mkingdom- Now I will have to pay closer attention as I'm leaving for London in 2 days. I thought the little bottles of wine were cheaper. I know I paid <£1 for crisps at both the V&A and the Tower. I should really keep a journal.

Okay, I’m sure this will be met with some derision, BUT, walk out of the Earl’s Court Tube station, turn left, a block or two, Star Kebabs…delicious and filling for a couple of quid…try a “spicy” one, but remember, this is not Mexican “hot” this is Middle Eastern hot and it’s a whole, ‘nother smoke…kebab shops catch a lot of flak, but they are generally very small and the food is fixed before your eyes, you should be able to assess the cleanliness factor by just looking around you…also watch for the busiest places…I’m certainly not saying that they serve “health food,” but flat bread, reasonably lean “grilled meat,” and garden veggies, hey, you can do a LOT worse…

Ahhh--London in May--I'm envious! Call me crazy but I love 'pub grub'. Some of my best meals have been in pubs. There is a book called 'The Good Pub Guide" edited by Alisdair Aird that is VERY good. They claim to be 'unbiased, incisive, and dependable' and I have found that to be true in every case--they never led me astray. Haven't checked recently but perhaps on-line you can find a recent copy. Harrods food hall is, as someone mentioned, excellent. I have found that generally, restaurant food is not too great, unless of the very pricey variety. Good luck and let me know if you find any great London pubs.
BMK

<< . . . the restaurant does exist and is 10 minute or so from Leicester Square. The late great Warren Zevon:

"He was looking for a place called Lee Ho Fook's" >>

I had lunch at Lee Ho Fook's. Good food and reasonably priced. There was even an article about Warren Zevon in the window.

Woody

Wow. I can't believe some of the responses here! It's like viewing opinions of London food in the 1980's! Bearing in mind that things change, and we now have more Michelin Starred Restaurants than anywhere in the world.

And I tend not to spend more than £8 ($15) on eating out. But to go to Pizza Hut or Unlucky Fried Kitten seems absurd - why travel that far to eat that? Anyway, my recommendations:

Brick Lane - a string of great Indian (actually Bangladeshi) restaurants - and very, very cheap. In fact, Indian restaurants are always a great fallback for cheap food.

If you really want a burger, try Hache in Camden, or the Gourmet Burger Restaurants that are everywhere.

Wagamamas are great, healthy, cheap food.

Re: Fish & Chips and pub food. Avoid Wetherspoons. Avoid tourist pubs. Get out of the tourist trap areas if you want good value food. Look around - how many Londoners are actually eating in these places? Most tourists get ripped off with substandard, expensive food because they won't go further away than Leicester square.

As for Chinatown, the inhouse tip if Wong Keys. Famous for great food, massive portions, and the rudest staff in town. You'll feel right at home!

CRP3,

Just got back from London a couple of weeks ago....try Belgo Centraal in Covent Garden on Earlham Street. Great place to go if you are heading to the theater at night. It's a lively place with lots of atmosphere with great food. They have a "beat the clock" special from 5pm - 6:30pm -- whatever time you order...that's the price you pay. We had the poulet champignon (roast chicken with mushroom sauce) and it was incredible!

If you are looking for a place in Chinatown, I second Sam Bee's Wong Kei recommendation! Yes, the staff is a bit "standoffish." But the sweet and sour pork is actually really good!!! I've also never seen a bigger bowl of Won Ton soup in my life.

Bookmarking for June trip-thanks, all, for the budget dining suggestions!

This will be of great help when I am in London with my 21 yr. old son in May . Thanks for the tips.