London Cheap Eats: Where to Eat Lunch Under £5 in London

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I’ve talked about incredible cheap eats in Central London a while back, but sometimes, while living in London, our eating out budget is really tight.

Heck, even eating in budget!

I lived in London on a really tight income for the longest time, ever since I became a makeup artist in Paris and decided to try and make it with my art.

Tight income as in knowing budget shops through and through, like spending all my time at Poundland, B&M, Home Bargains and, to a certain extent, TK Maxx to be able to afford everyday stuff.

I’m going to be straightforward: finding really cheap eats in London and eating lunch under £5 has become incredibly tricky.

A lot of places have seen inflation double or triple their prices.

Still, I’ve gathered in this guide all the food spots I know, have eaten at, and have appreciated more than once while roaming around London’s pretty streets.

London Cheap Eats: Where to Eat Lunch Under £5 in London

Living in London on a budget is probably one of the most formative experiences you can go through while being a digital nomad, a student or freelancer.

Cheap eats in Covent Garden?

Not easy to come by.

Eating for £3, £4 or £5? Without food shops and supermarkets, almost impossible.

Healthy cheap eats are also not so common.

Of course, you can get amazing fried chicken for only a few pounds, but well, there are more calories in a chicken wing than in a handful of salad or spinach.

I’d always recommend you to go shopping once a week if you’re actually looking to save money for groceries, and to meal plan as drastically as you can.

However, if you’d like to go out and have a fun moment with friends, here are all the cheap eats in London that will allow you to have some kind of lunch under £5!

Best Cheap Eats in London for Lunch: Beigel Bake & Beigel Shop, Brick Lane

Beigel Shop Brick Lane is a spot I’ve already reviewed here, because it’s one of the best places to eat in Brick Lane.

A top spot to eat in East London, too, and probably the whole of London.

I mean, there are other bagel shops on Brick Lane (like Beigel Bake, pictured above) and other parts of the city, but this one…

Yummy.

One interesting thing to know about Beigel Shop Brick Lane is that if you manage to arrive as early as possible, you’ll enjoy some incredible rainbow bagels.

If you choose the regular, ultra-famous salt beef beigel, you’ll have to cash out about 6 pounds depending on whether you want some extra toppings.

However, to remain under the £5-mark for lunch, why not try the Cheddar and cheese or tuna option? Egg mayo, roast chicken, chopped herring…

All these options retail for under £4, and they’re so filling you honestly don’t need a drink or a dessert with them.

Plus, if you’d rather eat something else that day, some of the best markets in Shoreditch are located on Brick Lane…

As well as Kahaila, one of the coolest study cafes around, that isn’t only super spacious, but also offers some of the best rainbow cake in London!

Read: The Prettiest Neighborhoods in London

Where to Eat Cheap Eats in London: Greggs, Various Locations

Greggs is the top spot to get the cheapest breakfast in London, and really a franchise you can’t overlook if you’re looking to save money…

And still enjoy your time in London.

Greggs’ lunchtime deals retail for as cheap as £3.20 for a bake, a regular hot/cold drink or a soup – the best and most complete lunch deal they have.

A pizza slice and a cold drink will only set you back £3.35, while you can get a hot sandwich, wedges and a regular hot/cold drink from £4.80.

All in all, if you’re looking for really good cheap eats in London, it’s difficult to get something more satisfying than a complete Greggs meal.

Don’t forget to try their pink raspberry jam doughnuts – the caramel and custard doughnut is also really, really good!

Read: The Best Free Rooftops in London

Best Cheap Eats in London for Lunch: Meal Deals at Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s

You’ll find some really cool, cheap supermarkets in London such as Morrisons, Asda and Tesco – lots of them offer affordable meal deals.

The most famous would be Tesco’s meal deal, which offers a main (salad, wrap or sandwich), a snack (crisps, eggs, chicken bites…), and a drink.

The Tesco meal deal used to be the cheapest of all, at £3 only, until the price rose to £3.50 for non-Tesco card holders.

While a meal deal is definitely not the cutest way to have lunch in London, it’s what will save your life on the daily.

All cheap food shops still have their price set at around £3, but in places like Sainsbury’s, you’ll also have some more refined options, with seasonal recipes as well during fall and winter.

Read: The Best Romantic Date Ideas in London

Best Cheap Eats in London for Lunch: Rabbit Hole Cafe, Holloway Road

You won’t see many restaurants in this guide because I’m trying to avoid the term cheap eat to describe a place that will actually charge you cover and service charge on top.

I’ve read enough blogs to try and find foods under £5, only to feel disappointed.

Why?

Because they cost more and I couldn’t afford them, and I don’t want you to feel that way as I acutely remember London life being London life.

So, if you’re down to try something new to take away, I have here one of the best spots to get a halal breakfast in London, and that’s not all they offer.

Indeed, the Rabbit Hole Cafe on Holloway Road, in North London, is one of the only Alice in Wonderland-themed places in London, and a few of their sandwiches are actually quite affordable.

This will be a tight lunch if you only have £5 to pop by the Rabbit Hole Cafe, but for £4, you can get a beef sausage, cheddar or fried egg sandwich to go.

That makes for some really cheap street food, that’s for sure.

But if you ever have more budget, you’ll also find that the Rabbit Hole Cafe is the perfect, cozy autumn spot in London for delicious brunch and their smoothies are definitely worth every penny.

Read: The Best Things to Do in London When It Rains

Where to Eat Cheap Eats in London: Onder Baklava Cakehouse, Wood Green

When I was living in North Finchley, I quickly discovered that The Mall at Wood Green was one of the best shopping centers in London ever established.

You’ll find anything and everything there, from one of the biggest TK Maxx in London (and their incredible Sand and Fog and DW Home candles!) to cinemas and lots of cheap eats.

Not as cheap at £5, though, but places like Chaiiwala and Pret a Manger offer some bites that you can afford but just a couple of pounds.

Well, further up towards North Finchley (not in Turnpike Lane’s direction), Onder Baklava Cakehouse is a great spot to buy amazing Turkish food.

I lived in Istanbul for a while at the beginning of the year, right after moving from London for a few months, and one thing’s for sure: the gözleme at Onder Baklava Cakehouse are just the same.

If not better.

So filling.

So amazing they’re indescribable.

You’re really close to Wood Green Tube Station, and there are meat, dairy and veggie options – as well as incredible baklava pastries, too!

Read: Are Londoners Rude? – A Few Pointers to Move to London

Best Cheap Eats in London for Lunch: Lidl, Tottenham Court Road

When I was living in North Finchley and working at Oxford Circus, visiting Lidl on Tottenham Court Road was something I did pretty often.

I understand that when you’re living in such a stressful city, the least you want to be able to do is afford even just some kind of cheap street food.

Working long hours and almost never being able to actually afford eating out is not a way to live, and something I struggled with a lot when I was working 24/7 to become a full-time blogger.

If even Tesco’s meal deals are a bit too expensive on the daily, getting your groceries from cheap food shops like Lidl is the best idea you could have.

London’s cheapest breakfast option is probably the Lidl pastries, including their oh-so-buttery, almost French croissants!

Read: The Best Charity Shops in London

Best Cheap Eats in London: Pret a Manger

Pret a Manger coffee shops are some of my favorite when going out to work at a cafe – most coffee shops from this brand are huge, with lots of power outlets and very decent WiFi.

When it comes to finding the cheapest places to eat in Central London, I’ll always really just go for meal deals at Tesco and Sainsbury’s to be honest.

However, in the middle of a work day at a study cafe, Pret a Manger has a few sandwich options that are not as expensive as the rest.

Well, it will still cost you about £4 for a sandwich, and not as filling as a meal deal, but it’s still better than nothing.

I’ve been used to intermittent fasting for about 5 years now, and it’s now a lifestyle I don’t see myself ever not following.

That also means I don’t really mind not eating until halfway through the day, and even a Pret a Manger sandwich will be more than enough.

One other piece of advice I can give you, especially if you’re a digital nomad or a broke student in London, is for you to plan your budget with the monthly Pret membership.

That way, and since you can drink up to 5 drinks a day for only £30 a month, you’re always sure to have a place to have cheap coffee and work in London.

Read: The Best Secondhand Bookshops in London

Best Cheap Eats in London for Lunch: Mercato Metropolitano, Elephant & Castle

There are all types of really interesting, even secret street food markets in London, and one of them is Mercato Metropolitano in Elephant & Castle.

You’ll find there are some really cool things to do on London’s Northern Line, but a visit to Mercato Metropolitano is always a big win.

A lot of stands offer £5 lunch deals during the week – avoid visiting at weekends, especially if you’re trying to save money (and not lose your mind with all the crowds).

Whether you’re looking for some kind of healthy chicken over rice, some pasta or a good old sandwich, pop by Mercato Metropolitano.

It offers the coolest collection of casual, budget restaurants in London in a lively food hall – what’s not to like?

Read: Where to Find Cheap Makeup in London

Best Cheap Eats in London: Subway

Subway is another great option to eat in London on a budget, especially with a few of their Subs sandwiches easily retailing under the £3-mark.

Whether you’re looking for places to have a cheap breakfast or a real lunch deal, Subway is a street food spot you can always count on.

Their cheapest option?

The 6″ Veggie Delite sub, at £2.79, followed by the Turkey Breast sub for just 20p more.

However, if you’re one to plan ahead, you can get a really affordable sandwich in the morning, like their Egg & Cheese sub for £2.10, and keep it for lunch!

Read: The Best Shops for Cheap Clothes in London

Best Cheap Eats in London: Malletti, Clerkenwell

There are lots of really cool, cheap Italian places to eat in London, and what could be better than a visit to a historical Italian neighborhood for that?

Clerkenwell has seen lots of Italian people move in the surroundings for decades, and you’ll be able to get there incredible pizza al taglio (by the slice), pasta, foccaccia, and various Italian street foods.

A top pick would be the arancini, which is the Southern Italian way of describing the Roman suppli, and has a completely round shape where the suppli is rectangular.

There are more differences between both, but you get the gist.

Malletti on Clerkenwell Rd is open on weekdays only, from 11 am to 4 pm, and is the real deal if you’re looking for that perfect Italian street food.

And if you are Italian – or love Italian food to bits, I can also only recommend some really good Italian cafes to finish lunch…

Even if it means going back to Central London, on Goodge Street, Fitzrovia to find Caffè Napoli (incredible ginseng caffè!), much cheaper than Bar Italia in Soho, and much gentler on your wallet!

Read: The Best Neapolitan Pizza in Central London

Best Cheap Eats in London for Lunch: Icco Pizza, Goodge St & Camden

The cheapest of the cheapest pizza in London can be found at Icco Pizza, which has several branches in town.

My favorite is the one on Goodge Street, but if you’re ever looking for things to do in Camden Town, a visit to their Camden High Street branch is never a bad idea.

Especially since there are lots of charity shops in Camden that will help you enjoy life more, with cheap books, affordable branded clothes, and many more items to brighten up your home decor.

Icco Pizza has some really cheap pizza options that retail for as low as £3.95 for a Marinara pizza.

The rest of the menu has increased in price and is more expensive than £5, but hey, the Marinara is still a great deal!

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Best Cheap Eats in London: Chinatown Bakery, Chinatown, Central London

Chinatown Bakery has been one of my favorite bakeries in London for quite some time, and its location close to Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Covent Garden makes it a must-visit.

It’s one of the best cheap eats in Central London, especially if you’re looking for something a little bit different than Pret’s muffins and Ole & Steen’s cinnamon buns.

At Chinatown Bakery, you can have a chicken curry puff for under £3, as well as a slice of their fluffy, cloudy peanut or coconut cakes for just about £2.

There are lots of cheap places to eat in Chinatown, including Chinese Tapas House and Good Friend Chicken, but one thing’s for sure…

Chinatown Bakery is still one of the cheapest if you don’t want just the one bite.

Read: The Best Vegan Breakfast in London

London Cheap Eats: Where to Eat Lunch Under £5 in London

There you have them, all the best places to eat a budget lunch under £5 in London – hopefully, you’ll have found some food spots you didn’t know about!

Some of my favorite places are Chinatown Bakery in Chinatown, whose prices allow you to get a savoury treat and a fluffy cake for just about £4, and the really cool Greggs deals.

I’ll keep updating this guide as I find other really cheap places – but if you’ve got a bit more budget, there are lots of places to have lunch in London under £10 as well!

Until next time!