Cheap Eats in London
I just moved to London two weeks ago, and am spending a year studying here (junior year abroad, King's College London, if anyone wants to know). I love to cook, and that definitely the most economical way to feed myself here. But sometimes, it's nice to treat yourself to a meal out. The problem is, I'd rather not spend a ton of money doing so, which is hard, since London is so expensive. So tell me, does anyone have recommendations for good restaurants in London on a student-sized budget? It's easy to find the nearest cheap-o curry house, but that can be disastrous, if it's the wrong sort of hole-in-the-wall. So if anyone has recommendations, I'd be very grateful!! Thanks!
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11 Comments:
My absolute favorite cheap eats restaurant in London is Lahore Kebab House. It's not a fancy restaurant but is cheap and the food is wonderful. The menu is not expansive but they have authentic Indian food plus fresh roti. Everything they offer is delicious. It's on 2-4 Umberston St, in E1.
Also Borough Market in Southwark (just below the London Bridge) makes a wonderful Saturday afternoon outing. Tons of cheap eats to buy and take home for dinner. Also there are TONS of food stands that are great for lunch. Fresh falafels, raclette, all different kinds of sandwiches/"butties", vegetarian wraps, fish and chips, etc...
I miss London! :)
Jacquie at 4:25PM on 09/29/08
I went to Borough Market this past saturday, in fact, and fell in love! I swear, I'll be there every week! And thanks for the suggestion! I just looked up the restaurant's website, and it seems fabulous! A friend of mine is coming in tomorrow night, and she suggested Indian. Now I know the perfect place to take her!
ChristineB at 4:31PM on 09/29/08
Eating cheap in London is really a challenge. I studied abroad there in college, lived in South Kensington and absolutely lived off of Cafe Forum on Gloucester Rd. It's not a sit down restaurant really, just a cafe, but they have so many choices and everything is really delicious and ridiculously cheap. If I remember correctly, you could get a whole pizza for like 5 pounds (good crisp pizza too with fresh veggies, not greasy at all). They also always had chicken and rice, kebabs, huge sandwiches and an array of homemade veggie and pasta salads. I too survived by cooking, but when I didn't feel like taking the time a quick trip to Cafe Forum was always delicious.
seashore7 at 5:02PM on 09/29/08
It may seem obvious, but I can't rave enough about the pre-made sandwiches, especially the ones at Pret a Manger and Marks & Spencer. They really are just old-fashioned sandwiches, but the Brits have perfected the art of the sandwich. They stay fresh all day and the ingredients are better than you'd expect. I'm reluctant to buy pre-made sandwiches in the US, but I absolutely crave the ones in the UK.
marzipanda at 5:32PM on 09/29/08
I am about to give you the best advice you will ever receive, so read carefully. I was a student in London two years ago and Sainsbury's grocery sells baguettes in bread aisle in plastic packages, two to a pack for...i think a pound. Put them in the oven for 10 minutes. They are to DIE for. I was responsible for cooking two meals a day for 6 people for 11 weeks and if it were not for that bread, we wouldn't have been nearly as happy.
They also make dinner rolls if you're eating alone and only want a small piece at a time--and I would suggest that as I could have eating a baguette in a sitting...easily.
For eating out, there are a few great Middle-Eastern cafe's. My favorite is near the High Street Kensington tube stop. I cannot remember the name for the life of me now..so i'll try to think and get back to you. I do remember that the restaurant had a number of sister stores around the city. Please enjoy London, it's my favorite!
veggieout at 10:27PM on 09/29/08
London is seriously challenged for cheap eats. However the situation is getting better. First of all, with the credit crunch looming, many restaurants are running fantastic offers, such as 50% off the entire food bill, check out www.toptable.co.uk for a fantastic list of them. Timeout is also a good guide and has a budget section if you want to browse by price.
My personal favourites are typically ethnic restaurants, particularly Indian and Middle Eastern. Try a few in your area and you'll find a good one. The best mid-price meal (and probably any meal in fact) I've had is at the Giaconda dining room, here's my review.
Good luck.
wicheda at 8:05AM on 10/02/08
London as a whole isn't that cheap, but I was just leafing through this book about Chefs my friend gave - "Chefs to Know" and one chef recommended a place called Moro - a Spanish place in London - I just looked it up and it looks pretty good, not too expensive - if you want to go out one night and treat yourself without completely breaking your budget I would try this place.
fbianca at 11:05AM on 10/03/08
ChristineB, lucky you! I just got back from my master's at Oxford, and I have a bit of insight. The chorizo man at Borough Market is a MUST (Brindisa...I blogged about him here). I know it's trite, but Wagamama can be great if you join their email list, because they always send out 2 for 1 offers, which can be a life saver when you need some warm soup. Bumpkin does 7 pound mac and cheese for lunch (i know, but your view of cheap will skew just a bit unfortunately)...it's really rich and yummy and in a cool venue. also, make the most of Sainsbury's, because there's stuff there that costs a fortune here. Creme fraiche is about a pound, if that. Yoplait's fromage frais comes in amazing fruit flavors, is like 2 quid, and so much better than yogurt (if you find it in NYC, it costs $12, no joke). Their produce (especially fresh herbs, but excluding citrus except clementines) is cheaper than ours. They have phenomenal prepared veggies that are always going on sale. Shelled peas...also so much better and less expensive than here. Their meat and dairy section: you can get duck for 4 pounds, cornish hens, cheap French brie and gruyere, prepared lardons, and great prosciutto. don't underestimate pret either: their sushi is actually good! also, the chunky hummus sandwich is great. Take advantage of the cheap black currant stuff we never get: Ribena, try a Guinness and black (the head of the beer is pink and fruity). Go crazy for Elderflower (1 bottle of Bottlegreen elderflower from Sainsbury's will make a year's worth of gourmet spritzers if you add some sparkling water. Ok, I'll stop, I hope that gets you started. The food transition can be really tricky--or at least I thought it was. But you'll find your way.
Kerry Saretsky at 6:43PM on 10/07/08
I moved to England a year ago and live outside of Cambridge and when we go to London we usually eat at Wagamamas or EAT. I have three kids so, it gets very expensive for a family of five to have a proper sit down meal. I find going to the farmer's markets and street markets you can find some cheap meals. I avoid the chip stands and Indian food takeaways, unless someone I know has eaten at it before with no problems. I agree with Kerry Saretsky the regular grocery store has some awesome finds really cheap. Shop at Tesco or Sainbury's at night as they tend to make down food at night. Ribena is good and Flavored Barley water but you will need to water it down because Barley water is strong. Peach is our favorite. Tesco's curry line is not bad. It's better then what some takeaways offer. Some Farm shops have great prepared food. This site www.chegworthvalley.com has a listing of farm shops. Experiment and look at what other people are buying that will give you a good indication whether it's good or not. The food here in England (I hate to say this) is superior quality then what you find in the US as they have far more restrictions on food compared to the US. Take Coke Cola for example the bottle label has no corn syrup listed because it's not in there, it says sugar, now whether that's good or bad I don't know but sugar is better then corn syrup, in my opinion. Everything imported has to meet these standards that why coke has a factory here, plus to ship it here would cost a fortune. It's great to eat out but with the food quality here being ( and the economy) what it is, pack a picnic when on the go and stay in and eat. But do splurge on yourself. I hope this helps.
twcaac at 9:36AM on 10/08/08
Thanks so much for the great advice!! I'm looking forward to a tasty and affordable year in the UK!
ChristineB at 3:42PM on 10/08/08
Hi Christine
There are tons of places in London to get a good deal, although it might not seem that way at first. Lahore Kebab House that someone mentioned is a great option, as is Tayyabs. Tayyabs can get really crowded, so go early!
I like the Vietnamese restaurants on Kingsland Road in Shoreditch. Some of them are BYOB and you can get out of there for a lot less than a tenner.
Also, the middle eastern restaurants on Edgware Road are full of good bargains.
One of my favorite places in London is a sandwich shop in Soho called Fernandez and Wells. Really excellent Italian and Spanish meats and cheeses.
Don't forget to check sites like TopTable, SquareMeal, and London-Eating for meal deals. TopTable, specifically, will often have 50% off options and 2-for-1s.
Also, check out the farmers markets all around town on the weekend. Just google London farmers markets and you should find a site all about them.
KristainLondon at 11:29AM on 10/25/08