The cheapest, nicest restaurants in London

It’s easy to spend a lot of money on food in London, but the city hides plenty of delicious suppers to balance out the more extravagant options. For cheap eats, London offers excellent meals for less than £15, even at suppertime, and every one of them is well worth a visit. Hot stone bowl bibimbab, cacio e pepe pasta and steaming bowls of Vietnamese soup are standing by to fill you up even when you’re feeling less than flush. These are our 25 favourite cheap eats in London.

Where can you eat on budget in London?

It's no secret that London has lots of splashy, money-no-object tables to book scattered across its boroughs. But look a little closer, and you'll find plenty of restaurants that don't require deep pockets; where you can eat without going over budget. Below, we list our 25 favourites across north, east, south and west London – including pasta purveyors Padella for the silkiest cacio e pepe in town (£11.50 in Shoreditch and Borough Market); Roti King for bowls of daal served with buttery, flaky roti canai for dunking (£6, Euston); and Club Mexican for all-you-can-eat tacos (£15 on Tuesdays, Kingly Court, Spitalfields or Seven Dials). We've also included a price range for each of the spots we've tipped as the best restaurants in London, for more inspiration. Or take our London restaurant finder quiz to find out where you should eat the next time you're in the capital.

What is the best food to try in London?

How long is a piece of string? London has one of the most diverse food scenes of any city in Europe – there are exemplary Indian restaurants, wonderful Italian restaurants, places for sushi and Thai cuisine, and vegan and vegetarian food. Quintessentially British meals to add to your foodie bucket list include a proper Sunday roast and an afternoon tea service, although expect both a Sunday lunch and cream tea to set you back a little more than the restaurants on this list. For more inspiration, see our round-up of London's most iconic restaurant dishes – many of which come in at less than £15 including the Quo Vadis smoked eel sandwich (£11.50) and St John's roast bone marrow (£14).

Which areas do locals in London eat in?

Londoners are lucky – there are multiple foodie hubs flecked across its four corners, and almost all of the neighbourhoods in the city have at least a handful of excellent restaurants to choose from. Soho in central London sees brilliant restaurants jut up against each other down narrow streets and alleyways, from Michelin-starred restaurants to wine bars, curry shops to pizza joints (there's also lots of street food in Soho for those hunting for cheap eats, such as on Berwick Street Market). Covent Garden is the place for post- or pre-theatre menus (these, incidentally, are often very good value). Outside of central London, we'd opt for the likes of Notting Hill, Brixton, Islington and Shoreditch when looking for a bustling food scene.