Guide to budget-friendly restaurants in London Bridge

This might just be everyone's favourite cheap eat in London Bridge, and it's the OG spot of the pasta branch. These guys specialise in the best Italian pasta, all homemade in front of you in the restaurant (request a counter seat to get an up-close look). Pair yours with a burrata starter and a negroni or two, and you're in for a treat of a meal. Expect to spend less than £10 on one pasta dish here, more if you end up racking up the negronis.

Borough Market is one of the city's oldest and largest markets, dating back more than 1,000 years. You can purchase everything from fresh produce, fruit and veg, street food, coffee and more from any of the 100 local vendors who have set up stalls inside. Enjoy everything from London-made cheese toasties from Kappacasein, award-winning doughnuts from Bread Ahead and a range of other delicious dishes.

Pizza Pilgrims' motto, 'in crust we trust', is something they definitely live by; just try one of their fluffy Neapolitan-style pizzas to find out for yourself. They source all of their ingredients and produce straight from Italy, to maintain quality and taste. The menu is chock-full of inventive flavours, like the double pepperoni and spicy honey, the smokey aubergine parm and the 8-cheese, amongst many others.

Sometimes all you crave is some fiery Piri-Piri chicken, but not the kind from that place beginning with N; we’re talking authentic, traditional Portuguese chicken, the chicken you get at Casa do Frango. Enjoy Algarvian dishes, food and wine at this bustling spot, located in a converted 19th-century industrial warehouse in the heart of London Bridge. The food is cooked using Algarvian techniques, comprising a range of sharing plates, chicken dishes and plant-based options, too.

We like to think of Vinegar Yard as Borough Market's trendy, slightly edgy younger sibling, even though they actually have no relation to each other. Many people flock straight to Borough Market because, yeah, everyone knows it, but a mere 3-minute stroll away lies Vinegar Yard, an eclectic market where you can enjoy street food from the city's top vendors, drinks from two bars and a flea market on the weekend.

The London Bridge branch of El Pastor is their first Mexican taqueria, stocking everything from tacos and tostadas to quesadillas, mezcal, margaritas and more. The tacos make for an excellent won't-break-the-bank lunch, and if there's a small group of you, you might want to consider one of the sharing plates; it probably works out even cheaper.

Patty & Bun burgers are consistently good, crafted using the highest-quality beef from the legendary, family-run London butcher H.G Walter. The cheeseburgers are also topped with the finest cheese from Neal’s Yard Dairy. Enjoy a burger of your choice paired with a side of fries, or if you’re feeling extra peckish, a side of their brisket-loaded fries.

Flat Iron is probably the best place in the city to get a top-quality steak at a budget price. It's best paired with a side of creamy spinach and fries, but there are also more premium cuts of beef on the menu, like the wagyu burger and bavette steaks.

Although this one is located on the other side of the river, it’s close enough that it’ll only take you a few minutes to reach, plus you’ll get to stroll over London Bridge and enjoy epic city views at the same time. It’s all about sandwiches here, specifically two slices of thick, fluffy focaccia filled with decadent Italian ingredients sourced straight from Italy. The Screaming Pig is a menu highlight, with spicy Nduja spread, creamy burrata cheese and coppa salami rocket salad.

Another one to add to your bucket list of sandwich spots is Sons + Daughters. They serve a range of aptly named s+dwiches, made with global flavours taking inspiration from all over the world, like roast chicken with soy-cured parmesan and prawns with Napa cabbage and jalapeño vinaigrette. They also have a meal deal to which you can add a side and a beer for a surcharge, where all sandwiches can also be served as salads.

All That Falafel specialises in jam-packed halloumi and falafel wraps filled to the brim with fragrant flavours. It’s all about simplicity, with a focus on quality ingredients. You can swap your wrap for a box instead, filled with hummus, tomato, lettuce, aubergine, gherkin, tahini and chilli sauce with the option to add extras, like stuffed vine leaves and extra falafel.

Located moments from Borough Market, this branch of the popular Bao group serves a menu of pillowy Taiwanese steamed buns, like the chicken nugget bao, beef meatball and Borough curry. The restaurant is spacious, bright and stylish - ideal for a group - and has a karaoke room for those who fancy a sing post-feast.

Two slices of freshly baked sourdough come filled with Montgomery cheddar, Ogleshield, raclette, comte, onions and leeks. Don’t fancy a toastie? They also serve plates of new potatoes topped with owner Bill Oglethorpe’s Bermondsey-made London raclette or Ogleshield cheese. You’ll probably find that there’s a queue, but it always moves fast as they’re pros at serving hungry customers quickly.

Nothing screams London more than traditional pie and mash served with a river of green liquor, and M. Manze's is exceptional. Enjoy one of their classic pies topped with fluffy mash and liquor with a side of jellied eels (if that's your kind of jam). Eels play an integral part in London's history; the Thames used to be filled with them and pie and mash shops used to fill their pies with them.

Tortilla, an inexpensive restaurant chain, offers a speedy taste of delicious Mexican cuisine. They feature classics like burritos, tacos, and quesadillas, accompanied by a variety of fillings and sauces for customization to your liking. The vibrant Southwark location also lets your savour your meal at the outside tables.

Found across London, the Farmer J restaurants champion locally sourced produce, sustainability, and other praiseworthy practices, resulting in real, nourishing food. They offer Fieldtrays, build-your-own combinations of various bases, mains, sides, and sauces, as well as pre-set Fieldbowls, juices, and other healthy and affordable items.

Bermondsey Bierkeller strives to provide an authentic German beerhall experience, complete with German folk music and steins of beer being marched around. There's also food, however – hearty, filling German classics such as currywurst and schnitzel, offered at affordable prices well below the Oktoberfest standard.