London
The Best Affordable Restaurants in London
Check out these budget-friendly restaurants and eateries in London.
London is home to some of the most renowned restaurants in the world. If you're looking for something accessible and budget-friendly, we've put together this list of the best affordable restaurants in London, highlighting the places that offer exceptional food at a reasonable price tag. Whether it's delicious Thai comfort food at Smoking Goat, fresh bagels with corned beef at Beigel Bake or Malaysian street food at Roti King, these places won't disappoint.
As with all World of Mouth articles, our picks here are based on personal recommendations from experts like David J Constable, Tomos Parry and Tom Jenkins. Read on and discover London's best cheap eats.
Smoking Goat Shoreditch offers a genuine taste of Thai cuisine in an unpretentious and friendly environment. Known for dishes such as their notable Laab salad, sticky rice, and comforting noodle bowls, the establishment holds a dedication to sourcing quality ingredients, akin to renowned places like The Clove Club. Whether you're seeking a meal with friends or a solo dining experience, it promises a satisfying culinary journey.
Recommended by
Quirky, friendly, unpretentious and delicious Thai food made with great produce.Love what they have created here - quirky, friendly, unpretentious and delicious Thai food using the same great suppliers we use at The Clove Club. Located in Shoreditch.
Dim Sum Duck is a restaurant known for its Cantonese cooking and particularly for its dim sum and roast duck. The dishes are served in a traditional Asian dining atmosphere, with a menu that includes classic dim sum, noodles, rice, congee, and vegetable sides. Please note, due to its popularity, the restaurant often has a queue, but the wait is considered worthwhile for the quality and portion sizes of the meals.
Recommended by
Arguably the best Cantonese cooking in LondonSome serious lunchtime gorging at Dim Sum Duck in King’s Cross, what the UK restaurant critic Fay Maschler (of the Evening Standard and Tatler) has called “arguably the best Cantonese cooking in London” (the peerless Marina O'Loughlin lauds it too). Please excuse the low-quality photos, but dim sum baskets were steaming and arrived thick and fast - and I was ravenous. Plus, who has the patience for a Vogue-style photoshoot - this is food to be eaten, not stage designed. A whopper won ton soup with noodles was plentiful and would have been sufficient, but on we went… piping hot xiao long bao with a deliciously soupy mixture and shredded ginger, then prawn dim sum with chopped chives, crystal shrimp dumplings, pork & shrimp siu mai, shao mai and a couple of fluffy char siu bao. And breathe.
Din Tai Fung Covent Garden is a well-known spot for fresh, on-site prepared dim sum, including popular items like dumplings, baos, and wontons. This affordable restaurant is a great choice for a casual dinner with friends, offering a rich culinary experience steeped in heritage, with their Xiao Long Bao dumplings being a standout, meticulously crafted with exactly 18 folds. The restaurant, located in the heart of Covent Garden, is a part of the Din Tai Fung UK chain, which has a history spanning over 60 years.
Recommended by
Great place for dim sum.Everything is freshly made on site.All dumplings, baos and wontons are delicious. Cheap and cheerful place for dinner with friends in the heart of Covent Garden.
Kiln is a Thai-inspired restaurant serving dishes cooked over an open fire. With a compact yet cozy setting, this counter dining eatery offers a first-hand view of the chefs at work, enhancing your dining experience. From their spicy claypot noodles to their sour curry mussels, the menu is packed with flavorful options, complemented by a selection of natural wines and Thai-flavored cocktails.
Recommended by
Tasty Thai food in the heart of Soho! Make sure to be on time and ask for a table at the kitchen counter and enjoy the ride.
Beigel Bake Brick Lane Bakery is a well-established eatery in East London, known for its hot salt beef bagels served with pickles and mustard. Since 1974, it has been a part of the area's rich Jewish food culture, operating 24/7 and producing a remarkable number of fresh bagels daily. Besides their signature salt beef bagel, other commendable items include the salmon and cream cheese bagels, strudel, and cheesecake.
Recommended by
A true East London institution. 24/7 hot salt beef bagels with pickles and mustard. The bagel bakeries on Brick Lane are part of East London’s Jewish food tradition. Beigel Bake has been around since 1974 and is open 24 hours every day of the week. Churning out an impressive amount of fresh bagels in the bakery in the back of the building, the must try is the hot salt beef (corned beef brisket) in a bagel with pickles and mustard. The pro tip is to wait for a new tray of salt beef arriving to the window where it’s sliced for the bagels. Also try the salmon and cream cheese, strudel and cheese cake.
Roti King is a popular spot for authentic Malaysian and Singaporean street food. The restaurant is known for its crispy, spicy sambal chicken and fluffy, buttery roti prata served with mutton curry, with the option to add spinach in bell ham on the side. Despite its small size, the restaurant attracts a large crowd, and has an open kitchen where customers can see the chef prepare the delicious roti by hand.
Recommended by
Authentic food and flavours. Crispy and spicy sambal chicken. Amazing if you can handle a bit of heat. This place is super busy. Expect to queue. Sometimes waiting time can be up to an hour. Just shows how good the food is that people are willing to wait in line for it. They have an app system that tells you how long in line you wait, so you can go off and do something else and come back. I was a single diner and was lucky to wait just 10 mins. Table was in the corner but I didn't mind.Very small dining room and open kitchen where you see the chef make all the delicious roti by hand.Lots of Asian customers dining here at the time which is always a good indication that the food and flavours are authentic.I ordered the sambal chicken which was crispy, juicy & spicy. Amazing if you can handle a bit of heat. Then mutton curry with roti. Delicious and eating with your hands is so satisfying.
Shuk; is a popular spot in Borough Market for Tel Aviv street food, especially known for its stuffed pitas and warm, hearty salads. Their menu offers a variety of options, but the standout dishes are the sabich and fish tagine pita sandwiches, hummus platters, and a selection of small plates available in the evening. They also offer DIY meal kits for those who want to enjoy their delicious food at home.
Recommended by
Tasty Tel Aviv street food stall in Borough Market famous for stuffed pitas and warm hearty salads.Best known for their stuffed-to-burst pita sandwiches (the sabich and the fish tagine are personal favourites), Shuk; serves up the tastiest Tel Aviv street food in London. Great place to grab a sandwich or salad for lunch, but personally I prefer grabbing a seat in the evening when a selection of mouthwatering small plates are available to order. The hummus platters are standouts and perfectly accompanied by zingy, wholesome salads and delicious raw and cured meats dishes.
Bleecker Bloomberg is a burger restaurant that offers a variety of burgers, fries, and shakes. The menu includes options such as cheeseburgers, bacon cheeseburgers, fries, sweet potato fries, and a selection of shakes like vanilla, Oreo, and double chocolate. The restaurant is known for its juice-dripping burgers, which are often craved by customers even when they are far away.
Recommended by
Having gone through a list of London’s burgers, including the well-known and obscure ones, Bleecker’s juice-dripping burger is the one I yearn for while being back in Malaysia.
BAO Borough is a casual Taiwanese street food restaurant known for its affordable and flavorful dishes. The restaurant's star dish is the 40-day aged beef on buttered rice, which offers intense flavors and is a customer favorite. With a varying menu offering bite-sized dishes, BAO Borough presents an excellent lunch option.
Recommended by
The best Bao restaurant in LondonBao is a casual Taiwanese streetfood restaurant, widely popular and rightly so. One of the best cheap eats in London, Bao certainly ticks all the right boxes. This Bao specifically is the best (in my humble opinion) as it has their star dish- the 40 day aged beef on buttered rice (under 10£) This was hands down the best dish I had in London on this trip. Such intense flavours & the buttery rice really complimented the beef. Bao menu varies all over London; original concept & bite size dishes - a great lunch option
"Xi'an BiangBiang Noodles Aldgate East" is a casual spot that specializes in hand-pulled Chinese noodles from the Shaanxi region. Known for its savory, often spicy broths, guests can choose from a variety of noodle types and toppings, including beef, pork, and vegetables. Highlights include the hand-pulled noodles with braised beef and broth, and traditional pork burgers, making it a must-visit for lovers of authentic Chinese cuisine.
Recommended by
Quick, casual, warm and tasty - the most perfect combo for a noodle spotNear Brick Lane, in London, you’ll find this hand-pulled chinese place that serves some very tasty specialties from the wheat filled region of Shaanxi, in northwestern China.Slurp your cares away with ultra savoury broths (almost always on the spicy side of life) with several combinations of beef, pork and vegetables. Choose between belt, thin or rice noodles and don’t skip instant classics like the hand-pulled noodles with braised beef and broth or the handmade traditional pork burgers. It’s not exactly the best place for a first date or for a fancy business meeting - the whole spot has a fast-food vibe in its decor and it’s very hard to avoid pesky stains - but it’s definitely a must.
BAO Soho is a Taiwanese restaurant renowned for its soft bao buns, stuffed with a variety of delicious fillings like pork, daikon, and fried chicken. Originally a small street food stall, BAO Soho has grown to six locations, each with slightly different menus. Besides the signature bao, the restaurant also offers a Xiao Chi menu, featuring small plates such as blood cake with cured egg yolk and Guinea fowl rice.
Recommended by
The first - and still the best - Taiwanese bao outpost of its kind in London. Having originally started as a street food stall in a small East London market, Bao now has six outposts (slightly differing in menu and offering) across London. The OG Soho restaurant still commands a queue on most days at both lunch and dinner times. Go for the pillowy soft bao buns stuffed with an array of unctuous fillings (pork, daikon and fried chicken to name a few) and stay for the delectable Xiao Chi menu of punchy, finger lickin good small plates. Firm favourites include the blood cake and cured egg yolk, Guinea fowl rice and the fried chicken.
Plaza Khao Gaeng delivers a true taste of Southern Thailand's diverse cuisine, offering a range of curries rich with fresh coconut milk, aromatic curry pastes, and fiery stir fries. The menu is inspired by popular Khao Gaeng (curry over rice) restaurants, and the dishes are designed for sharing, allowing you to sample a variety of flavors. Authentic dishes like kua-gling, wok-fried prawns with curry paste, and the spicy seafood gang som (orange curry) are highlights, and the Cha-Yen (Thai milk tea) is a refreshing accompaniment.
Recommended by
Tasty, authentic Southern Thai food in central London. Lukie Farrell’s flagship restaurant in JKS’ Arcade Foodhall serves up super tasty and probably one of the most authentic renditions of Southern Thai cooking in London. Think fiery, fragrant kua-gling, wok fried prawns with curry paste and sato beans, and sour and spicy seafood gang som (orange curry) that will make you sweat as though you’re sitting at a real road-side “Khao gaeng” shop in Phuket. Small-ish portions mean you can try lots of different dishes - the way it should be! - even just between two. Dont forget to order a jug of Cha-Yen (Thai milk tea) which is deliciously fragrant, refreshing and not so easy to find outside of Thailand.
Three Uncles is a Cantonese fast-food restaurant known for its simple menu, focusing on roasted meats, including Peking duck, and dumplings. The establishment has a reputation for avoiding greasy plastic containers and delivering great flavors, particularly through their star dishes, the roasted meats. However, due to its popularity and limited space, customers may need to be prepared to take their food to-go.
Recommended by
Cantonese fast food with queues around the block. Simple menu - roasted meats including peking duck & dumplings. Three uncles is Cantonese fast food done well - no greasy plastic containers. A hipster small menu chinese, great flavours. Their stars of the menu are the roasted meats (can be done as a combo) with either noodles or rice. Very tight on space to sit inside so be prepared to collect your food and walk to a nearby bench.
E Pellicci is a longstanding restaurant in East London, known for its Italian cuisine and traditional English breakfast. The establishment has been serving the community since 1900, and is currently managed by the third generation of the original family. Customers often recommend the Full English Breakfast, and appreciate the friendly staff and genuine East London atmosphere.
Recommended by
Genuine East London greasy spoon atmosphere and a great place for Full English breakfast.My favourite greasy spoon cafe in East London for Full English Breakfast. Pelliccis on Bethnal Green Road opened in 1900 and is now run by the third generation of the same family. Mostly Italian menu and Full English Breakfast. Friendly staff (as long as you finish your plate) and great place for East Londoner spotting.
Smoking Goat Shoreditch offers a genuine taste of Thai cuisine in an unpretentious and friendly environment. Known for dishes such as their notable Laab salad, sticky rice, and comforting noodle bowls, the establishment holds a dedication to sourcing quality ingredients, akin to renowned places like The Clove Club. Whether you're seeking a meal with friends or a solo dining experience, it promises a satisfying culinary journey.
Recommended by
Quirky, friendly, unpretentious and delicious Thai food made with great produce.Love what they have created here - quirky, friendly, unpretentious and delicious Thai food using the same great suppliers we use at The Clove Club. Located in Shoreditch.
Dim Sum Duck is a restaurant known for its Cantonese cooking and particularly for its dim sum and roast duck. The dishes are served in a traditional Asian dining atmosphere, with a menu that includes classic dim sum, noodles, rice, congee, and vegetable sides. Please note, due to its popularity, the restaurant often has a queue, but the wait is considered worthwhile for the quality and portion sizes of the meals.
Recommended by
Arguably the best Cantonese cooking in LondonSome serious lunchtime gorging at Dim Sum Duck in King’s Cross, what the UK restaurant critic Fay Maschler (of the Evening Standard and Tatler) has called “arguably the best Cantonese cooking in London” (the peerless Marina O'Loughlin lauds it too). Please excuse the low-quality photos, but dim sum baskets were steaming and arrived thick and fast - and I was ravenous. Plus, who has the patience for a Vogue-style photoshoot - this is food to be eaten, not stage designed. A whopper won ton soup with noodles was plentiful and would have been sufficient, but on we went… piping hot xiao long bao with a deliciously soupy mixture and shredded ginger, then prawn dim sum with chopped chives, crystal shrimp dumplings, pork & shrimp siu mai, shao mai and a couple of fluffy char siu bao. And breathe.
Din Tai Fung Covent Garden is a well-known spot for fresh, on-site prepared dim sum, including popular items like dumplings, baos, and wontons. This affordable restaurant is a great choice for a casual dinner with friends, offering a rich culinary experience steeped in heritage, with their Xiao Long Bao dumplings being a standout, meticulously crafted with exactly 18 folds. The restaurant, located in the heart of Covent Garden, is a part of the Din Tai Fung UK chain, which has a history spanning over 60 years.
Recommended by
Great place for dim sum.Everything is freshly made on site.All dumplings, baos and wontons are delicious. Cheap and cheerful place for dinner with friends in the heart of Covent Garden.
Kiln is a Thai-inspired restaurant serving dishes cooked over an open fire. With a compact yet cozy setting, this counter dining eatery offers a first-hand view of the chefs at work, enhancing your dining experience. From their spicy claypot noodles to their sour curry mussels, the menu is packed with flavorful options, complemented by a selection of natural wines and Thai-flavored cocktails.
Recommended by
Tasty Thai food in the heart of Soho! Make sure to be on time and ask for a table at the kitchen counter and enjoy the ride.
Beigel Bake Brick Lane Bakery is a well-established eatery in East London, known for its hot salt beef bagels served with pickles and mustard. Since 1974, it has been a part of the area's rich Jewish food culture, operating 24/7 and producing a remarkable number of fresh bagels daily. Besides their signature salt beef bagel, other commendable items include the salmon and cream cheese bagels, strudel, and cheesecake.
Recommended by
A true East London institution. 24/7 hot salt beef bagels with pickles and mustard. The bagel bakeries on Brick Lane are part of East London’s Jewish food tradition. Beigel Bake has been around since 1974 and is open 24 hours every day of the week. Churning out an impressive amount of fresh bagels in the bakery in the back of the building, the must try is the hot salt beef (corned beef brisket) in a bagel with pickles and mustard. The pro tip is to wait for a new tray of salt beef arriving to the window where it’s sliced for the bagels. Also try the salmon and cream cheese, strudel and cheese cake.
Roti King is a popular spot for authentic Malaysian and Singaporean street food. The restaurant is known for its crispy, spicy sambal chicken and fluffy, buttery roti prata served with mutton curry, with the option to add spinach in bell ham on the side. Despite its small size, the restaurant attracts a large crowd, and has an open kitchen where customers can see the chef prepare the delicious roti by hand.
Recommended by
Authentic food and flavours. Crispy and spicy sambal chicken. Amazing if you can handle a bit of heat. This place is super busy. Expect to queue. Sometimes waiting time can be up to an hour. Just shows how good the food is that people are willing to wait in line for it. They have an app system that tells you how long in line you wait, so you can go off and do something else and come back. I was a single diner and was lucky to wait just 10 mins. Table was in the corner but I didn't mind.Very small dining room and open kitchen where you see the chef make all the delicious roti by hand.Lots of Asian customers dining here at the time which is always a good indication that the food and flavours are authentic.I ordered the sambal chicken which was crispy, juicy & spicy. Amazing if you can handle a bit of heat. Then mutton curry with roti. Delicious and eating with your hands is so satisfying.
Shuk; is a popular spot in Borough Market for Tel Aviv street food, especially known for its stuffed pitas and warm, hearty salads. Their menu offers a variety of options, but the standout dishes are the sabich and fish tagine pita sandwiches, hummus platters, and a selection of small plates available in the evening. They also offer DIY meal kits for those who want to enjoy their delicious food at home.
Recommended by
Tasty Tel Aviv street food stall in Borough Market famous for stuffed pitas and warm hearty salads.Best known for their stuffed-to-burst pita sandwiches (the sabich and the fish tagine are personal favourites), Shuk; serves up the tastiest Tel Aviv street food in London. Great place to grab a sandwich or salad for lunch, but personally I prefer grabbing a seat in the evening when a selection of mouthwatering small plates are available to order. The hummus platters are standouts and perfectly accompanied by zingy, wholesome salads and delicious raw and cured meats dishes.
Bleecker Bloomberg is a burger restaurant that offers a variety of burgers, fries, and shakes. The menu includes options such as cheeseburgers, bacon cheeseburgers, fries, sweet potato fries, and a selection of shakes like vanilla, Oreo, and double chocolate. The restaurant is known for its juice-dripping burgers, which are often craved by customers even when they are far away.
Recommended by
Having gone through a list of London’s burgers, including the well-known and obscure ones, Bleecker’s juice-dripping burger is the one I yearn for while being back in Malaysia.
BAO Borough is a casual Taiwanese street food restaurant known for its affordable and flavorful dishes. The restaurant's star dish is the 40-day aged beef on buttered rice, which offers intense flavors and is a customer favorite. With a varying menu offering bite-sized dishes, BAO Borough presents an excellent lunch option.
Recommended by
The best Bao restaurant in LondonBao is a casual Taiwanese streetfood restaurant, widely popular and rightly so. One of the best cheap eats in London, Bao certainly ticks all the right boxes. This Bao specifically is the best (in my humble opinion) as it has their star dish- the 40 day aged beef on buttered rice (under 10£) This was hands down the best dish I had in London on this trip. Such intense flavours & the buttery rice really complimented the beef. Bao menu varies all over London; original concept & bite size dishes - a great lunch option
"Xi'an BiangBiang Noodles Aldgate East" is a casual spot that specializes in hand-pulled Chinese noodles from the Shaanxi region. Known for its savory, often spicy broths, guests can choose from a variety of noodle types and toppings, including beef, pork, and vegetables. Highlights include the hand-pulled noodles with braised beef and broth, and traditional pork burgers, making it a must-visit for lovers of authentic Chinese cuisine.
Recommended by
Quick, casual, warm and tasty - the most perfect combo for a noodle spotNear Brick Lane, in London, you’ll find this hand-pulled chinese place that serves some very tasty specialties from the wheat filled region of Shaanxi, in northwestern China.Slurp your cares away with ultra savoury broths (almost always on the spicy side of life) with several combinations of beef, pork and vegetables. Choose between belt, thin or rice noodles and don’t skip instant classics like the hand-pulled noodles with braised beef and broth or the handmade traditional pork burgers. It’s not exactly the best place for a first date or for a fancy business meeting - the whole spot has a fast-food vibe in its decor and it’s very hard to avoid pesky stains - but it’s definitely a must.
BAO Soho is a Taiwanese restaurant renowned for its soft bao buns, stuffed with a variety of delicious fillings like pork, daikon, and fried chicken. Originally a small street food stall, BAO Soho has grown to six locations, each with slightly different menus. Besides the signature bao, the restaurant also offers a Xiao Chi menu, featuring small plates such as blood cake with cured egg yolk and Guinea fowl rice.
Recommended by
The first - and still the best - Taiwanese bao outpost of its kind in London. Having originally started as a street food stall in a small East London market, Bao now has six outposts (slightly differing in menu and offering) across London. The OG Soho restaurant still commands a queue on most days at both lunch and dinner times. Go for the pillowy soft bao buns stuffed with an array of unctuous fillings (pork, daikon and fried chicken to name a few) and stay for the delectable Xiao Chi menu of punchy, finger lickin good small plates. Firm favourites include the blood cake and cured egg yolk, Guinea fowl rice and the fried chicken.
Plaza Khao Gaeng delivers a true taste of Southern Thailand's diverse cuisine, offering a range of curries rich with fresh coconut milk, aromatic curry pastes, and fiery stir fries. The menu is inspired by popular Khao Gaeng (curry over rice) restaurants, and the dishes are designed for sharing, allowing you to sample a variety of flavors. Authentic dishes like kua-gling, wok-fried prawns with curry paste, and the spicy seafood gang som (orange curry) are highlights, and the Cha-Yen (Thai milk tea) is a refreshing accompaniment.
Recommended by
Tasty, authentic Southern Thai food in central London. Lukie Farrell’s flagship restaurant in JKS’ Arcade Foodhall serves up super tasty and probably one of the most authentic renditions of Southern Thai cooking in London. Think fiery, fragrant kua-gling, wok fried prawns with curry paste and sato beans, and sour and spicy seafood gang som (orange curry) that will make you sweat as though you’re sitting at a real road-side “Khao gaeng” shop in Phuket. Small-ish portions mean you can try lots of different dishes - the way it should be! - even just between two. Dont forget to order a jug of Cha-Yen (Thai milk tea) which is deliciously fragrant, refreshing and not so easy to find outside of Thailand.
Three Uncles is a Cantonese fast-food restaurant known for its simple menu, focusing on roasted meats, including Peking duck, and dumplings. The establishment has a reputation for avoiding greasy plastic containers and delivering great flavors, particularly through their star dishes, the roasted meats. However, due to its popularity and limited space, customers may need to be prepared to take their food to-go.
Recommended by
Cantonese fast food with queues around the block. Simple menu - roasted meats including peking duck & dumplings. Three uncles is Cantonese fast food done well - no greasy plastic containers. A hipster small menu chinese, great flavours. Their stars of the menu are the roasted meats (can be done as a combo) with either noodles or rice. Very tight on space to sit inside so be prepared to collect your food and walk to a nearby bench.
E Pellicci is a longstanding restaurant in East London, known for its Italian cuisine and traditional English breakfast. The establishment has been serving the community since 1900, and is currently managed by the third generation of the original family. Customers often recommend the Full English Breakfast, and appreciate the friendly staff and genuine East London atmosphere.
Recommended by
Genuine East London greasy spoon atmosphere and a great place for Full English breakfast.My favourite greasy spoon cafe in East London for Full English Breakfast. Pelliccis on Bethnal Green Road opened in 1900 and is now run by the third generation of the same family. Mostly Italian menu and Full English Breakfast. Friendly staff (as long as you finish your plate) and great place for East Londoner spotting.
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