You can get some
amazing luxury dining experiences in London in very fancy restaurants in
Mayfair, Soho, Kensington and so on. However, the other beauty of London is how
cheap it can be – you just have to look hard. London is such a HUGE city and
has a lot of variety so there is a range of price points you can find good eats
from....after quarantine that is.
For students, new-comers, tourists or those who just don’t want to break the bank on a good dining experience, I hope this will be useful. I’ve made this list as varied as possible to try and give you an array of options and hopefully suit different taste palettes all for £10 or less. Add them to your tick list for after lockdown is over! From one foodie to another I hope you enjoy.
Pizza union
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| image via pizzaunion.com |
You can get a
pizza for as cheap as £3.50 here, the prices don’t even hit £10. Known for their
speedy service, you can get a full meal including main, drink and dessert for
£10 here. Their fire-baked pizzas are very popular and if 12” is too small,
another one won’t hurt your budget…just your weight.
Scandikitchen
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| image via google images |
If you are a fan
of Ikea meatballs, then you’re petty off getting the real deal here. A sweet
little café tucked behind Topshop on oxford street. Scandikitchen offers authentic Scandinavian
food on an amazing budget. Some authentic Swedish meatballs with mash potatoes
and lingonberry sauce will only set you back £6.99. You can also pick up an
affordable breakfast if you are a Swedish cinnamon bun fan.
Koshari
street
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| photo via trip advisor |
This place is a popular little gem. Koshari is an Egyptian street food that showcases a base of
grains and pasta, zingy sauce, spiced veggies and meats and toppings such as caramelised
onions and doqqa – a traditional Egyptian spice mix featuring ingredients such us
split chickpeas, sesame seeds and coriander seeds.
Tortilla
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| image via tortilla |
There aren’t a lot of South American options in London surprisingly enough but over the years there has been an increase in options. This Mexican chain is definitely a cheaper alternative to chipotle that’s recently landed in London. You can grab a burrito for £6 here and for the same price you can grab a bowl or salad.
Chinatown
bakery
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| image via google images |
This is my favourite on the list. The Chinatown bakery is my absolute favourite spot in
Chinatown, this bakery is fairly large and very popular. It has a vast array of
freshly baked goodies you can get for amazingly cheap prices. My favourite is
the matcha lotus buns!
Aldgate
market
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| image via google images |
To be honest, when
it comes to affordable eats, street markets are probably your best option.
However, don’t go for the popular touristy kinds you see in Greenwich or
Borough market- those are pricier than you’d think. You want to go for local
markets that tend to put up stalls around lunchtime for workers in the area to
grab something quick and get back to work. Aldgate market has plenty of quaint
market stalls where you can grab a meal and either eat on the go or find a park
to munch in.
Beigel Bake/Beigel Shop
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| photo via google images |
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| image via google images |
The famous Beigels. These two are POPULAR, so be ready for a queue. If you’re looking for
authentic bagels, this is as good as you’re getting in London. The salted beef
bagel is the popular one that you can get for £5 but they also offer other
amazing pastries. Beigel bake is open 24/7 so if you wanted a bagel at 12am (for some ) this
your place. They're both cheap so you could always get both and decide with you prefer.
Burger & Beyond
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| image via google images |
This one is for the
meat-eaters (or vegans). Between 5pm to 7pm, Monday to Thursday the restaurant
offers a happy hour £5 menu where you can get a cheese or bacon butter burger
(also a mushroom vegan alternative), any starter, selected sides and a cocktail
for of course £5. The happy hour cocktail changes every day so ask when you
arrive, but their milkshakes are only £5.50 on the normal menu.
Padella
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| image via padella |
Now as mentioned
before, borough market is not the best place to find cheap finds. That’s mainly
because a lot of the stalls feature imported quality ingredients, artisan makes
that cost a lot more as well as it being a pricey area to rent. So, to find something
a bit more affordable you’ll have to do some hunting. Padella is an amazing
spot that offers affordable and high- quality pasta for less than £10. You can
also get dessert for less than £5 here which means you can get pasta and
dessert for a tenner.
Now don’t spend
all your money at once!
- Jess
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