Honest Burgers' first counter inside Brixton Village London, opened 2011, runs dry-aged Ginger Pig beef burgers at £12 with their famous rosemary-salt chips included.
Tip: Walk-up only at the Brixton original. Online queue system shows wait times. The Plant burger is the £12 vegan option.
Address: Unit 12, Brixton Village, London SW9 8PS
Franco Manca's first counter inside Brixton Village London, opened 2008, runs slow-fermented Neapolitan-style sourdough pizza at £6-10 per pie, the city's chain-priced gold standard.
Try: Sourdough Neapolitan pizza
Tip: Walk-up only at the Brixton original. Lunch on weekdays walks in without waiting. The Soho and Stratford siblings have shorter queues.
Bao Soho counter on Lexington Street in central London, opened 2015, runs the classic Taiwanese bao at £6 each, the city's best-value Asian counter eats.
Try: Taiwanese steamed bao
Tip: Three bao plus a side runs £20-25; budget visit is two bao for £12. Walk-up only with the chalkboard waiting list outside.
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 weeknights for £10 a head.
Try: Skinny chops at half price
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.
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 cheap-eat.
Try: Salt beef bagel
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.
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 preserved unchanged.
Try: Full English breakfast
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.
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 destination on the South Bank.
Try: Fresh pasta
Tip: Use the Padella app at 12:00 sharp for first lunch slots. Mid-week dinner queues clear by 19:30 most weeks.
Franco Manca's first counter inside Brixton Village London, opened 2008, runs slow-fermented Neapolitan-style sourdough pizza at £6-10 per pie, the city's chain-priced gold standard.
Try: Sourdough Neapolitan pizza
Tip: Walk-up only at the Brixton original. Lunch on weekdays walks in without waiting. The Soho and Stratford siblings have shorter queues.
