Best Cheap Fast Food in London: Budget Eats for Every Foodie

If you think fast food in London is just about greasy burgers and soggy chips, think again. This city is a world stage for cheap eats: sizzling Korean fried chicken, fresh Lebanese wraps, British pies, and finger-licking Caribbean jerk all under £10. Ever spent your last tenner on a meal and still gone home hungry? Not here. London may be a playground for Michelin stars, but it's also heaven if you love tasty, wallet-friendly food. I’ve eaten my way across town, dragging along my son Soren and our dog Luna (well, Luna just gets the sniff test), and I can promise you: you’re going to eat well without flatlining your bank account.

Key Facts and Tips for Eating Fast Food in London on a Budget

London’s fast food scene punches way above its weight. You’ll find endless international choices, quirky local chains, and quirky pop-up stalls in every other street market. It’s not just about McDonald’s or KFC—though both do a roaring trade near every major train station. You’ve got burger joints like Honest Burgers rolling out rosemary-salted fries for under a tenner, Indian-inspired snacks from Dishoom’s speedy takeout counter, and late-night Chinese takeaways in Chinatown that barely dent your pocket.

• Street food markets are your best friend for variety and price. Places like Borough Market, Camden Market, and Mercato Metropolitano offer stalls ranging from Venezuelan arepas to Japanese gyoza—usually £7-£11 a portion.
• Local chains like Greggs, LEON, and Pret A Manger sell hearty meals (think sausage rolls, vegan salad boxes, toasted sourdough) with change left for dessert.
• International fast food chains aren’t always cheaper, but menu hacks exist. For example, McDonald’s Saver Menu, or meal combos during weekday lunch hours.
• Late-night eats? Look to Soho or Brick Lane for falafel and bagels 24/7—perfect after a West End show, or just a long night.
• Vegetarians and vegans are spoiled. Nearly every fast food chain and market stall has at least one hungry-friendly option—often without a price hike.
• Apps like Too Good To Go and Karma let you snap up unsold food from reputable places for less than half price. That means you can try sandwiches, sushi, or curries for £3-£4… if you’re quick.
• Bring cash or card—most Londoners pay by contactless, but some places charge a fee for small payments. And don’t forget: VAT (tax) is always included in listed prices, so you won’t get sticker shock at the till.

Want a cheat sheet? Here’s a quick overview of prices and meal types you’ll find across the city’s budget-friendly fast food scene:

Essential Guide: Fast Food Hotspots and Insider Tips

Street food stalls have exploded in London over the past five years. Markets like Borough and Camden pack out at lunch every day with everyone from city bankers to university students hunting for their favourite trader. At Borough, you can bite into glorious Kappacasein cheese toasties that ooze from every seam—hot enough to warm your fingers, only £8. Then there’s the Turkish gözleme stall at Camden Market, where the spinach and feta pancakes are rolled before your eyes for pocket change. On Southbank, the vegan Ethiopian spot serves fragrant stews and injera bread that my son swears by, especially when Luna gets a stray lentil.

If you’re craving crispy and comforting, look no further than Honest Burgers—not technically street food, but their weekday deals are wild value. Their rosemary chips are addictive, and you won’t need to remortgage the flat for a full meal. Over in Soho, Pizza Pilgrims slings huge Neapolitan slices for under £5 during lunch, with a dough crust so good you’ll never go back to supermarket pizza. Bagel Bake on Brick Lane keeps the ovens running all night, so whether you’re out late or up weirdly early with jet lag, a salt beef bagel with mustard is pure magic for £6.

Fancy something further afield? Dalston hosts a Caribbean hole-in-the-wall that does the city’s best jerk chicken takeout (not exaggerating—Time Out put it on their must-eat list). “Affordable eating means more money for exploring - and for Londoners, every penny saved is another adventure,” says acclaimed food writer Angela Hui.

Still, you can’t talk London fast food without a nod to Greggs. This North England-born chain now dots every Tube stop, and their vegan sausage roll has become a local legend. Pret soup deals and LEON’s Moroccan meatballs both make a filling lunch for a fiver, usually with enough left over to split with your dog under the table. I’ll happily swap my kitchen for their spicy chicken boxes whenever there’s zero time to cook at home—a guilty pleasure, maybe, but practical all the same.

Now, if you’re the Map-It-Out type, here’s a bit of navigation wisdom: central tube zones (Zones 1 and 2) are saturated with quick eats, and you’re never far from a Pret or an Itsu. South London—think Brixton, Peckham—leans more towards independent stalls and diverse world food, often richer in character and cheaper than anywhere uptown. For pure eats-per-pound, check the Euston, Kings Cross, and Camden triangle—home to an absurd range of choices within a short stroll (and yes, all very Luna-friendly).

Apps make fast food even cheaper. The Too Good To Go app, for example, lets you snap up ‘magic bags’ of surplus food from Yo! Sushi, Paul, or Coco di Mama—sometimes as low as £3. You don’t get to pick, but the surprise factor is half the fun. Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and JustEat cover just about any corner of the city, often with flash lunchtime discounts and buy-one-get-one-free deals (especially useful when you’re feeding more than just yourself and a hungry preteen).

Discounts are everywhere if you know where to look. Most street vendors knock a quid off near close. Pret’s early closing means sandwiches, wraps, and sweet treats get slashed by 50% in the last hour. Bring a reusable cup, and many chains will pop 25-50p off your coffee as thanks for keeping things green. Students get an extra bonus: show your ID and places like LEON, Wasabi, and Subway throw in discounts or sides.

So, a few personal hacks: always check for loyalty cards at chains, save your receipts for coupons, and Google ‘happy hour food deals London’ to dig up hidden gems. Soren and I keep a running note on my phone labeled “Lunch Wins”—trust me, crowdsourcing with friends has led us to a Sri Lankan hopper stall in Elephant & Castle and a Lebanese manakish baker in Shepherd’s Bush.

Remember, the real fun starts when you look beyond what you know. That Thai noodle box or Ghanaian jollof might just become your new default order. And, in typical London style, no one will judge you for mixing things up—this city loves food mashups as much as it loves dogs in raincoats.

Smart Ordering, Safe Bites, and What to Expect

Walking into London’s fast food scene for the first time can feel like landing in another world. Menus are everywhere, lines can be long, and lunchtime feels like an Olympic sport. But once you get the hang of it, ordering a street food lunch or sizzling kebab on the go is simple. Most stalls and counters use digital menus. If unsure, just ask—Londoners are friendly (usually) and love chatting about food.

Expect to order and pay at the counter, then wait for your number or name to be called. At markets, look for communal benches or grassy spots nearby—no one cares if you picnic so long as you tidy up. If you’re at a chain, seating is normally first-come, first-served, so be quick if you want a chair, especially around Oxford Street or Leicester Square during peak hours.

Here’s what’s great: most fast food in London is cooked fresh to order. Hygiene standards are taken very seriously—every eatery (from bagel stall to sushi chain) must display their Food Hygiene Rating, scored from 0 to 5, right by the doorway. Want to double-check? Every rating is searchable online at scoresonthedoors.org.uk. As a parent, that gives me peace of mind when I’m letting Soren eat somewhere new.

Vegan? Gluten-free? Kosher or halal? You won’t go hungry in London. Chains like LEON, Wasabi, and Chipotle post full allergen lists online. Most markets signpost dietary symbols and will let you swap or skip ingredients. You can always ask for a dish to be made milder or for extras—Londoners do it all the time.

Food delivery is everywhere, whether you’re living here or just AirBnB-ing for the week. Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and JustEat cover the entire city, including markets and small takeouts. Most have live tracking so you can watch your food zigzag towards you at 8:30 pm, looking as stressed as you feel after another Tube delay. Delivery fees can add up fast; look for promo codes or minimum spends for free delivery, especially during quieter weekday evenings.

Paying is easy. Most Londoners pay by card or phone, but have a bit of cash on hand for small stands—sometimes contactless doesn’t work, and it can be a pain to break a £20. Tipping isn’t expected at most fast food spots—save it for full-service restaurants or outstanding delivery gigs.

One thing that makes everything easier: London’s public loos are everywhere (train stations, some big parks), and markets usually have restrooms for customers. Just don’t expect fancy; they’re more about function than form.

Concerned about food safety? The UK Food Standards Agency inspects regularly, and you can see visible hygiene ratings on the door or stand. “British food hygiene laws are among the toughest, so visitors enjoy a high level of protection,” said the FSA in a recent statement:

"We want consumers to feel confident that food is safe, wherever they choose to eat."

If you get stuck, just ask for help—everyone from the person next in line to the manager is used to confused tourists or newcomers. Londoners love helping you discover your new favorite chicken tikka or sweet pastry. There’s no food snobbery here. The only crime is missing out on something great because you didn’t ask a question.

With prices rising everywhere, smart ordering means eating better for less. Share a large portion with a friend, or try two half-portions for variety. Most places happily do ‘half rice, half chips’ if you want to split carbs (and please your kid at the same time).

Once you learn the rhythm—ordering, paying, finding a bench, and figuring out which sauce to put on what—London fast food goes from overwhelming to addictive. People travel all across the city for famous fried chicken (see Morley’s in south London), legendary Chinese takeout, or the best-value bao buns in Hackney. It’s sort of a game: hunt down the next best bargain bite and share your find with friends, or just enjoy it all for yourself.

Want to compare bang for your buck? Here’s how London’s fast food stacks up against dining in for budget seekers:

The real trick? Don’t get tunnel vision. Move around, try new places, don’t fear the alleyway takeaway that locals are crowding around (those spots are often where you’ll find the best eats of your life). And if you run into a young mum, a teenager, and a scruffy rescue dog rating chips on the steps near a market, say hi—it’s probably me and my crew.