To help you start navigating your restaurant options in London, take note of the tips below. They should help you save a few pounds of your budget — and point you toward some great new eats.

Related: Top budget hotels in London

10 London dining tips

1. Avoid tourist traps

No one wants to feel like a ripped-off tourist, paying over the odds for an unsatisfactory meal. The first rule here is to avoid going out for meals in tourist hotspots. Look at where Londoners might go to eat — Soho or Shoreditch, for example.

While those areas aren’t necessarily going to be cheap, they’re likely to offer a far better dining experience than, say, one of the high volume eateries on the corner of Leicester Square. Think ahead, as a little planning can save you from a disappointing meal.

2. Do some research

There are loads of budget-friendly options all over London, but another benefit of planning is knowing what you are looking for! Time Out London’s Cheap Eats has loads of recommendations, and you can search by area, or ask at your hotel, and they should be happy to point you in the direction of a popular local.

Here are 10 cheapo restaurant picks, situated all around the city.

3. Don’t skimp on your hotel breakfast

Most London hotels will include breakfast in their room price. (Here are our favorite cheap hotels in Londons.) Filling up on a full English (or even just some tea and toast) is a great way to ensure you aren’t ravenous — and splashing out on snacks — by lunchtime!

We love the breakfast at likes of the Celtic Hotel, Luna & Simone Hotel, and Arosfa Hotel. A substantial breakfast means you can pick up light lunch at a supermarket, one of the reasonably priced sandwich chains such as Pret a Manger, or at a market. Speaking of which…

4. Think vendors, food carts and takeaway

Don’t just associate good eating with starched linen tablecloths. Kerb brings street food vendors to locations all around London.

And don’t forget the joy of a simple takeaway. Enjoying chips doused in salt and vinegar eaten out of their wrapper on a cold evening is a British tradition up there with visiting Buckingham Palace!

5. Don’t forget the pub!

A great visit to a pub can be as much about eating as drinking, as many serve reasonably priced food. It’s fun to stop in a local pub for some lunch and a pint. The tourist trap rule also applies to picking a pub (and —as a general rule of thumb — rule out any place boasting that they serve “London’s best fish and chips”).

They’re also a great place to sample that other British institution: the Sunday Roast. Here are our picks for our favorite pubs to enjoy a roast.

6. Splurge at lunch

If you do want to experience some of London’s more fashionable restaurants, it’s worth heading out at lunchtime when prices can be much cheaper. Look for set lunch deals.

Camden Lock Market has excellent food options for less than £ 10. Photo: Karsten Seiferlin

7. Eat at local markets

London boasts several bountiful markets throughout the city. Borough Market might be one of the most famous, but along with fresh produce, they also have several food vendors to fill you up for cheap. You’ll also find plenty of affordable dining spots at Camden Locks Market, which is open daily.

Here are a few more outdoor markets in London that offer several affordable food options.

Don’t worry about leaving more than a few pounds for your dinner or drinks. Photo: Ed Ivanushkin

8. Don’t go over the top with your tips

Before you tip your server, double-check your check. Often there will be a service charge included automatically, which means that you don’t need to leave any more money on the table. Serving staff are also less reliant on their tips to make up their wage than in the States, so as a general rule, Brits are less generous with tipping than their North American counterparts.

In general, our typical tip is closer to 10% than 15% — higher tips are really a reward for exceptional service. Check out our guide to tipping in London for more information.

9. Order tap water and BYOB

It’s completely fine (and safe) to ask for tap water with your meal, rather than expensive bottled water.

Another way to save on drinks is to look out for restaurants offering “Bring Your Own Bottle/Booze” or BYOB. For a couple of pounds, you’ll be able to bring in the wine or beer of your choice and avoid the high cost of a restaurant mark-up.

10. Save with websites and apps

With lots of money-off vouchers and discount cards online, both for chains and fancier eateries, why pay full price? Sign up for market and restaurant websites for deals, and use apps like Too Good to Go, Karma or Olio to rescue restaurant meals for cheap or Wowcher or DineClub for restaurant vouchers.

Your tips

How do you save when you eat out in London? Tell us in the comments below!

The post London Restaurants: 10 ways to save on dining appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

That’s not to say it’s impossible, however! We asked London-based correspondent (and foodie) Alex Robertson Textor to suggest his 10 favorite budget-friendly restaurants in the city.

Bon appetit!

BAO Bar

53 Lexington Street (Soho); also Netil Market E8
http://www.baolondon.com/

The Netil Market location (near Broadway Market) in Hackney is open on Saturdays only, serving delicious Taiwanese baos for £3.50. But if you can’t wait for Saturday, check out BAO Bar’s Soho location for baos and other delicious things.

Herman Ze German

19 Villiers Street
http://www.hermanzegerman.com

Get a proper German sausage (among other varieties: bratwurst, bockwurst, and a veggie wurst option) at this bright little place in the shadow of Charing Cross. Note: Herman Ze German also has two sit-down restaurants, one at 33 Old Compton Street in Soho; the other in Fitzrovia.

Koshari Street

56 St. Martin’s Lane
http://www.kosharistreet.com/

This super carby Egyptian street food is delicious, a vegetarian dish that includes lentils, rice, noodles, chickpeas, tomato sauce, and a dusting of dried caramelized onions. Cap your meal with a fine milk pudding called muhallabieh. You might just want to nap afterwards, but at least you’ll have sweet dreams.

Masters Super Fish

191 Waterloo Road, SE1

In the shadow of Waterloo Station is a simple fish restaurant much loved by cabbies and retired locals. Masters Super Fish defines “old school” – you’ll pay a bit more for grilled as opposed to battered fish, and pickled cucumbers and onions are your essential sides. Some may find service surly, but make no bones about it. This is a true South London institution.

Pret-a-Manger

Located everywhere, really. There are almost 200 Prets in London
http://www.pret.co.uk/en-gb/

Many Londoners might complain about Pret-a-Manger’s ubiquity. Those with poor taste might even claim to like another sandwich chain more. But the fact is that Pret-a-Manger’s food is fresh and quite healthy, especially when viewed in the context of other fast-food restaurants or supermarket chain ready-made lunches.

Sagar Vegetarian Covent Garden

31 Catherine Street
http://www.sagarveg.co.uk

Delicious vegetarian South Indian grub in a heavily-touristed area for cheap? Yes please. Sagar’s dosas are delicious; the lunch special (a heaping thali) costs just £6. The restaurant also lists a vegan menu for those avoiding dairy. Sagar also has branches in Hammersmith and just off Tottenham Court Road.

Silk Road

49 Camberwell Church Street, SE5
No website

Sample the food of China’s Xinjiang Province at this fantastic, informal Camberwell restaurant. Standouts include cumin-dressed lamb kebabs, broth-based chicken with noodles, lamb dumplings, spicy cabbage, and a sharp cucumber salad. Bookings recommended at dinner time: +44 20 7703 4832.

Tasty Vietnamese at Sông Quê Café. Photo: Ewan Munro

Sông Quê Café

134 Kingsland Road, E2
http://www.songque.co.uk

Nobody comes to London for the Vietnamese food, sure, but this fantastic high-volume Shoreditch restaurant, usually crowded with hipsters, tourists, and Vietnamese Londoners, is a treat nonetheless. Beef pho and rice vermicelli dishes are recommended. You should be able to get out of here for less than a tenner.

Tayyab’s

83-89 Fieldgate Street, E1
http://www.tayyabs.co.uk/

The spiciest Punjabi food you can imagine, around the corner from the enormous East London Mosque. The queues here are long. A booking for dinner is more or less essential – don’t expect to be seated immediately even with a booking. (The restaurant appears to operate two queues at peak times, one for those with bookings and one for those without.) The karahi dishes are fantastic, as are the vegetarian items; for a good example of the latter, go for the tinda masala.

Terry’s Café

158 Great Suffolk Street SE1
http://www.terryscafe.co.uk

Terry’s Café is an old-style caff with well-sourced ingredients and a loyal local fan base. Eggs with fixings on toast begin at £2 per slice. Terry’s has even made concessions to the hipsters in the ‘hood. Guests can choose between “old-fashioned” coffee (from 80p) and Monmouth coffee (from £2.)

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