Where to eat in London - proven tourist spots. London's top cheap food spots. Cheap and not at all cheerful Cheap restaurants in London

It is very difficult to answer correctly, because London can be very expensive city, and quite budget-friendly if comfort is not very important to you and you are willing to save money. So I’ll just list the prices and you can do the math for yourself.

Visa. The UK is not part of Schengen, unfortunately, and a short-term tourist visa will cost you $129, which is 8,356 rubles at the current exchange rate.

Flight. After EasyJet left Russia, direct flights to London from Moscow remained only quite expensive, about 20 thousand rubles, so it makes sense to look for a transfer. The most budget option is a flight; you can save twice as much on it. Please note that the plane arrives in England at London Heathrow, and your return flight to Moscow will be from Gatwick: this airport is located some distance from the city.

Housing. Six nights in any London hotel from three stars and above will cost the same 20 thousand rubles. If you don’t agree to this, look, there are many of them in the British capital. Six nights for two of them will cost 9 thousand. In the coolest one - 4 stars on TripAdvisor - six nights will cost 14,600 rubles for two.

Nutrition. A three-course dinner in a good restaurant will cost 50-75 pounds, which is 4300-6500 rubles. You can have dinner in an Indian or Chinese restaurant for 1,500 rubles, and in a pub for 1,000 rubles. Lunch at McDonald's will cost 4-7 pounds, that's 350-600 rubles. London has delicious street food: a sandwich can be bought for 200 rubles, and a large portion of kebab for 500-600 rubles. A cappuccino will cost about 200 rubles, and a pint of beer in a pub costs 300 rubles.

Public transport Quite expensive in England. Single ticket the London Underground will cost 370 rubles for a trip through 2 zones and 470 rubles for a trip through 6 zones. If you use an Oyster card, you can save a lot. A metro pass with no travel limit for a week costs 57 pounds, which is 4,100 rubles. Add to it a weekly bus pass and another 1,500 rubles.

Entertainment. Many museums in London are free, but not all. Entrance to the Churchill Museum, for example, will cost 1,300 rubles, and to the Tower - 1,600 rubles. You can buy a London Pass, which gives you entry to 55 museums. A day pass costs 3,800 rubles, for 3 days - 6,200 rubles. You can go to a Chelsea home match for 1,300 rubles. A ride on the Ferris wheel will cost about the same as a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Yes, everyone’s travel budget may be different, depending on their preferences and needs. But there are plenty of opportunities to save money in London!

Housing. Firstly, this is, of course, couchsurfing. This option is good for many, but it is not suitable for those who travel with a group, do not like to live with strangers, or come to London not for a couple of days, but for a longer period. There are many options for just such travelers on airbnb. It is better to choose housing in zone 4 or 5 close to bus stops public transport.

Transport. Of course, it is best to travel on foot - this saves a lot of money, and you can get to know the city better. But sometimes you can’t do without transport. To save on transport, it is definitely worth buying a transport card. There are three of them in London: Travelcard, Oyster and London pass. Each of them has its own advantages. By the way, if you prefer the metro to buses, then you can not only get from point A to point B, but also see the city. For example, the 4th route passes by Parliament, St. Paul's Cathedral, Waterloo, the theater and Fleet street, and the 88th bus goes from Camden along Regent and Oxford streets and passes Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Houses of Parliament and Tate Britain. More tips and ways to save on transport in London.

Food. The cheapest way is to buy food in supermarkets and cook it yourself. This is especially true if you're staying with local couchsurfers, hostels that have a shared kitchen, or renting an apartment. There are many supermarkets in London, but the most popular chains are Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury's. The last two are almost the same, and Asda is cheaper than the others. But the products there are of worse quality. In addition to products for self-cooking, in stores you can buy Meal Deal - an analogue of a business lunch. And before closing, London department stores start selling baked goods and sandwiches.

You can eat relatively inexpensively in London pubs, some of which offer snacks in addition to drinks. By the way, in any pub you can ask for a glass of water (tap water) for free instead of buying it. There are also all sorts of chain establishments whose prices are lower than in restaurants. And some also have happy hours and promotions. For example, Myolddutch has discounted pancakes on Monday. Details.

Well, for the most ascetic and super-frugal: there are canteens at churches and religious organizations scattered throughout the city, where you can have a soup or sandwich for free or for a small donation. You can find them too.

Entertainment. All state museums London work for free. Walking through parks, fairs, and streets is also free. But you don’t have to limit yourself to this. If you want to go on a tour, please! Several communities of enthusiastic guides offer free walking tours in different areas of the city. For example, Free London walking tours, Free tours of London and others.

In London you can watch plays, movies and listen to concerts for free. The Scoop, an open-air amphitheater near the Tower, hosts free cultural events during the warmer months: film screenings, performances, concerts, and festivals. IN concert hall Queen Elizabeth hosts concerts every Friday as part of the Commuter Jazz program.

But the most interesting thing, in my opinion, is to witness the ceremony. For example, you can see the Ceremony of the Keys, sittings of Parliament and the trial at the Old Bailey Central Criminal Court. You can also do this for free. Find details, schedule and other ideas.

I went to London for 10 days with a budget of 30 thousand rubles. True, I had a few “buts”. 1) I already had a British visa. 2) This trip was before the rate jump, approximately 54 rubles for 1 British pound. 3) I am a very, very, very unpretentious person :)

Firstly, I flew on a low-cost airline with hand luggage(minimum clothing, one pair of shoes, minimum set of hygiene products), direct flight from Moscow, 4,000 rubles. Secondly, I lived in a beach hostel, in a room for 15 people, but for 8,000 rubles and a 5-minute walk from Bigben. It's great!

Breakfast at the hostel was poor, so I bought food for breakfast in supermarkets; I went to establishments three or four times during the trip. I usually dined in Chinese eateries; for 5 pounds you can get a large container of food, including seafood, meat, and eat for the week ahead! Pubs were on the program every day.

The main museums were reviewed on the first trip. The biggest expense for me was the ticket for the wheel - something like 19 pounds, if I'm not mistaken. I still don’t know why I decided to go for a ride, because it started to rain at that moment))

I almost always moved around the city on foot. I only used Oyster on buses, they are cheaper than the metro and the bus network covers the whole city. If I weren’t afraid to ride a bike around the city, I would also save on transport. There are plenty of bike parking spots around the city; a day costs 2 pounds, and a week costs 10 pounds. Perhaps something has changed now.

Most likely now you won’t be able to travel for 30 thousand, but at 50 you can try;)

You can save $50 on housing as follows:

1) Register on airbnb.com and confirm your profile.

Anyone who has applied for a UK visa remembers the recommended minimum Money at a rate of at least £50 per day. This amount can be considered sufficient to live an interesting British day without gastronomic delights. How to combine the desire of tourists to eat tasty and nutritious food in London with modest financial capabilities?

Street food

One of the popular snack options not only for tourists, but also for local residents of the city - street food (street food). This sounds unappetizing until you find yourself at a colorful local market where you can't resist the smell of freshly prepared food. London's most famous market is the atmospheric Borough Market (boroughmarket.org.uk), located next to London Bridge tube station. The best days to visit it are from Thursday to Saturday. With £10 in your pocket you can count on 'first, second and compote'. The only inconvenience is that you will most likely have to stand while eating all this gastronomic splendor.

Fast food chain restaurants

If you don't like eating on the go or don't trust street chefs, head to one of the many cafes of famous chains such as Pret-a-Manger, Costa Coffee, Starbucks, Eat. There you are guaranteed fresh food, from hot soups (around £3.5) and porridges to delicious baked goods. A large salad at these establishments will cost around £4.5, and a sandwich - from £1.5 (small) to £4 (large loaf). As a rule, these chains charge an additional service fee (about 20-25% of the order value) if you want to eat at a cafe table. When paying at the checkout, you may be asked: taking away (takeaway) or eating in (meals at a table)? If you decide to stay, be prepared for a higher check. Don't think you've been deceived - look carefully at the price tag. It usually shows the takeaway price in large print, followed by a less visible price with a service charge.

Restaurants with national cuisine

Those who want to add some exoticism to the foggy everyday life of the British capital should look into, for example, Korean, Indian or Vietnamese restaurants. There you can sit comfortably at a table and order vegetable curry for just £4.

On the website www.tripadvisor.co.uk it is easy to find budget restaurants with good reviews, filtered by the cheap eats parameter (“cheap and cheerful” in our opinion).

Pizzerias

One of the most popular and favorite cuisines, Italian, can be enjoyed on a budget in numerous pizzerias offering takeaway food. Very tasty and inexpensive pizza can be found at Pizza Union (whole pizza - from £4) or Princi (large slice straight from the oven - from £4). It’s easy to guess how popular the establishment is - there’s always “no place for an apple to fall.” In this case, it’s worth following the crowd and looking inside. Of course, this rule also applies to other European cuisines, but most often it is the Italians who manage to treat the guests of the establishment to a tasty, varied and inexpensive meal.

Supermarket

Many tourists love foreign supermarkets, where the choice can be limited only by imagination. If you don't mind satisfying your hunger in your hotel room, then go grocery shopping in the next Tesco, Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer or Waitrose. You'll have the same cereal and milk and croissant you'd eat at your hotel breakfast, but you'll pay a fraction of the price. For example, a large packet of cereal costs on average £2, a carton of milk from £0.45, and a croissant in the fresh bakery department around £0.70. Of course, eating in your room is not as fun, but the savings are significant.

English pub

It is completely illogical, being in the capital of Great Britain, to bypass the typical english pub. Even if you are a categorical opponent of alcohol, it makes sense to visit a pub for traditional dish“Fish&Chips” (fish and chips). The pub can be a fun and economical way to spend time, especially if you are traveling with friends. If you don’t abuse alcohol, you can spend £10-15 per person.

Pocket food

And stock up pocket food in case of a long excursion or trip outside London. In an unfamiliar place, it is sometimes difficult to find where to eat inexpensively.

Tourists planning a holiday in London can use the London hotel map to find a hotel suitable for price and location. Change the scale, move the map and choose the hotel that suits your wishes.

Arriving tourists at London Airport have car rental and a taxi service.

In addition, a transfer to the hotel can be ordered in advance from the Russian-speaking taxi booking service Kiwi-taxi. Compared to finding a local taxi, in addition to traditional comfort, safety and reliability, this option has a number of advantages:

a driver with a name plate will meet you in the arrivals area;

in case of flight delay, the driver monitors the change in arrival time (without additional charges);

operators communicate with you in Russian and a Russian-speaking driver is usually provided;

You can order child seats in advance;

it is possible to choose any class of car (out of 12) and a car for non-standard luggage;

The transfer price will be known before the trip and will not change.

Updated 01/29/2020

Where to eat deliciously and inexpensively in London, so that you don’t spend your entire budget on the first dinner and ruin your vacation.

In this post we will tell you how you can save on food in London, while trying local cuisine and don't go hungry.

This list of establishments is compiled based on personal experience.

1. Wetherspoons pub chain

I put the Wetherspoons pub chain as the number one place to eat inexpensively in London.

Firstly, these are traditional English pubs, which every tourist should definitely visit for the atmosphere and local cuisine.

Secondly, this is a huge network of pubs throughout the UK, where you can not only eat inexpensively, but also drink beer.

For comparison, in a regular pub the price for a pint of beer is approximately 5 pounds, in pubs in this chain beer costs from 2 pounds. It is also convenient for tourists that there are establishments in the center on literally every corner and the menu includes dishes of English cuisine, which a traveler will first want to try.

The peculiarity of this chain is its promotions - often the price of the offer includes a drink (non-alcoholic or beer of your choice). Or on Friday, for example, in some pubs it’s “fish day” and the famous English FISH&CHIPS and beer are on sale for about 7 pounds, while in other establishments such a dish without a drink can cost 15 pounds.

Prices in pubs in this chain vary slightly, so I am writing approximate prices. Current prices and promotions can be viewed in their app.

Wetherspoons pubs on the map of London

By the way, a very convenient application - you can find the nearest establishment on the map. You can make an order on the spot by indicating the table number.

2. Asian restaurant chains Itsu, Wasabi

There are two very popular Asian fast food restaurant chains in London, and the prices are quite affordable.

Assortment: rolls, sushi, salads and all sorts of Asian dishes, such as teriyaki chicken with rice. You know, the food at these meetings is quite tasty and not every expensive restaurant can boast such fresh rolls. The food never stays there, apparently because of the affordable prices.
Examples of prices: a set of rolls from 5 pounds, 2 sushi - 2 pounds, salad 3-4 pounds.

But that’s not even the most important thing. Just a gift for the budget tourist - the Itsu restaurant discounts the entire remaining assortment by 50% half an hour before closing. That is, you can eat deliciously for 10 pounds for two. Wasabi also practices this, but not in all establishments.

It is important to note: In these establishment chains, the prices for food on site and takeaway are different; eating on site is not significant, but it is more expensive.

3. Borough market

Borough Market is an incredible adventure that everyone should experience. It's hard to believe, but this market is almost 1000 years old. In addition to being one of London's most important attractions, it offers a huge number of delicacies that will please any gourmet.

The main advice is to go on an empty stomach, here you will definitely be fed and for free.

There are many seafood stalls in the market. We couldn’t pass up “Oyster” and took a set of 4 oysters plus a glass of champagne for 10 pounds.

4. Pret A Manger

Pret A Manger is London's most popular and affordable fast food chain. They position themselves as healthy food restaurants. You can literally find them on every corner, sometimes two in one building. There are always a lot of people there - it is popular among tourists and locals.

Assortment: sandwiches, salads, soups, cereals.

Takeaway food is also cheaper here.

5. Chinese buffets

It is worth paying attention to the Chinese buffets. These are oriental restaurants where you can eat whatever you want for a fixed price. Drinks are usually not included in the price, but you can ask for water for free. There are a lot of such establishments in the Soho area.

6. Shops

In London, almost all supermarkets have a huge selection of ready-made food. The most popular chains: TESCO, Sainsbury's, M&S Food.

You can shop at the store and eat in peace at the hotel, as we sometimes did.

Discount food, cost 4.4 - became 1.09 pounds

For the most economical:

In the evening, you come across a lot of discounted food, these are products that will soon expire, but you can still eat.

7. McDonald's and other fast food

No matter how trivial it may sound, McDonald's still remains a lifesaver for the budget tourist.

We'll be there June 7-15, what area do you recommend (I'm on an airbn - my eyes are wide open) to go through the standard tourist places - British museum, Victoria and Albert, Tate modern, London Museum, St. Paul, the Tower and Sherlock Holmes's apartment, of course:) Well, to have a pleasant walk in the evening and to have somewhere to go for coffee in the morning and to eat in the evening:) We are also planning to go to Stonehenge, Canterbury and Oxford, so that it is convenient to the train stations...

Good afternoon We're going to the UK for Christmas. First we plan to live in Kent, Ashward, to visit a friend, then in London. There are no questions with flights or hotels, since this is not the first time we are organizing a trip on our own. Please tell me what is worth seeing in London. For example, is there any point in spending money on a ferocious wheel? london eye? Help plan your route. Last time we were in London for just one day,...

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We decided to finally figure out where there are hidden places in London where your lunch won’t cost as much as a cast-iron bridge. Inexpensive food does not necessarily mean fast food, harmful carbohydrates and other GMOs, you just need to be able to choose wisely.

Be sure to try the street food. In London, it is completely safe to eat in markets, from stalls, tables at the entrances to supermarkets and metro stations. The food there is very varied, for all tastes and inexpensive. A large lunch will cost you £5-£7, and a snack will cost you even less. Here you will find all the street food markets in central London, starting with the most famous Borough Market, and on the website itself there is a link to the map street food generally all over the city.

In terms of food and more, London is the most international city in the world. Here you can find Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Turkish, Lebanese, Indian, Malaysian cuisine literally on every corner. A couple of courses (without alcohol) will literally cost you £10 per person.

English Breakfast is an absolutely amazing phenomenon; if you eat it in the morning, you can last until the evening with virtually no snacking. If you are passing through London, check to see if it is automatically included in the price of your hotel room. If not, you can easily find a cafe or pub nearby that serves it for £6-8 at any time of the day.

Food before going to the theater. Unexpected, right? Even if you are not going to the theater today, you can definitely take advantage of this offer. You will have to eat earlier than usual for dinner, somewhere from 17:30 to 19:30, but big discounts await you, especially in the West End, where many theaters are located.

Many supermarkets offer so-called ‘meal deals’. A lunch consisting of a sandwich, a drink and a piece of fruit can cost you three pounds. Or host a dinner at home for two with dessert and a bottle of wine for £10-12.

Pay attention to the so-called ‘soft-launches’. They are usually held by very expensive restaurants before launching something new. This is how they solve the problem of testing the menu and atmosphere, and give the first visitors a 50% discount. You can find such offers at hot-dinners.com.

Delivering food to your home is significantly cheaper than the same food in a restaurant, so actively use deliveroo.co.uk delivery or try other aggregator sites like hungryhouse.co.uk.

Get yourself a Taste Card and you will be pleasantly surprised at how many discounts and offers it gives for two dishes for the price of one. The same card gives a discount on tickets to the VUE and Odeon cinema chains. Feel free to register on special discount sites, for example, on Travelzoo, with their coupons you can even get into Michelin-starred restaurants.

If you want to seriously save on food, do not take alcohol in a restaurant, limit yourself to asking for a jug of tap water to be placed on the table. They are required by law to provide you with water for free, and if you wish, you can add lemon and ice to it for free. Often in restaurants there is “house wine”, which is usually served not in bottles, but in decanters. Sometimes it can be very good and relatively inexpensive. And you won't have to overpay.

Study the menu before entering the restaurant. By law they are required to post it at the entrance indicating real prices. Mentally add another 12.5% ​​to your bill - this is the usual service charge in London - and calculate whether you can afford it. And don’t disdain chain cafes, pizzerias and other catering establishments. Their food is quite up to standard and quite cheap.

Check out the many Italian and Greek bakeries located throughout the city. They serve pre-cooked food that is heated in the microwave. The portions are huge, everything is made on the same day. And they often give you a free salad as a bonus. Here are places in central London where you can eat lunch for £4-£7. It is quite possible that you will find a magnificent panoramic view of the city, and these are not restaurants, but simple city cafes near all sorts of city attractions.

Those who say that finding a good restaurant in London is either very difficult or very expensive, most likely have not been to London recent years 7-10. The situation has changed dramatically, and a lot of wonderful establishments have appeared with quite reasonable prices.

The best place to start your search is on the Time Out magazine website. There will also be a list of London gastropubs that combine the charm of a British pub with restaurant-quality food. The selection can be sorted by distance, cuisine or the opinions of food critics.

The city's free newspaper, the London Evening Standard, regularly publishes themed restaurant reviews: where to eat with a romantic twist on Valentine's Day, who makes the best pancakes, best restaurants Mayfair, etc. Here's this link for a list and overview of all the new places that have just opened, and if you just want to drink beer in a typical English pub, then this is the place for you.