Cheap but good eats in London?
 

Any advice on where to go for good food without going too broke in London? thx. CC

Ethnic and pubs

a few years ago Wajamama (sp?) fit this bill and was a Fodor rave. Rarely mentioned now but still all over town for inexpensive filling Asian fare.

Last time we were in London we ate at 'The Longacre' (1-3 Long Acre), in the middle of the theatre district. We shared a 'rustic' platter for 10 pounds (it was their nightly special) and it was very good. It included Thai chicken skewers, egg rolls, tiny sausages, salad, parmesan bread, roasted potato wedges and four different kinds of dips. Very filling.

Also ate at Casa Mamma (339 Grays Inn Road), near King's Cross. Very good, if you like Italian food, and very reasonable.

Have a great visit.

Hi Cody,

www.toptable.co.uk is a useful website to search restaurants by location, cuisine, price and there are always very good special offers which can help save money.

Wagamama is also good and there are branches all over London: http://www.wagamama.com/

I can also recommend Strada for reasonable pizza/pasta. Website at www.strada.co.uk.

Finally, Bistro 1 in Covent Garden is very (almost ridiculously) cheap & cheerful. It's very small and always crowded as well, but at the price, who cares! No website as far as I know, but reviews are here: http://www.london-eating.co.uk/5562.htm

If you are after reasonable snack lunches look out for city centre branches of Marks & Spencers (M&S), Sainsburys and Tescos for take away sandwiches. Pret a Manger also has branches all over a has excellent sandwiches, soups and salads which are a little more expensive and you can eat in or take away.

Hope that helps.

I would also suggest the Pret a Manger approach. In nice weather, we get a sandwich/soup from there and head to a park. Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park is a favorite - some of the best entertainment in London (and quite cheap).

Awesome. thanks for all the suggestions:-) CC

Hiya Cody!

We were in London just a couple of months ago. Loved the "beat the clock" special at Belgo Centraal in Covent Garden (great food, incredible atmosphere...Google it!) and Wong Kei in Chinatown. The cafe at the Tate Modern was inexpensive and definitely had some interesting choices.

Also, take Jossers advice and go for the pub grub! Loved the Hereford Arms right down the street from the Gloucester tube stop.

Have a wonderful time... I'm jealous. London is such a great place!

Pizza Express is pretty good (my favorite is the Sloppy Giuseppe) & also Carluccio's. They're medium-priced. Both have several locations.

Also, as others have said, Wagamama's.

I'd second Belgo - there are two - Centraal in CG, and Noord in Camden. As well as the 'Beat The Clock' offer they also used to do lunch for a fiver (main course plus a beer). The coffees, topped with about 2 litres of whipped cream, mean you can miss dessert altogether!

Gourmet Burger Kitchen has several outlets - yummy and not too pricy. Note, this is not fast food.

Chop House Bar (Butlers Wharf) set menu.

Of the chains (if you must!) Pizza Express is one of the better ones.

I'd avoid, like the plague, Garfunkels, Aberdeen Angus Steak House and Pizza Express et al.

Doh! Avoid Pizza Hut - PE is fine!

Masters Super Fish for excellent fish and chips. Near Waterloo tube station. I'd eat there every evening if I could!

Wetherspoons pubs offer full English breakfasts for £1.99 (£1.79 if you're a child), and two-fer deals for dinner Monday thru Thursday. The Liberty Bounds is a Wetherspoons pub, right near the Tower of London.

Cornish pasties are a good deal. West Cornwall Pasty Co. has the best ones.

Don't overlook grocery stores. They have good food at fairly reasonable prices, considering. Some have deli sections.

We had some good paninis from an Italian deli on Coram Street in the Bloomsbury district. I don't recall its name, but in general, I think Italian delis are a good choice.

Another tip is to eat in restaurants at lunchtime rather than in the evening. There are often lunchtime specials that are really good value.

Oh and order "tap water" rather than the bottled variety.

Be wary of service charges - if service charge is included you do not need to put a tip on top

Check out the Good Pub Guide for decent pub food http://www.goodguides.co.uk/pubs/search.asp
Although there are some very good pubs in London there are also some dire ones - this is an unfailingly accurate guide

In addition to the others mentioned, there's a good sandwich/salad/soup takeaway place called EAT, located all around town. I craved their thai noodle salad when I was pregnant.

And I'd recommend Indian restaurants in general. There's lots of options and it's not very expensive.

Hard Rock Cafe? Comments...

You know the old saying...if you've seen one you've seen them all.

Kiku is a fairly expensive Japanese restaurant that offers excellent multi-course lunch specials (under £15). At lunch, many of the customers are from the nearby Japanese embassy, so I take that as a sign of approval. It's run by a nice Japanese family who also own a ryokan in a small hot-springs resort town somewhere in rural Japan.
www.kikurestaurant.co.uk

Prezzo is a small restaurant chain that is really good value for money. Although it's an Italian restaurant, we go there for their excellent free-range rotisserie chicken and properly made (Belgian style) french fries (and yes, they call them fries on the menu, NOT chips). Their Livorno salad is also tasty. Good service
http://www.prezzoplc.co.uk/

Hard Rock

Well, if you expect any service you will be disappointed. They let you eat there, you should not expect to have service. Overall rude personnel and bland food for a high price.

You can do better. This place exists off for "ripping of tourists" and selling t-shirts!

Chowki on Denman Street is an Indian restaurant I have enjoyed.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/weekend/st...998325,00.html