When you think of London, fish and chips, steak, and pastries might come to mind, but have you heard of the pastry, mash, and eel, which is London’s oldest fast food snack?
The oldest pub in London dates back to 1538 (and yes, you can still visit it)! Did you know there’s a ‘wallet pizza’ in the heart of London that you can buy for just £5? Also, there’s a bagel shop open 24 hours in London! People from Cornwall brought the humble pasty, or empanada, to Colombia. I learned all this and more during my recent food-themed adventure in London, done in collaboration with Devour Food Tours.
The goal was to discover the best value foods in London, showcase different corners of the local culture behind each meal, and ultimately prove that London is the world’s greatest food city. To help me with this, Sabrina filmed and edited a beautiful video of all the places we visited and ate in London, which you can watch by clicking the link below. My favorite food tour company, Devour Tours, helped us on this journey by hosting us on two food tours in London:
🍜 Brixton Food Tour: https://fas.st/t/W8aEY6dA
🍻 Flavors, Stories & Traditional Ales Tour: https://fas.st/t/DeKysKS9
For more London inspiration, check out my old guide on the best budget-friendly accommodations in London and the top 52 free things to do in London.
1. Roti King London
Properly made Malaysian comfort food
I’ve been a big fan of Roti King since its humble beginnings on a quiet street next to London Euston station, especially the classic Roti Canai, which is part of Tamil Malaysian cuisine. Part of the fun is watching the chef prepare the roti dough and cook it in a hot pan right before your eyes. As a result, the roti is crispy and flaky, somewhat resembling parathas from India, and pairs wonderfully with aromatic, rich chicken curry. Besides Roti Canai, the beef rendang is rich and tender, and the Laksa is fantastic and full of flavor—this place is a true taste of Malaysia.
2. Beigel Bake, Brick Lane
Open 24 hours, thank God
Whether it’s morning, noon, or 3 AM, Beigel Bake is an institution in London, and its specialty is delicious bagels. This place has been around since 1974, producing 20,000 bagels a day; the bagels come with various tasty fillings, with the most popular being the salt beef bagel, and I also recommend the one with smoked salmon and cream cheese. With prices starting at £1 for a buttered bagel, £2.50 for a hummus or peanut butter bagel, or £4.50 for a cream cheese smoked salmon bagel, this is probably the BEST value food in London.
3. Sud Italia, Spitalfields
Neapolitan slice in East London
Located in the heart of Spitalfields Market, Sud Italia is famous for its Pizza Portafoglio, offering authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas from its distinctive blue truck for just £5! Essentially a double-folded Margherita pizza, this is a slice of pizza heaven with great taste and well-made, and you can pair it with sauces for extra flavor.
4. Murger Hanhan
Affordable Xian cuisine in the heart of London
Murger Hanhan, located in Mayfair, is one of the growing number of London restaurants specializing in Xian cuisine, or Shaanxi cuisine. This regional style is known for its rich and delicious dishes, and if that appeals to you, you will love this place. The restaurant's signature dishes include addictive Biangbiang noodles, Liangpi (cold dough noodles - this dish was revolutionary!), and Murger or Roujiamo, which is a Chinese hamburger-style snack filled with spiced meat in flatbread, a popular Chinese street food dating back to the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC.
The special set menu offers great value. You can enjoy cold dough noodles, a murger, and a cold drink for £18.90. The Biang Biang Noodle is £10.80, and the menu with a murger is £23.90.
Meanwhile, the service here is excellent and the dishes arrive quickly.
8A Sackville St, London W1S 3DF, United Kingdom
5. Maureen’s Backyard, Brixton
Caribbean cuisine with love
Maureen’s Backyard is a home kitchen that has been serving the best Jamaican food in London for the past 20 years. As soon as we stepped into the street and smelled the grilled chicken, I realized we were in for a feast, and the dishes were truly amazing. The rich curry goat melted in your mouth, and I also loved the jerk chicken—I'll be dreaming of that sauce for years. The rice was perfectly cooked—light and fluffy. It felt like we were eating at someone's home. A small portion starts at £7, and a large portion goes up to £15.
6. House of Jollof, Brixton
Gambian cuisine, no joke
In the heart of vibrant Pop Brixton, you'll find House of Jollof Kitchen, run by Ebs, where you can enjoy smoky, spicy, and authentic Gambian cuisine. The signature dish here is jollof rice with its juicy grilled chicken, and it also features classic West African dishes like akara and plantain.
7. Cantinho Mineiro, Brixton
Authentic Brazilian cuisine
If you're looking for authentic Brazilian cuisine at affordable prices, this is the place to come. The feijoada here is serious business, served with rice and greens. There’s a great variety of traditional Brazilian snacks like coxinhas and risoles (£2.50 each), and they also serve delicious cheesy Pão de Queijo. Additionally, you must try their brigadeiros, which are golf ball-sized treats made with chocolate sprinkles, cocoa, condensed milk, and butter.
8. Arments Pie and Mash, Bermondsey
London's original fast food
Pie, mash, and eel is London's original fast food snack. There were initially 300 of these in London. Now, only 40 of these precious places remain, and Arments Pie and Mash in Bermondsey is one of the best and most beloved spots to find this snack. The pies are made from the right shortcrust pastry and filled with hot minced meat prepared with the same recipe for generations, while the mash is fluffy, creamy, and melts in your mouth. You can also choose the liquor, a green parsley sauce that complements the meal, and there’s also a very tasty gravy. The jellied eel, which can be ordered on the side, may seem strange, but for the locals in the area, it’s a homey delicacy that’s an acquired taste. This should definitely be part of any food pilgrimage in London.
9. Richard Haward’s Oysters, Borough Market
London's best oysters
In the midst of the chaos at Borough Market, you'll find Richard Haward’s Oysters. The oysters are huge and taste of the sea. Fresh, salty, and perfect. You can squeeze a little lemon on them, and there's Tabasco if you want, but I prefer them in their natural state, and it's definitely wonderful to sip them with a glass of sparkling wine. Right now, there's a great offer for 4 large oysters at a fantastic price.
10. Daawat, Tooting Broadway
Home-style Pakistani cuisine
The chicken curry (£10) is the stuff of dreams; the sauce is thick and rich and pairs perfectly with crispy tandoori bread or steamed rice. If you're looking for a quick snack, try the signature naan rolls—bread wrapped around a seekh kebab and then cooked in the tandoor. For £2.50, it's the best deal in the city!
11. Adchaya, Wimbledon
Great value and delicious Sri Lankan cuisine
Adchaya is a simple Sri Lankan/South Indian restaurant and takeaway located in South Wimbledon.
I tried the vegetable thali with plain roti alongside my friend Ed Kirwan; Ed lives around the corner and loves his food. The thali comes with steamed rice and a choice of five vegetable curries, served with poppadom and rasam. The thali was simple and very tasty. At a modest fee of £7, the thali continues to be one of the best deals in London. Order a bit of vegetarian kothu on the side (£2).
12. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet Street
A historic London pub with real food
This pub has been here since 1667, rebuilt after the Great Fire of London. Visiting Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is like opening a door to London's glorious past; its intricate layout, dark wood paneling, and low ceilings create a warm, inviting atmosphere. Dickens drank here, as did Mark Twain and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, so you’re drinking in an elite setting. As with all real drinking establishments, the bar snacks here are fantastic; classics like whitebait or pork pie pair well with one of Samuel Smith's beers.
13. Aria Golden Grill, Leather Lane Market
Leather Lane Market is one of London's best food markets; it's popular among hungry office workers and not too touristy. My good friend and passionate food lover Steve Lowy, who works nearby, often comes here because of the great mix of international cuisines you can find, all at reasonable prices. Steve's favorite spot is Aria Golden Grill, a stall specializing in Afghan street food. He tried their famous Qabuli Palaw, a rice and lamb dish. The meat served with rice was juicy, tender, and delicious. At just £8, it's a great value. The portion size is large enough for two people or one if you're as hungry as Steve. They also make delicious wraps and mantu (dumplings) that I want to try next time.
14. Chinatown Bakery, Gerrard Street
Hong Kong-style snacks in the heart of Chinatown
The egg tarts here are perfect—crispy pastry with juicy cream. Best eaten hot, when the cream is still slightly runny. The pork buns are plump and happy, filled with sweet barbecue pork. This is the real Cantonese bakery food, not aimed at tourists.
15. Old Chang Kee, Chinatown
Authentic Singaporean snacks in the heart of London
The Singapore curry puff is a golden triangular pastry filled with spicy potatoes and chicken curry. This reminds me a lot of a Cornish pasty, but in terms of flavor, it's closer to an Indian samosa. At just £3, it's a great value and a perfect snack if you're hungry.
16. Indian Veg
Especially cheap and filling Indian vegetarian buffet
Commonly known as “that militant vegetarian restaurant,” Indian Veg offers guests cheap, filling curry and the opportunity to laugh unintentionally.
Meat eaters will probably get bored seeking more information, as they will be told that they are the cause of more war and suffering, but can they really complain when an unlimited buffet is offered for £11.95?
17. E Mono Restaurant Kentish Town Road
Delicious kebabs, chicken wings, and falafel wraps
Food critic Giles Coren claimed he had “the best kebab he has eaten in years” at this modest Kentish Town shop. Fresh salads and fluffy falafel wraps are also considered by many to be the best in London. Olive lovers should also check out the nearby Phoenicia, where you can find every type of olive in London’s polluted air. Prices start at £11; a chicken döner wrap can go up to £12.
18. London’s cheapest fish and chips: Knight’s Fish Bar
39 Knights Hill, Norwood, London, SE27 0HS
This chippy owned by a Greek Cypriot is the cheapest fish and chips in London, located in West Norwood. During evening service hours, a large fish and chips costs £13, but during lunch hours (12-2.30pm), you can take advantage of “lunch deals” and get cod and chips for £6.50, and chicken and chips for £5. The historic Molesey Fish Bar ( Address: 260 Walton Rd, Molesey, West Molesey KT8 2HT, United Kingdom) offers a small fish & chips and mushy peas for just £6.50 as a lunch special.
Looking for more affordable food guides?
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