Cheap eats in London, honestly
London restaurants serving a proper meal for under twenty pounds: Bao counters, Turkish grills, a Vietnamese side street. Honest, not worthy, not gimmicky pick.
There are more twenty-quid meals in London than the broadsheet restaurant columns admit. Here are the ones we eat quietly, often, and recommend.
Under £15
- Bao, Soho or Shoreditch - the braised-pork bao, the guinea-fowl rice.
- Koya Ko, Soho - a bowl of udon and a bottle of sparkling water.
- Song Que, Kingsland Road - Vietnamese pho. Table in, bowl on the table in four minutes.
- Mangal 2, Stoke Newington - Turkish grill, beyaz peynir, lahmacun.
Under £20
- Kiln, Soho - at lunch, two dishes and a soft drink: you are in.
- Rochelle Canteen, Shoreditch - at a pinch: one plate and the bread, a glass of wine, a tip.
- Barrafina, Coal Drops Yard - order four pintxos, leave cheerful.
Under £25
- Padella, Borough - handmade pasta, no bookings, the queue is real but the turnover is fast.
- Hoppers, Soho - Sri Lankan, an orange wine, one dosa.
What to avoid
Anywhere that describes itself as “accessibly priced.” Anywhere with a tip jar at the door.
Nathaniel Ashford
Senior contributing editor
Nathaniel Ashford writes about bars, cocktails, pubs and the London neighbourhoods that hold them together. A former drinks-trade journalist, he now contributes a weekly cocktail column for Vivi and leads the Vivi Neighbourhoods series.
He knows more about vermouth than is strictly respectable. Based in Fitzrovia; generally found two doors down from wherever he is supposed to be.