Throughout 2024 we’ve been asking Michelin-starred chefs across the UK to pick their favourite cheap eats – a meal for two for less than £40. Here, we have rounded up where London’s best chefs eat when they get a night off.
Central
Recommended by two Michelin-starred Alex Dilling, of Alex Dilling at Hotel Cafe Royal on Regent Street: “Great value and well-cooked pasta. Main courses are all under £20. Michelin-star chef Phil Howard is behind it and his cooking technique comes through even in these casual dishes. I also love Bancone for pasta.”
Recommended by Sameer Taneja, executive chef at one-starred Indian restaurant Benares in Mayfair: “My go-to eatery for Kolkata-inspired meat and vegetable wraps that are absolutely delicious. My wife and I have been regular visitors since before our kids were born, and I have fond memories of this little place. It’s always a treat to enjoy their excellent spicy wraps, a bottle of beer, and good old Bollywood music.”
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Cheap eats across the UK as recommended by the nation’s favourite chefs
Recommended by Benjamin Ferra Y Castell from one-starred Pavyllon at the Four Seasons Hotel: “They offer great Italian coffee with authentic products from different regions of Italy. You can try different sandwiches and they have an excellent burrata. They serve real coffee, how it should be made.”
Recommended by Rob Chambers, executive chef at one Michelin-starred LUCA in Clerkenwell: “Although a normal meal there isn’t under £40, they’re currently running a £20 menu to celebrate their 20th anniversary which is a really good deal and a brilliant way to experience one of London’s most-loved dim sum restaurants.”
Rob Chambers from Luca
Recommended by, Sofian Msetfi (among others), executive chef at Mayfair’s one-starred Ormer restaurant: “A brilliant dining experience with high-quality and fresh ingredients. With locations in Battersea Power Station, Borough, King’s Cross, Marylebone and Shoreditch, BAO is known for its creative take on Taiwanese street food. They offer some of the best bao buns in the city which start from just £6, plus there’s affordably priced small plates, allowing for a diverse tasting experience without overspending.”
Bow to the bao buns. Pic: BAO Group
Recommended by Sofian Msetfi: “A traditional Persian dining experience – I’d recommend ordering a charcoal grilled kebab for the table plus a selection of the mezeh-style sharing plates to accommodate a budget of £40 for two.”
Tongue and Brisket, Goodge Street
Recommended by Pied à Terre owner David Moore: “Bring your appetite as portions are generous. I have a large salt beef on rye, pickles and mustard, £10 take away, a bit more to eat in. If dining in, try the latka, fish balls and an excellent chopped liver, cucumber salad on side. No licence for booze… not a bad thing.”
David Moore says come hungry to Tongue and Brisket
Recommended by David Moore: “This tiny, hole-in-the-wall spot serves up some of the tastiest soups you will find this side of Tel Aviv, but it doesn’t stop there. Falafel, £8.20; shakshuka, £8.20; and chicken schnitzel, £9.00, are my firm favourites. Everything is cooked fresh on the premises.”
Palms of Goa, Charlotte Street
Recommended by David Moore: “They have been on Charlotte Street close to 30 years, you don’t do that without solid regulars and good food. My favourite is king prawn masala, £15.95, or lamb biryani, £15.95 – plus a couple of naans at £2.95 each and some tap water just to stay on budget. I have to say I usually need a snooze after an Indian lunch… there are worse problems to have.”
Recommended by TV chef Judy Joo, restaurateur at Seoul Bird: “Lucky for me, I live just around the corner from this charming, historic deli. My go-to is their famous pastrami and cheese, piled high with pickle, mayo and mustard. Occasionally, I’ll switch things up with their epic coronation chicken, or if I’m feeling adventurous, a jacket potato with tuna and sweetcorn. It’s quintessentially British, and I love it.”
Recommended by Judy Joo: “Tucked away in the basement of an unassuming British pub down a quaint mews street. I usually order the minced pork xiaomian – toothsome wheat noodles swimming in a red chili broth, then dressed with seasoned pork and fragrant spring onions. The numbing pork wontons are another standout, delivering what their name promises in true mala style. Don’t miss the cucumber side salad which offers a refreshing respite for your palate.”
TV chef Judy Joo’s other favourites include a taco spot and a Lebanese restaurant
Recommended by Gary Foulkes, executive chef at Cornus in Belgravia: “Really tasty hand-pulled Xian noodles and the beef pao mo soup is particularly good. My son always goes for the tomato and egg hand-pulled noodles served in soup. It’s just really tasty food served in a friendly, bustling environment.”
Recommended by two Michelin-starred Henrique Sa Pessoa from Alma in Lisbon and concept chef at JOIA in Battersea: “You can find Pastaio just off Carnaby Street serving creative fresh pasta dishes every day. From Stevie Parle, it’s got a playful interior and always has a good playlist on. Keep an eye out on their specials board for regularly changing plates – but my favourite classic is the eight-hour beef and porcini bolognese with hand-cut pappardelle and parmesan.”
Koya (Soho and Bloomberg Arcade)
Henrique Sa Pessoa says: “My go-to is the original, on Frith Street. A traditional Japanese udon bar, this is the kind of place that will raise spirits on a grey London day. Their udon noodles and dashi are made fresh every day, and the menu allows you to personalise your order depending on whether you want cold noodles in hot broth or vice versa. Their prawn tempura is also out of this world.”
Chef Henrique Sa Pessoa. Pic: Nick Andrews
Recommended by Miller Prada, executive chef at one Michelin-starred HUMO in Mayfair: “So tasty and the closest thing that I have tried to Mexican street tacos in London. They have four tacos (£4.25 each) and four quesadillas (£5.25 each) based on the same four ingredients (marinated pork, crispy pork belly, grilled beef and grilled cactus). It’s located down a small alleyway in the middle of Soho, and if you don’t mind standing up while eating, you can have three tacos, and one Modello beer, for £17.75, it’s amazing! Dirty but yummy.”
Miller Prada says: “Since I came to London I have been going to here for burgers, great music, fries and soda for £12.90.”
Miller Prada, executive chef at one Michelin-starred HUMO in Mayfair
Chinatown picks
Recommended by Jeff Tan, one-time Michelin-starred chef who now runs Viet Food in Chinatown: “I will recommend having dim sum with Chinese tea for lunch which represents both culinary and cultural significance in Chinese tradition. The three restaurants that I recommend are Orient London, Bun House and Golden Dragon. Orient London and Golden Dragon will be around £40 in terms of budgeting while Bun House is less than £40.”
Recommended by James Knappett, chef-patron of two Michelin-starred Kitchen Table in Fitzrovia: “New Loon Fung Restaurant for dim sum in Chinatown – for their steamed ribs, chicken feet, prawn dumplings and chicken and sausage claypot rice.”
James Knappett, chef-patron of two Michelin-starred Kitchen Table, in Fitzrovia
North London
James Knappett, from Kitchen Table: “A neighbourhood Turkish restaurant in Green Lanes that we often visit as a family of four – sharing a mixed grill platter between us. It’s great value for money and always open late, so I can usually get a grilled shish on the way back home after service too.”
Max’s Sandwich Shop, Crouch Hill
Recommended by Tom Brown, from Michelin Guide-recommended Pearly Queen in Shoreditch: “My all-time favourite cheap eat, which has an amazing reputation – their classic ‘Ham, Egg ‘n’ Chips’ sandwich is undoubtedly the best. I’m big on my football, and where it’s located in Finsbury Park, it’s a great spot to hit before Arsenal.”
A classic, sandwiched: Ham, egg and chips. Pic: Max’s Sandwich Shop
Recommended by Theo Randall, Saturday Kitchen regular and chef patron at Theo Randall at the Intercontinental: “It’s a real family favourite of mine – we’ve had many a birthday party at this authentic Greek institution. The restaurant is family run and the food is consistently good and great value; the set lunch menu from Monday to Friday is £19.50 for 3 courses, plus coffee! The service is excellent too.”
Yipin China, Highbury and Islington
Recommended by Meedu Saad, head chef and co-owner of Kiln in Soho – which, as well as being in the Michelin Guide, was crowned the UK’s best restaurant in 2018: “Specialises in Hunanese dishes and techniques. They have a great selection of offal dishes and sour soup – one of my favourites being white fish and mustard greens.”
One of Meedu Saad’s favourites has no menu
Recommended by Meedu Saad: “This place specialises in tantuni, a meat wrap that originates from Mersin in the south of Turkey. It’s finely diced lamb boiled and then lightly fried with spices, topped with fresh tomatoes and parsley before being wrapped in lavash and served with a monster plate of pickled chillies and lemon wedges.”
Recommended by Meedu Saad: “A no-menu restaurant specialising in daily made soups and stews at very reasonable prices. My personal favourite is a soup by the name of kelle paca, which is a sheep’s head soup in a broth topped with garlic and ghee.”
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Cheap eats across the UK as recommended by the nation’s favourite chefs
Bang Bang Oriental Food Hall, Edgware
Recommended by Great British Menu finalist Kerth Gumbs, head chef at Fenchurch, in Sky Garden: “I first came across this food hall style of dining when I lived in Singapore, and it’s honestly a must-try – you’ll be mesmerised by the wide range of cuisines all under one roof, with Indonesian, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Singaporean to name a few. I often take my kids and partner there, and our usual order is special fried rice, stir-fried noodles and sweet and sticky beef. The portions are huge too so it’s great for sharing – after ordering those three dishes I’ll usually have some spare cash to splash out on some bubble tea.”
Kerth Gumbs, head chef at Fenchurch, in Sky Garden
Recommended by Eran Tibi, executive chef at Michelin-recommended Bala Baya, and Kapara: “It’s cheap, cheerful, delicious and authentic. It’s unique as not many people are familiar with Afghan cuisine; all the dishes are great value and it’s a fantastic place to explore new dishes.”
Diwana Bhel Poori House, Euston
Recommended by Gary Foulkes, executive chef at Cornus: “Delicious Southern Indian vegetarian food. I normally go for the bhel poori, samosa chaat and masala dosa – also don’t miss the gulab jamun for dessert. It’s amazing value for the quality of the food you receive.”
Gary Foulkes says: “Some of – if not the – best Malaysian food in London in my opinion. Roti canai is my pick when I go here, but the beef rendang is also very tasty. Be prepared to queue, but it’s worth the wait.”
East London
House of Momo, Dalston (and Brixton)
Recommended by Tom Brown, from Pearly Queen in Shoreditch: “They do a variety of fried dumplings served with delicious Nepalese curries – a personal favourite of mine is the cheese and vegetable momo. The food is divine. It’s big portions – the value for money is insane.”
Tom Brown says you get what you pay for – and then some
Recommended by Andy Beynon, chef patron of Michelin-starred Behind in Hackney: “My go-to for a kebab fix. They also do this amazing chargrilled lamb mince on a bed of tomato sauce with yoghurt and clarified butter. So good.”
Lahore Kebab House, Whitechapel
Recommended by Andy Beynon: “I love it. I used to go with my dad – we’d get a couple of lagers from the shop next door, then tuck into lamb chops, tarka daal, the Peshwari naan, which is always cooked fresh on the tandoor, and all the dips on the menu.”
Recommended by Andy Beynon: “You can’t beat a ‘That Spicy D’. There’s just something about that burnt chilli mayo and schiacciata piccante. It’s my favourite lunch to have on the go, and totally worth the mess.”
Dom’s Subs does biiiig sandwiches. Pic: Dom’s Subs
Oi Vita Pizzeria, Stoke Newington
Recommended by Jun Tanaka, head chef of the Michelin-starred The Ninth: “This is my go-to place when I feel like a pizza. The service is super friendly and they focus on sourcing the best ingredients, so their pizzas are very good. I usually order the diavola – tomato, mozzarella, spicy salami and basil.”
Jun Tanaka says: “If I get a takeaway it’s usually Vietnamese and this is my favourite. I pretty much order the same dish every time which is their original pho. Their beef marrow broth is very tasty, although I do like to add dried chill and chilli vinegar for the extra kick.”
Jun Tanaka, head chef of the Michelin-starred The Ninth in Fitzrovia, central London
The falafel truck, Portobello Road
Recommended by two-starred Alex Dilling: “This is a food truck near Soho House, it doesn’t have a website. There’s one they do with great tahini and fresh salad for £5. Very filling and a quick meal on the go for busy chefs.”
Voodoo Rays (Dalston, London Fields and Peckham)
Recommended by Eran Tibi from Bala Baya: “It serves New York style pizza which you can’t get anywhere. They have 22-inch pizzas – hello! You’re able to go in, pick slices of whatever pizza you want; they also do a great negroni. It’s great value and the quality is fantastic and consistent, so it’s a no brainer.”
Recommended by Rob Chambers, from LUCA: “I’m partial to a banh mi when looking for a good value meal – this is my favourite.”
South London
Recommended by Jun Tanaka, from The Ninth: “I love Shuk, especially during the warmer months when you can sit outside and enjoy the vibe of the market. You have to order their pitas. Everything’s delicious but if I had to choose a favourite it would be the spiced lamb meatballs with harissa, yoghurt, and herbs.”
Recommended by Miller Prada, from HUMO: “One of my favourite restaurants in London. They serve really good pasta from £9.50 to £16 a dish, with great ingredients.”
Borough Market. Pic: iStock
Recommeded by Vivek Singh from the Cinnamon Collection, home to popular restaurants including the Cinnamon Club and Cinnamon Bazaar: “I will pretty much eat anything at this Sri Lankan place. It is homemade in house and everything is fresh on the day then reheated to order. The dosa is made to order every time. You can definitely get a filling meal for two here for less than £40.”
Recommeded by Vivek Singh: “A southeast London institution to me. It is especially great for lunch. You could get aloo gobi, mushroom corn saag, a side of pears and kadai paneer, a couple of breads (for example, a cheese and chilli naan), as well as rice and tomatoes all for under £40 for two people.”
West London
Recommended by restaurateur, multi-Michelin star chef and TV regular Atul Kocchar: “West London is home to many pubs serving Indian food. The pub does a roaring takeaway trade, but it’s worth visiting to eat in for the comfortable atmosphere and the theatre of the tandoor dishes served. It’s the grill dishes that The Royal Albion really excels with, including their whole tandoori roast chicken, which costs just £11.95, or the mixed grill loaded with two lamb kebabs, chicken tikka, tandoori chicken wings and succulent lamb chops.”
Restaurateur, multi-Michelin star chef and TV regular Atul Kocchar
Atul Kocchar says: “A takeaway space set up during lockdown, The DJ’s Kitchen was launched as a side project from a successful DJ. Here the team are doing genuinely very exciting things with chicken, predominantly serving contemporary riffs on classic chicken dishes from around the globe, with a deeply comforting American twist. The butter chicken burger, for instance, is loaded with butter chicken gravy, and the tandoori chicken burger has a boneless tandoori chicken thigh alongside tandoori mayo and a green and mango chutney.”
The Lass O’Richmond Hill, Richmond
“One of the best pubs in Richmond,” says Atul Kocchar. “A serene spot on the edge of the park with a fireplace and comfortable sofas. The food offering takes British pub food to the absolute next level, using exceptional produce and using interesting cooking techniques. There’s even a specific barbecue menu, all prepared on a kamado grill on the garden terrace. The Sunday roasts are definitely the main draw here.”
Recommended by Great British Menu finalist Kerth Gumbs: “Chef Jorge Pacheco serves a delicious selection of sharing starters. The ceviches are a must-try. I’ll happily share two ceviches, two sides and two cocktails and be satisfied for an early dinner within the £40 budget – it’s fresh and not too heavy!”
Secret Sandwich Shop, Notting Hill
Recommended by Sofian Msetfi from Ormer restaurant: “Elevates the humble sandwich to new heights – the sheer size of the Japanese Wanpaku sandwiches are incredible and so filling! It’s a great find, hidden behind a secret door in Notting Hill, with the signature ‘Secret Sandwich’ priced at £9, meaning you can each get a sandwich plus a generous selection of classic snacks and even some Japanese drinks for £40.”
Recommended by Judy Joo, restaurateur at Seoul Bird: “Trejo’s Tacos has crossed the pond, opening its first international outpost in Notting Hill. Founded by actor Danny Trejo, this canteen boasts a cult following in Los Angeles (myself included) and has quickly become my favourite spot for tacos in London. My usual order includes a plate of Baja fish and spicy shrimp tacos, dosed in their house hot sauce and perfectly complemented by one of their stellar O.G. margaritas or homemade horchata. I also love their house-made guacamole and salsa served with their truly addictive freshly fried corn tortilla chips. I just munch away while thinking of the southern California sun.”
Pic: Trejo’s Tacos
Maroush, Edgware Road (and elsewhere)
Recommended by Judy Joo: “A London institution with multiple venues across the city, remains a favourite, especially the original on Edgware Road. The chicken or lamb shawarma is the star dish, slow-cooked on vertical rotisseries, infused with aromatic spices, and expertly sliced off with sabers. It’s the perfect late-night snack after a few too many pints. I love their tomato okra stew with rice – so comforting and warming.”
Saint George Cafe, Chelsea (and Charing Cross)
Recommended by Benjamin Ferra Y Castell from one-starred Pavyllon: “This is a French bakery offering delicious sandwiches made with high-quality products. Their bread is made by a French baker with a specially selected flour. The pastries are also amazing – using high-quality butter and the chocolate used in the pain au chocolate makes it one of my best sweet treats in the city. On top of all of this, their coffee is some of the best in London.”
Benjamin Ferra Y Castell in the kitchen
Tachbrook Street Market, Pimlico
Recommended by Benjamin Ferra Y Castell: “This market is really affordable and convenient and away from the hustle and bustle of Victoria Station. Authentic Thai food made with love, available for less than £10 for a substantial portion.”
Source Agencies
