Guide to affordable lunch in London

Pie and mash is an integral part of the history of London's food scene and has been a traditional city meal since the 1800s, back when the Thames was full of eels which were ideal for filling pies with. It's most popular in the East End, and G Kelly on Roman Road has been a long-standing favourite, serving pie, mash, liquor and jellied eels since the 1920s. You can pick up a home-baked beef pie doused in liquor sauce with a mountain of mash for less than a tenner, best enjoyed in their traditional white-tiled restaurant. A top tip: try their apple crumble for afters, it's delicious.

Troy Bar on Hoxton Street serves a simple lunch menu of Caribbean classics in a grab-and-go setting; you can sit in but don't expect anything fancy. Choose a portion of jerk chicken, fish, curry goat, or curry chicken served with seasoned rice and peas, sweet plantain and coleslaw sauce or curry sauce for under a tenner. This community bar also hosts open-mic nights and soul and jazz-funk jam sessions throughout the week, so be sure to swing by for one of those another time.

The history of Borough Market goes back more than 1,000 years ago when locals started trading everything from fish, vegetables and meat to livestock. These days, it's a foodie's paradise, comprising over 100 stalls of vendors selling everything from fresh produce to street food. You can enjoy a delicious lunch for under £10 here, from fluffy bao buns to award-winning doughnuts.

From the outside, this spot looks like your average newsagent, stocking all of the essentials. But they've got a tasty lunchtime secret that only a handful know about. Every day during the week, they bring their delicious homemade curries into the shop to serve to hungry customers. The curries are authentic and mouthwateringly tasty, coming as a box of three small curries served with rice and popadoms with the option to add a giant onion bhaji if you’re feeling extra hungry. Be prepared to queue - it's cheap, and although it's under the radar still, local workers certainly know about it. 

When Maison Bab first opened, they reinvented the traditional kebab, zhuzh-ing it up and moving away from the fast food-style kebabs we all know and love all over the UK. They have a core offering of a handful of kebabs, including a 15hr slow-cooked pork shwarma with pickled cucumber, spicy aubergine and peanut pesto, all snugly wrapped in a freshly baked, fluffy flatbread. They also serve side dishes, like chipotle tahini broccoli and meat butter naan. You can enjoy a meal for under fifteen pounds here, and we think that’s pretty good for the best kebab of your life.

When you've been to Padella once, there's no looking back; it's hook, line and sinker from there on out. It ticks the essential boxes for an all-round excellent place to dine: it's stylish, utterly delicious and won't burn a hole in your pocket. Their pici cacio e pepe is a firm favourite, but they always have various pasta dishes to choose from, like the pumpkin, ricotta and sage butter and slow-cooked beef ragu. Inside it's casual, with standard seating and at-counter seating that offers a glimpse at the chef's hand-crafting your pasta from scratch. A group of you could order everything on the menu and come away feeling like you haven't spent your life's savings on one meal.

You can basically eat your way around the world at White Cross Market without having to leave Old Street. This vibrant street food market is another best-kept secret in East London, aptly nicknamed Bite Cross Market. Vendors serve their tasty dishes for an extremely reasonable price, from homemade curries and hand-baked pies to kebab wraps and Brazillian street snacks.

Hear us out; yes, it’s alarming when you see that a restaurant serves more than one cuisine, especially when they're as different as Thai and traditional English breakfast. But these guys know how to do both of them well. In the morning, you can feast on a proper Full English, and then come afternoon, you can enjoy authentic Thai fare, like stir-fries, noodles and other classics. It’s definitely no-frills, and admittedly it isn’t much to marvel at, but the staff are friendly, the prices are low, and the food is always delicious.

This Malaysian mini-chain excels at delicious, authentic roti canai; they may as well have a degree in it. Soft, flaky, buttery, elastic-y flatbreads served with a warm bowl of hearty curry. There’s an entire section of the menu dedicated solely to roti, and rightfully so, it’s utterly delicious. You can eat a full meal for less than ten pounds here and come away suitably full. Though we wouldn’t blame you if you inhaled one and immediately went back for a second round.

Any Londoner will tell you that Pizza Union is the place to go for excellent pizza for less than a tenner. They're reinventing fast food, proving that high-quality ingredients can be used to craft something delicious that won’t break the bank. The basic margarita will cost you less than a fiver, and all of the pizzas are fired the Italian way in a wood oven resulting in a crispy base that won't leave you needing to undo every button on your jeans. It’s fast, cheap and delicious, and branches are dotted around the city.

Xi'an Impression will certainly leave an impression on you, thanks to its assortment of delicious Chinese dishes. At this tiny restaurant, they serve affordable Shan Xi street food in an unassuming eatery just a few minutes' walk from the Emirates Stadium. Dine on dishes from Xi’an City in the Shan Xi Province, like the Xi’an beef burger with special sauce and sweet potato noodles in hot sour soup. You’ll come away full and with some leftover pennies to spend on something sweet.

Violet, nicknamed the ‘Queen of Soho’, was a long-standing Soho resident born in 1927. Everyone knew her, and when she sadly passed away in 2020, the streets outside Violet’s Bar were flooded with people paying their respects. The bar is an ode to Violet, with a food and cocktail menu crafted under Violet’s watchful eye. They serve a menu of Mediterranean street food and tasty drinks, with a lunchtime gozleme counter out front. It’s fair to say Violet’s legacy lives on through the legendary Soho spot.

Bancone is just another restaurant to add to your never-ending list of pasts spots to visit in London. There's a reason it's nabbed a Michelin Bib Gourmand award; it's simple, delicious and cheap. They offer a short menu of handmade pasta, with dishes that have earned them a loyal following amongst London's carb enthusiasts. The silk handkerchiefs are the stuff of dreams, thin sheets of pasta slathered in egg yolk and nutty walnut butter.

Zia Lucia restaurants are located all over the city, serving some of London's best pizzas. They cater for different eaters, with a range of bases to choose from, including traditional, gluten free, charcoal, and wholemeal. Pick your base then choose your pizza; they have everything from 'nduja and burrata to classic margaritas. The best bit? It won't make a big dent in your wallet.

Ma Petite Jamaica is London’s first Caribbean diner, bringing classic island flavours to the colourful streets of Camden. Ackee and saltfish, curry goat and jerk chicken are just a few things you can expect to see on the menu. It’s cheap, cheerful and delicious.

Take a trip to Lebanon via your tastebuds at Yalla Yalla, a vibrant restaurant serving Middle-Eastern family recipes in an atmospheric setting. Enjoy traditional grilled meat dishes and Lebanese-style burgers, or opt for a mezze-sharing platter, all best washed down with a Beirut-inspired cocktail.

Liu Xiaomian is definitely Marylebone's best-kept secret in the form of spicy noodles. It’s run by two friends from the Chongqing area in southwest China, a region renowned for its spicy food. Enjoy bowls of broth noodles topped with Sichuan pepper, soy sauce, garlic, chilli oil and ginger, doused in their homemade chilli oil, which sets them apart from everyone else. Expect to spend between ten and fifteen pounds here.

This tiny cash-only establishment on Kingsland Road boasts a menu of slap-up Ethiopian vegan fare at reasonable prices. Enjoy their sample platters of six dishes, comprising lentil stew, greens, spiced potatoes and more, which you can enjoy alone or as a shared platter. It’s also BYOB, so feel free to bring along a bottle or two of something to enjoy alongside your food.

This award-winning burger was born from the owner's love of classic New York City-style burgers. They’re all made using rare-breed, grass-fed beef from small farms around the UK, which are then dry-aged and cooked to order. They’ve got a rich beefy flavour that dominates with every bite, along with American cheese and special scratch sauce. You’ll spend around a tenner on the best burger of your life, but it’s totally fair if you want two.

Who knew something so simple could be so darn delicious? At Banh Mi Keu Deli, crusty homemade baguettes are layered with earthy pâté, slices of tender meat and zingy, pickled vegetables and crafted into what should be known as art: the banh mi. This lunch spot has nailed the art of Vietnam’s most-loved sandwich and also offers a range of noodle and rice dishes if you fancy switching it up from the baguette. You can dine in or take away; it’s fast, casual and delicious. 

It’s all about fluffy Cantonese-style buns at this renowned restaurant spread over two floors in Chinatown. They come in an assortment of flavours, like BBQ pork belly, curry chicken and beef brisket, and can be enjoyed in-house or as a takeaway. You’ll almost definitely come away with change from a tenner here.

This fried chicken joint is reinventing fast food in relaxed, grab-and-go restaurants all over the city. Enjoy a range of Southern-style, hand-breaded tenders, succulent wings, burgers and sides best dipped in their assortment of homemade sauces. It may be classed as fast food, but it's definitely more premium than its second cousin, KFC.

This authentic Polish spot in Hammersmith serves traditional dumplings, Polish cake and other tasty treats in an informal setting inside the Polish Social and Cultural Association building. It's extremely cheap and an excellent way to sample Polish cuisine in a quick and casual fashion.

For contemporary Mexican food in a relaxed space, head to DF Tacos, which has six restaurants around the city. Chow down on tacos and other Mexican street food favourites, like burritos stuffed with meat or mushrooms and rice salad bowls. You can easily spend less than a tenner here on a satisfying lunch.

Sutton & Sons has a reputation for being one of the best fish and chip shops in London, and it's a bonus that it's also super reasonably priced. This family-run restaurant has been sourcing and plating up the finest and freshest fish in the country for nearly twenty years. Enjoy the classic fish wrapped in crispy batter with fluffy chip shop-style chips with a side of homemade pickles all for less than fifteen pounds.

If you happen to be in Tooting and are in the mood for a slap-up Indian meal, Dosa n Chutney is the place to be. This South Indian café specialises in, you guessed it, dosa and chutney. They serve authentic Southern Indian dishes, like egg masala dosa and mutton chukka, in a warm and welcoming, home-away-from-home setting all for a very reasonable price.

Mr Falafel is Shepherd's Bush's favourite lunch spot. It's located in a small sandwich bar at the entrance of the New Shepherd's Bush Market. The menu is chock full of fresh falafel wraps, primarily vegetarian and some vegan and everything is made with fresh produce sourced daily from local shops and markets. The best bit? You can nab a king-size wrap for under ten pounds.

You simply cannot beat Tayyabs, it's cheap and always utterly delicious. They're known for their dry meat curry, packed with aromatic flavour and best eaten with a fluffy naan and a side of their famous lamb chops. You can easily enjoy a meal here for fifteen pounds and still have to loosen your belt by at least one notch. You don't need to don your fancy get up here either, it's super no-frills and has a wild atmosphere come evening.

The Real Greek have restaurants located all over the city for an easy, tasty lunch option that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. They usually serve takeaway boxes of meat, potatoes, rice and vegetables at lunchtime, covered in a sauce of your choice, all for under a tenner. It's perfect for when you want to grab something quickly.

Max has taken the humble sandwich and revolutionised it into something totally new, with downright outrageous but delicious flavours, like lasagne or deep-fried macaroni stuffed between two slices of freshly-baked bread. The sandwich is a way of life here in Crouch End, where Max invites you to take a seat, pick your sandwich and devour it alongside one of their zingy cocktails. It's inexpensive but money well spent.

While on the topic of sandwiches, it would be borderline rude not to mention Dom's Subs. House-baked buns are stuffed with an assortment of creative fillings, like lamb mince, harissa-spiced kofte, sumac onions, skordalia and rocket, topped with harissa yoghurt and Greek pickled chillies. Darn. Expect to spend around ten pounds for one of these slap-up subs.

Sanjugo is an excellent Japanese restaurant located down an industrial street in Shoreditch serving a range of high-quality dishes, like sushi, sashimi, rice bowls and more. The head chef here was the head chef at SUSHISAMBA for more than twenty years, so he definitely knows a thing or two about Japanese fare. It's inexpensive, but if you swing by at lunchtime during the week, you can make the most of their lunch deal and enjoy a banging meal for under ten pounds.

Old Spitalfield Market is conveniently near where many London workers are based and right next to Liverpool Street station, which means it's a popular lunchtime spot for hungry commuters and visitors. Here you can enjoy lunch from street food traders for around £10 to £15, from shrimp burgers and Indian street food to waffles. The market is well worth a visit regardless of whether you plan to eat; it remains an integral part of London's market history, dating back to the 17th century.

If you're craving something healthy for lunch, few places hit the spot better than Island Poké. This Hawaiian-inspired venture was opened by James Porter in 2016 when he noticed a poké-shaped hole in London's street-food market. They serve fresh, zingy bowls of high-quality ingredients, like classic ahi tuna with pineapple chilli salsa and sesame seeds, and a range of bao buns. You can purchase pre-made bowls or build your own from the pick-and-mix counter at the front.

Nowhere makes a sandwich quite like Bread & Truffle. They bake their fluffy focaccia before stuffing it with the finest quality Italian ingredients, resulting in a sandwich that can only be described as epic. Whether you fancy their Bread and Carbonara made with crispy bacon, egg yolk, pecorino carbonara cream and truffle pecorino, or you'd rather feast on the Fried Aubergine made with roasted tomato hummus, cherry tomato and fresh basil, there's a sandwich for every kind of eater.

Check out Thenga Café for an affordable lunch in King's Cross. This restaurant serves Indian cuisine with a strong Bengali influence that's also 100% vegan. The setting is humble and service is friendly. An affordable daily-changing set menu is offered at this restaurant, with snacks, hot drinks, and juices also on the menu.

One of Acton's most popular eateries is No Drama., a chilled-out destination that feels on-trend. Food is served all day and the menu is ideal for lunches. It's a simple selection of smash burgers, sandwiches, and filled brioche buns, with simple sides and a varied choice of drinks on offer to complete your meal.