A local’s tips and tricks to eat in London on a budget; from dining out and cheap eats to tips to save money on groceries, and cheap supermarkets!
London’s expensive; everyone who’s been living here awhile will tell you so.
But if rent prices often shoot through the roof, they’re balanced by the fact there are lots of free spots to visit in London, lots of activities you can do solo, with kids, or on a romantic date with your other half.
In this guide jam-packed with tips to save money on eating out and shopping for food, I’ve included all the ways I personally use when I live in London.
I’ve already shared with you some of my favorite, and best cheap eats in Central London, but this guide will be a tad different.
Different how?
Well, you’ll discover here all the best ways to save money on food and eat out on a budget!
How to Eat in London on a Budget: Food Spots & Grocery Shops
While I’m a local and have been since 2019, a few things have changed on the London food scene.
A few more delivery apps have appeared, as well as apps to save money in London.
After the pandemic, some really cheap eats have shut down, and others have popped up.
This guide is made for locals and first time visitors to London – you’ll learn all about how to eat on a budget in London by the time you’re done reading!
Is it expensive to eat out in London?
Eating out in London doesn’t have to be expensive.
There are plenty of street food spots in London where you can eat for under a tenner – and well, too!
For instance, one of the best things to do in Camden Town is actually to visit the Camden Market with all its street food stands.
By following the tips in this guide, you’ll also discover how to eat cheap in London with set menus, and more.
How to eat on 20 pounds a week in London?
If you’re on a really tight food budget, there are ways to eat on 20 pounds a week in London.
This won’t be the easiest thing ever, but it’s definitely possible if you’re a single person.
However, if you’re looking to save money in London, maybe a better option would be to live further off Central London so you can enjoy feeding yourself.
20 pounds is not a lot, but you can make it work!
How to save money on groceries in London?
It’s really possible to save money on groceries in London; there are plenty of ways to do so.
From paying a visit to the cheapest supermarkets in London to using an array of apps like Too Good to Go, you can eat pretty well cheaply.
How to Eat in London on a Budget: Discover Cheap Eats in London
First up, of course, and whether you’re a Londoner or a tourist, is checking out all the best cheap eats in London.
If you have various diets, you can also find:
- vegan cheap eats in London
- and halal cheap eats in London
And yes, you’ll even find some near Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Street, Soho and Covent Garden!
Those include the following places:
- Chinatown Bakery in Chinatown
- Old Chang Kee in Covent Garden
- Good Friend Chicken in Chinatown
- Chinese Tapas House in Chinatown
- Jamaica Patty Bun in Covent Garden
- and many more!
Read: The Best Free Rooftops in London
How to Eat in London on a Budget: Use Pre-Theatre Menus
Many restaurants in Central London offer pre and post-theatre menus which can also be a great way to eat in London on a budget.
Those will strategically be established in the West End, where you’ll find a lot of theatres and plays going on every day.
For instance, Whitcomb’s at The Londoner in Leicester Square offers a pre-theatre menu which can help you save dozens of pounds on the bill.
The only thing to remember is that the dining frame is quite early, around 5.30-7.30 pm. This allows you to eat in peace when the play starts at 7.30 pm!
How to Eat in London on a Budget: Dine at Chain Restaurants
There are quite a lot of chain restaurants in London which include anything from Franco Manca to Patty & Bun, and from Nandos to Pho.
These are usually great value for the money as long as you choose good quality places – for instance, I’d rather you eat at Pizza Pilgrims than Pizza Express.
This also works for chain coffee shops in London, like Pret who offers a fixed 25-pound monthly membership for up to five drinks a day.
The advantage with checking out chain restaurants is that you will also usually have great value on their menus and be able to eat for well under 15 pounds in some cases.
Read: The Best Shops for Cheap Clothes Shopping in London
How to Eat in London on a Budget: Avoid Tourist Traps
I’d say one of the first rules to know how to eat in London on a budget is avoiding tourist traps.
The easy way is to avoid restaurants in Central London, like Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Circus and Regent Street, for instance.
I’d say Piccadilly Circus is more the place for tourist traps.
For instance, off-licence shops (convenience stores) and their huge samosas are a great example of a tourist trap in Central London.
The best way for you to find hidden gem foods in London would actually be to pay a visit to local-visited areas in London.
That could be Shoreditch, and that could also be Walthamstow or Whitechapel.
Read: The Best Shops on Oxford Street
How to Eat in London on a Budget: Use Booking Websites for Restaurant Deals
By using websites like OpenTable, The Fork or Square Meal, you can also save tons of money on eating out in London.
My favorite has to be The Fork, which has allowed me to eat dinners half price in plenty of cool restaurants.
And if you want to order at the hostel, hotel or at home, delivery apps are of course another way to save money on food in London.
Just choose the ‘deals’ section on those apps to see what restaurants are offering cheaper dishes that day.
It’s just a great way to eat in London on a budget and enjoy without feeling guilty for splurging!
Read: The Best TK Maxx in London
How to Eat in London on a Budget: Ask for a Doggy Bag
It can feel a bit weird asking for a doggy bag in a restaurant, but when you pay for the food, you’re entitled to take the rest back home.
That’s not something I would do in a fancy restaurant, though.
However, if I have left more than half of my food on my plate (which often happens), I don’t mind asking for a doggy bag at all.
If you still have a lot on your plate too, getting a doggy bag is one of the basics of how to eat in London on a budget.
Read: The Best Makeup Shops in London
How to Eat in London on a Budget: Take Advantage of Lunch Deals
Now, if you want to save money on restaurants in London, you have to be smart about the timing of your visit.
The best way to eat out on a budget is to book for lunch.
There are plenty of lunch deals available whether you visit a halal rooftop restaurant or a small street food cart in Borough Market.
Try to visit during the week – at weekends, restaurants tend to pack up and well, we still want to enjoy a relaxing time!
Plus, most of the lunch deals in London are actually during the week only, like Franco Manca and their 10-pound deal for a pizza and a drink.
Read: The Best Breakfast in Notting Hill
How to Eat in London on a Budget: New Openings & Soft Launches
There are new restaurants openings in London and soft launches absolutely all the time.
A soft launch happens before the opening, and allows you to save a great deal of money on the menu, since the restaurant basically wants to test the menu.
Soft Launch London is one of the best websites to visit to see all the new soft launches in London, and you’ll find all kinds of restaurants and cuisines there.
Another one to visit is Hot Dinners, another really famous website to eat out in London on a budget.
Read: The Most Beautiful Bookshops in London
How to Eat in London on a Budget: Mind Your Drinks
One thing I almost always do when eating out in London is ordering tap water.
I completely forget about drinks unless they’re really special drinks like homemade lemonade, of the type you find in places like Pho Ta Kentish Town or Viet Soho.
Specify you want tap water as sometimes, when you simply ask for water, you’ll be brought a bottle of still water.
Drinks can be very expensive in London, around 3 to 6 pounds depending on a place, which can easily be another snack down the road.
Read: The Best Hidden Gems in London
How to Eat in London on a Budget: Use Meal Deals
There are a few cheap supermarkets in London and high-end supermarkets that offer meal deals.
I swear by meal deals – even if sometimes, they’re not particularly tasty, they do get the job done.
You can get a wrap/sandwich/salad and crisps/a chocolate bar/eggs/some type of protein along with a drink.
My favorite meal deals come from Sainsbury’s and Tesco, which are particularly cheap at around 3 pounds a pop.
For the Tesco meal deal, make sure to get a Tesco Clubcard as it will bring the price from 3.50 pounds to 3 pounds.
Read: The Most Secret Places in London
How to Eat in London on a Budget: Order a Set Menu
A lot of restaurants in London offer set menus for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner – à la carte is way more expensive at times.
Fancy restaurants like Oblix at the Shard, where I used to work, offer set menus.
Or Aqua Kyoto in Soho, that I visited a few months ago.
They’re not necessarily the cheapest restaurants in London, but a lot of places from high-end to casual dining places have a set menu.
And if you need vegan options, these restaurants often have a vegan menu as well.
Oh, how good it is to live in a city like London!
Read: The Most Romantic Date Ideas in London
How to Eat in London on a Budget: Download Chain Apps
I was really surprised a few months ago when I learned that Greggs has an app, and that signing up entitles you to any free drink.
In London, while it’s an expensive city, you have ways to find free drinks, free meals, free samples – lots of things.
It makes it fun to live in London on a budget, actually.
And if you’re a student, Save the Student and StudentBeans are two tools you should definitely use to eat in London on a budget.
Read: The Best Vegan Bakeries in London
How to Eat in London on a Budget: Use Deal Websites to Save Money on Eating Out
You can find lots of great deals on food in London by using websites like Groupon.
I’ve used Groupon a lot for anything from cheap restaurants to cheap massages in London, and love the voucher type of payment.
It’s not only a website you can use in London, but anywhere in the world which can help you save money as a student, family, or freelancer.
Just a good website to have at hand when you want to save money on restaurants, especially on fancy and fine dining spots!
Read: The Best Secondhand Bookshops in London
How To Eat in London on a Budget & Save Money on Groceries
How to Eat in London on a Budget: Know Cheap Supermarkets
Of course, one of the best ways to eat in London on a budget is to buy food from the supermarkets.
You can do the meal deal thing for weekdays when you’re at work, but nothing beats meal prepping when you live in London.
You’re already paying so much for rent and transportation that when you can save money on food, you just do it.
You have to know all the kinds of different supermarkets by price range (I’ll written an article about all the best supermarkets in London for you ).
For instance, Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons and Asda are on the cheaper side.
Tesco and Sainsbury’s are midrange, while M&S and Waitrose are on the more expensive side.
But you can also go food shopping for staples in some of the budget shops in London like B&M and Poundland, so make sure to pay them a visit!
Read: The Most Colorful Places in London
How to Eat in London on a Budget: Use Too Good to Go and Similar Apps
One of my favorite ways to save money on food in London is using apps like Too Good To Go.
You can find a complete map of participating bakeries, supermarkets and restaurants on the app, and when closing time is nearby, enjoy food for almost nothing.
It does depend on the place, of course, but you can save dozens of pounds on food by using Too Good to Go.
There are a few other apps to save money in London on food, and that also includes Olio.
This one is different in that it’s completely free – you’re basically getting free food from people nearby and avoid wasting it.
I will soon write about all the best apps to save money on food in London, but for now, these are two great ones!
Read: The Most Colorful Streets in Notting Hill
How to Eat in London on a Budget: Food Spots & Grocery Shops
There you have them, all the ways to eat in London on a budget and save money on restaurants!
Hopefully, whether you decide to meal prep or eat out, you’ll have found here some special ways to save that hard-earned cash!