The Best Budget-Friendly Restaurants In London

Last year the guys from Fallow opened a casual chicken shop at St James’s Market. Fowl, just around the corner from the original restaurant, is a fun offshoot of the brand, offering unusual but delicious dishes made from every part of the chicken – feet and all. If you’re not feeling that adventurous, order the seasoned corn ribs (the best you’ll taste in the capital), and chicken wings and strips, drenched in either Szechuan honey, buffalo sauce or koji hot sauce. Fries, slaw and mac ’n’ cheese will complete the perfect soul food-inspired meal. 

Price: Six wings or four chicken strips for £12

3 Norris St, London SW1Y 4RJ

Visit FOWLRESTAURANT.COM

You’ve probably spotted Ria’s doing the rounds on social media with its tasty, square, deep-dish, Detroit-style pizzas. Since opening last year, it’s become a buzzy neighbourhood spot that’s perfect for a casual catch-up with friends at the weekend. The House Pie is a classic take on the margarita, though our favourite is the Pepperoni & Soppressata, featuring slow-cooked marinara sauce, a cheddar mix, parmesan and hot honey. Whether you’re eating by the slice or taking on a whole pie, you can pair your pizza with an array of dips, natural wines and cocktails.

Price: Slices from £5.50

29 All Saints Road, Notting Hill, W11 1HE

Visit RIAS.WORLD

Marugame Udon has udon bowls starting at just £3.45 and chicken katsu curry from £6.95. The menu features over 20 dishes with several options under £5, including udon bowls, tempura, omusubi rice balls, and desserts like dorayaki pancakes or unlimited soft-serve ice-cream. All Marugame’s udon noodles are made fresh in-house throughout the day. We order them ‘Kamaage’ style – straight from the pot with sweet and smoky BK fish dashi for dipping.

Price: Udon from £4.45

Locations in Bond Street, Bromley, Canary Wharf, Kensington, Liverpool Street, The O2, Oxford Circus & Waterloo

Visit MARUGAME.CO.UK

Inspired by 1960s Hong Kong, Bun House recalls the era’s tea house street stalls. Steamed bao buns are the stars of the menu, with pig, lamb, chicken, fish and veggie options, as well as an interesting collection of pickles – think daikon, jicama, blue garlic and seasonal choy – and small dishes including chilli tripe, lotus root crisp and wood ear salad.

Price: Bao buns start at £3.80

26-27 Lisle Street, Chinatown, WC2H 7BA

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Middle Eastern restaurant chain Miznon has sites around the world, including two in London. Each restaurant has been designed with rustic interiors and its signature green tiles. Founded by celebrity chef Eyal Shani, hit dishes include its well-loved whole roasted cauliflower; a seasoned lamb kebab filled with grilled tomato, onions, tahini and pickles; and the ‘Minute Steak Plate’, which is served with tahini, salsa and tomatoes. When it comes to drinks, Miznon serves four homemade bottled cocktails, giving customers the option to pimp them with either Gin Miznon – which has notes of sage, juniper, coriander, liquorice, angelica, sumac and pistachio – or sage-infused Miznon Vodka. 

Price: Dishes from £5

8 Broadwick Street, Soho W1F 8HW & 14 Elgin Crescent, Notting Hill, W11 2HX

Visit MIZNON.CO.UK

With born-and-bred East End proprietor Pat ‘Pop’ Newland at the helm, Poppies is rightly renowned for its authentic fish and chips. Pop’s career in the fish and chip business started in 1952 when, aged 11, he got a job on Roman Road cutting up copies of the Daily Mirror to wrap fish and chips in. Today, Poppies is also defined by its in-house fishmonger, Salih, who prepares all the fish on site and continues to command the fleet in the engine room below its Soho shop. Kids can get in on the action via the £8.95 children’s menu, which includes cod bites, sausage or fishcake, all served with chips, while adults should opt for the traditional haddock and chips with mushy peas and tartare sauce.

Price: Mains from £9.90

Locations in Soho, Spitalfields, Camden & Notting Hill

Visit POPPIESFISHANDCHIPS.CO.UK

At locations across London – including a slick new restaurant in the City with a cool ‘karaoke TV’ experience – steamed bun experts Bao make some of the best in the capital. There’s often a queue outside, so be prepared to wait, but once you’re in, count on its signature Taiwanese buns stuffed with the likes of tender pork belly with peanut powder and pickled lettuce; soy milk marinated fried chicken with kimchi and Sichuan mayo; and lamb shoulder with coriander sauce, garlic mayo and soy pickled chili. Save room for something sweet – there’s a fried Horlicks ice cream bao on the menu that’s definitely worth trying.

Price: Dishes from £4.75

Locations in Borough, Battersea, Marylebone, King’s Cross, Shoreditch, Soho & the City

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Berber & Q Shawarma Bar opened in Exmouth Market in 2016, specialising in rotisserie Middle Eastern meats slow cooked over charcoal and wood. Taking inspiration from the café culture of Tel Aviv, this restaurant from the team behind Haggerston’s Berber & Q features the same bold flavours and must-try meat dishes. We like to order cauliflower shawarma with zhug, pomegranate and tehina in pita followed by the Turkish coffee ice cream, chocolate sauce and tahini crumb.

Price: Mains from £10

46 Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell, EC1R 4QE 

Visit SHAWARMABAR.CO.UK

For something quick and satisfying, you’ll be hard pushed to beat Pizza Pilgrims, with its heavy hit of Napoli-inspired street food and cocktails. Here the pizzas are soft and chewy, with thick bases and on-trend toppings – think ’nduja, salsiccia and smoked chilli jam mascarpone. The calzone with Napoli salami, ricotta and mushroom, topped with tomato, fior di latte and parmesan, is a must-order. With 19 sites in London – including new spots in Chelsea and Euston – there’s bound to be a restaurant wherever you are.

Price: Pizzas from £10.95

19 locations across London

Visit PIZZAPILGRIMS.CO.UK

With its loud, party atmosphere, you could quite easily forget you’re in a grungy fried chicken shop. That is, until a towering buttermilk fried chicken burger is placed in front of you, stacked with crunchy slaw, sweet pickles and tangy gochujang mayo. Chick ’n’ Sours dishes come with a spicy Korean twist, and there’s a large selection of cocktails. Dangerously good, and it won’t cost you much more than a tenner for one of the best chicken burgers you’ve ever tasted.

Price: Mains from £8

1A Earlham Street, Covent Garden, WC2H 9LL & 390 Kingsland Road, Dalston, E8 4AA

Visit CHICKNSOURS.CO.UK

Roti King serves up authentic Malaysian dishes. Hidden away in a basement around the corner from Euston station, the original restaurant is small and simple, and features an open kitchen where guests can watch roti (Malaysian flatbread) being made on the spot. Given its name and reputation, the roti is a must order – we like the chicken murtabak with minced chicken and egg filling, which comes with dahl. In recent years, three new sites have sprung up, including one at the Battersea Power Station development.

Price: Roti from £4

Locations in Euston, Spitalfields, Battersea & Waterloo

Visit ROTIKING.COM

If you’re after somewhere cheap and cheerful for steak night, Flat Iron is your best bet. While the menu is small and prices pleasing, you’ll be guaranteed good-quality cuts of meat, cooked to perfection. The sides are great too: think dripping-cooked chips, creamed spinach and crispy bone marrow garlic mash.

Price: Steak with salad costs £14

13 locations across London

Visit FLATIRONSTEAK.CO.UK

Bánh Bánh serves a range of Vietnamese favourites, from BBQ beef in betel leaves to sticky chicken wings and bánh khot pancakes (mini turmeric and coconut pancakes with tiger prawns and shrimp), all inspired by the owners’ grandmother’s recipe book from when she worked as a chef in Saigon in the 1940s. Its menu has a strong Viet/French influence and a wide selection of vegan dishes. Standout plates include the eggs bò né, a classic Vietnamese version of steak and eggs with beef steak, pâté, grilled tomato and a fried egg, served with a warm baguette. Little Bánh Bánh is also worth knowing about on Fleet Street.

Price: Small dishes from £8

326 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, SW9 8QH & 46 Peckham Rye, Peckham, SE15 4JR

Visit BANHBANH.COM

Much-loved Soho pasta joint Lina Stores now has eight sites in places like Clapham Old Town, Shoreditch and South Ken. Within a Victorian transit shed behind Granary Square, the King’s Cross location is bedecked in the deli’s signature green and white stripes, and stocked with the best Italian pantry essentials to eat in or take away. Diners can enjoy the theatre of the open kitchen while they wait for dishes such as black truffle tagliolini and pappardelle with beef shin ragu and horseradish gremolata. A pared-back selection of secondi includes ‘overnight’ beef cheeks. 

Price: Pasta from £8

Locations in Soho (x2), King’s Cross, the City, Marylebone, Clapham, South Kensington & Shoreditch

Visit LINASTORES.CO.UK

Momos are one of Nepal’s tastiest dishes. The small, steamed dumplings are designed for feasting, and Eat Momo at Borough Yards serves portions of five or ten with a tomato achar and chilli sauce. Diners can also watch the team hand make them from scratch behind the counter. Current fillings include pork, ginger and onion; chicken mince with garam masala and coriander leaves; white cabbage and soya; and seasonal greens, carrot and paneer. After you’ve filled your boots, treat yourself to a Happy Endings ice-cream sandwich. 

Price: 5 momos for £7

Arch 229, 1 Bank End, Borough Yards, SE1 9FJ

Visit EATMOMO.UK

Every good night ends with a trip to the local takeaway. But in Chinatown, forget kebabs: it’s all about midnight dumplings. True to its name, Dumplings’ Legend is the only place for a late-night fix. Open until 2:30am on a weekend, it has an extensive menu of steamed delights, including its signature xiao long bao (steamed pork dumplings). 

Price: Six-dish set menu from £17.50pp

15-16 Gerrard Street, Chinatown, W1D 6JE

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This chain of pizza restaurants started as a pop-up in Neal’s Yard and now has permanent venues around town. It’s noisy, informal and wouldn’t look out of place on a street corner in Brooklyn. If you’re going for a whole pizza, go 50/50: one half with fresh, garlicky courgette and artichoke; on the other, the rich, flavourful Neal’s Yard Dairy four cheese, jalapeno salsa and rye crumb.

Price: Pizza slices from £5

Locations in the City, Covent Garden & Marylebone

Visit HOMESLICEPIZZA.CO.UK

Frequently touted as making the best burger in London, Bleecker started as a street food operation, but now has five permanent sites, as well as delivery-only locations in Battersea and Maida Vale. We’d keep things classic with one of its straight-up cheeseburgers – if you’re hungry, add the Angry Fries topped with hot sauce and blue cheese sauce. 

Price: Burgers from £8.95

Locations at London Bridge, Spitalfields, Victoria, Westfield & Bloomberg Arcade

Visit BLEECKER.CO.UK