Cheap Eats in London?
 

Hi...

I know that, strictly speaking, there is no such thing (having been there several times in the past few years).

Never-the-less, I'm always interested in Fodorites' recommendations, other than the usual Pret, Benji's, Marks & Spencer, etc.

Pubs with decent, cheap, food are always good to add to the list I carry around in my pocket when I'm walking around.

Thanks.
SS

Here's a pub guide you can carry around in your SmartPhone: fancyapint.com

Things change, places close, change ownership, whatever, so it is sort of hard to keep on top of things unless one lives there. I personally always have a current edition of Time Out's "Cheap Eats in London".

Lists all sorts of cuisine in just about every neighborhood.

I've had excellent Turkish food (grilled sardines and salads) at the Tas restaurants (various locations), and a fine cheap lunch at a hole in the wall Brazilian/Portugese in Covent Garden called Canela (33 Earlham). And while the prices aren't bargain basement, I had a tasty light lunch of mussels and beer in The Greyhound in Kew Green. My favorite relatively inexpensive sit-down dinner in London was at El Pirata, which serves tapas, on Down Street in Mayfair.

For picnicking and grazing, a walk around Marylebone is tasty:

http://www.marylebonevillage.com/ind...shopping.food/

I'm a fan of the Stockpot near Piccadilly Circus. It's not exactly gourmet food but traditional English cuisine that is definitely filling and worth every pence. If you google it, you'll find plenty of reviews!

Very much worth mentioning if you are in Marylebone is the pub Marylebone Tup, which may be the only pub in London with a "bring your own food" policy. With so many great food shops in the neighborhood, you can create your own perfect meal and sit down with a beer or ale to eat it.

http://www.innventiveoperations.com/...asp?venueid=27

If you fancy a proper meal, with starched tablecloths and napkins and the like, consider a lunch or an early-bird dinner, or post theatre. Places like Le Deuxieme or Palais du Jardin in Covent Garden have two courses for £14 or so. You can drink wine by the glass and order tap water. It's a nice thing to do, eating at lunch, and you'll likely not spend anywhere near as much as for a dinner in the same place.
Otherwise, stock up on your breakfast if it is included, grab bananas and other fruits.

You'll get varying reviews on this, but for a quick, not expensive mean, the Wagamama chain works OK for me. Here's a coopy of the menu:

http://www.wagamama.com/asset/gb/fil...%20UK%20A3.pdf

I live their and there is no such thing as a cheap meal in London that I would be prepared to recomend.

I had a nice lunch at Le Pain Quotidien on Marylebone High Street. Wasn't cheap but wasn't terribly expensive and came with a free coffee. I see there are several in London:

http://www.lepainquotidien.com/

I was looking for quality, healthy, ingedients.

I did not eat at any but there were many nice looking cafes on Marlebone just off Oxford St.

bookmarking

I found the best values were chinese & indian food, tho I was surprised that rice was considered an additional side dish in some places. Another plus is that they are open later than some pubs & restaurants, so if you've been running around all day like I often am & need a break or a nap you can still get out.

Here are a couple of answers to my own question (having now returned).

Wetherspoons pubs (a chain of all-different pubs with the same menu) have three kinds of specials:

(a) Burger, chips and beer/other drink for ~5 GBP. Several varieties of burgers. (Gourmet burger - lots of extras on it - for an extra pound). Burgers were big but a little overcooked for my taste...but still a good deal.

(b) Two dinners without drinks for about 7 GBP (a very limited selection).

(c) Sunday only - roast (beef, pork, or chicken), yorksire pudding, potatoes, stuffing, vegetables, gravy, and a drink for about 7 GBP.

Their site: http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk

LUNCH...There is great a sandwich place that we'd been to in 2006 that was still there when we returned this year. Located just across the street as you exit the Farringdon tube station. Inexpensive and delicious.

SS

While I like Wagamama as much as anyone and usually go there once or twice each trip to London, I no longer list it as one of my "cheap eats" places in London.

A basic noodle stir fry and a small bottled water each for two people at lunch is easily $40. Add a beer or one of their fresh juices or an appetizer to share and it grows substantially, very quickly!

I used to consider Wagamama a cheap eats place when their website regularly had 2-for-1 coupons.

I didn't find any this time for any of their London locations, so I took them off my list.

SS

Carluccios! The best good value in London We've ever had!

http://www.carluccios.com/caffes/def...4&region=1