Tips for eating cheaply in London?

[JacknDiane]

We are visiting next month and im looking for ways to eat within a tight budget. Just dh one dc (teenager) and myself. No allergies or particular needs. Love pub grub and Italian. Would like a sit in meal at night.
We haven't got a particular agenda, just planning on going with the flow.
Any ideas appreciated. We are in a hotel without breakfast so can't sneak the croissants!

You never go to London for a weekend break do you? 😂

Fifty a head is the average price now for a meal out in London for dinner and a couple of drinks. This is the same price for dinner AND a fun bonding activity that teaches new skills. Value for money.

And if you’re being a twat because it supports refugees, fuck off.

Agree with flat iron, great value and loved the free ice cream cone to take away for pudding!

Flat Iron isn’t mega cheap although it’s good value for a steak and you get the free ice cream.

I would see cheap eats as £10 a head or less.

Try padella in borough market - you get a really decent size and very tasty pasta dish for just over a tenner, free sparking water and you can have a wander round borough market while you wait for your table to be ready and snaffle some free samples as your starter! Agree on pizza union, it’s brill, and for a super cheap super good curry, go to the Indian YMCA between 5 and 8pm and eat in the canteen there - a really good experience and mega cheap as chips for a delicious meal.

Yes I’m aware of what London costs given I live there. OP specifically asked for budget recommendations. Not average price for London recommendations.

And of course I’m not being a twat because it supports refugees - it sounds interesting as it happens and I’ve bookmarked it for future reference.

15% off for Blue Light Card holder in Hard Rock Cafe. But make sure service charge is removed as its automatically added to your bill!
A main and a drink for about £25 pp.

Marie’s Cafe, 90 Lower Marsh. Between Waterloo and IWM (if you are visiting either). It’s a cheap but good cafe for English Breakfast and Thai food. Bit of a local institution for bad decor but great cheap food

Just pop into a supermarket and buy a pack of croissants or instant porridge for breakfast. Or M&S do a coffee and pastry for £3.50, so you basically get a free pastry with your latte.

Meal deal for lunch - if that’s more than you eat for lunch, hang onto the crisps/snack for later.

Takeaways will generally be cheaper for dinner, not least because the portions are usually big enough to share, but there are plenty of pub options in central London (too many to list).

Suppose that depends what your budget is. OP wants to sit in somewhere , you’re gonna struggle to do that for a tenner in London unless you go fastfood. OP said they like pasta and pub food which to me implies they’re looking for good value restaurant not necessarily the cheapest place to eat.
Personally when I go to London and I’m on a budget take breakfast with me to hotel (add water porridge pot or pastry) to have with coffee in hotel room, get a supermarket meal deal and eat outdoors at lunch, then spend my money on something like flat iron in evening, about £25 for a steak, side, soft drink and ice cream, feels like good value to me.

I came on to give the Hare and Tortoise a mention!
Also concur re: Borough Market - plenty of food stands and excellent value

Also breakfast at The Ivy is very reasonable - £14.95 for eggs Benedict, includes a coffee. Beautifully decorated restaurant, lovely service, lovely loos.

In Starbucks a latte and premade breakfast sandwich is £10.70, the table is often dirty and the loos disgusting.

Spend an extra £4.25 that’s all and so much more memorable.

Then have a Greggs takeout for lunch and eat it in a park. Or London is filled with lovely little green spots or nice bench areas where you can eat a sandwich (or Greggs pastry) in peace.

Download the Fork app - up to 50% off at loads of restaurants

@purser25
I remember the Stockpot ( and The Chelsea Kitchen ) - many years ago :)

I googled the Indian ymca but I can't see what you are referring too, the only think I saw was a buffet for £17?

and the garlic mash! Went to the Victoria one this weekend and it was lovely.

https://indianymca.co.uk/menu-details/weekday-lunch

Lunch menu dishes individually priced.

Here’s the sample menu

If I want cheap & cheerful in central London I sometimes head to the Ecco Pizza cafe at the top end of Drury Lane, near the Covent Garden Travel Lodge.

Open all day & if you buy a breakfast coffee you get a free croissant to go with it. Tasty pizzas at very reasonable prices to eat in or take out.

Loved the soup and bread in all pubs I ate at in UK.
Loved the bread and local cheese and made my own lunch.

I came on here to say the fork app. 50% off atm. Select offers in the drop down menu to see the 50% deals.

BYOB places on Brick Lane?

Perhaps obvious but do not understand any circumstances eat in a pub near a tourist attraction unless you like forking out £22 for crap fish and chips or burger. Not sure where you are staying but Chinatown always has some very good value set menus. Edgware Road has some cracking Iranian/ Lebanese food places.

@MalewhoisLaffinalltheway they got a large fine for hygiene breeches ,mice dropping , food handling and so on

I came back to this thread to mention Ecco. Open 24hrs - a long standing family business, a few tatty booths cafe style (clean and great service) but the most magnificent quality pizza with very generous toppings - also serve beer and wine. Not sure if you can get any better value for money in central London.