Top Cheap Eats In London For Your Student Budget
London is a vibrant city that is known for its diverse food scene with cuisine available from all over the world, but let’s face it, being a student often means living on a tight budget.
Don’t worry though, if you’re studying in London, there are plenty of delicious and budget-friendly options to satisfy your taste buds without breaking the bank!
In this guide, we’ll take you on a mouthwatering journey through some of the top cheap eats in The Capital, that are perfect for your student budget.
1. Club Mexicana
Searching for cheap eats in London to satisfy your cravings without breaking the bank? Club Mexicana should be your first port of call.
Kitted out with neon lights and vibrant decor, this place serves up Mexican-Mexican-Californian inspired street food including tacos, burritos, nachos and more.
Your money will go far here as there’s tons of great deals like Taco Tuesdays, where you can get all-you-can eat tacos for £17.50, at both of their restaurants.
There’s also frozen margaritas and tequila cocktails on the menu if you fancy some drinks with your besties, so be sure to check it out.
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Address: Kingly Court, London W1B 5PW
Seven Dials Market, Earlham St, London WC2H 9LX
2. The Cheese Wheel
Camden Market is home to many amazing food hubs, but one which stands out from the rest is The Cheese Wheel.
This place serves up freshly made hand-rolled pasta with various toppings and your own choice of sauce, whether it’s wine cream, mushroom cream or cream of tomato.
The final step is to then have your hot pasta spun in a giant wheel of grana padano, it’s the ultimate cheesy heaven!
With almost 35k on Instagram and a huge following on TikTok, it’s safe to say this place is famous amongst the London food scene.
Initially this street food restaurant may not seem the cheapest of places, but the portion sizes are huge and the dishes are super filling.
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Address: Camden Lock Market, London NW1 8AF
3. Master Wei
Up next on our list of London cheap eats is Master Wei, a great little Chinese restaurant off the beaten track.
This authentic Chinese restaurant serves up Xi’An food with their speciality being signature Biangbiang noodles, which are available in beef and veggie options.
If that’s not for you, try their Xi’an Stewed Pork Burger which costs just £6.30 and tastes amazing.
For delicious yet affordable food, you can either sit in at their Bloomsbury restaurant or order using Deliveroo.
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Address: 13 Cosmo Pl, London WC1N 3AP
4. Caphe House
For an authentic Vietnamese food experience, we urge you to try out Caphe House.
Having been a part of the London food scene since 2008, this Bermondsey Street restaurant serves up noodle soups, summer rolls, lettuce wraps and more.
If you’re wondering what to order, their Thịt Kho comes with caramelised pork belly with ginger and salmon fish sauce and is served with jasmine rice, and costs just £13.
Their vegetarian options are seriously good too, with a highlight being the Lemongrass Tofu Egg noodles.
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Address: Caphe House, 114 Bermondsey St, London SE1 3TX
5. KaoSarn
If you’re craving authentic homemade Thai cuisine, KaoSarn is your best bet.
With restaurants scattered around Brixton, Clapham and Tooting, it has become a popular destination for Thai food lovers.
We’d recommend trying their Kao Pad, which is Kaosarn Road style fried rice with eggs, meat and vegetables.
This will set you back either £13.50-£14.50 depending on your choice of meat.
This place is the perfect restaurant for a meal with friends as it’s BYOB, so if you’re wanting to enjoy some tipples with friends, you’ll save some money!
The catch? All of their meat is halal, and there’s plenty of vegan and gluten free dishes too so everyone can enjoy a meal out here.
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Address: 96, Coldharbour Lane, Brixton Village, London, SW9 8PR
181, Tooting High Street, London, SW17 0SZ
110, St Johns Hill, London, SW11 1SJ
6. Souvlaki Street
For a true taste of Greece, you need to check out Souvlaki Street.
Specialising in grilled meat wraps with a variety of toppings, this place is hands down one of the best food hubs to visit in London.
This popular Athens-inspired street food trader has been bringing in crowds for the past 10 years at various food markets, with their new restaurant opening soon.
In terms of what to order, you can’t go wrong with their Halloumi Vegetarian Souvlaki Wrap which costs just £8.50.
It’s wrapped in handmade Greek pita and served with homemade tzatziki sauce, sliced red onions, vine tomatoes, fresh parsley, Greek herbs and spices and their signature oregano fries.
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Address: N Cross Rd, London SE22 9EU
7. Poptata
If comfort food is what you’re after, Poptata is sure to satisfy your cravings.
Starting off in Portobello Market back in 2015, this place has made a name for itself within the London foodie scene with over 30k followers on Instagram.
Here the focus is on perfectly cooked fries, with deliciously fried potatoes which are loaded with a variety of tasty toppings and served with signature dips.
The Portobello Fries are the star attraction here, with cheddar and carnalised mustard sauce.
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Address:2, 10 Bethnal Grn Rd, London E1 6GY
Unit 72 Boxpark Upper Level, 99 George St, Croydon CR0 1LD
8. Regency Cafe
If you’re a foodie living in London and haven’t been to Regency Cafe, you’re seriously missing out.
This old school cafe has been a Regency Street favourite since 1946, and is continuously voted as one of the best places to eat in Central London.
Their full English breakfast and traditional British menu offers plenty of mouth-watering and affordable dishes to choose from.
You can’t go wrong with their set breakfast deal which comes with an egg, 2 pieces of bacon, a sausage, beans or tomatoes, bread or toast as well as tea or coffee.
Priced at £6.95, this no frills cafe offers some of the most affordable breakfast dishes in the city.
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Address: 17-19 Regency St, London SW1P 4BY
9. Persepolis
If you’re hungry for some mouth-watering and affordable Persian food, you need to check out Persepolis.
This quirky vegetarian restaurant is situated on Peckham High Street, and serves up a great array of delicious dishes that are bursting with flavour.
Evenings here are all about their sharing menu which costs £30 for a full feast, and includes starters, an equivalent of a main course as well as desserts and coffee.
The only thing is, they do get super busy so we’d recommend booking if you do want to try funky little eatery.
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Address: 28-30 Peckham High St, London SE15 5DT
10. Roti King
Hidden away in a basement just off from London Euston, Roti King is a must-try for students living in The Capital.
If you’re planning a sit-down dinner with friends, this authentic restaurant has a well varied menu of Chinese and Malaysian plates.
From Roti Canai with curries to Nasi Lemak to Mee Goreng Mamak, you won’t leave this place hungry that’s for sure.
A highlight is the Char Kuey Teow which is £9.95 and comes with stir fried flat rice noodles, served with prawn and chicken.
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Address: Euston, 40 Doric Way, London NW1 1LH
London may be an expensive city, but that’s not to say it’s not full to the brim with plenty of cheap eats.
Now head out from your student flat and go and try some of the amazing scran that’s on offer at these restaurants in London!
Read next: Top Anti-procrastination Strategies For University Students.