Top Budget Eating in United Kingdom

Beigel Bake ★ 4.8 · London

shoreditch-spitalfields · 159 Brick Lane, London E1 6SB

Brick Lane's 24-hour bagel counter in east London, trading since 1974, runs salt beef bagels for £6 and cream cheese bagels for £2.50, the city's defining.

Tip: Order at the counter, pay at the till. Salt beef is the canonical order; cream cheese-and-tomato is the budget version at £3.50.

This and That ★ 4.8 · Manchester

northern-quarter · 3 Soap Street, Manchester M4 1EW

Manchester's original rice-and-three canteen on Soap Street since 1984. Pilau plus three curries from the heated counter, under a tenner for the lot.

Lily's Vegetarian Indian ★ 4.8 · Manchester

rusholme · 85 Oldham Road, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7DF

Greater Manchester's family-run pure-vegetarian Indian institution. Gujarati thali under fifteen pounds, dosa under ten; the Sachdev family runs the room.

L'Alba D'Oro ★ 4.7 · Edinburgh

new-town · 7 Henderson Row, Edinburgh EH3 5DH

L'Alba D'Oro on Henderson Row in Edinburgh New Town, opened 1975 and named UK's best fish and chip shop by The Times, a takeaway chippy chipping its own.

Tip: Evening-only: opens at 16:00. Arrive at opening to avoid the post-work queue that builds from 17:30.

Blacklock Soho Pre-Theatre ★ 4.7 · London

soho · 24 Great Windmill Street, London W1D 7LG

Blacklock's pre-theatre chops menu in their Soho London basement, opened 2015, runs the all-chops platter at half price between 17:00 and 18:30 most.

Tip: Walk-up only for pre-theatre. Last orders 18:30 sharp; the chops platter at the early sitting is the same kitchen as 19:30 service.

Rudy's Pizza ★ 4.7 · Manchester

ancoats · 9 Cotton Street, Ancoats, Manchester M4 5BF

Manchester's Cotton Street Neapolitan pizzeria. Margherita seven pounds fifty, marinara six fifty; AVPN-approved Neapolitan dough, sixty-second wood oven.

Oink ★ 4.6 · Edinburgh

old-town · 34 Victoria Street, Edinburgh EH1 2JW

Oink hog roast counter on Victoria Street in Edinburgh Old Town, carving a whole suckling pig from 11:00 daily, the city's best £8 lunch in a roll.

Tip: Closes when the pig runs out, often before 15:00 on busy days. The haggis-stuffed version is the authentic Edinburgh choice.

Regency Cafe ★ 4.6 · London

westminster · 17-19 Regency Street, London SW1P 4BY

The 1946 white-tiled greasy spoon on Regency Street in Westminster London, runs the canonical full English breakfast for £8.50, a working-class set-piece.

Tip: Cash and contactless. Closed Sundays and from 14:30 weekdays. The mug of tea is £1.50; classic mug-of-tea-and-fry-up is the £10 menu.

Mughli ★ 4.6 · Manchester

rusholme · 30 Wilmslow Road, Manchester M14 5TQ

Manchester Curry Mile classic since 1991. Charcoal lamb chops, tandoori platters and naan; main plates between ten and fifteen pounds, late-night kitchen.

Bundobust ★ 4.6 · Manchester

northern-quarter · 61 Piccadilly, Manchester M1 2AQ

Manchester all-vegetarian Indian beer hall on Piccadilly. Vada pav, okra fries, dahl and bhel puri; most plates between five and nine pounds, beers on tap.

Ranjit's Kitchen ★ 4.5 · Glasgow

southside · 607 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow G41 2QG

Ranjit's Kitchen serves fresh Punjabi vegetarian thalis for under a tenner in Glasgow's Southside, one of the city's best-value plates from a family kitchen.

Tip: It is cash-only with a handful of tables; takeaway is the reliable option at busy times.

Padella ★ 4.5 · London

borough · 6 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TQ

Padella's hand-rolled pasta counter at Borough Market in London, opened 2016, runs the city's best-value fresh pasta at £8 a bowl, the cheap-counter.

Tip: Use the Padella app at 12:00 sharp for first lunch slots. Mid-week dinner queues clear by 19:30 most weeks.

Hello Oriental ★ 4.5 · Manchester

deansgate · South Pavilion, 2 Symphony Park, Circle Square, Manchester M1 7FS

Three-floor pan-Asian food hall on Oxford Road's Circle Square. Vietnamese pho counter, Cantonese roast counter, dim sum bar, Chinese bakery and Korean fried.

Long Boi's Bakehouse ★ 4.5 · Manchester

levenshulme · 40 Forest Range, Levenshulme, Manchester M19 2HP

Levenshulme corner-shop bakehouse on Forest Range from an ex-Pollen baker. Cardamom buns, sourdough toasties, savoury bakes, almost everything under a tenner.

Federal Cafe ★ 4.5 · Manchester

northern-quarter · 9 Nicholas Croft, Manchester M4 1EY

Manchester's Nicholas Croft Australian-style brunch room. Banana bread with ricotta, eggs benedict, Turkish eggs; most plates between ten and fourteen pounds.

Mosque Kitchen ★ 4.4 · Edinburgh

southside · 31-33 Nicolson Square, Edinburgh EH8 9BX

Mosque Kitchen on Nicolson Square in Edinburgh, serving halal Pakistani and Indian curry, rice and naan at prices barely changed since the 1980s, cash only.

Tip: Peak lunchtime queue moves fast. Order the lamb curry with a naan and bring cash for speed.

Julie's Kopitiam ★ 4.4 · Glasgow

southside · 1109 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow G41 3YG

Julie's Kopitiam ladles cheap, brilliant Malaysian hawker food in Glasgow's Southside, where a bowl of laksa or beef rendang costs little and satisfies a lot.

Tip: Seats are few and it does not take big groups, so aim for an off-peak sitting.

Mama Lan Brixton ★ 4.4 · London

brixton-tooting · Unit 18 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton Village, London SW9 8PR

Ning Ma's Beijing street-food cafe inside Brixton Village in south London, opened 2011, runs hand-rolled dumplings, hand-pulled noodles and the family.

Tip: Walk-up only. Five dumplings around a fiver; the chilli oil noodles cost £8. Weekday lunch walks in without queueing.

Tayyabs ★ 4.4 · London

whitechapel · 83-89 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1JU

Tayyabs Punjabi grill on Fieldgate Street in Whitechapel London, opened 1972, runs charcoal-grilled lamb chops at £12 and karahi gosht at £15.

Tip: BYOB; bring beer or wine from the off-licence on Whitechapel Road, no corkage. Closed Mondays. Queue runs 30-60 minutes on weekend evenings.

Mei Dim ★ 4.4 · Manchester

chinatown · 45-47 Faulkner Street, Manchester M1 4EE

Manchester Chinatown's basement dim sum room. Har gow, siu mai, char siu pork buns, chiu chow dumplings; most plates between three and six pounds.

Chez Jules ★ 4.3 · Edinburgh

new-town · 109 Hanover Street, Edinburgh EH2 1DJ

Chez Jules on Hanover Street in Edinburgh New Town, a basement French bistro serving a two- or three-course set lunch every day until 16:00, the best-value.

Tip: The set lunch runs every day of the week, not just weekdays. The croque monsieur and the steak frites are the reliable anchors.

Stockbridge Market Food Stalls ★ 4.3 · Edinburgh

stockbridge · Saunders Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh EH3 6TQ

Stockbridge Market's food stalls on Saunders Street in Edinburgh, every Sunday from 10:00, with 15 or more hot-food vendors rotating weekly through bao buns.

Tip: The vendor list rotates; check the website the night before to see what is on. Arrive at 10:30 for first choice before queues build.

E Pellicci ★ 4.3 · London

shoreditch-spitalfields · 332 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 0AG

E Pellicci's 1900 Italian-British family cafe on Bethnal Green Road in east London, Grade-II listed for the 1946 marquetry interior, runs full English.

Tip: Closed Sundays. Cash and card. The famed lasagna is £8; the bacon-and-egg roll is £6. Saturday queue runs 30 minutes.

Purezza ★ 4.3 · Manchester

northern-quarter · 75-77 High Street, Manchester M4 1FS

Northern Quarter outpost of the UK's first 100% plant-based pizzeria. At 75-77 High Street. Reservations advised. A neighbourhood favourite.

Wholesome Junkies ★ 4.3 · Manchester

northern-quarter · New Century Kitchen, 34 Hanover Street, Manchester M4 4AH

100% plant-based junk-food kitchen on Turner Street, slotted into the Hinterland Bar space. Truffle burgers, loaded kimchi fries, vegan shakes.

Union of Genius ★ 4.2 · Edinburgh

old-town · 8 Forrest Road, Edinburgh EH1 2QN

Union of Genius on Forrest Road in Edinburgh Old Town, Scotland's first dedicated soup cafe serving six freshly made soups daily with flavour-matched artisan.

Tip: Six soups rotate daily; the chilli is always on. Closes at 16:00 on weekdays and 15:00 Saturday, no Sunday service.

Falafel To Go ★ 4.2 · Glasgow

city-centre · 116 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3DH

Falafel To Go wraps fresh, cheap vegan falafel on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow, one of the best-value quick lunches anywhere in the city centre.

Tip: There is often a short wait at lunch; the loaded wrap is more than enough for a full meal.

University Cafe ★ 4.2 · Glasgow

west-end · 87 Byres Road, Glasgow G11 5HN

University Cafe has fed Byres Road since 1918, a fourth-generation family cafe in Glasgow serving cheap fry-ups, fish and chips and its own ice cream.

Tip: It is a proper old-school Italian-Scots cafe; save room for the double-cream ice cream at the end.

The Wee Curry Shop ★ 4.2 · Glasgow

city-centre · 7 Buccleuch Street, Glasgow G3 6SJ

The Wee Curry Shop cooks a short, fresh and cheap Indian menu from a tiny Garnethill room in Glasgow, a long-standing budget favourite for a proper curry.

Tip: There are only a few tables, so book ahead at weekends or grab a lunch sitting.

Namak Mandi ★ 4.2 · Glasgow

southside · 100 Norfolk Street, Glasgow G5 9EJ

Namak Mandi cooks generous Peshawari lamb and fresh naan for well under £15 in Glasgow's Southside, big-value halal cooking in a plain Norfolk Street room.

Tip: It is alcohol-free and portions are large; the salt-cooked lamb easily feeds two to share.