Eat Like a Local: Best Places to Eat in London for Every Budget
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Best Places to Eat in London, UK
London is a city that provides an array of culinary delights, offering something for every palate and budget. Whether you are craving the classic comfort of fish and chips, seeking the elegance of an afternoon tea, or wanting to dine at the iconic first Hard Rock Cafe in the word, London’s food scene has you covered. You will find street food vendors in some amazing markets, exquisite chocolates and fine dining options.
This vibrant historical city provides some of the best foods that are rich to London’s history. Although the food scene might not be on the top of your list for foodie destinations, I can guarantee we found some pretty amazing foods on our visit to London and due to my extensive research, we were able to find budget friendly options along the way.
Traveling out of the country can get expensive, throughout this post I will post budget friendly options where applicable.
Need to know: Tip is usually already included in your check total. Look your bill and see if there is a service charge fee, if so, the tip is already added and no more tip is expected.
*all prices listed here are from 2024
Poppies Fish & Chips
London is known for its fish and chips so of course we had to try this dish at Poppies Fish & Chips which started in 1952. I am not a seafood girl, but I will say we did enjoy this meal. The fish was tasty and flakey and the fries, well, they were fries. There are different fish to choose from such as haddock, cod, or halibut. Cost is $18.95-24.95 per plate.
We also ordered the Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and I will tell you that was one of the most delicious desserts I have ever had. It was so good, make sure you order this sweet treat!! $7.95
Total cost: £30.26
The staff was very accommodating, and the diner themed restaurant was not busy at all. There are several Poppies located throughout London.
This location was at: 152-154 Portobello Road, London
Hours: 11:00am to 11:00pm (22:00pm). Hours vary by location.
Other Locations:
Soho - 55-59 Old Compton Street
Camden - 30 Hawley Cres
Spitalfields - 6-8 Hanbury Street
Budget Friendly option: My daughter and I shared this meal for a budget friendly option. While in this area, take the time to walk to the many bookstores and explore the colorful homes of Notting Hill.
Visit the Harry Potter studio and get a behind the scenes tour with transportation from central London. Prices start at $125.23
Buns and Buns
One of my favorite dishes was at Buns and Buns located inside Covent Garden. This Asian inspired restaurant was literally in the middle of Covent Garden and felt like you were in a fish tank, as it was all glass walls so everyone walking by could watch you eat. Despite that, the atmosphere was pleasant, and the service was good as well. As we walked by this restaurant and I saw the Fried Chicken Buns on someone’s plate, I immediately knew I wanted to eat there!
There was a minimal wait before we were seated and were able to order our food. We chose the Chili Beef which consisted of chili minced beef, sweet basil and rice with a fried egg for $28 and the Fried Chicken Buns appetizer for $15 which were so so good. I highly recommended you stop by and grab some Chicken Buns for yourself. You will not be disappointed. The buns are so soft and the sauce on the chicken made it even more special.
Total cost: £46
Address: 5 Covent Garden Piazza, London
Hours: Breakfast 9:00am to 11:30am daily, Lunch & Dinner Monday to Saturday 11:30 am to 11:30pm (23:30pm)
Budget Friendly option: Stop in and grab some Miso soup $6.50 and Fried Chicken Buns to share for a budget friendly option.
The English Rose Cafe & Tea Shop
On my daughter’s bucket list for visiting London, was to have the traditional afternoon tea. There are multiple places to have afternoon tea and many different budget options. You can dine at the exquisite The Shard and spend $78 per person or $88 per person with champagne or you can opt for more budget friendly options like we did. I did quite a bit of research to find what I hoped was the perfect budget friendly option for us and it proved to be the perfect fit with some excellent finger food options.
Budget Friendly option: We chose The English Rose Cafe & Tea Shop located within walking distance from Buckingham Palace. $30 per person.
This is a walk-up only option and reservations are not accepted. I think we waited about an hour after arriving once we were done watching the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace. Walk-ins started at 12:00pm and last orders are at 4:30pm (16:30pm).
This option included famous tea options and 3-tiered finger foods. We had 3 different types of finger sandwiches, scones (which were absolutely delicious) and different cakes and brownies. We did not finish all of our food and took the remaining sweets to go. Everything we ate was really good and I would recommend you stop here if in the area for an afternoon tea. You will share the 2-tiered platter and get your own tea.
Address: 4 Lower Grosvenor Place, London
Hours: Breakfast 8:30am to 12pm, Afternoon Tea 12:00pm to 4:00pm (16:30pm), 5pm and later for takeaway desserts and drinks only.
Other options I considered were: each price listed is per person
Fortnum and Mason - 4th floor at Piccadilly. $108.20 per person (£85)
The Shard, Shangri-La Hotel - Amazing views of the surrounding area. £81
The Wolseley - Reservations recommended but walk-ins welcome. $44.50
Laduree at Covent Garden. $44
Experience the beauty of London in an open top Big Bus Tour. Hop in and hop off where you want as you tour the city with the best views. Prices start at $50.53 per person.
Gourmet Pizza Company
Pizza wasn’t something that was on my list of must-try foods when visiting London but as we were passing by Gourmet Pizza Company it looked and smelled so good. I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. It had that wood fired flavor and the toppings we chose were perfect for us!
There is one size pizza, and you can order the whole pizza to be the same toppings or split in half and half which is what we did. I ordered the Hot Honey (sausage, chili, red onion chutney, mozzarella, basil, honey, and cheeses) and I cannot remember what my daughter ordered on her half. My pizza was so good, the flavors were very distinct and so flavorful. They also sell pastas, sides and appetizers if you prefer something other than pizza.
Total cost: £24.65
This pizza was a fantastic way to end our night before we headed to the Tube to return to our accommodations.
Address: 56 Upper Ground South Bank, London. Sitting next to the Thames River for an amazing meal and a view.
Hours: 11:00am to late daily
Budget Friendly Option: Grab a pizza to share. Pizza’s range from $12.95 to $16.45 each. You can eat at the restaurant (indoor or outdoor seating) or grab a pizza and sit closer to the Thames River for a more romantic evening meal.
Borough Market
A must-see destination in London for food lovers. Open for over 1,000 years, this historic district is full of culinary delights from fresh produce, artisanal goods, and street foods from around the world. Wander around the streets full of street vendors with freshly baked bread, exotic spices, huge array of cheeses, and so much more. You will be overwhelmed with the number of foods available to try with both British fares and a large number of foods to satisfy every craving.
Borough Market is the perfect spot to stop and feast on some amazing foods full of London culture. It was so crowded when we were there in July so if you don’t like crowds, you will be overwhelmed here. But it is worth a visit. Some of the foods we tried and really enjoyed were:
Fresh smoothies - multiple flavors to choose from £3.50 and up. Made with fresh ingredients.
Paella - chicken, mussels, shrimp and paella. Cooked in front of your eyes, this paella was delicious and filling.
Kappacasein - toasted cheese sandwich. A mixture of cheese between two sourdough bread slices with onions and leeks was sooo good! £8
Bread Ahead - delicious and tasty donuts. So many different flavors of donuts for any sweet lover. £4.50 each
Address: 8 Southwark Street, London
Hours: Tuesday to Friday 10:00am to 5pm, Saturday 9:00am to 5:00pm, Sunday 10:00am to 4:00pm, closed on Mondays.
This place is so good, even Phil Rosenthal from Somebody Feed Phil visited the Borough Market and had a toasted cheese sandwich from Kappacasein while in London. Check out my visit with Phil Rosenthal on his world tour in Tampa, Florida.
Transportation provided on this full day of exploration to historical areas outside of London to some of England’s greatest sights. Prices start at $131.65 per person. Book quickly as this tour likely to sell out.
London travel necessities
While walking around the city of London there are several things that we wore or had with us to make our travel easier. Check them out and order yours before your next big trip.
Lululemon belt bag - I carry this everywhere and it gives me a place for my keys, money, ChapStick and more.
Vans shoes - I wore my checkered white vans most days when we were walking the city. They go with most outfits and if it rains, I don’t have to worry about ruining my Birkenstocks.
Fjallraven backpack - my daughter carried a backpack with her each day. The perfect place for her travel necessities and a place to put souviners.
Other items I bought for our travel and highly recommend
Power plug adapter for international travel - this is an absolute must when traveling internationally. You will need an adapter to charge your cell phone or other small device. This is the exact one we used, and it can be used in the US, UK, China, and Europe.
Checkered travel cosmetic bag - This smaller bag was the perfect size for my travel shower products. I love the style and the softness of the product.
Travel journal - the perfect place to document all of your travel memories.
Kids space themed travel journal - kids will need something to do on the long flight so why not buy them a travel journal. This journal has blank writing pages, themed writing prompts, coloring pages and more.
Carry-on luggage - we only took a carry-on luggage and a backpack on our trip, and everything fit perfectly for a 1-week trip. This is the exact suitcase I purchased for our trip.
Hard Rock Cafe
How exciting to be able to go eat at the very first Hard Rock Cafe ever made!! Yes, London has the very first Hard Rock Cafe! There are several Hard Rock Cafe’s so make sure you follow my address if you want to eat at the original. Unfortunately, due to them being busy we were not able to go inside to look at the atmosphere as we ate outside but I was still excited to try the food and experience the vibrant environment.
We had the typical burger and fries on our visit. I also ordered the basil strawberry lemonade which wasn’t my favorite at this location, but I had this same drink in Tennessee, USA and it was fantastic. I will say the food is typical and nothing more special than any other Hard Rock Cafe, but we enjoyed our time there and of course now we can brag that we ate at the very first Hard Rock Cafe ever!
Across the street is the Rock Shop for all your Hard Rock Cafe souvenir store needs where you can buy clothing items, hats, guitar pics, pins, glassware and more. Stop there on your way out or while you wait for your table to be ready like we did.
Total cost: 2 meals and drinks £59.74
Address: 150 Old Park Lane, London
Hours: Sunday to Friday 11:30am to 10:30pm, Saturday 11:30am to 11:00pm. Breakfast Saturday and Sunday from 9:00am to 10:45am.
Rock Shop Hours: Sunday to Friday from 11:00am to 10:00pm, Saturday 11:00am to 10:30am
Budget Friendly option: One thing that our family often does is get water to drink when we go out to eat. This saves us about $10 or so.
Laderach
OMG! This is some of the best chocolate I have ever tasted, and I found it at Laderach. There are so many flavors to choose from and they will give you samples of each flavor you are considering. Now, this chocolate is NOT budget friendly, but when in London I had to splurge on something, and this was it!
Total cost: £80.36 for 6 different chocolates, see 3rd pic below for size
Address: 254-256 Regent Street, London
Hours: Monday to Saturday 10:00am to 9:00pm (21:00pm), Sunday 10:00am to 6:00pm (18:00pm)
There are several of these chocolate stores throughout London so if you miss one, just google it and you will find another store nearby.
Book this popular tour to Paris from London on the Eurostar. Upon arrival you will be guided to some of Paris’ top attractions. Optional lunch at Eiffel Tower is available. Book now before it is sold out!
The Cat & Cucumber Cafe
As we were walking around London, my daughter found this cafe she wanted to eat at. I think the only reason she chose this restaurant was because it had the word cat in the name, and she loves cats.
I will say I did not enjoy the food here except for the bacon. Maybe it is just a London thing where the food is blander than US foods, but it was a really boring meal and not very tasty. Now however, the bacon was the best bacon I have ever had. It was salty and just darn good!! So, if you are in the area around Tower Bridge, make sure to stop and get some bacon to go!! There was a large selection of foods to order from so you might be able to find something you like.
Address: 182 Tower Bridge Road, London
Hours: Monday to Friday 6:30am to 3:00pm and Saturday 7:30am to 2:00pm. Closed on Sundays
Facebook: Cat & Cucumber
Total cost: £16.30
Budget Friendly Option: The food prices are reasonable here so if you are looking for a cheap place to eat, this could be the place. We only ordered water to keep the cost lower.
The Anchor Pub
As we were riding the boat tour on the Thames River, they mentioned The Anchor Pub and how good the atmosphere and food was so later, we walked around until we found this pub and decided to give it a try. This is one of the oldest pubs in London and was built in 1615. Pubs in London are famous for their Sunday Roast so of course I had to try it.
You will find pub like decor on the inside bringing on a warm atmosphere. On the first floor you will find a bar you can sit at, or you can sit at any of the tables around the restaurant. If you go up on the second floor, you will also find tables to sit at if you prefer indoor seating.
There was a menu at the table, and I believe a QR code on the menu to order from, otherwise you have to go up to the bar (on either floor) and order there as no one came to us to take our order.
We eventually went to the second floor to place our order and sat outside to eat and enjoy the view of the Thames River. My order of the Sunday Roast was so good. It was savory, mouthwatering and flavorful, and I wish I could eat there again as it was so good. My daughter ordered the mac n cheese and didn’t think it was very good and would not recommend it.
Address: 34 Park Street, London
Hours: Sunday to Wednesday 11:00am to 11:00pm, Thursday and Friday 11:00am to 11:30pm, Saturday 10:00am to 11:30pm
Pet friendly
Upper Crust and The Pasty Shop
Stopping inside the multiple train stations around the city provides the opportunity for many different quick food options. One more famous London food is the Pasty so of course I wanted to try one. There are different fillings, and I chose the cheese and onion flavor. It was good, not the best, but it was a good snack to have as we walked around.
My daughter tried a warm sub from Upper Crust, and it was really good. If you like subs, I would definitely recommend you try Upper Crust for a quick bite.
Budget Friendly Option: Head into one of the many train stations to grab a quick bite. Prices are reasonable and it is a fast way to get a small meal as you are walking around London.
Pret A Manger
Pret A Manger strives to prepare fresh foods daily. Most shops have their own kitchen to prepare each item on site for the freshest ingredients every time. They sell sandwiches, bakery items, soups, fruits, salads, drinks and more. They specialize in preparing organic coffee and the funds they give back to farmers for further production. There is a Pret A Manger everywhere in London. Support this local London staple and grab a quick snack or meal as you are heading to your next destination.
Address: There are multiple Pret A Mangers around London. We saw them all over the place and in train stations and airports. Check their website for a location near you.
Hours: typically opens around 6:00am and closes between 19:00-22:00pm. Hours vary by location.
Non-alcoholic beverages, London favorites
Our family typically drinks water when we visit restaurants to help save money. But when on vacation, sometimes we get to splurge. As we tried new drinks, we found our two favorite drinks we really enjoyed.
Schweppes lemonade - carbonated water with lemon and lime oils for a refreshing taste. I can’t even find this on Amazon in the US to order (insert sad face). IF ANYONE KNOWS OF A USA DRINK THAT IS COMPARABLE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.
Fentimans Sparkling Rose lemonade - my daughters favorite drink in London. A carbonated lemonade with a hint of rose oil for a unique flavor. You can actually buy this in the USA on Amazon. Yay!
Also note the water bottle on the left. The lid stays attached to the ring around the bottle once opened. What a great way to not lose the cap to your bottle. Some disagree that they like this feature. What are your thoughts? Comment below!!
Other London touristy things to do
MORE LONDON TRAVEL IDEAS COMING SOON! BOOKMARK THIS PAGE TO REFERENCE LATER.
Ways to save money recap
share a meal
get water with your meal instead of purchasing a soda or alcoholic drink
check around for price options such as the afternoon tea
have snacks for lunch and eat a bigger meal for dinner
save money each pay day (ie: $20, $50, $100) leading up to the trip and then put the saved money on a universal Visa card to use while traveling. MOST PLACES PREFER CREDIT CARDS TO CASH AND A FEW PLACES WOULDN’T TAKE CASH
find free places to visit like the Sky Garden and bring a granola bar to enjoy and purchase a small coffee to enjoy the city view as you relax
Exploring London is not just about the iconic landmarks but also about immersing yourself in traditional British staples like fish and chips or the hearty Sunday roast. Every corner in London has an array of diverse foods from markets, pubs, and afternoon tea. Each meal tells the history and culture of this area. Take time to stroll Borough Market or Picadilly Square for even more food options.
My anticipation that the food in London might not be to my liking proved to be completely wrong. Everyplace I listed here I would go back to again. Each place offered a unique part of history in London and gave us time to experience a part of British fare that we might not have otherwise noticed without trying something new.
You might find some foods that are not the typical saltiness you might find in the USA, but I know you will be able to find something you like while visiting London. Let me know if you have any questions about any of these restaurants. Comment below!
Enjoy the journey,
Meet the author: Jennifer
I am a girl who loves to travel with my family and enjoys sharing expert family travel advice. I am a content creator and influencer on Instagram with years of travel experience and provide readers with advice, tips, and details on adventurous family travel and tips on saving money while boondocking or traveling across the US. You can usually find me dreaming up our next epic vacation or outside exploring natural landscapes. I am a fearless roadtripper who isn’t afraid to explore new and off the path adventures. Pic: Red Telephone booth in London, UK
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London is a city that provides an array of culinary delights, offering something for every palate and budget. Whether you are craving the classic comfort of fish and chips, seeking the elegance of an afternoon tea, or wanting to dine at the iconic first Hard Rock Cafe in the word, London’s food scene has you covered.