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From incredible Japanese food and must-try Indian restaurants to the best cheap eats, here’s where to eat in London, at all times of day and for all budgets.
There are so many exciting London bucket list items to tick off during your trip, but that doesn’t mean food should fall behind. London is packed with incredible restaurants, food markets, and even tasty cheap eats—I know, it’s hard to believe in a city this expensive.
After visiting over five times and living in London for almost three months, I’ve collected a decent database of some of the best places to eat in London, and definitely developed a few favorites.
From our go-to ramen spot, must-visit Indian restaurant, and various cheap places to eat for when you want a quick meal that doesn’t derail your entire London itinerary, here are some of the best places to eat in London for all times of day and budgets.
Where to Eat in London: Best Restaurants, Markets & Cheap Eats
Best breakfast and brunch spots in London
WatchHouse: Specialty coffee shop with extensive brunch menu
If you’re looking for where to have brunch in London, Watch House is a great spot to have on your radar. And with 24 locations in the city, no matter where you start your day, you’ll find a location close to you.
Watch House is not only one of the best coffee shops in London, but most of their locations also offer a full brunch menu, with everything from bacon and maple syrup pancakes (yum!) to Eggs Benedict, tasty porridge, full English breakfasts, and more.
Plus, their coffee is amazing, of course!
Check out the Watch House location map to guarantee that the one you’re planning to visit has the full brunch menu option, as some of the cafĂ©s are only espresso houses with only a few pastries on offer.
Fabrique: Artisanal bakery famous for cardamom buns
Fabrique is a cute local bakery I discovered while spending a day in Notting Hill, and luckily, they have a few other locations in the city, so you can find one close to you.
This small bakery offers delicious pastries, like their famous cardamom and cinnamon rolls, croissants, pain au chocolat, and their popular artisanal sourdough bread.
If you want to have a quick, casual, cheap breakfast, visit the Fabrique location closer to you for a delicious roll and a cup of coffee to start the day.
Eggslut: Best breakfast sandwich in London
If, on the other hand, you prefer a heartier, savoury breakfast, one of my favorite places in London for this is Eggslut.
Eggslut is a very unserious—clearly—egg sandwich breakfast restaurant. Honestly, my dream restaurant!
Their menu consists of different versions of egg breakfast sandwiches—I like the classic bacon, egg & cheese—which you can accompany with a hearty hash brown. Apparently, their truffle hash brown is all the rage, but I haven’t tried it myself.
They have five locations in the city, and if none of them are close enough to you, you can get them delivered to your hotel while you get ready in the morning.
Buns from Home: Popular local bakery
Another great option for a quick breakfast in London is stopping by one of the many locations—there are 24(!)—of Buns from Home, a locally loved bakery famous for its massive buns in all types of flavors.
Here you can find classic cinnamon rolls and blueberry muffins, as well as some savoury options like spinach and feta, and more decadent dessert-like varieties like a tiramisĂş bun.
Pair one of these with a coffee, and you’re good to go! European-style breakfast.
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that most of their locations are takeaway only, so you’ll have to find a peaceful place to eat it.
Guillam Coffee House: Great coffee and delicious brunch food
Another one of my favorite coffee shops in London that also serves delicious brunch is Guillam Coffee House.
Guillam Coffee House has a few locations around the city, and hopefully one close to you. The one I visited religiously during my 3 months living in London is their Kensington location.
Besides serving incredibly consistent coffee, Guillam also has a decent brunch menu for a coffee shop, with plates like “eggs your way” on toasted sourdough, breakfast croissant, Shakshuka, granola bowl, pancakes, and more.
So if you have a location close to you, I’d highly recommend you visit for a hearty breakfast and a perfect cup of coffee to start your day. The best of both worlds!
Best food markets in London
Borough Market: One of the oldest markets in London
If you’re looking for the best cheap places to eat in London, you need to visit Borough Market for a variety of delicious, affordable meals. Visiting also counts as ticking off one of the city’s top attractions, so it’s a win-win!
This popular market is one of the oldest ones in London, and compared to other spots like Camden, Borough Market feels authentic, with locals shopping for fresh produce and grabbing a quick lunch at one of the many high-quality street food stands.
There are so many incredible foodie options inside Borough Market, but one of my top favorite spots is The Black Pig for decadent pulled-pork sandwiches.
Mercato Mayfair: Unique food court inside an old church
For a casual lunch with a fun twist, visit Mercato Mayfair, an old church housing a market and a food court in the heart of this posh neighborhood.
This is another great place that ticks two boxes with one go: a great meal and an experience.
At Mercato Mayfair you’ll find a variety of food stands serving everything from Neapolitan-style pizza to fish and chips, Spanish tapas and Mexican food. It’s a great option if you can’t decide what to eat with your travel group, as everyone can choose whatever they want and meet at a communal table.
When we visited, we were in the mood for a light lunch, so we ordered some loaded nachos from “Club Mexicana” and loved them. They get my Mexican stamp of approval.
Portobello Road Market: A classic London street market in Notting Hill
While the Portobello Road Market has different sections selling everything from antiques to vintage clothing and produce, you can also find a variety of great street food stands.
For this, you’ll want to visit the northern part of the market where you’ll find a higher concentration of food stands selling dishes such as falafel wraps, fish and chips, bao buns and more.
This is the perfect spot to grab a quick, affordable lunch while exploring the beautiful Notting Hill area.
We didn’t get to try any of the food stands here, since we ended up visiting the Dishoom nearby, but the Falafel Zaki Zaki stand seems to be a hit—it was packed every time we walked past, and it has excellent reviews.
Seven Dials Market: Fun, modern food court in Covent Garden
Another fun location for eating in London is the modern Seven Dials Market in Covent Garden.
Seven Dials Market is a great spot to have on your radar as it’s super centrally located, making it very easy to fit into your itinerary, and there are so many great foodie options here.
From fried chicken to dumplings, pizza, Mexican and Syrian food, sushi and even a cheese conveyor belt restaurant, there are many delicious, unique options to choose from.
The cheese restaurant is still on my bucket list. It looks so fun!
Where to eat lunch and dinner in London
Mashiya: Extensive Japanese menu
After living in Japan for nine months, Japanese cuisine is one of my favorites, and luckily London has no shortage of incredible Japanese restaurants, and I think Mashiya is one of the top ones.
Mashiya is a restaurant in Covent Garden that offers a varied traditional Japanese menu with items like Tonkatsu, beef gyudon, curries, udon, izakaya-style dishes, and more.
This is a place we visited often while living in London, since there are so many great things to try. After visiting multiple times and trying different things, I can guarantee that everything that they do, they do well.
This is a great spot if you’re craving Japanese food but want to go beyond sushi or ramen.
Bao: The fluffiest Bao buns
Bao is one of my favorite restaurants in London, for the simple reason that I love bao buns, and these are some of the best ones I’ve had in my life.
There are only two locations in the city, one in Marylebone and one in Soho, so whenever I’m in those areas, I always try to stop by at least for one bun because they are so good!
My favorite is the classic braised pork bao bun—they are amazing, I love them, I don’t need to try anything else. But if you’re looking for something different, they also offer fried chicken, rice bowls with meat, dumplings, and more.
Kanada-Ya: The best tonkotsu Ramen in London
As I was saying, in this household we are obsessed with Japanese food, and my husband is particularly obsessed with tontoksu ramen—the creamy pork-based one.
This is why we went on a tasting spree, and after trying out a few popular ramen spots, I’m awarding Kanada-Ya the best tonkotsu ramen in London.
The broth is creamy and flavorful, the meat is thinly sliced and kind of roasted, the noodles are perfect—it’s just so good. It’s not the biggest bowl, though, or the cheapest, but it’s really good.
Definitely worth a spot on your list if, like us, you’re a picky ramen fan.
Din Tai Fung: Popular Taiwanese dumpling restaurant
Din Tai Fung is another of our go-to best eats in London. I particularly love this spot for dinner, as the meal can take some time, making it a great way to finish the day in the city.
This beloved Taiwanese restaurant is famous for its handmade dumplings—you can literally see the chefs making them through the big kitchen window.
Din Tai Fung feels like a social type of restaurant, perfect for eating with friends or maybe on a date night, as you order small dishes to the table and share.
We always get the shrimp and soup dumplings, garlicky broccoli, spicy cucumber, fried rice, and then whatever else looks good that day. Honestly, everything is delicious!
Dishoom: The best Indian food in London
A spot I kept hearing about for years is Dishoom, so naturally I avoided it because I thought it would be overrated, but oh, was I wrong?
Dishoom is a popular, modern Indian restaurant with various locations across London, serving incredibly flavorful dishes in a “tapas” style: small dishes to share.
The menu is massive and a little intimidating, but don’t be scared; just ask a waiter for guidance—they are great at recommending the best stuff.
I’ve been a few times now and always got different things to try that I can’t remember what they were, but they were all delicious! Mostly got some type of chicken dish, rice, a vegetable dish, and garlic naan. The perfect combination.
Tokyo Diner: Casual Japanese restaurant
I was introduced to Tokyo Diner by a local Londoner friend who told me that this was his go-to spot as a student, and since then I’m hooked.
Walking into Tokyo Diner, you’ll indeed feel like you got transported to Japan. The vibe is casual, the menu is extensive, and everything on the menu is amazing!
I’ve been a couple of times now and tried their udon and salmon don bowl, while my friends had curry and ramen, and it was all delicious and tasted so authentic.
Definitely one of the best eats in London for Japanese food lovers, and a little bit more affordable than Machiya.
The Lamb and Flag: Classic, high-quality pub dinner
Having a pub dinner while visiting London is a must, at least for one night of the trip, and one of my favorite places for this is The Lamb and Flag pub in Covent Garden.
I stumbled across this place because of its cute looks, without realizing it’s a historic pub with super cozy old wooden interiors and a real fire going on in the winter months. It’s everything I wanted in a pub.
The first floor is the bar, and on the second floor you’ll find the restaurant serving delicious pub classics like fish and chips, London pride steak & ale pie, sausages, sticky toffee pudding, and more.
If you’re on the hunt for where to eat in London for a classic, delicious pub meal, you have to visit this spot in Covent Garden.
Honest Burgers: Popular local burger restaurant
You know those days when you’ve walked almost 10k steps before lunch and feel like you could devour a whole cow? Then maybe you need a burger.
Honest Burgers is a beloved local burger restaurant with multiple locations across London, offering… well, a variety of burgers—from chicken to beef, vegetarian and smashed burgers.
For the sides, you can choose from their very generous portion of fries, coleslaw, or salad, and add any fancy sauce that catches your eye.
This is a great place to eat in London for when you’re in the mood for something simple, classic, that does the trick.
Best cheap eats in London
Shoryu Ramen: Affordable ramen at a specific time
As I mentioned, I’m picky about my ramen, and I’ll be honest and say that this is not my favorite spot in the city, but I still visit now and then for convenience and price.
Shoryu Ramen has various locations across London, and they have an “early bird Ramen” special from Monday to Friday, where if you visit from 3-6 pm, some of their ramen is as cheap as ÂŁ9.99.
My eating schedule is all over the place with our live entertainment lifestyle, so I actually took advantage of this a few times. If your eating schedule also gets messed up with your travels, maybe this also applies to you.
Japan Centre: Japanese supermarket with ready-to-eat meals
One of my favorite places to eat cheap in London is the Japan Centre in Covent Garden.
Japan Centre is an underground Japanese supermarket with a small, casual restaurant with hot meals, and fridges stacked with snacks, onigiri, and freshly made sushi boxes—my favorite.
This is a great option if you’re looking for where to eat in London without spending too much time or money, especially when you want a quick, casual meal before heading out to explore more of the city.
There are also chairs and tables in the market, so you don’t have to worry about where to eat your little bento lunch.
Homeslice: Delicious pizza by the slice in Neal’s Yard
For anyone wondering where to eat in London without spending too much on a sit-down meal, Homeslice is a great option to add to your list.
I first discovered Homeslice on my very first, very tight-budget trip to London, as I visited Neal’s Yard and noticed a pizza restaurant with a massive ÂŁ6 pizza slice. And what’s even better, the pizza is so good!
If you do want to have a sit-down meal, their full pizzas are on the pricier side, around ÂŁ29-34, but they are massive and could easily feed 2-3 people.
Pret A Manger: Quick, affordable meals
Another great spot that helped me survive on my very first, very broke trip to London was Pret A Manger.
Pret A Manger is a local chain offering a wide variety of freshly made sandwiches, wraps, soups, salads, fruit bowls, porridge, pastries, juices, and more.
This is, without a doubt, one of the best cheap places to eat in London. You can pick up a few items for breakfast or lunch and spend less than ÂŁ10, and there are so many options, you’ll surely find something you like.
They also have so many locations in the city, so it should be easy for you to find one close to you.
M&S: Budget-friendly meals
One of my favorite things when landing in Heathrow is heading straight to the M&S to pick up a quick lunch after a long flight.
M&S is a grocery store in the UK with different shops; they have the “food hall,” which is the big grocery store, and the “Simply Food” locations, which are more convenience store-style.
Similar to Pret, both of the M&S shop types offer a wide selection of freshly made sandwiches, salads, wraps, granola bowls, cut-up fruit bowls and more.
During lunch, they run a deal where you get to pick a main, a snack and a drink for under ÂŁ10, which is why this is an unmissable spot if you’re looking for cheap places to eat in London.
Final thoughts on where to eat in London
Visiting London is such a bucket list item, and while budget can definitely be a concern when planning your trip, you don’t have to let it stop you from enjoying your time in the city. London is massive, which means there are so many options for everything, and for different budgets—especially for where to eat.
You can have incredible meals for ÂŁ20-40 per person—and for much more, for sure, but I don’t like to go there—and you can also keep it simple by picking up lunch every now and then from a cafĂ© for around ÂŁ10-15 to balance it out.
I think it’s the best way to do London: a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
This guide to where to eat in London has enough options to give you that variety. You can start your days at a specialty coffee shop like Watch House with a yogurt bowl and a coffee, pick up a sandwich or wrap from M&S for lunch, and then have a splurgier night somewhere fun like Din Tai Fung.
As I mentioned throughout the post, a few of these spots are location-specific, but most of them have various locations across the city, so hopefully you can fit many of these restaurants into your itinerary.
Which of these best eats in London are you most excited to try during your trip? Let us know in the comments.
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Your future hangry self will thank you.