20 Best Cheap Eats in London That Locals Love
Great food in London that will not punish your wallet
Walk through London at lunchtime and you'll see queues that have nothing to do with tourism. They're locals banking on places where a single tenner stretches further than anywhere else in the city. This list ranks cheap eats by value for money—places where the food arrives hot, the portions don't apologise, and the money you save on the meal is yours to keep. Come early for shorter waits; come hungry because these places move fast.
Baban's Naan
51A Blackstock Road, Finsbury Park · Kurdish & Indian bread · 3 plain naan for £1; falafel wrap £5.50; 10am-6pm daily
Three tandoor-baked, chewy naans for £1. This is not a trick. The falafel wraps come stuffed with fresh ingredients, varieties include za'atar, peshwari, cheese, garlic, and chilli, and you can get them filled with minced lamb Kurdish kebabs. Locals stock up on the raw naan to take home. The shop moves fast and doesn't pretend to be anything it isn't.
Padella
6 Southwark Street, Borough · Italian pasta · Dishes £8-15; noon-3.45pm, 5-10pm Mon-Sat; noon-3.45pm, 5-9pm Sun
Dishes are small enough – and, at around £10-15, cheap enough – to let you order three between two. The signature dish, the Fettuccine with Cobble Lane cured nduja, mascarpone and lemon (£9), comes with handmade pasta that has actual bite. Come for an early lunch (11.30am), or early dinner (5pm) when doors open, and you won't have to wait long. Arrive with an appetite; leave with empty bowls.
Roti King
40 Doric Way, Euston · Malaysian · Roti Canai £9.75; Murtabak £10.50; lunch-dinner Mon-Sun
Founded by Malaysian chef Sugen Gopal, Roti King in Euston is acknowledged by many as one of London's 'greatest cheap eats'. The menu ranges from the iconic handmade soft flaky 'Roti Canai', fragrant curries like Beef Rendang, stir-fried noodles such as Mee Goreng Mamak and the ever loved Nasi. A queue outside is not a problem; it means the food is moving. Eat in or take away—both work equally well.
Flat Iron
Multiple London locations including Soho, Covent Garden, London Bridge · Steak · Flat iron steak £15; sides £4-5; noon-11pm daily
Flat Iron serves one perfect flat iron steak for £15. Each steak arrives with a small cleaver stuck in it—partly for drama, partly because it's useful for cutting. It's become a Flat Iron signature. For £60 for two steaks, drinks and sides, this is a great place to eat in London if you fancy something that feels expensive when it's actually quite affordable. No reservations needed, though peak hours mean a wait.
E. Pellicci
332 Bethnal Green Road, Bethnal Green · British breakfast & Italian · Full fry-up £8.50; Mon-Sat 8am-3pm
The family-run Pellicci's, established in 1900, in down-to-earth Bethnal Green is something of a national treasure, and its full English breakfast draws long lines of hungry diners every morning. Lovely big fry up for £8.50 all fresh and tasted homemade. The venue's Art Deco interior is also iconic and has been featured in several movies. Cash only, but an ATM is three minutes away.
Beigel Bake
159 Brick Lane, Spitalfields · Jewish bagels · Salt beef beigel £7.20; open 24 hours, 7 days
The bakery is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, serving up plain and filled beigels. Try the shop's most popular creation, the salt beef beigel. The must try is the hot salt beef (corned beef brisket) in a bagel with pickles and mustard. Bagels ranging from around £2 to £7, making it a great option for a quick and tasty meal. A queue outside at 3am means you're in the right place.
Pizza Union
Kings Cross, Holborn, Hoxton & more · Italian pizza · Marinara £3.95; Margherita £5.95; 11am-11pm daily
Margherita £5.95, Marinara £3.95, plus salads, gelato, beer, wine and frozen cocktails at £4.95 – nothing here will surprise your wallet. Order at the till, grab a seat, your pizza follows superfast. Roman-style, made to order, eaten standing or perched on communal tables. Five locations mean there's always one within reach.
Marie's Thai Café
90 Lower Marsh, Waterloo · Thai & British fry-up · Thai mains £8-12; 7am-10.30pm Mon-Fri; 7am-4.30pm Sat
This place serves an English breakfast in the morning and is a Thai restaurant by night. With a green tea (made with real green tea leaves) and a can of coke the cost for the two of us was £12.50 - thoroughly recommended for tasty, great value Thai. They only serve Thai after 6pm and you can bring alcohol with a £1 per person corkage. Cash only. Tight, loud, unapologetic.
Taro
61 Brewer Street, Soho · Japanese · Noodles & ramen £9.50+; bento boxes from £8; noon-10pm Mon-Sat; 12.30pm-9.30pm Sun
Great simple Japanese food and excellent value for money in the middle of Soho. Pork ramen soup and chicken udon noodle soup, supplemented with some sushi and also a portion of gyoza. The dining room is bright and airy, with communal tables that give the place a casual, friendly feel and encourage people to share a meal together. Counter seating lets you watch the sushi being made.
Falafel & Shawarma
Camberwell · Lebanese · Shawarma box under £10; 10am-10pm daily
Open from 10am until 10pm, Falafel & Shawarma in Camberwell is a place for the people. The Lebanese spot isn't somewhere you stay for a long time but it always guarantees a good meal. Fluffy rice is paired with moreish chicken shawarma, dollops of hummus, spiced potatoes and more. A box can be as big or small as you want it to be, but here your cash is always guaranteed to go far.
Durak Tantuni
Multiple London locations · Turkish · Meat wrap £7-8; lunch-dinner daily
Durak Tantuni's comforting Turkish meat wrap keeps you going through the afternoon. Tantuni is thinly sliced, spiced meat cooked on a griddle and wrapped in bread—the kind of food that tastes better when eaten standing up, leaning against a wall. Quick, warming, cheap.
Aria Golden Grill
Leather Lane Market, Clerkenwell · Afghan street food · Qabuli Palaw £8; market hours, lunch daily
Aria Golden Grill, a stall that specializes in Afghan street food. Their famous Qabuli Palaw, a pilaf rice and lamb dish. At a cost of just £8, it is great value. The portion size is huge and can serve two people, or one if, like Steve, you are really hungry. Leather Lane Market is one of London's best food markets, popular with hungry office workers and with not many tourists in sight.
Hut Negril
Greenwich · Caribbean · Jerk chicken, rice, peas, plantain under £10; lunch-dinner daily
At local landmark Hut Negril, cheery chef Gino will serve you a takeaway box full of ital stew and braised oxtail, with generous sides of rice and peas, plantain, and sauce, for under a tenner. But of all the tasty Caribbean classics on the menu at this tucked-away Greenwich spot, it's the jerk chicken—slow-cooked on a drum barbecue and smelled from streets away—that keeps us coming back.
Paddy Wok
Deptford · Chinese takeaway · Salt and pepper spice bag £10; lunch-dinner daily
Spice bag at Paddy Wok. Inside is a generous serving of crispy chicken—stained orange from the salt and pepper chips—and a good amount of charred, sweet onions and peppers. It's around £10 and would do two people for lunch, especially if you're adding chicken balls, which you should. The reward is a walk through Deptford and a pint in the pub next door.
Murger Hanhan
Mayfair · Xian/Shaanxi noodles · Biangbiang noodles £10.80; lunch-dinner daily
The signature dishes at the restaurant include their addictive Biangbiang noodles, Liangpi (cold skin noodles- this dish was a revelation!) and their Murger aka Roujiamo. This regional style is known for its rich, flavourful dishes with a spicy kick. The Biang Biang Noodles is £10.80. Fiery, hand-pulled, authentic—and defiantly affordable in Mayfair.
Pret A Manger
Multiple locations across London · Sandwiches & coffee · Sandwich around £3; 6am-9pm, hours vary by location
Pret A Manger is the go-to place for London's busy workers, and you can score a sandwich from the cold case for around £3. It's not exciting, but it's reliable, quick, and for a sandwich does the job without fuss. The coffee is better than the price suggests. Eat on a bench; eat at your desk; eat standing up on the Northern Line.
Pilpel
Multiple London locations · Falafel · Falafel in pita £5-7; 10am-10pm daily
Pilpel is a small chain that's well-known for their quality falafel served 'your way'. You can get it in a container or stuffed into a pita along with different salads and toppings. This hearty lunch is very budget friendly, with meals costing between £5-7. Crunchy, warm, made to order. Vegetarian and vegan friendly without apology.
Indian YMCA
Fitzroy Square, Fitzrovia · South Indian · Curries under £10; lunch-dinner, closed Sundays
A champion curry at Indian YMCA sits at the heart of this list. South Indian food means dosas, idlis, crispy rice and lentil pancakes you can eat with your hands. The dining room is no-frills; the staff moves fast. Come at lunch for a queue of office workers who know the value.
Sonora Taqueria
Stoke Newington · Mexican tacos · Tacos £2.50-3.50 each; lunch-dinner daily
Best for Mexican tacos: Sonora Taqueria, Stoke Newington. Hand-pressed tortillas, slow-cooked meat, fresh toppings. You can eat three tacos for the price of a single sandwich anywhere else. The room is loud, the counter is communal, the meat arrives hot.
M Manze
Tower Bridge Road, Tower Bridge · British pie and mash · Pie and mash £6-8; Mon-Sat 10am-5.30pm
Best for pie and mash: M Manze, Tower Bridge. This is the London of your grandparents' London. Meat pie, mashed potato, gravy, jellied eels if you're feeling brave. Nothing has changed; nothing needs to change. Eat standing at the counter or at a marble-topped table that's seen a hundred years of elbows.
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