Cheap Eats in London: 40 editor picks

40 cheap eats rooms in London, editor-picked. the best low-budget rooms in London: the places editors actually return to. All London food.

Pophams Bakery ★ 4.8

hackney · 197 Richmond Road, London E8 3NJ

Olly Gold's laminated-pastry counter in Hackney London, opened 2016 on Richmond Road, runs the city's most-photographed viennoiserie and a Pophams Pizza.

Tip: Bacon and maple Danish sells out by 10:00 on a Saturday. The Islington site at 36 Prebend Street has identical bake but quieter queues.

Beigel Bake ★ 4.8

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.

E5 Bakehouse ★ 4.7

hackney · Arch 395, Mentmore Terrace, London E8 3PH

Ben Mackinnon's railway-arch bakery beside London Fields station in Hackney London, opened 2010, mills its own organic flour and ships Hackney Wild sourdough.

Tip: The Sunday morning canal-side queue runs 30 minutes; weekday opening at 07:30 walks in. Cinnamon buns sell out by 11:00.

Beigel Bake ★ 4.7

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

The Brick Lane Beigel Bake bakery in east London, trading since 1974, runs hand-rolled bagels and salt beef sandwiches from a 24-hour counter.

Tip: Order at the counter, pay at the till. Salt beef bagel with mustard is the orthodox order. £6 cash-or-card, queue runs 15 minutes after midnight.

Blacklock Soho Pre-Theatre ★ 4.7

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.

Little Bread Pedlar ★ 4.6

borough-bermondsey · Unit 4-6 Spa Business Park, Dockley Road, London SE16 3FJ

Nichola Gensler and Martin Hardiman's railway-arch bakery in Bermondsey London, opened 2010, runs organic sourdough, viennoiserie and panettone delivered.

Tip: Almond croissants come out at 09:00; arrive early on Saturdays. The Primrose Hill, Pimlico and Waterloo shops sell same-day bake but quieter queues.

Towpath ★ 4.6

hackney · 42 De Beauvoir Crescent, London N1 5SB

Lori De Mori and Laura Jackson's Regent's Canal cafe between De Beauvoir and Haggerston Park in east London, opened 2010, an outdoor-only seasonal cafe.

Tip: Open March to October only, daytime only, outdoor seats by the towpath. No bookings, cash and card.

Monmouth Coffee Borough ★ 4.6

borough · 2 Park Street, London SE1 9AB

Monmouth's Borough Market cafe in London, opened in this site in 2002 and trading as a coffee roaster since 1978, runs single-origin espresso at a standing.

Tip: Counter-and-bench seating only. Closed Sundays. The Covent Garden original on Monmouth Street is more laptop-tolerant.

Borough Market Cheese Toastie ★ 4.6

borough · Borough Market, 8 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TL

Kappacasein's grilled cheese counter inside Borough Market in London, trading since 2002, runs the city's most-photographed cheese toastie made.

Tip: Counter only. The 09:00 Saturday queue runs 45 minutes. Order the raclette plate if the cheese toastie line is too long.

Dishoom Shoreditch ★ 4.6

shoreditch · 7 Boundary Street, London E2 7JE

Dishoom's bacon naan roll counter on Boundary Street in Shoreditch London, served from breakfast service since 2012, the morning Bombay-cafe sandwich.

Tip: Walk-in only for the breakfast rolls before 10:00. £6.50 a roll; chai £3. Faster than the dinner queue all week.

Regency Cafe ★ 4.6

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.

Bread Ahead Borough ★ 4.5

borough · Cathedral Street, London SE1 9DE

Matthew Jones's bakery counter inside Borough Market in London, opened in 2013, runs hand-rolled doughnuts and a bakery school in the railway arches just.

Tip: The vanilla cream doughnut is the marquee bake. Their bakery school runs day classes for £150; book through their website three weeks ahead.

Bao Soho ★ 4.5

soho · 53 Lexington Street, London W1F 9AS

Erchen Chang and Shing Tat Chung's Taiwanese bao counter on Lexington Street in Soho London, opened 2015, runs the classic pork bao that defined the British.

Tip: Walk-up only at the counter; queue 30-60 minutes on weekend nights. £6 per bao; pair with peanut-milk shaved ice for dessert.

Padella Counter ★ 4.5

borough · 6 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TQ

Padella's hand-rolled pasta counter at Borough Market in London, opened 2016 by Tim Siadatan and Jordan Frieda, the budget-priced (£8-15) fresh pasta.

Tip: Use the Padella app for the virtual queue at 12:00 sharp; otherwise 60 minutes on Saturday. The Shoreditch sibling has same kitchen.

Padella ★ 4.5

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.

Regency Cafe ★ 4.4

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

The 1946 Westminster greasy spoon on Regency Street in London, white-tiled formica-tabled cafe, runs the canonical London full English at the counter.

Tip: Cash and contactless. Closed Sundays and Saturday afternoons. The 09:00 queue is film-crew familiar.

E Pellicci ★ 4.4

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

The Pellicci family's 1900 east-London cafe on Bethnal Green Road, Grade-II listed for the 1946 marquetry interior, runs a daily Italian-British greasy spoon.

Tip: Cash and card; closed Sundays. Queue runs out the door on Saturday morning. The interior is the listed treasure.

Sodo Pizza Clapton ★ 4.4

hackney · 83 Upper Clapton Road, London E5 9JL

Dan's 48-hour-fermented sourdough pizza counter on Upper Clapton Road in east London, opened 2013, runs a six-site Sodo group focused on seasonal toppings.

Tip: Walk-up only at Clapton; the Bethnal Green, Hoxton, Walthamstow, Hammersmith and Deptford siblings take Resy bookings.

The Dusty Knuckle ★ 4.4

hackney · Abbot Street Car Park, Abbot Street, London E8 3DP

Max Tobias's social-enterprise bakery in a Dalston car park in east London, opened 2014, runs sourdough sandwiches, pastry and a youth training program.

Tip: Salt beef sandwich is the marquee fill. Sunday roast bread loaf sells out by 13:00. Outdoor seating only in summer.

Jolene ★ 4.4

stoke-newington · 21 Newington Green, London N16 9PU

Jeremie Cometto-Lingenheim and David Gingell's bakery-cafe on Newington Green in north London, opened 2019, runs sourdough, simple pasta lunches.

Tip: The Brixton arch sibling on Atlantic Road is the south-London twin. Both close by 16:00 on weekends.

Kaffeine ★ 4.4

fitzrovia · 66 Great Titchfield Street, London W1W 7QJ

Peter Dore-Smith's Australian-style coffee bar on Great Titchfield Street in Fitzrovia London, opened 2009, runs Square Mile beans and a serious daytime food.

Tip: The two-floor Eastcastle Street sibling around the corner is the quieter remote-work bet.

WatchHouse Covent Garden ★ 4.4

covent-garden · 28-29 Southampton Street, London WC2E 7JA

WatchHouse Covent Garden between The Strand and Covent Garden Market in London, opened 2022, runs the brand's Modern Coffee menu with custom brew bar.

Tip: Mezzanine seats above the bar are the laptop-friendly half. Weekday after 14:00 walks in without waiting.

Hagen Fitzrovia ★ 4.4

fitzrovia · 29-32 Berners Street, London W1T 3LR

Hagen's Berners Street espresso bar in Fitzrovia London, the Danish-rooted brand's Copenhagen-founded outpost just off Oxford Street, runs. Family-friendly.

Tip: Standing counter at the front is the morning queue. Closed Sundays; weekday after 15:00 has the easiest pour.

Caravan King's Cross ★ 4.4

kings-cross · 1 Granary Square, London N1C 4AA

Caravan's flagship cafe inside the Granary Building in King's Cross London, opened 2012, runs an in-house coffee roastery and an all-day eclectic Antipodean.

Tip: Plug sockets along the canal-side window seats. Brunch runs to 16:00; dinner from 17:30 on weekdays.

Granger and Co Notting Hill ★ 4.4

notting-hill-bayswater · 175 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2SB

Bill Granger's Australian breakfast room on Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill London, opened 2011, runs ricotta hotcakes and an all-day brunch menu.

Tip: No bookings. The 09:00 queue runs 30 minutes on Saturdays; weekday breakfast walks in by 08:00.

Prufrock Coffee ★ 4.4

clerkenwell · 23-25 Leather Lane, London EC1N 7TE

Jeremy Challender and Gwilym Davies's Leather Lane training cafe in Clerkenwell London, opened 2009, runs a focused filter program and weekday-only opening.

Tip: Open Mon-Fri only; closed weekends. Davies took the World Barista Champion title in 2009 with a Prufrock cup.

Koshari Street ★ 4.4

covent-garden · 56 St Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4EA

Karim Salama's Egyptian street-food counter on St Martin's Lane in Covent Garden London, opened 2014, runs koshari (the Cairo bus-station dish).

Tip: Box of koshari is £8 with all toppings. Counter takeaway or eat in the small upstairs space. Closed Sundays.

Mangal 2 ★ 4.4

stoke-newington · 4 Stoke Newington Road, London N16 8BH

Mangal 2 Turkish ocakbasi on Stoke Newington Road in north London, trading since 1994, runs charcoal-grilled lamb adana, doner, lahmacun and pide.

Tip: BYOB; £3 corkage. Open until midnight Mon-Sun. The artist Gilbert and George are regulars; their original Mangal is across the street.

Bánh Bánh Brixton ★ 4.4

brixton-tooting · 326 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8QH

The Nguyen family's Vietnamese counter on Coldharbour Lane in Brixton London, opened 2016, runs bánh mì, pho and small-plates from a Saigon street-food.

Tip: Bánh mì at £8 is the marquee handheld; pair with a Vietnamese iced coffee. Closed Mondays; weekend lunches walk in without waiting.

Mama Lan Brixton ★ 4.4

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

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.

Maison Bertaux ★ 4.3

soho · 28 Greek Street, London W1D 5DQ

Soho's oldest patisserie, opened on Greek Street in 1871, still laminates croissants, mille-feuille and seasonal fruit tarts by hand above the tearoom.

Tip: The narrow tearoom seats around twenty; takeaway counter on the ground floor moves faster. Cash discount on small orders.

The Attendant Fitzrovia ★ 4.3

fitzrovia · 27a Foley Street, London W1W 6DY

The 1890s Victorian public toilet beneath Foley Street in Fitzrovia London, converted in 2013 into a basement coffee bar serving single-origin espresso.

Tip: The urinals are the bar counter; the cubicles are dining banquettes. The Clerkenwell branch on Great Eastern Street has more workspace.

Store Street Espresso ★ 4.3

fitzrovia · 40 Store Street, London WC1E 7DB

Store Street Espresso's Bloomsbury cafe on Store Street in central London, opened 2012, runs Workshop and Origin beans in a long-corridor cafe popular.

Tip: Communal long tables are laptop-friendly. Doors open 07:30 weekdays; closed Sundays.

The Cheese Bar Camden ★ 4.3

camden-primrose-hill · Unit 93-94, Camden Stables Market, London NW1 8AH

Mathew Carver's all-cheese counter inside Camden Stables Market in London, opened 2017, runs British cheese-led plates from a small kitchen including.

Tip: Walk-up at the counter for grilled cheese; the £30 tasting menu at the back runs full evenings only with a booking.

E Pellicci ★ 4.3

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.

Toad Bakery ★ 4.2

peckham · 183 Camberwell Road, London SE5 0HB

Erin Wilkins's small-batch bakery on Camberwell Road in south London, opened 2021, runs serious natural-leaven sourdough, pastel de nata and a weekend-only.

Tip: Closed Mon-Tue. Pastel de nata baked in batches every two hours; arrive at 09:30, 11:30 or 13:30 for hot ones.

Notes Coffee ★ 4.2

covent-garden · 31 St Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4ER

Robert Robinson's Notes Coffee on St Martin's Lane in Covent Garden London, opened 2010, runs an in-house roastery, a focused wine list at night.

Tip: The downstairs basement is the laptop-friendly room. After 18:00 it pivots to a small-plates wine bar.

Honest Burgers Brixton ★ 4.2

brixton-tooting · Unit 12, Brixton Village, London SW9 8PS

Honest Burgers' first counter in Brixton Village in London, opened 2011 by Tom Barton, Phil Eeles and Dorian Waite, runs dry-aged Ginger Pig beef.

Tip: The Brixton Village original is walk-up only. Beer list from Beavertown and The Kernel. Plant-based burger is the vegan option.

Bao Soho ★ 4.2