17 Affordable Eats in London That Are Actually Worth Your Money
London can be expensive.
Very expensive.
You can sit down for a completely ordinary lunch, order a main course and a drink, and somehow walk out wondering where £30 went.
But here's the thing about London that doesn't get talked about enough:
You don't have to spend a fortune to eat well here.
The city has an enormous food scene, and some of its best-value meals come from places serving food from all over the world.
You can have Malaysian roti in Euston, a salt beef beigel on Brick Lane, Palestinian food in Fitzrovia, Indian street food near Leicester Square or a plate of fresh pasta around Borough Market — without turning lunch into a luxury purchase.
That's why I prefer the phrase “affordable eats” over “cheap eats”.
Cheap can mean the absolute lowest price.
Affordable means:
“This is good food, and I don't feel ripped off after paying for it.”
For this guide, I've focused on places where you can generally build a satisfying meal for around £5–£20, depending on what you order. Prices can change, so always check the current menu before visiting.
And this isn't a list of London's cheapest food.
It's a list of places where your money can actually get you something worthwhile.
1. Roti King - Malaysian comfort food
Roti King
📍 Euston and other London locations
Many dishes around £10–£15
Best for: Lunch or dinner
If you're looking for an affordable meal in London that feels much more exciting than a sandwich, start with Roti King.
The speciality is Malaysian and Singaporean-style food, particularly its flaky roti canai served with curry.
The roti is crisp on the outside, soft inside and perfect for dipping into a rich curry.
And the current pricing makes it a particularly strong value option for central London. Recent 2026 budget-food coverage continues to put Roti King among London's standout affordable meals.
It's also a good introduction to Malaysian food if you've never tried it.
Order: Roti canai with chicken curry or dhal.
Why it's worth it: Properly filling food without the typical central-London restaurant bill.
2. Beigel Bake - Brick Lane's legendary beigels
Beigel Bake
📍 159 Brick Lane
Generally one of the cheapest proper food stops on this list
Best for: Breakfast, lunch, late-night food or a snack
You can't really write about affordable London food without mentioning Beigel Bake.
The Brick Lane institution has been around since 1974 and operates 24 hours a day.
Its famous order is the:
Salt beef beigel with mustard and pickle.
It's simple.
It's filling.
It's iconic.
And because the shop operates around the clock, it's equally useful at breakfast, lunchtime or after a night out.
If you're exploring Brick Lane, Spitalfields and Shoreditch, this is one of the easiest affordable food stops to add to your day.
Order: Salt beef beigel.
Why it's worth it: You get a genuine piece of London's food history without spending restaurant money.
3. Indian YMCA - One of London's best-value Indian meals
📍 Fitzroy Square
Budget-friendly breakfast and lunch
Best for: Breakfast or lunch
This is one of the more unusual recommendations on the list.
The Indian YMCA in Fitzroy Square has a restaurant/canteen that is open to visitors, not just residents.
And it has become known among budget-conscious London food lovers for serving straightforward Indian meals at prices considerably lower than many central restaurants.
Recent 2026 budget-food coverage lists breakfast at around £8.50, with weekday lunch specials around £8.99, although you should check the current day's menu before travelling.
The menu changes, which is part of the appeal.
You might find dishes such as:
pav bhaji
puri with chickpea masala
dosa
vada
and other Indian favourites.
It's not trying to be a trendy restaurant.
That's exactly why it works.
Why it's worth it: Authentic-feeling, filling Indian food at genuinely budget-friendly prices.
4. Padella - Fresh pasta without the fine-dining price
Padella Borough Market
📍 Borough Market and other locations
Many pasta dishes in the low-to-mid teens
Best for: Lunch or early dinner
Fresh handmade pasta can get expensive very quickly.
Padella is one of the places that proves it doesn't have to.
Its menu focuses on freshly made pasta, with dishes ranging from simple classics to richer sauces and seasonal combinations.
The point isn't that Padella is the cheapest restaurant in London.
It isn't.
It's that the quality-to-price ratio is strong.
You can sit down and have a bowl of properly made fresh pasta without needing to spend £30–£40 on the meal.
The Borough Market location is especially convenient if you're already exploring:
Borough Market
London Bridge
Southwark or the Thames.
Order: Pici cacio e pepe if available.
Why it's worth it: Restaurant-quality fresh pasta at a relatively accessible price.
5. Sud Italia - £5 pizza in Spitalfields
📍 Spitalfields Market
Around £5 for its famous wallet-style pizza
Best for: Quick lunch
Here's one for anyone who wants to eat in London for very little.
Sud Italia serves Neapolitan-style pizza from its distinctive blue food van around Spitalfields Market.
Its famous pizza portafoglio, or “wallet pizza”, is a folded Margherita designed to be eaten on the move.
Recent 2026 budget-food coverage lists it at around £5, making it one of the strongest genuine bargains in central London.
It's particularly useful if you're exploring:
Brick Lane
Spitalfields
Shoreditch or Liverpool Street.
Order: Pizza portafoglio.
Why it's worth it: A proper Neapolitan-style pizza experience for roughly the price of a coffee and pastry elsewhere.
6. Hiba Street Food - Palestinian food in Fitzrovia
Hiba Street Food
📍 10 Tottenham Street, Fitzrovia
Around £10–£20
Best for: Lunch or dinner
London's international food scene is one of the city's biggest strengths.
Hiba Street Food is a great example.
The restaurant focuses on Palestinian food, with dishes built around grilled meats, falafel, hummus, flatbreads and other Middle Eastern flavours.
The current business listing places it in the £10–£20 range, making it a useful option when you're around Fitzrovia.
It's the sort of meal where you can order something filling without having to enter the £25+ central-London restaurant territory.
Order: Falafel, hummus or a mixed grill depending on your appetite.
Why it's worth it: Generous Middle Eastern flavours at a reasonable central-London price.
7. Hungama Indian Street Food - Leicester Square
Hungama Indian Street Food
📍 21 Charing Cross Road
Around £10–£20
Best for: Lunch or dinner
Being near Leicester Square usually means one thing:
tourist prices.
But Hungama Indian Street Food gives you another option.
It's right in the West End and focuses on Indian street-food-inspired dishes rather than traditional formal dining.
The current listing places it around £10–£20, and it is particularly useful if you're already exploring:
Leicester Square
Covent Garden
Soho
Chinatown or Trafalgar Square.
You don't need to travel across London just to find an affordable meal.
Why it's worth it: Convenient central location + Indian street food + reasonable price range.
8. Bun House - Chinatown's steamed buns
📍 Chinatown
Good for a relatively inexpensive snack or small meal
Best for: Lunch or a quick bite
Sometimes you don't need a huge plate of food.
You just want something delicious.
That's where Bun House comes in.
The Chinatown favourite specialises in Cantonese-style steamed buns, including its famous bao.
It's particularly useful when you're exploring the West End because you can combine it with:
Chinatown
Soho
Leicester Square
Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden.
It's also a good place to visit with friends because you can order several things and share.
Why it's worth it: Small portions make it easy to eat well without committing to a full expensive meal.
9. Magic Falafel - Camden Lock
Magic Falafel
📍 Camden Lock Market
Around £10–£20
Best for: Lunch
Camden Market is full of food.
And that's both the fun and the problem.
You can walk around for ten minutes and find yourself surrounded by burgers, noodles, tacos, pizza and every possible kind of street food.
Magic Falafel gives you a straightforward option if you're looking for something lighter and relatively affordable.
Falafel, wraps and Middle Eastern flavours make it a particularly good choice for a quick lunch.
The current business listing puts it around £10–£20.
Why it's worth it: Easy, filling and vegetarian-friendly food while exploring Camden.
10. Murger HanHan - Xi'an food in Mayfair
📍 Mayfair
Many dishes around the low-to-mid teens
Best for: Lunch or dinner
Here's something that makes the article more interesting.
You can eat Xi'an cuisine in Mayfair without spending Mayfair-level money.
Murger HanHan specialises in food from China's Shaanxi/Xi'an region, including:
biangbiang noodles, liangpi and roujiamo sometimes described as a Chinese-style meat-filled flatbread.
Recent 2026 budget-food coverage highlights its biangbiang noodles at around £10.80, while its set options are higher.
If you've already eaten your way through Chinatown, this is a great way to try something different.
Why it's worth it: Interesting regional Chinese food in one of London's most expensive neighbourhoods without matching the area's typical prices.
11. Bunsik - Korean street food for under £10
Bunsik Leicester Square
📍 62 Charing Cross Road
Currently listed in the £1–£10 range
Best for: Quick lunch or snack
If you've never tried Korean street food, Bunsik is an easy introduction.
The Leicester Square branch serves things such as:
Korean corn dogs
tteokbokki
and other casual Korean street-food dishes.
The current business listing puts the restaurant in the £1–£10 price category, making it one of the strongest options here if you're looking for genuinely low-cost food in central London.
And you're right in the middle of the West End.
Why it's worth it: Korean street food + central location + genuinely budget-friendly pricing.
12. Chill Since '93 - Affordable pizza in Covent Garden
Chill Since '93 - Covent Garden
📍 10 New Row, Covent Garden
Around £10–£20
Best for: Lunch or casual dinner
Covent Garden isn't exactly the first place that comes to mind when you hear “affordable”.
But Chill Since '93 is a useful exception.
The current business listing places it around £10–£20, with pizza at the centre of the menu.
And the location makes it particularly useful for visitors.
You can eat here before or after:
Covent Garden Market
The Royal Opera House
Leicester Square
West End theatres or Trafalgar Square.
Why it's worth it: You don't have to leave central London to find a relatively affordable pizza meal.
13. E. Pellicci - Breakfast inside a piece of London history
E Pellicci
📍 332 Bethnal Green Road
Generally around £10–£20
Best for: Breakfast or brunch
This isn't just a place to eat.
It's somewhere you go for the experience.
E. Pellicci has been part of Bethnal Green since 1900, and its famous Art Deco interior has become one of the area's most recognisable sights.
The café serves a mixture of British and Italian-influenced food and remains a great place for breakfast or brunch.
Visit London continues to highlight it as an affordable food option.
You can have breakfast surrounded by more than a century of East London history.
Why it's worth it: The food is only half the experience. The café itself is the reason to visit.
14. Daawat - Pakistani food in Tooting
📍 Tooting
Around £7–£15 for many dishes
Best for: Lunch or dinner
If you're willing to leave central London, your food budget can stretch considerably further.
Tooting is one of the best neighbourhoods in London for South Asian food, and Daawat is one of the affordable options worth knowing.
Recent 2026 budget-food coverage highlights dishes including chicken curry around £10 and a vegetarian thali around £7.
This is exactly why I wouldn't recommend spending your entire London trip around Zone 1.
Sometimes the best food requires getting on the Tube and exploring another neighbourhood.
Why it's worth it: Great value + a chance to explore one of London's famous food neighbourhoods.
15. Arments Pie & Mash - London's original fast food
📍 Bermondsey
Budget-friendly traditional London meal
Best for: Lunch
If you want something that is actually London, rather than simply food you can find in London, try pie and mash.
Arments in Bermondsey is one of the surviving traditional pie-and-mash shops in the city.
Pie, mash and liquor were once one of London's original working-class fast foods.
Today, the tradition is much harder to find.
That's why places like Arments are worth seeking out.
You aren't just having lunch.
You're trying a piece of London's food history.
Recent 2026 budget-food coverage continues to highlight Arments as one of the city's traditional affordable food institutions.
Why it's worth it: Cheap, filling and unmistakably London.
16. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese - Affordable food in a historic pub
📍 Fleet Street
Varies by dish
Best for: Lunch or early dinner
You can combine affordable food with a genuinely historic London experience here.
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese was rebuilt after the Great Fire of London in 1666, and the current pub retains the dark, maze-like atmosphere people associate with old London pubs.
It's also associated with literary figures including Charles Dickens.
Recent 2026 budget-food coverage includes it as a worthwhile affordable food stop because you're getting both food and a historic London setting in one experience.
It's particularly good if you're exploring:
Fleet Street
St Paul's
Holborn or the City.
Why it's worth it: You get history with your lunch.
17. Flat Iron - When you want steak without the steakhouse bill
Flat Iron Soho
📍 Multiple London locations
Signature steak around the mid-teens; sides extra
Best for: Dinner
And finally:
steak.
Because “affordable food” doesn't have to mean noodles, sandwiches and street food.
Flat Iron became popular precisely because it offered a more accessible way to eat steak in London.
Its signature steak is priced far below what you'd normally expect from a dedicated steakhouse, although you need to remember that sides and drinks are additional.
And that's an important distinction.
This isn't a £15 three-course steak dinner.
It's:
“I want steak, but I don't want to spend £50+ just because I ordered one.”
Recent London food discussions still regularly bring up Flat Iron when people talk about value, although opinions on the steak itself are mixed which is a useful reminder that “popular” doesn't automatically mean “best.”
Why it's worth it: One of the more accessible ways to have a proper steak meal in central London.
The best affordable food in London isn't necessarily the cheapest
That's the biggest lesson here.
A £5 meal that leaves you hungry isn't necessarily better value than a £13 meal that genuinely fills you up.
And a £10 meal in a boring location isn't necessarily better than a £15 meal that lets you experience something unique about London.
Value is about what you get for your money.
That's why this list includes everything from:
£5 pizza
to
£15 steak
to
historic cafés
to
Malaysian roti
to
Indian thalis
to
salt beef beigels.
London's food scene is so diverse that you don't need to eat expensively to eat well.
You just need to know where to look.
London can be expensive. Your food doesn't have to be.
That's probably the best way to think about eating here.
You can spend £50 on dinner.
You can also spend £10.
Both can be good meals.
The difference is knowing where to go.
So next time someone tells you:
“London is too expensive for food.”
Tell them they're only looking in the wrong places.
Because somewhere in the city, someone is making a flaky roti.
Someone is folding a £5 pizza.
Someone is pulling a fresh beigel from the oven.
Someone is serving a £7 thali.
And someone is putting a steak on your plate for considerably less than you'd expect.
That's the London food scene worth discovering.
Discover more London food guides, restaurants and local recommendations on LondonYaar.com.
Follow @rohan.londonyaar for more London food, travel and things to do.