Cheap restaurants and places to eat
ShareEating out on holiday can be a big expense, but there are many ways to dine out on a budget. Whether picnicking in the park or indulging in a set lunch menu at a Michelin-starred establishment, you can get a flavour of a destination without emptying your wallet.
• Treat yourself to a decadent dinner at the Heliot Steak House in the heart of London for just £39 per person. The deal includes a Hereford fillet steak, half of a Scottish lobster, french fries and a glass of Jacquart Signature Champagne.
• Plan a visit to a regular street food market or stop by one of many food halls popping up, like Escape to Freight Island in Manchester or Hawkers Market in Newcastle for tasty dishes that cost a lot less than a sit-down meal.
• Dine on spiced Cornish hake, seaweed-cured bream and wild dill ice cream as part of the £31.50 lunch set menu at Torquay’s award-winning The Elephant.
• You’ll find some of the most authentic and affordable Asian food in London’s Chinatown. Jen Café has some of the best dumplings in London and will only set you back £5 for 8 (a filling lunch right there!), while Manchester’s Happy Seasons has an array of curries, rice dishes and soups, all for less than a tenner.
• Dive into Zindiya Streatery’s High Chai afternoon tea in Birmingham, which includes fresh Masala Chai and a selection of Indian-inspired savouries and sweets for £18.95 a person or £22.95 if you add on a cocktail.
• Dine at Michelin-starred Leroy in London over lunch and enjoy two courses for £26 or three courses for £29 – now that’s a bargain.
• Lunch on sustainable small plates from land and sea for as little as £9 at Michelin-starred Kindling in Brighton.
• Visit Fat Hippo at Hippo Hour (weekdays between 5 and 6pm), where you can dig into three courses for £16.90. Available in multiple locations across the country, the menu includes the likes of frickles (fried pickles), fully-stuffed beef and chicken burgers and triple-chocolate brownies.
• Bite into battered cod, squid, mackerel or lemon sole with a side of chips in an underground grotto at Grosvenor Fish Bar in Norwich, all for under a tenner.
• Take a trip to Spain at Café Andaluz in Newcastle where you can enjoy three tapas plates for under £16 on their pre-theatre menu. It’s available Monday to Thursday until 6.30pm and on Friday until 6pm.
• Embark on a culinary journey at Six by Nico’s London, Liverpool or Manchester branches, where six fine dining-style courses will only set you back between £37 and £44 (depending on location). The menu changes every six weeks and you can add on a wine pairing for as little as £30.
• Head to Sally Lunn’s, one of Bath’s oldest tea houses, for afternoon tea with a twist. For just £16, you’ll enjoy a legendary Sally Lunn Bunn topped with smoked salmon followed by a cream tea made up of a half-toasted bun served with strawberry jam and clotted cream, all washed down with a pot of tea!
• Indulge in fancy French cuisine at Brasserie Zedel near Piccadilly Circus which offers three courses for £17.25 on their prix-fixe menu – perfect for a quick bite before the theatre. There’s also a £27 menu which includes a glass of wine if you’re feeling fancy.
• Chow down on 12-inch fire-baked pizzas that cost as little as £4.95 and glasses of wine for £3.95 at Pizza Union, which has branches across London.
• Tuck into three delicious courses – including the likes of bruschetta, meat-stuffed calzone and passion fruit cheesecake – for under £25 at Zizzi restaurants across the country.
• Devour brownies, scones and rocky roads at Cadbury World’s choc-tastic afternoon tea. It’s priced at £25.50 but also includes entry to Bourneville’s world-famous chocolate factory.
More top tips for cheap eats…
• Hungry and hate food waste? Download the Too Good To Go app to save food destined for the dustbin. From croissants to curries, you’ll get a bag of goodies worth £20 or more for a fraction of the cost from shops, cafes and restaurants like Starbucks, Leon and Millie’s Cookies.
• When planning meals out, be sure to check out OpenTable – this website lists restaurants in the local area where you can book tables and highlights any deals or offers they have to help save you money on your meal.
• Restaurant chains like Nandos and Pizza Express have rewards schemes and apps that give you loads of great incentives like free starters and exclusive discount codes.