Yes, it is still possible to enjoy a halfway decent meal in London for under a fiver. Here’s a list of a few of what I reckon are the best of the cheap eats in town.
Listed below in alphabetical order are five London eateries where I have found it actually is possible to enjoy a satisfying meal for £5 or less … a feat which since I moved to Walthamstow a few months back doesn’t seem all that incredible anymore.
Keep an eye out for more posts over the coming days for more best of 2014 lists. And please note, these ‘best of’ lists merely reflect how I chose to spend my time during the year and are comprised of well established and brand new venues as well as businesses that are local to me or somehow related to where work and play took me.
Best Cheap Eats in London
Fresh Nan Bakery
143A High Street, E17 7DB
As the name implies, this makeshift shop on the High Street in Walthamstow bakes a variety of South Asian style flatbreads fresh on the spot in a tandoor. Get four for a quid. The place does a decent lahmacun for a mere £1.50 and pretty good falafel too.
Niyazi Usta
254 Hoe Street, E17 3AX
More cheap treats in Walthamstow! The £1.50 slightly spiced and cumin-y lamb pie from this Turkish pastry shop is exceptionally tasty value for money. Watching the women in the front of house making the fresh gozleme by hand is a pleasure.
Old Station Yard Café
Behind Lancaster’s Garden Centre at 186 Wood Street, E17 3NA
One more “Awesomestow” eatery, this proper caff situated in a corrugated metal building in the car park of the garden centre across from Wood Street Station does excellent breakfast baps (love their “secret recipe” sausages) with drink for two quid and some change as well as full English brekkies for under a fiver.
Pizza Union
25 Sandy’s Row, E1 7EZ
Pizza Union’s 12” “superfast” margherita for under £4 is one of the tastiest deals in London – and a real lifesaver if you’re passing through Spitalfields with hunger pangs but only pocket change to fight it back. Pizza Union is a spacious and attractive setting too, suggesting a bigger bill that you’re apt to end up paying in the end.
Tortilla
Locations across London
Disclosure: I have this nifty Tortilla VIP Card which opens a world of freebies possibilities to eat at this London-based chain of burrito shops. Nevertheless, I’ve come to find Tortilla’s offering of two mega stuffed, grilled chicken tacos for £4.50 to be one of the best bargains in London for a quick and satisfying meal.
More of the Best of 2014 to follow!
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