Eating on a budget in London
 

8 of us (including 4 college students, with limited budgets) will be in London from 3/10-3/16. We have rented a condo near Clerkenwell, so we can eat breakfasts and take-away dinners at "home."

Daquise Restaurant used to be our favorite (and affordable) Polish restaurant, but I see they've been bought out, and look considerable more upscale....

We know about Pret for sandwiches, etc at lunch. And I read somewhere about "The Real Greek."

I'd love to hear suggestions for good, budget dining options in London. As far as I know, all of us have relatively adventuresome appetites (my DH, in particular, likes Mediterranean and Asian foods).

Thanks!
annettetx

You could try:

Wagamama's - they are all over London http://www.wagamama.com/

Pubs are good places to go as well.

It really depends on the area you are in. Most, if not all, restaurants post their menus outside the door so you can check out the price ahead of going in.

Borough Market is a good place to grab a stand-up meal. There are lots of stands. I would go here on a Friday (its open Thurs - Sat) as Thurs some places arent open and Sat is ridiculously busy. Its good to pair with the Tower as its across Tower Bridge.

For Mediterranean food my favourite is Hummus Bros. Their slogan Give (chick) Peas a Chance is a perfect! Check the website for loactions

http://www.hbros.co.uk/

I second Wagamama's for noodles and for Indian food I love Masala Zone (they have an even cheaper early evening menu if you do decide to eat dinner out plus lunch is very cheap).
Several locations but we like the restaurant in Covent Garden.

http://www.masalazone.com/

oops, sorry loactions are locations!

You might like the imaginative modern Thai menu of Busaba Eathai at 106-110 Wardour in the Soho neighborhood. We had a delicious meal and TimeOut London rates it as a budget restaurant with excellent value. The food was delicious and the atmosphere fun. I think I had the chicken butternut squash stir fry. The huge table configuration is two people per side, a perfect size for your group of 8 . You can see the menu and additional locations at www.busaba.com Have a great trip. Deborah

Pubs normally are probably the best option for decent food at good prices, albeit there are significant differences in quality.
Not too far from Clerkenwell, on Liverpool Road in Islington, there is The Barnsbury that offers well above average food at good prices along with a good beer selection (from tap as well as bottled).
http://www.thebarnsbury.co.uk/

Of the cheap curry houses on Brick Lane I like Bengal Cuisine best. It's at the beginning of Brick Lane, close to the Aldgate East tube stop.
http://www.bengalcuisine.net/

If you crave a burger look into Byron and Gourmet Burger Kitchen, both with outfits all over town.
http://www.byronhamburgers.com/
http://www.gbk.co.uk/

And with regards to lunch options, I think Eat's soups are better than those from Pret.

The last few times in Britain we've eaten a lot of takeout, mostly from M&S, but also from supermarkets. M&S has a wide variety. This is a good way to save money, given that you have an apartment.

If you are interested in vegetarian food, look into Mildreds, 45 Lexington st. Soho.

I'm not a vegetarian but went to Mildred's with vegan daughter and it was great; also we like pubs for saving money and filling our tummy with non-beggie fare! And also we love Marks and Spencer and also Waitrose for take-away fare.

If you have a condo and want to eat takeaway meals, Marks and Spencer, Saintsburys and even Waitrose have excellent sections with delectable prepared foods from a variety of cuisines. I think London supermarkets have way better prepared foods than many US markets and I live in SF , land of great prepared meals....

Are you really on student budgets? If so:

1. Don't even think of eating in a pub. Or of eating fish & chips. And avoid eating immediately round Clerkenwell, which is probably the only tony neighbourhood where cheap food shops or cafes were almost entirely destroyed before it got trendy again.

2. Don't go anywhere near Waitrose or M&S. Or buy supermarket takeaway food. Sainsbury's, Chapel St Market, is your friend. You want real supermarkets (not their premium-priced ripoff variants with suffices like "Local"): Chapel St. N1 is your closest. Waitrose and M&S are at least 15% dearer than real, mainline Tesco (almost unfindable in central London) and Sainsbury

3. Avoid ALL the chains mentioned so far. For sandwiches, think Benjy's: certainly not Pret which makes its money by overcharging on spurious eco or ethical grounds. For ethnic restaurant food, don't touch any chain. The Vegetarian Bhelpoori House at 92 Chapel Market is just about London's cheapest good food joint, though it has a couple of nearby competitors. London is swarming with Chinese all you can eat places at about £5 (but watch the extras). There's no such thing as a cheap Thai (by no stretch of anyone's imagination can Busaba Eathai be call cheap)- but the Vietnamese restaurant cluster along Kingsland Rd, E2, is at least as good as the best Thai, and at most half the price. There are a couple of amazing lunchtime Indian bargains along Drummond St, by Euston station. And, if you google their "specials" timetable, Kitchin, by Kings Cross station, offers exceptional value

4. The Real Greek serves good food (or did at first, though some reviews have implied things have gone downhill since it became a chain). It absolutely isn't cheap. Jimmy's at 23 Frith St, Soho, belongs to a different gastronomic planet (1950s Cypriot before they discovered designer olive oil), but has beeen keeping London's student population stuffed for 50 years.

Ready made meals from any supermarket aren't a cheap way to eat....and although OK so much nicer & cheaper to make your own meals in an apartment.

Good budget Indian food can be found at the Indian YMCA on Fitzroy Square.

Here's a recent review...

http://www.thefirstpint.co.uk/2010/1...s-to-dhal-for/

I like Pizza Express, but Flanner forbid, it's a CHAIN!!!

You might check out toptable london. They offer lots of 50% and 2 for 1 menus at various restaurants around town. Also sign up for Groupon London, you can print coupons for very good deals. City eating is another booking site with good deals

http://www.toptable.com

http://www.city-eating.com/

http://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/london

Some of the suggestions here are NOT for people on a budget - Waitrose, M&S, Pret, Gourmet Burger Kitchen etc are all higher end.

Real budget eats - try to get away from the main tourist roads, just go a couple of streets away. Follow the flow of office workers at lunch time and you'll find the sandwich shops and cafes charging normal prices. Pubs may or may not be a bargain, use your heads and look at the menu. Wetherspoons pubs are usually good value (it's a chain) and there are a few nearish you. They have 'club' nights (curry club, steak club, other)that have additional deals.

We got several 50% off vouchers through a weekly e-mail I signed up for at:
http://www.vouchercodes.co.uk/

and a number of (chain) restaurants are included in the 2:1 (with a paper train ticket) program at
http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/attrac...ypes/food.aspx

We got several 50% off vouchers through a weekly e-mail I signed up for at:
http://www.vouchercodes.co.uk/

and a number of (chain) restaurants are included in the 2:1 (with a paper train ticket) program at
http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/attrac...ypes/food.aspx

We got several 50% off vouchers through a weekly e-mail I signed up for at:
http://www.vouchercodes.co.uk/

and a number of (chain) restaurants are included in the 2:1 (with a paper train ticket) program at
http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/attrac...ypes/food.aspx

We got several 50% off vouchers through a weekly e-mail I signed up for at:
http://www.vouchercodes.co.uk/

and a number of (chain) restaurants are included in the 2:1 (with a paper train ticket) program at
http://www.daysoutguide.co.uk/attrac...ypes/food.aspx