High style, low spend: London’s best chic but cheap restaurants for 2025

Whenever helium opens a caller place, arsenic helium did doubly past year, the restaurateur Jeremy King reminds his unit that nary edifice worthy its brackish leaves its customers feeling swindled. The prime to walk a batch oregon a little, helium says, is theirs; bills tin beryllium £40 oregon £400, depending connected the temper and the means.

There are others operators who bash a akin thing. At the Ivy chain (various locations, the-ivy.co.uk), it’s casual to rack up an tremendous tab, but likewise a luncheon mightiness beryllium spent sat astatine the bar, with a shepherd’s pastry — incidentally their astir celebrated and possibly champion crockery — and a crème Brûlée, for £19.95. The surroundings marque it consciousness an occasion; determination is simply a consciousness of grandeur. With places similar these, it’s each successful the ordering: cannily navigating a paper means immoderate of the capital’s champion restaurants tin beryllium enjoyed without a consciousness of dread arriving astatine the aforesaid clip the small leather publication does.

With this method successful mind, try, for starters, the likes of Hoppers (various locations, hopperslondon.com), Brigadiers (1-5 Bloomberg Arcade, EC4, brigadierslondon.com), Brutto (35-37 Greenhill Rents, EC1, @bru.tto), the Tamil Prince (115 Hemingford Road, N1, thetamilprince.com), Manteca (49-51 Curtain Road, EC2, mantecarestaurant.co.uk) oregon Flour & Grape (214 Bermondsey Street, SE1, flourandgrape.com). Look retired for the deals too: Honey & Co (54 Lamb's Conduit Street WC1N, honeyandco.co.uk), for instance, tally a £25, two-course luncheon menu, though lone successful January.

You mightiness deliberation this attack would enactment everyplace but, much and more, it simply doesn’t — astatine the apical extremity of the market, price-wise, it is becoming progressively communal to spot drinks lists kicking disconnected successful the debased teens for the tiddliest solid of wine, starters getting going astatine astir £18, and the precise cheapest main inactive troubling the £30 mark. No magnitude of cutting one’s expectations volition assistance here; ditto the ever-growing fig of places that lone connection a tasting menu. Moreover, successful compiling this list, implicit and again we recovered that places we’d remembered arsenic having the unusual little outgo crockery had simply scrapped these from the menu, oregon pushed the terms up. That £9 cocktail has go £13; that sharing crockery doesn’t travel successful astatine £55 for 2 but £75.

And portion London inactive tin boast a fig of fantabulous inexpensive restaurants — here, for instance, are a fistful chosen by the city’s chefs — galore are often marked by a consciousness of being, shall we say, underdressed. They are basic; the nutrient mightiness beryllium excellent, the outgo whitethorn beryllium low, but the looks permission thing to beryllium desired. Sometimes a spot of flash is what’s wanted.

Though getting retired for nether £80-a-head often feels similar thing of an accomplishment these days, beneath are the places we spell erstwhile successful request of thing with precocious style, but comparatively debased spend. You would beryllium hard pushed to accidental each are cheap cheap, but they’re determination wherever a repast mightiness outgo betwixt £20-£40 a caput and the nighttime inactive feels special. In different words: here’s wherever we caput connected our ain dime erstwhile the nighttime is an event, but the measure shouldn’t be.

Chic? It couldn’t beryllium much so: this is simply a Lyonnaise Bouchon, successful Chelsea. Its looks are movie-worthy, conscionable connected the close broadside of being a Disney restaurant: each acheronian reddish leather, tiny tables, reddish and achromatic napkins, the works. Ah, you deliberation connected entry, I forgot I’d taken the Eurostar today. Claude Bosi is successful complaint here, helium with each those Michelin stars, and portion going à la carte tin rapidly tot up, each the champion worldly is connected the “Menu de Canut” (loosely: worker’s menu) anyway. Two courses for £24.50, 3 for £29.50, and disposable immoderate time. The brioche and Morteau sausage successful a reddish vino sauce, above, is among the highlights. The brave volition person the andouillette with plentifulness of mustard.

A Mayfair edifice is not meant to marque this list, but Nipotina must. The caller opening from Samyukta Nair, who besides owns Bombay Bustle and MiMi Mei Fair, among others, this is an Italian of bully creation and soft-coloured walls. Going à la carte mightiness connection pizzas from £13, but the existent worth is recovered connected the weekday acceptable lunch, which offers 2 courses for £21. On it is simply a peculiarly good Bolognese, arsenic good arsenic grilled salmon and orecchiette dressed successful an indulgent Genovese pesto. Come to consciousness chi chi without leaving broke. Read the afloat reappraisal here.

Another Mayfair entry, this 1 conscionable down the thoroughfare from Nipotina. Underneath the highly high-end workplace store is simply a small vino bar, but 1 with a bully array of food. It’s a looker — usually, the assemblage is excessively — with tons of candles, bistro chairs and debased lighting. Wine starts, astonishingly for W1, astatine £5.50 a glass, and a bully repast tin beryllium had for £14 (steak tartare and toast), portion a due sheet of pork belly with roast potatoes is £17.50. A gem hiding successful London’s priciest postcode. Read the afloat reappraisal here.

Mangal II remains a feted spot astatine the centre of East London’s modern culinary scene. The Dalston associated has been honoured before; dissected, successful fact, specified is its value successful playing a portion successful the capital’s eating culture. Above each else, Mangal II is simply a glorious spot to person dinner: the nutrient is polished but comforting; the cooking skilled and the ambiance fun. Recently, determination has been charred mackerel connected greenish herb ezme; duck dolmas successful fermented capsicum broth. A acceptable paper is £50 which, portion not inexpensive cheap, is bully worth for everything you’re getting (and, successful a satellite of £120-a-head dinners, a relief). Otherwise, expect to wage £20-ish a plate. Here is simply a existent London edifice — 1 you would urge to immoderate visitor, astatine immoderate time.

When Sweetings opened, Queen Victoria was connected the throne, Preston North End were league champions and the burger had lone conscionable been invented. Today it is the City’s past canteen, lone unfastened for luncheon and with tables that cannot beryllium booked. Order crab, lobster, Dover sole and you volition permission overmuch poorer. Sweetings offers affordability, too: bowls of £7 bisque, decades-refined, are decently balanced; the food pastry is £16 and wonderfully rich, particularly erstwhile matched with a location wine, usually thing zingy from the Loire. Even traditionally costly dishes are present bully value, with turbot astatine £30.

A batch of modern Sri Lankan restaurants person opened successful London successful caller years. Hoppers is simply a well-known group, Paradise successful Soho is well-loved, and Kolamba conscionable opened a 2nd tract successful Shoreditch. Then there’s Rambutan, the enactment of cook Cynthia Shanmugalingam successful Borough Market. Here, the speciality is nutrient cooked implicit unfastened fire, and vegetables, food and nutrient are prepared successful clay pots. Cooking aromas capable the eating room. The nutrient astatine Rambutan is beautifully prepared and lovingly sold — nary main course, adjacent those with saffron oregon crab, is overmuch implicit £20.

It feels similar Jackson Boxer is opening a edifice each week astatine the moment. The chef’s latest conception is Dove, which has taken the spot of Orasay, and lone past twelvemonth helium worked with his member Frank successful putting unneurotic a paper for the relaunch of Below Stone Nest, the barroom successful a religion crypt disconnected Shaftesbury Avenue. He besides opened Henri successful 2024, a modern, Paris-inspired bistro successful Henrietta Hotel, Covent Garden. The pre-theatre paper qualifies for inexpensive but chic: 2 courses for £26, 3 for £30, with dishes specified arsenic a twirly, sesame-flecked carrot rapee and Toulouse sausage with pomme puree available. Read the afloat reappraisal here.

Charlotte Street haunt Kinkally celebrates twisted Georgian dumplings with diligent fervour and besides happens to person a Berlin-esque barroom called Bar Kinky successful the basement, for after. Splashing retired astatine this chic small edifice is easy, not slightest with dishes specified arsenic braised lamb with bony marrow, and trout, asparagus and truffle (both plus-£20; tenable but not precisely budget). Stick to the khinkali, the dumplings aft which the edifice is named, and abruptly we embark connected a meal much affordable. The dumplings, whether filled with wagyu beef, langoustine, oregon rabbit and foie gras mousse are conscionable £15 a plate. Read the afloat reappraisal here.

Jaguar Shoes is much celebrated arsenic a bar. The Dalston hangout is well-loved by the Salomon crowd, with jazzy cocktails, nine nights and unrecorded music, manner shows and castings. By day, it is simply a small much subdued. It besides serves nutrient from Taco Collective, which was founded successful 2020 by a trio anxious to flight firm life. A modern and communal London emotion story. Tacos, then: 2 for £8, 3 for £11, with fillings 12-hour braised brisket and marinated king prawns.

A Michelin-starred lunch, successful Fitzrovia, for £45. Chishuru does 1 and it is, arsenic David Dickinson would say, a existent bobby dazzler. At the moment, starters see sinasir, a fermented atom barroom with cherry tomatoes and a clementine and chilli dressing, and legume fritters stuffed with okra and candied chillis. Later comes smoked eel with saccharine murphy cream, yams, beetroot and capsicum relish, oregon chargrilled guinea fowl with celeriac and a jalapeno and bitter leafage sauce. It is demonstrably fantastic cooking: 1 of the champion worth meals successful town. Read the afloat reappraisal here.

Margaux Aubry has grown and developed Naughty Piglets implicit the past decennary into 1 of southbound London’s astir desirable restaurants. Recently, a bid of cook residencies person inhabited the kitchen, each taking the hobs for a period oregon so. Menus change, 1 period could diagnostic the nutrient of Marseille, the next, modern takes connected the cuisine of Argentina. It’s ever absorbing and ever affordable: 2 tin devour good with alteration from £50. Wines are, granted, a small dear, but the young database is immaculately sourced. Bottles commencement astatine astir £35. There is besides the capital’s champion jambon beurre, for nether a tenner.

Granted, this peculiar portion of Tottenham hardly screams chic. But wrong Chuku’s, a terrific Nigerian tapas spot, it is awash with brushed pinks and a bully soundtrack. The spot is sleek, welcoming, and the nutrient is excellent: plates are astir £8-10 and a repast mightiness outgo £35-or-so a head, with drinks. For that, expect the likes of jollof quinoa, plantain waffles, chickenhearted covered successful kuli kuli condiment and more. Read the afloat reappraisal here.

Much is said astir the Devonshire. The famed backmost country wherever musicians and media luvvies mingle with glee; the attraction to item and information with which the Guinness is prepared; the tiny but perfectly formed eating terrace, the usage of which feels lone conscionable implicit the horizon. The luncheon paper has nary options, but 3 courses, with ingredients arsenic delicious and well-sourced arsenic these, for conscionable £29, is nigh connected intolerable to find successful the provinces, fto unsocial the centre of town. Downstairs, the pubs paper of barroom snacks, starting astatine £2 for sausages and mustard, is simply a must. Read the afloat reappraisal here.

Ravinder Bhogal’s Jikoni — now, astonishingly, 8 years aged — remains arsenic stylish arsenic ever, and inactive a spot to beryllium seen in. Its basal premise, that it is simply a “no boarders” kitchen, means that nutrient is deliriously cross-cultural, with dishes that gully from crossed South Asia, the Far East, the Middle East, East Africa and present successful the UK. Marylebone feels similar a colony and this feels its cleanable colony restaurant; cosy, inviting, acquainted and yet not astatine the aforesaid time. Jikoni tin easy cost, but determination is simply a Wednesday-Friday luncheon wherever 2 courses travel successful astatine £32; these volition beryllium vegetarian oregon vegan, with the likes of turnip polenta served with cornbread, and cimi di rapa, oregon crispy aubergine coated successful a Sichuan caramel. The prime is highly precocious for the price.

Fine seafood is costly successful Britain, but Randall and Aubin negociate to power costs whilst maintaining overt generosity with the food. Order the lobster bisque (£10.50), the picked Devon crab (£14.85) and the bouillabaisse (£23.50) and a fewer sides, and 2 volition comfortably devour immoderate of London’s finest seafood, portion perched beneath a disco ball, for astir £30 a head.

A conflict to telephone this a bargain, but determination is bully crushed to see Morchella: the work complaint is included successful the prices listed connected the menu, truthful diners tin beryllium definite of precisely what they’ll wage erstwhile they travel successful to dine. It stops that alternatively horrible daze of the measure arriving astatine importantly much than anticipated, owing to, say, 15 per cent being added on. Morchella is genuinely an awesome space, being an aged slope with vaunted ceilings, and the Mediterranean menu, which changes often, tin beryllium somewhat madcap but ne'er little than impressive. Choose wisely and a main mightiness beryllium astir £14-18, and astir starters are nether £10. Cocktails are a luck truthful champion avoided, but there’s vino from £8.50 a glass.

The delightful paper astatine the humble Canton Arms has leaned into much European influences implicit the past fewer years, yet the pub mounting has remained distinctly British. This is nary atrocious happening arsenic the effect is simply a due British boozer up beforehand punching good supra its value successful the eating country successful the back. Roasted grelots with romesco get deliciously reminiscent of Spanish calçots, there’s French boudin noir, and Italian gnocchetti sardi. Starters mightiness beryllium £9, main courses £24; eating and drinking good present is done with affordable ease.