BigAleinstein

A friend, her husband, and two chidlren 13 and 11 are going to London this summer. they are undecided as to which enighborhood they are staying. I suggested Knightsbridge because there relative bargains for hotels. (I know small and still expensive.) Could you please recommend inexpensive places to eat in whatever area? They are pretty good eaters and the husband is always looking for value.

Thank you in advance.

jamikins

I always use www.toptable.co.uk to find places to eat. You can plug in a budget and a neighbourhood and get options and see menus and reviews.

Knightsbridge is probably one of the most pricey areas to stay and eat in my experience!!

janisj

Bargains? Knightsbridge is probably the single most expensive neighborhood in London - maybe tied w/ Mayfair.

Not an area I'd stay w/ a family, if budget is at all an issue.

BigAleinstein

Could you please tell me which neighborhoods are cheaper or which hotels you prefer?

Thanks.

BigAleinstein

Could you please tell me which neighborhoods are cheaper or which hotels you prefer?

Thanks.

jamikins

Basically anywhere else hahaha!

Here is a list of cheaper hotels in London I composed for a friend:

There are several great choices at Premier Inn (basic chain hotel, very clean, but no charm in the hotel – we have stayed at this chain many times and really like it) although don’t be tempted by the really cheap ones out of centre!!! The ONLY ones I would recommend are: http://www.premierinn.com/en/london-...|match|e|plid|
o Country Hall – excellent location right on the river from Westminster (Big Ben) and on the same side as the Eye
o Victoria – near to Buckingham Palace and easy transport to Gatwick if you are coming in from there
o Southwark (Borough Market) – in our favourite area of town, if you are coming in from Gatwick take the train to London Bridge and take a taxi as it’s a very short drive but will be a trek with bags over cobblestones etc
o London City (Tower Hill) – on the far eastern side of zone 1-2 right by the Tower. A bit of a trek if you want to see most sites on the western side of the city
• Other good affordable options are Ibis, again ONLY these locations: http://www.ibis.com/gb/booking/hotels-list.shtml
o London Blackfriars – close to Southwark station so a taxi from London Bridge makes sense if you are coming from Gatwick
o London Southwark Rose – again a short taxi ride from London Bridge from the airport
• Or Novatel – ONLY these locations http://www.novotel.com/gb/booking/ho...pMiddleContent
o London Blackfriars – close to the Ibis London Blackfriars
o London Waterloo
o London City South
o London Tower Bridge
• Holiday Inn – ONLY these locations: http://www.holidayinn.com/hotels/us/...d=1935&dp=true
o London – Mayfair
o London – Southwark
o London – Victoria
o London – Oxford Circus
o London – Regent’s Park (Probably not the most convenient for transit)
o London – Bloomsbury
o London – Kensington Forum (great if most sites you want to see are west London)

janisj

Look at jamikins list to get started.

Knightsbridge is the home of Harrods, Harvey Nichols, 5 or 6 of the very most expensive hotels in London (probably in Europe), very high end shops, the highest property values/real estate, etc. It and next door Mayfair are way up there . . .

Tulips

Brasserie Zedel has a 2-course menu for 8.75 - and is a beautiful restaurant - book ahead online.
Look for deals in restaurants, often to be had when you eat early (so great when you're with kids).
Brasserie chain 'Cote' is also a very good deal (chicken, french fries - kid friendly).

I don't know what you call cheap for a hotel, but for a family with kids I would look at an apartment hotel such as Citadines.

BigAleinstein

Thank you very much, this is of great assistance.

indy_dad

I don't consider myself a budget traveler, particularly when food is involved, but I do like value.

We rented a flat in Fitzrovia and found lots of decent options for eating there (using jamikins toptable suggestion). More importantly, we ended up doing M&S meals for 2-3 nights to not only save money but just to not have to bother with going back out to eat!

TR:

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...andparents.cfm

BigAleinstein

I am pretty sure they do not want to shop and cook. Mom is a professional and has a demanding job. This is as much her vacation as the kids.

Seamus

Agree that Knightsbridge is very low on the list of areas I'd look for bargains. Ditto the recommendation to consider a holiday rental as opposed to a hotel. To accommodate four they would likely need two rooms at whatever hotel. A rental property may be less expensive and offers the option to have some meals in to further manage cost. I am not a fan of the Citadines chain but there are plenty of places to look for holiday rentals in London - www.vrbo.com, airbnb.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, etc. (but NOT craigslist!) though if they plan to go this summer they had best get on the stick and book something.

As for value priced eating options, M&S is great for quick meals at a reasonable cost. When out and about the Pret a Manger and Eat chains are ubiquitous and offer decent quality freshly prepared foods at reasonable prices.

tuscanlifeedit

These are two bargain restaurants with wonderful food. We have returned to them on various trips to London.

For Indian, it's Tayyab's for us:

http://www.tayyabs.co.uk/

In February, we over ordered, had enough food for 4, with two mango lhasis, and the bill was about 35 pounds.

For fish and chips, we like Masters Super Fish, down the road from Waterloo. It seemed even better this time than the last time we were there. Big plates of very fresh and delicious food.

BigAleinstein

Thank you for all the suggestions.

MmePerdu

If you like Thai food I'm a fan of Thai Metro on Charlotte St. in Bloomsbury, walking distance from the British Museum. If you decide to get an apartment they also deliver to much of central London. http://thaimetro.co.uk/thai-metro-co...-and-info.html

ElendilPickle

Would they consider a family room in a hostel? www.yha.org.uk has family rooms at their St. Pancras, Central, and St. Paul's locations - maybe some of the others do as well.

Lee Ann

BigAleinstein

Thanks again. Lee Ann, I do not think they would stay there.

nytraveler

Perhaps you were thinking of South Kensington (a lot of moderate/inexp there) versus Knightsbridge. We love the latter - but bargains are very few.

Odin

Brasserie Zedel is a bargain for central London. It is beautiful and the food is good too. Cote Brasserie chain is another good suggestion.
Racine in Brompton Road has daily specials if you eat before 7.30pm, same side of the road as Harrods, near to Skandium. Bit more expensive than Brasserie Zedel, but food is also better.
http://racine-restaurant.com/menu.php

Seamus

Just thought of another place. On our last visit PatrickLondon introduced us to an excellent Indian restaurant - The Rajasthan, located near Monument tube station at 49 Monument Street, London EC3R 8BU (where Monument meets Lower Thames Street) www.rajasthan1.co.uk
Not exactly a budget operation but nor is it expensive. The ambiance and service are lovely and the quality of the food is outstanding; all in all a very favorable quality to price ratio.

They also operate two other East London locations but we have not been to either.