Eating out cheaply in the UK in 2026 is still possible if you know where to look. This shortlist highlights eight food spots where a substantial meal can generally be found for about £15 or less per person before drinks, with value, current menu pricing, food choice, location and publicly available reputation considered. The selections range from curry cafés and Malaysian cooking to falafel, Korean food and loaded sandwiches. Prices and menus can change, so check directly before travelling. The best choice ultimately depends on your location, appetite, cuisine preferences and budget.
8 Best Cheap Eats in the UK at a Glance
| Restaurant / Food Spot | Location | Cuisine | Best For | Typical Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| This & That | Manchester | Indian curry café | Best overall value | About £6–£8 |
| Falafel Fresh | Belfast | Middle Eastern | Budget lunch deals | About £8.50–£10 |
| The Mosque Kitchen | Edinburgh | Indian and Middle Eastern | Affordable curries | About £8.50–£12 |
| Kimchi Cult | Glasgow | Korean | Korean lunch deal | £8.50 lunch offer |
| Roti King | London, plus other UK locations | Malaysian and Singaporean | Malaysian food under £15 | About £9.95–£13.50 |
| New York Deli | Cardiff | American-style deli | Filling sandwich meal deals | £11.50 meal deal |
| Eat a Pitta | Bristol | Falafel and Mediterranean | Falafel lunches | About £10–£11.50 |
| Bundobust | Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester | Vegetarian Indian street food | Vegetarian weekday lunch | £11.25 Lunch Express |
How We Selected These Cheap Eats
For this guide, a cheap eat generally means somewhere a diner can obtain a substantial meal for around £15 or less before drinks. Lower prices helped, but cheap did not automatically mean good value. We also considered menu variety, price-to-food value, practical location, dietary choice, operating status and whether current prices could be verified.
Research prioritised official websites and menus, followed by current ordering platforms and reliable location information. We deliberately considered chains alongside independent local restaurants rather than favouring businesses simply because their prices were easier to find. Information was checked against sources accessible in September 2026.
The ordering is editorial rather than based on an artificial numerical score.
1. This & That, Manchester — Best Overall for Low-Cost Curry
This & That on Soap Street is a family-run Manchester curry café established in 1984 and centred on its straightforward “rice and three” format. Its current menu lists rice with three vegetable curries for £6, one meat and two vegetables for £6.50, two meats and one vegetable for £7, or three meat curries for £8.
The changing daily selection includes dishes such as chicken curry, keema, dhal, chickpeas and vegetable curries. The café also states that its meat is HMC Halal certified and that several vegan curries are available. It is particularly suitable for students, workers and travellers wanting a filling meal well below £10. The main consideration is that the curry selection changes by day.
2. Falafel Fresh, Belfast — Best for a Budget Lunch Deal
Falafel Fresh on Bridge Street gives Belfast diners several realistic ways to stay below £10. Its published lunch menu currently lists a falafel wrap meal and chicken shawarma wrap meal at £8.50, with chips and a canned drink included. Beef and mixed shawarma meals remain below £10, while individual wraps on the main menu start around £7.99.
Falafel, shawarma, halloumi and salads make it flexible for quick lunches, takeaway meals and vegetarian diners. A falafel platter is also available for those wanting something more substantial. The strongest prices are attached to the lunch menu, so check the applicable time and current ordering price before visiting.
3. The Mosque Kitchen, Edinburgh — Best for Affordable Curry
The Mosque Kitchen on Nicolson Square specialises in straightforward curries, biryani, kebabs and vegetable dishes. Current delivery pricing shows chicken curry around £10, chicken biryani around £10.50 and vegetable curries with rice around £8.50, keeping several complete meals comfortably inside this guide’s £15 benchmark.
Its range makes it particularly practical for students, solo diners and groups wanting inexpensive South Asian food near central Edinburgh. Vegetarian choices include lentil curry, chickpeas, mixed vegetables and spinach with potato. Direct and delivery prices do not always match, however, so treat online platform pricing as a guide rather than a guaranteed walk-in price.
4. Kimchi Cult, Glasgow — Best for a Korean Lunch Under £10
Kimchi Cult in Glasgow’s West End specialises in Korean-style fast food, including bibimbap, Korean fried chicken and loaded fries. Its most convincing budget option is the current £8.50 bibimbap-and-drink lunch deal, with beef, spicy pork, tofu, bulgogi mushroom and vegan versions listed.
That makes it one of the more distinctive sub-£10 meals in this shortlist and a useful option for diners wanting something beyond the usual sandwich or takeaway lunch. The main limitation is availability: the deal is currently offered for collection during a restricted weekday lunch period rather than throughout the day. Check the latest schedule before making a special journey.
5. Roti King, London — Best for Malaysian Food Under £15
Roti King’s current menu keeps many Malaysian and Singaporean favourites below the £15 mark. Roti canai with dhal is listed at £9.95, chicken curry roti at £10.95, nasi goreng at £10.75 and several noodle and rice dishes at roughly £12–£13.50.
The Euston restaurant is particularly convenient for travellers around King’s Cross and Euston, although Roti King now also operates other London branches plus locations in Brighton and Edinburgh. Vegetarian and plant-based dishes are available on the menu. Euston operates on a walk-in basis and is card-only, so visitors should allow for the possibility of waiting at busy periods.
6. New York Deli, Cardiff — Best for a Filling Sandwich Meal Deal
New York Deli in central Cardiff specialises in substantial American-style hoagies, bagels and deli sandwiches. Its current £11.50 hoagie meal deal combines a sandwich with a drink and crisps, creating a clear total cost rather than requiring several extras.
Options include The New York with pastrami and Swiss cheese, the salt-beef NYD Reuben and The Cardiff with ham and cheddar. Vegan and vegetarian versions of several hoagies are also currently listed at the same meal-deal price. It is especially useful for an inexpensive central lunch, but opening is predominantly daytime and the business currently advises customers to check its relatively short trading hours.
7. Eat a Pitta, Bristol — Best for Falafel and a Quick Vegetarian Lunch
Eat a Pitta operates several Bristol locations, including St Nicholas Market, and focuses on falafel served in pittas or salad boxes with hummus, salads and sauces. Current ordering menus show a classic pitta or regular box at about £10, while a larger box is around £11.50.
That pricing makes it a practical choice for an uncomplicated lunch where a complete main stays well below £15. Falafel also makes the basic offering naturally suitable for many vegetarian diners, although anyone with strict vegan, gluten-free or allergen requirements should verify individual ingredients and preparation procedures. St Nicholas Market has shorter daytime hours than some of the company’s other Bristol branches.
8. Bundobust, Leeds — Best for a Vegetarian Indian Lunch Deal
Bundobust combines Indian street-food dishes with a casual beer-hall format and operates in Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester. Its food menu is entirely vegetarian and vegan, and the most budget-friendly route is the Lunch Express: two dishes for £11.25 from Monday to Friday between noon and 4pm.
Choices currently include bhajis, Bundo Chaat, okra fries, Chole Saag and Tarka Dhal & Rice, making the offer more varied than a standard single-item lunch deal. Vegan options are extensive. The qualification is timing: once diners move away from the Lunch Express and begin ordering multiple sharing plates, the per-person total can rise beyond this guide’s £15 benchmark.
How to Choose the Right Cheap Eat
Look beyond the lowest number on a menu. A £12 meal that is complete and filling may offer better value than a £7 item that requires several paid sides.
Location matters too, particularly when budget travel is the priority, because additional transport can quickly cancel out a small saving on food. Check whether the advertised price applies all day or only at lunchtime, and compare collection, dine-in and delivery prices where these differ.
Dietary requirements should also be verified directly. Vegetarian and vegan choice is relatively strong across this shortlist, but allergen safety, halal status and gluten-free preparation require more specific checks. Finally, review the latest opening hours: several independent cheap eats operate shorter schedules than major chains.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a cheap meal in the UK in 2026?
For this article, the general benchmark is a substantial meal costing approximately £15 or less per person before drinks. It is not an absolute ceiling. Portion size, location, included sides and meal deals also matter when deciding whether a restaurant offers genuine value.
Can you still eat out for under £10 in the UK?
Yes. Selected curry cafés, falafel shops, takeaway businesses and lunchtime offers still provide meals for less than £10. Availability varies considerably by city, time of day and ordering method, so sub-£10 dining is easier to find in some places than others.
Where are the cheapest cities for eating out in the UK?
There is no sufficiently simple nationwide ranking that makes one UK city universally cheapest for every type of food. Restaurant prices vary by neighbourhood, cuisine, venue type and individual business, so comparing actual menus in the area you are visiting is more useful than relying on a broad city ranking.
Are cheap restaurants suitable for vegetarians and vegans?
Many are. Several restaurants in this guide have vegetarian or vegan dishes, and some focus heavily on meat-free food. Availability and preparation methods differ, however. Diners with strict dietary requirements or allergies should always check the restaurant’s current menu and allergen information directly.
Final Thoughts
There is no single cheapest or best restaurant for every UK diner. This & That stands out when keeping the bill well below £10 is the main priority, while Falafel Fresh and Kimchi Cult offer particularly attractive lunch deals. Roti King provides a strong London option without pushing most mains above £15, while New York Deli offers an easy-to-understand complete-meal price in Cardiff.
Vegetarian diners may find Eat a Pitta and Bundobust especially useful. Wherever you choose, check the latest menu, price, opening hours and dietary information before travelling.
Editorial Disclosure
Some businesses mentioned in this article may have a commercial, advertising, client, affiliate or partnership relationship with the publisher. Where applicable, such relationships should be disclosed and should not automatically determine inclusion or placement. Readers should make dining decisions based on their own preferences, location, budget and dietary requirements.
Review Disclaimer
This guide is intended for informational purposes and reflects editorial research and publicly available information available at the time of review. Restaurants can change prices, menus, locations and opening hours, while branches may temporarily or permanently close. Prices may also differ between dine-in, collection and delivery services.
This guide is based primarily on editorial research and publicly available information. Unless specifically stated otherwise, inclusion does not mean that every restaurant was personally visited or every dish was independently tested by the editorial team.
Last Checked: September 3, 2026 | Review Due: November 25, 2026