Is food expensive in London?

Eating out is quite expensive if you don't know where to go . So we know where to go and don't do it that often, like most of the world. It's inexpensive in supermarkets, cafés and most restaurants, but look out for hotels. A top ranking hotel or restaurant in London will charge you £75 for a sandwich and a cup of tea.

What is the best food to eat in London?

Hopefully, this list will give you a meaningful introduction to our national favourite dishes and highlight London's best bites. Shepherd's Pie. Eton Mess. Banoffee Pie. Scotch Egg. Sticky Toffee Pudding. Sunday Roast. Afternoon Cream Tea With Scones. Full English Breakfast. More items... Oct 26, 2023

Is 500 pounds enough for a week in London?

Think, most of the major attractions, a few cab rides, maybe a big night out, and a bit of shopping on the side. It doesn't include the cost of hotels or car hire as these are often booked in advance. This puts the average cost of a trip to London for a week in 2018 at around £500-650 .

How much is a meal at London?

Average food cost per month in London Restaurant type or item Average price range (GBP) Average restaurant meal 10 - 30 Average meal for two in mid-priced restaurant 45 - 100 Pint of beer 8 Average bottle of wine in supermarket 6 Jul 22, 2022

Is food cheaper in UK or USA?

During our visits in February 2023, we found that prices in the grocery stores were relatively affordable. However, some items, like eggs, were significantly cheaper in the UK and, overall, our shopping list would cost us far less in the UK.

How much is a coffee in London?

We're seeing increases from around £2.50 to £3.40 .” The Project Café UK 2023 report from the World Coffee Portal finds Britain's favourite drink is a latte. A regular 12oz cup has increased on average by 11.3 per cent to £3.25 in a year. Even in central London, most places are trying to keep drinks under £4.

Is London expensive for tourists?

London is expensive , but there are plenty of ways to keep your budget to a minimum — when I returned to the city after backpacking in Southeast Asia, I was still able to keep my costs low by staying in hostels and eating the delicious street food.

Binge On A Budget: London’s Best Cheap Eats (2024)

05 January 2017

If you’re looking to save money on eating out this January, there are plenty of budget-friendly restaurants guaranteed to whet your appetite without leaving a hole in your wallet. From Padella’s purse-friendly pasta to Kanada-Ya’s budget bowls of ramen, we’ve whittled down London’s best cheap eats…

Save To My Favourites

UPDATED JANUARY 2019

Bánh Bánh Brixton

Brixton newcomer Bánh Bánh serves a range of Vietnamese favourites, from bbq beef in betel leaves to sticky chicken wings and bánh khot pancakes (mini turmeric and coconut pancakes with tiger prawns and shrimp), all inspired by the owners' grandmother’s recipe book from when she worked as a chef in Saigon in the 1940s. A new brunch menu has a strong Viet/French influence and a wide selection of vegan dishes.Standout plates include the eggsbò né, a classic Vietnamese version of steak and eggs with beef steak,pâté, grilled tomato and a fried egg, served with a warm baguette.

Price: Small dishes start at £5.

326 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 8QH

Visit BanhBanh.com

Market Hall Fulham

With a 200-seat capacity, Market Hall Fulham allows guests to take their pick of the seven traders, mixing and matching meals as they go, before grabbing a spot at one of the communal tables. We’re big fans of Super Taco’s soft-shell tacos (complete with a DIY salsa bar), Butchies' fried chicken sandwiches and Made of Dough’s truffle pizza (portobello mushrooms, white alba truffle oil, fior di latte mozzarella and thyme). In December 2018, the team opened a similar set-up in Victoria, and its biggest spot to date will launch in the West End later this year.

Price: Tacos from £3.50 each.

472 Fulham Road, Fulham SW6 1BY

Visit MarketHalls.co.uk

Berber & Q Shawarma Bar

Berber & Q Shawarma Bar opened inExmouthMarket in 2016,specialisingin rotisserie Middle Eastern meats slow-cooked over charcoal and wood. Taking influence and inspiration from the streets and cafe culture of Tel Aviv, this restaurant from the team behindHaggerston’sBerber & Q features the same boldflavoursand must-try meats. We like to order the squid inktaramasalata(£6.50) followed by the lamb shawarma (£9.50).

Price: Mezze from £5.50.

46ExmouthMarket, Clerkenwell, EC1R 4QE

Visit ShawarmaBar.co.uk

Brick House Bakery

We’re big fans of Brick House, the duo of bakeries in EastDulwichand Peckhamspecialisingin slow-fermentation, San Francisco-style sourdough. The modern cafes serve seasonal menus based on the team’s sourdoughs and other homemade products such as charcuterie, jams, pickles, chutneys and pastries. We like to head in for brunch – we always order the toasted brioche with fresh fig, mascarpone, ginger crumble and honey at £8.50.

Price: Avocado on toast costs just £4.50.

1ZenoriaStreet, EastDulwich, SE22 8HP and 12-16 Blenheim Grove, Peckham Rye, SE15 4QL 

Visit BrickHouseBread.co.uk

The Cheese Bar

Having made 150,000 grilled cheese sandwiches and melted over 20tonnesof British cheese with The Cheese Truck, Matthew Carver opened his first permanent restaurant in Grade I-listed Camden Stables Market in 2017. The Cheese Bar’s menu is crammed with dishes that champion urban cheesemakers in Greater London. From LaLatteriain Acton to Peckham’s Gringa Dairy, cheese lovers can choose from over 30 different types of British fromage – we love ‘Fondue Thursdays’, where for £14pp you can get stuck into four different fondues.

Price: Grilled cheese from £7.50.

94 Camden Stables, Camden, NW1 8AP

Visit TheCheeseBar.com

Maison Bab

Maison Bab is a new style of kebab house, complete with a picture-perfect setting, a bar that pours out CBD co*cktails and hidden ten-seater fine-dining restaurant. The eight-strong kebab menu (all priced under £10) sits alongside a selection of starters, such as meat butter naan (a must-order) and superlativebabaganoush. There’s also a focus on vegan dishes – think celeriac shish: miso-marinated celeriac chunks, wrapped with pickled onion rings,toumandchillisauce.

Price: Mains start at £8.

4 MercerStreet, Covent Garden, WC2H 9FA

Visit MaisonBab.com

Roti King

Roti Kingspecialisesin serving up authentic Malaysian dishes. Hidden away in a basem*nt around the corner from Euston station, the restaurant is small and simple, and features an open kitchen where guests can watch roti (Malaysian flatbread) be made on the spot. Given its name and reputation, the roti is a must order – we like the chickenmurtabak with minced chicken and egg filling (£5.50). If you’re staying south, head into Market Halls Victoria, where the team has a new spot in the shape of Gopal’s Corner.

Price: Roti starts from £5.

40 Doric Way, Euston, NW1 1LH

Visit RotiKing.info

Zia Lucia

Leading the charge in London’s pizza renaissance, Zia Lucia has become renowned for its 48-hour slow-fermented doughs: traditional,wholemeal, gluten free and black vegetable charcoal. New for 2019 is its third location atBoxparkWembley, which features a new addition to the menu, the ‘Burrata Bar’, which showcases creamy burrata sourced from Puglia. Diners will be able to top their burrata (£4.50) with ingredients such as smoked salmon and avocado, spicySpianatasalami, or roasted peppers, and every last morsel of cheese can be mopped up with fresh focaccia.

Price: Pizza from £6.90.

157 Holloway Road, Islington, N7 8LX; 61 Blythe Road, Hammersmith, W14 0HP; and Boxpark Wembley, 18 Olympic Way, Wembley, HA9 0JT

Visit ZiaLucia.com

Padella

There’s no better place to indulge your pasta fix than at Padella – London’s hottest new Italian eatery, and winner of Observer Food Monthly’s “Best Cheap Eats”. Feast on flavoursome classics including the likes of tagliatelle with nduja, mascarpone and parsley; pappardelle with eight-hour Dexter beef shin ragu; and ravioli of Neal’s Yard goats curd with marjoram butter. Each dish is priced between £5 and £10, which means you can either be frugal or order twice as much as usual. There are no reservations, so you will have to queue, but it’s well worth the wait.

Price: between £5 and £10 per dish

Padella, Southwark

Visit Padella.co

Kanada-Ya

Specialisingin authenticTonkotsuramen,Kanada-Yawas founded byKanadaKazuhiro inYukuhashi, Japan, back in 2009. The restaurant’s signature ramen consists of noodles,tonkotsubroth, secret sauce (imported from the original restaurant, and hand-made byKanadahimself), wood ear fungusmushroom (kikurage), finely sliced spring onion,chashupork belly and a sheet of nori. Best of all, all noodles are made on site and customers are able to request how firm they like them. The best ramen in London? We think so.

Price: Ramen starts at £7.

3PantonStreet, Piccadilly, SW1Y 4DL, 64 St Giles High Street, Covent Garden, WC2H 8LE and 35 Upper Street, Islington, N1 0PN

Visit Kanada-Ya.com

Ahi Poké

This laid-back poké hangout specialises in build-your-own poké bowls. You choose a base of quinoa, sushi rice or kale, with a mix of proteins or veg including salmon, ahi tuna or shrimp, topped with your choice of sauce and salad toppings. There are signature bowls on the menu, too, if you find you can’t make up your mind which toppings you want.

Price: Signature bowls start from £6.45

Locations in Soho, Fitzorivia and Shoreditch

Visit Ahipoke.co.uk

Bun House

Inspired by 1960s Hong Kong, Bun House recalls the era’s tea house street stalls – you’ll even find a Tea Room speakeasy hidden downstairs beneath the main restaurant space, where you can drink authentic Chinese brews and alcoholic tipples until the early hours. Steamed bao buns are the stars of the menu, with pig, lamb, chicken, fish and veggie options, as well as an interesting collection of pickles – think daikon, jicama, blue garlic and seasonal choy – and small dishes including chilli tripe, lotus root crisp and wood ear salad.

Price: Boa buns, £2.50

24 Greek St, Soho, W1D 4DZ

Visit Bun.House

Flat Iron

If you’re after somewhere cheap and cheerful for steak night, Flat Iron is your best bet. Whilst the menu is small, and prices pleasing – you can grab a steak and salad for £10 – you’ll be guaranteed good quality cuts of meat, cooked to perfection. Tuck into succulent steaks served with an array of indulgent sides – think dripping cooked chips, creamed spinach and blue cheese salad.

Price: Steak with salad, £10

Locations in Soho, Shoreditch, Covent Garden and Notting Hill

Visit FlatIronSteak.co.uk

Gunpowder

This small family-run restaurant headed by Nirmal Save, once a chef at Mayfair’s Tamarind, is one of the best places to sample India’s rustic, home-style cuisine – it’s been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its mouth-watering Mumbai-inspired fare. Sharing plates of spicy venison and vermicelli doughnut, chettinad pulled duck and karwari soft shell crab will transport the taste buds to the bustling streets of India, whilst the intimate setting and delightfully friendly staff will make you feel right at home.

Price: Plates range from £3 to £12

11 White’s Row, Spitafields, E1 7NF

Visit GunPowderLondon.com

Le Bab

A purveyor of posh kebabs, Le Bab is London’s answer to gourmet Middle Eastern grub. This Soho hotspot serves up a mean selection of seriously beautiful kebabs. They’re served open sandwich-style on thin, homemade flatbreads, and topped with a range of locally sourced meat and seasonal veg. Choose from small plates of braised lamb shoulder, beef shin and onion bhajis with smoked chilli mayo; charcoal grilled cod cheek with lemon hummus, wild garlic and Szechuan pepper; and Lokma doughnut with spiced chicken liver parfait. Kebabs come in the form of corn fed chicken shish; Herdwich lamb adana; and free-range pork shawarma.

Price: Kebabs served in flatbread with salad and all the trimmings range from £9 to £12

Top Floor, Kingly Court, Carnaby Street W1B 5PW

Visit EatLeBab.com

Pizza Pilgrims

One of our favourite pizza joints, if you’re looking for something quick and satisfying, you’ll be hard pushed to find anywhere better than Pizza Pilgrims. Serving up a heavy hit of deliciously addictive Napoli-inspired street food alongside zingy co*cktails, pizzas are soft and chewy, Neapolitan style, with thick bases and scattered with on-trend toppings – think ’nduja, salsiccia and smoked chilli jam mascarpone. The calzone with Napoli salami, ricotta and mushroom, topped with tomato, fior di latte and parmesan is utterly divine.

Price: Pizzas range from £5.50 to £10.50

Locations in Soho, Exmouth Market. West India Quay, Covent Garden, Aldgate and Shoreditch

Visit PizzaPilgrims.co.uk

Café Sou

Soho House Group’s très jolie take on a plush Parisian railway café. The least formal of the Ned’s vibrant food offerings, this quaint café serves up a glorious selection of small quick eats – think sourdough baguettes, rillettes, quiches, salads, omelettes and pretty patisseries – alongside coffees, teas and a good selection of French wines.

Price: Quiche, £4 a slice; half baguette ,£9; omelette served with frisée & rocket salad, £7

Visit TheNed.com

Bao

With locations in Soho, Fitzrovia and a small street food-style shack taking residence in Netil Market, Taiwanese steamed bun experts Bao yield the best buns in the capital. There’s always a queue outside, so be prepared to wait, but once you’re in, you’ll be in heaven, with signature buns stuffed with the likes of tender pork belly with peanut powder and pickled lettuce; soy milk marinated fried chicken with kimchi and Sichuan mayo; and lamb shoulder with coriander sauce, garlic mayo and soy pickled chili. Save room for something sweet – there’s a fried Horlicks ice cream bao on the menu that’s definitely worth sampling.

Price:less than £5 per bun

Bao, locations in Soho, Fitzrovia and Netil Market, Hackey

Visit BaoLondon.com

Brasserie Zédel

A longstanding French restaurant from the team behind The Wolseley and The Delaunay, BrasserieZedeloffers traditional Gallic dishes in beautiful Art-Deco surroundings (it’s described by PierreKoffmanas “the only real brasserie in London”).  With a surprisingly affordable set menu, thatallows  youto  tuck into a carrot salad, and steakhachéwith French fries and pepper sauce for just £10.50. Away from cassoulet and escargot, there’s cracking co*cktails to be had in BarAmericain, and live music aplenty in cabaret bar CrazyCoqs.

Price: Prix fixe menu starts at £10.50 for two courses.

20 Sherwood St, Soho, London W1F 7ED

Visit BrasserieZedel.com

The Good Egg

A relatively new hotspot, but one that’s proving popular amongst hungry hipsters. On the weekends, you’ll have to scramble to secure a table, but when you do finally get a spot, the brunches are a delight to devour. The food has a Middle Eastern edge, with colourful, flavoursome dishes including Iraqui aubergine pitta with egg, date jam and pickled cucumber; shakshuka baked eggs with tomatoes and peppers; homemade granola with house labneh and seasonal fruits; and Montreal smoked meat hash with pastrami, smoked short-rib, fried potatoes, zhoug, pickles and two fried eggs.

Price:around £9.50

The Good Egg, Church Street, Stoke Newington

Visit TheGoodEgg.Co

Chick ‘n’ Sours

With its loud, party atmosphere, you could quite easily forget you’re sat in a grungy fried chicken shop. That is, until a towering buttermilk fried chicken burger is placed in front of you, stacked to the rafters with crunchy ‘slaw, sweet pickles and tangy gochujang mayo. Their chicken offerings come with a spicy Korean twist, as well as a large selection of co*cktails. Dangerously good, and it won’t cost you much more than a tenner for the biggest, most delicious chicken burger you’ve ever tasted.

Price: from £10 for a burger

Chick ‘n’ Sours, Seven Dials and Haggerston

Visit ChickNSours.co.uk