London’s restaurants might feel like they’re getting more and more expensive, but if you find the right place, dig out a little gem, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the prices. Here’s The Resident’s pick of 10 excellent value restaurants
1 Tsiakkos & Charcoal, Maida Vale
This Greek restaurant on Maryland Road is all that a Greek taverna should be, run by a family, lively and friendly, decked out in hotchpotch furniture and serving seriously good Greek food. Locals and celebrity chefs rave about the mezzes, weighed down with rich taramasalta, feta and halloumi cheeses, vine leaves, pitta bread, koftas and Greek salad and all at plate-smashingly low prices. 5 Marylands Rd, W9; 020 7286 7896
2 Pepper Tree, Clapham
Fancy a warming bowl of chicken laksa for £7 or a Thai green curry for a fiver? Then Pepper Tree is your kind of place. The Thai restaurant by Clapham Common is a compact, canteen style space, a kind of in and out joint when you need a quick and great value feed in a rush. 19 Clapham Common South Side, SW4 7AB; thepeppertree.co.uk
3 Pigeon Hole Café, Camberwell
Pigeon Hole Café is one of Kickstarter’s success stories. Set up by friends Holly and George, the concept is a beautifully designed café in Camberwell selling second-hand furniture and coffee and cake to the cool kids in the area. Food is wholesome and simple, freshly baked breads, chutneys, cakes, and sandwiches and salads for lunch. The menu changes regularly – as does the furniture! 2 Datchelor place, SE5 7AP; thepigeonholecafe.com
4 Melanzana, Battersea
Italian restaurants in London tend to fall into three camps. The first are expensive, fancy Michelin numbers, white table cloths, smart wine glasses, small portions. Then there are the trendy pizza joints, all shabby chic industrial, with unusual topping combinations. But the third kind is my favourite, the no fuss no muss types where jolly waiters serve great pizza and pasta at fair prices – Melanzana falls into this camp. It’s no secret that Italians love children or parties, so go with either and you’ll have a happy time. 140 Westbridge Rd, London, SW11; melanzana.co.uk
5 Mein Tay, Battersea
AA Gill shot this low-key Vietnamese restaurant into the limelight when he endorsed it way back in 2010 and where AA Gill goes, the crowds follow. Eat authentic southern Vietnamese like Pho, chargrilled quail and clay pot curries. Mein Tay used to be BYOB but introduced now has a wine list chosen by Bibendum to complement the Asian flavours. 180 Lavender Hill, SW11 5TQ; mientay.co.uk/battersea
6 Chicken Shop, Kentish Town
The first of Soho House Group’s Chicken Shops, this rotisserie in Kentish Town does exactly what it says on the tin. Order quarter, half or whole chickens fresh from a farm in Norfolk, throw in crinkle cut fries, coleslaw, avocado salad or corn on the cob all for under a tenner. Drinks are as simple as the food menu, pair your chicken with an ice Camden pale ale. 79 Highgate Road, NE5 1TL; chickenshop.com/kentish-town
7 The Little French Restaurant, Earl’s Court
Proving that French food isn’t always haute cuisine, The Little French Restaurant has a great value three course meal for £10.95. Onion soup, salmon tartare, moules mariniere, goats cheese salad, marinated duck, steak, coq au vin – the list goes on, wash them all down with a fine vin rouge. 18 Hogarth Place, SW5 0QY; thelittlefrenchrestaurant.com
8 Popeseye, Brook Green
Taken from the Scots word for rump steak, Popeseye serves 100% grass fed Aberdeen Angus beef delivered from its family butcher in the Highlands of Scotland (although come Thursday this might all change!). The menu is broken down into the cut and size of the steaks, with prices for a 6oz rump starting from £11.95, and there’s a great selection of robust old and new world wines to go with them. 108 Blythe Road, Kensington Olympia, W14 0HD; popeseye.com
9 Greedy Buddha, Fulham
Nepalese cuisine often sits in the shadow of its neighbours India and China, but Greedy Buddha is flying the flag for steaming momos stuffed with lamb, barbecued spicy chicken and authentic Nepalese curries. And as a result it has become a bit of an institution in Fulham, with hungry diners heading in for the good value menu and their regular Sunday night takeaways. As it’s not as spicy as Indian food, this is a good option for children too. 144 Wandsworth Bridge Road, SW6 2UH; thegreedybuddha.com
10 Jamón Jamón, Camden
The great thing about tapas is you can eat as much or as little as you like and spend as much or little as you like. Jamon Jamon has a tapas menu as long as a matadors arm, with all the Spanish crowd-pleasers in there – croquetas, paella, pardon peppers, gazpacho, manchego, chorizo, it’s all there, along with a lively atmosphere. Wines are a little pricey but come by the half bottle if you’re looking to save. 38 Parkway, London NW1 7AH; jamonjamon.uk.com
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