened. I haven't been there yet, but it was very well reviewed by Giles Coren of the Times, so might be worth checking out.
There is some good Turkish food in Stoke Newington/Dalston. I like 19 Numara Bos Cirrik and Sariyer Balik (in Newington Green).
'Indian' food in London is generally pretty affordable, and some of it is quite good. I really like Rasa in Stoke Newington (they have some other branches around Central London, but I don't think they're as good) and Kastoori in Tooting. In the vicinity of Brick Lane, Mai'da (Bethnal Green Road) is very good.
Also in Brick Lane/Spitalfields/Bethnal Green area: Story Deli is completely organic and does great food including interesting pizzas; Brick Lane Beigel Bake - London bagels are probably a different species from American ones, but they're pretty good; E Pelicci is a British/Italian workers caff in an old 1920's space; Hackney City Farm has a nice cafe with basic, hearty organic fare; Wild Cherry in the London Buddhist Centre does lovely vegetarian food.
If you're walking around in Oxford Street and want some nice vegetarian food, Food for Thought in Covent Garden, Beetroot in Soho and Mildred's, also in Soho, are all good, affordable choices.
You should also bear in mind that there are plenty of sandwich shops around the city, as well as Starbucks-type places that have increasingly creative food and supermarkets are also a good bet if you're feeling poor.
And if you have the urge to splurge (in a restrained sort of way) on one meal, I'd go to Canteen, which has fantastic traditional English food (not an oxymoron) and is quite reasonably priced.
Hope this helps.
caley at 7:12AM on 10/26/07
When my husband and I went to London, we found that the best and cheapest eats were at the markets-Camden in particular. Lots of authentic ethnic food and very reasonable. We also bought the odd wrap from Marks and Spencers-not cheap exactly, but less than a restaurant and pretty tasty. Enjoy your trip-I'm envious!
psychsarah at 10:50AM on 10/26/07
I'll echo a couple of Caley's suggestions and add my own.
Borough is a must. Now open on Thursdays as well. I prefer it first thing on a Saturday. I also love Broadway Market in Hackney on Saturdays. A bit more "local" and some great people watching. Also, Columbia Road on a Sunday, but get there before noon before the tourists flock in for the photo opps (it's a flower market).
Camden Lock Market: I love the arepas stall. Cheap, delicious. Lots of great people-watching and international dishes.
Other places that are decently priced and good foodie experiences:
The bar at St. John. Skip the restaurant. Just go to the bar, get the rarebit on toast and a pint of Greenwich Meantime.
Edgware Road: Try one of the many Maroushes. Also, the Green Valley Market on Upper Berkeley Street.
Golden Hind is lovely, although the chips are crap. Kingsland Road is great for Vietnamese...I like Au Lac best.
Try TopTable.co.uk for deals. There are many to be had!
Krista
http://www.londonelicious.com
KristainLondon at 12:19PM on 10/27/07
When I was living in Rome last year there are a few places that were so wonderful that I find myself missing them almost everyday. These aren't really hidden gems, but they are some of the best of Rome and trust me locals definitely go to these places. Plus, I am a student and all these places are really affordable. The first is the best coffee place in all of Rome Sant Eustachio, its by Piazza Navona and is spectacular. The Espresso is out of this world amazing and they have fantastic candies (there is a chocolate bon bon which has a hard outer chocolate surface and then inside is filled with coffee liqueur. http://www.santeustachioilcaffe.it/
The other place has amazing gelato, they are strict though (like they won't let you order combinations that they don't agree with) and are also strictly seasonal (I think they have strawberry for about two weeks a year). Its by the Trevi fountain and its called San Crispino, its very famous and by far the best gelato I've ever had. I really liked fig and honey.
You should go by the Campo di Fiori, they have the oldest outdoor market in Rome. If there is a sort of metal trailer with an old man sitting next to it and his kids are selling food you should say hi to him, he is a very cheerful older gentleman. Also, there are some really nice spice vendors that are really helpful. There is a great bakery in the corner where they sell Pizza Bianca called Il Forno (best in all of Italy, Jeffrey Steingarten has written about it). If you go to the campo and ask about pizza bianca someone will point you in the right direction. Also, there is a great panini place in another corner of the campo, it has high outdoor tables and I think they only do paninis and they are amazing too.
I have a few favorite dishes in Italy that I can never find in the States (or if I do they just aren't right). My favorite pasta is Pasta Arribata (angry pasta, if its done right its really good and spicy). My other favorite thing in Italy which I'm sure will have some people up in arms is the canned tuna. And they like to put it on everything. And I wanted it on everything so it worked out well. One of my favorite pizzas was tuna and onion, it sounds gross but it is also amazingly good (and most of the people I was with thought it would be gross, but everyone liked it).
Even though you didn't ask and even though this is a site about food I also have to tell you about my favorite church Sant’Ignazio di Loyola (Piazza di Sant’Ignazio). Just go in there and look at the ceiling.
Have fun in Rome!
lola27 at 3:29PM on 10/28/07
I forgot to tell you that you should also try the limoncello, if you can get the creamy kind as its not quite as strong (and no adding cream to limoncello will not get you the creamy kind as my room mates in Rome figured out).
lola27 at 3:49PM on 10/28/07
Two places in Rome:
"La Cigala e La Formica," right by the metro stop Esquilino (near San Giovanni in Laterno.) On weekdays, they have a two-course lunch (you get two choices for each course) for 10 euro.
And a bakery called "La Rinella" on the Via del Moro in Trastevere. Go for the bread, the pizza, and the hazelnut cookies called "brutti ma buoni."
thebasilqueen at 11:56AM on 11/05/07