Monday, June 06, 2005
Cheap eats: London
Eating out in London can be expensive and it’s all and well if you’re minted, but if you’re a poor student (I’m about to be anyway) or are on an austerity drive for other reasons (eg to save up to go to El Bulli or French Laundry) and still want to eat good food then this list of cheap great places is for you. Average prices below include service, but not wine.
New Mayflower
One of the better restaurants in Chinatown. Even better if you understand Chinese and can order from the all-Chinese menu which has lots of special dishes unavailable at other restaurants. Particularly good are the 脆奶香芒帶子 (deep fried crispy custard balls with mango and scallops), 辣汁肉鬆玉子豆腐 (spicy sauce with minced meat and egg beancurd on hot plate) and venison with kailan and ginger. Best to go with at least 4 people so you can order more dishes – Chinese eating is all about sharing. My rule of thumb on how much to order. One dish per person will usually be enough, and will ensure you have a really good meal for about £12-15 pp!
Note: It’s open everyday, but only for dinner from 5pm to 4am. Reservations on weekends essential.
68-70 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 6NA
Tel: 020 7734 9207
Busaba Eathai
Average price: £10
One of Alan Yau’s early successes (much cheaper than Hakkasan and Yauatcha and much much better than Wagamama). The tom yam chicken with rice noodle is wonderfully satisfying – chargrilled chicken in a not-too-spicy broth – while other favourites include pandan chicken, pad thai, chargrilled swordfish with lime and chilli and beef panaeng curry.
If you’re on a budget, the green curry fried rice with chargrilled chicken is also quite nice and pretty good for £5.90!
Tip: Try and go to the Store Street branch rather than the one on Wardour Street, simply cos it’s much less crowded. No reservations taken unless for big groups.
22 Store Street, WC1E 7DF
Tel: 020 7299 7900
106-110 Wardour Street, W1F 0TR
Tel: 020 7255 8686
Nyonya
Average price: £10-15
This is pretty authentic Singaporean/Malaysian food, even if not the cheapest. The ambience is much nicer than C&R or the Malaysian Kopi Tiam, with a more urban eatery feel like Busaba (above).
Try the Hokkien Prawn Mee, Char Kway Teow, Penang Laksa or Hainanese Chicken Rice, all around £7 each, and should be enough to fill you up on their own, otherwise the starters too are very good, but not as good value. No reservations necessary.
2a Kensington Park Road, W11 3BU
Tel: 020 7243 1800
Ikkyu
Average price: £10
Another good cheap eat tucked away in a basement next to Benjys (the sandwich shop) on Tottenham Court Road – always packed (only open Mon-Fri!) and with quite a few Japanese regulars. The set menus are extremely good value – around £6 for lunch and £7-8 for dinner with rice, pickles and good-sized portions of either teriyaki salmon, tonkatsu pork, breaded prawns or grilled mackerel etc. Reservations recommended.
67a Tottenham Court Road, W1T 2EY
Tel: 020 7626 9280
Kulu Kulu
Average price: £10
NOT Gili Gulu, which is just nearby. This is much better that Gili Gulu or Yo! Sushi – order a special handroll (with prawn tempura, spicy salmon, avocado and tiny fish roe) and eat like mad. Prices are per plate as in all kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi bars. The most expensive plate is only £3.60 – bargain!
The flagship is at Brewer Street, which is much older (it shows) and much more crowded (the wait there is sometimes 30-45 minutes!). There’s also another in South Kensington on Thurloe Place, which is quite new too. I suggest going to the South Kensington or Shelton Street ones especially when you want to eat out on a Fri/Sat night and haven’t made a booking anywhere else, since I’ve never had to wait for a place at either. No reservations necessary.
51-53 Shelton Street, WC2H 9HE
Tel: 020 7240 5687
Woo Jung
Average price: £12
Order the casserole – there’s quite a few but you really want the one with sake and beef, known to me and my flatmates as no. 66 on the menu.
One small one (£15) is enough to feed 3 people easily if you also order one or two other dishes. Spicy squid, raw beef and rice in stone bowl, and their speciality beef ribs are also extremely satisfying.
59 St Giles High Street, WC2H 8LH
Tel: 020 7836 3103
New Tayyabs
Average price: £10
In the East End where it’s all happening now, Tayyabs has been around forever but still has one of the best lamb chops around at incredibly cheap prices. Previously the place didn’t take reservations, but since it’s been refurbished it now does and I strongly advise to book if you’re headed there on the weekends as it can get manic!
83-89 Fieldgate Street, E1 1JU
Tel: 020 7247 6400
http://www.tayyabs.co.uk/
Daphne
Average price: £15
Taverna-style simple hearty Greek food just a few minutes from Camden tube – this is another great place to come with a big bunch of friends for lots of food and wine and to be as boisterous as possible. Service is very friendly and the waiters are more than happy to explain everything on the menu (in my case several times over because I am so slow-witted).
83 Bayham Street, NW1 0AG
Tel: 020 7267 7322
Pierre Victoire
Average price: £15
Part of a chain, but a cosy little place to get a good-sized steak frites and affordable red wine to wash it all down and pretend you’re at your local café/bistro in Paris. Set dinner done before 7pm is particularly good value (2 courses under £10!) – this is definitely one of the better places to eat at in Soho.
5 Dean Street, W1D 3RQ
Tel: 020 7287 4250 ¶ 4:12 AM
New Mayflower
One of the better restaurants in Chinatown. Even better if you understand Chinese and can order from the all-Chinese menu which has lots of special dishes unavailable at other restaurants. Particularly good are the 脆奶香芒帶子 (deep fried crispy custard balls with mango and scallops), 辣汁肉鬆玉子豆腐 (spicy sauce with minced meat and egg beancurd on hot plate) and venison with kailan and ginger. Best to go with at least 4 people so you can order more dishes – Chinese eating is all about sharing. My rule of thumb on how much to order. One dish per person will usually be enough, and will ensure you have a really good meal for about £12-15 pp!
Note: It’s open everyday, but only for dinner from 5pm to 4am. Reservations on weekends essential.
68-70 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 6NA
Tel: 020 7734 9207
Busaba Eathai
Average price: £10
One of Alan Yau’s early successes (much cheaper than Hakkasan and Yauatcha and much much better than Wagamama). The tom yam chicken with rice noodle is wonderfully satisfying – chargrilled chicken in a not-too-spicy broth – while other favourites include pandan chicken, pad thai, chargrilled swordfish with lime and chilli and beef panaeng curry.
If you’re on a budget, the green curry fried rice with chargrilled chicken is also quite nice and pretty good for £5.90!
Tip: Try and go to the Store Street branch rather than the one on Wardour Street, simply cos it’s much less crowded. No reservations taken unless for big groups.
22 Store Street, WC1E 7DF
Tel: 020 7299 7900
106-110 Wardour Street, W1F 0TR
Tel: 020 7255 8686
Nyonya
Average price: £10-15
This is pretty authentic Singaporean/Malaysian food, even if not the cheapest. The ambience is much nicer than C&R or the Malaysian Kopi Tiam, with a more urban eatery feel like Busaba (above).
Try the Hokkien Prawn Mee, Char Kway Teow, Penang Laksa or Hainanese Chicken Rice, all around £7 each, and should be enough to fill you up on their own, otherwise the starters too are very good, but not as good value. No reservations necessary.
2a Kensington Park Road, W11 3BU
Tel: 020 7243 1800
Ikkyu
Average price: £10
Another good cheap eat tucked away in a basement next to Benjys (the sandwich shop) on Tottenham Court Road – always packed (only open Mon-Fri!) and with quite a few Japanese regulars. The set menus are extremely good value – around £6 for lunch and £7-8 for dinner with rice, pickles and good-sized portions of either teriyaki salmon, tonkatsu pork, breaded prawns or grilled mackerel etc. Reservations recommended.
67a Tottenham Court Road, W1T 2EY
Tel: 020 7626 9280
Kulu Kulu
Average price: £10
NOT Gili Gulu, which is just nearby. This is much better that Gili Gulu or Yo! Sushi – order a special handroll (with prawn tempura, spicy salmon, avocado and tiny fish roe) and eat like mad. Prices are per plate as in all kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi bars. The most expensive plate is only £3.60 – bargain!
The flagship is at Brewer Street, which is much older (it shows) and much more crowded (the wait there is sometimes 30-45 minutes!). There’s also another in South Kensington on Thurloe Place, which is quite new too. I suggest going to the South Kensington or Shelton Street ones especially when you want to eat out on a Fri/Sat night and haven’t made a booking anywhere else, since I’ve never had to wait for a place at either. No reservations necessary.
51-53 Shelton Street, WC2H 9HE
Tel: 020 7240 5687
Woo Jung
Average price: £12
Order the casserole – there’s quite a few but you really want the one with sake and beef, known to me and my flatmates as no. 66 on the menu.
One small one (£15) is enough to feed 3 people easily if you also order one or two other dishes. Spicy squid, raw beef and rice in stone bowl, and their speciality beef ribs are also extremely satisfying.
59 St Giles High Street, WC2H 8LH
Tel: 020 7836 3103
New Tayyabs
Average price: £10
In the East End where it’s all happening now, Tayyabs has been around forever but still has one of the best lamb chops around at incredibly cheap prices. Previously the place didn’t take reservations, but since it’s been refurbished it now does and I strongly advise to book if you’re headed there on the weekends as it can get manic!
83-89 Fieldgate Street, E1 1JU
Tel: 020 7247 6400
http://www.tayyabs.co.uk/
Daphne
Average price: £15
Taverna-style simple hearty Greek food just a few minutes from Camden tube – this is another great place to come with a big bunch of friends for lots of food and wine and to be as boisterous as possible. Service is very friendly and the waiters are more than happy to explain everything on the menu (in my case several times over because I am so slow-witted).
83 Bayham Street, NW1 0AG
Tel: 020 7267 7322
Pierre Victoire
Average price: £15
Part of a chain, but a cosy little place to get a good-sized steak frites and affordable red wine to wash it all down and pretend you’re at your local café/bistro in Paris. Set dinner done before 7pm is particularly good value (2 courses under £10!) – this is definitely one of the better places to eat at in Soho.
5 Dean Street, W1D 3RQ
Tel: 020 7287 4250 ¶ 4:12 AM
