LDNGuide
10 Of West London’s Best-Value Restaurants
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Cutting back doesn’t mean that you have to deprive yourself of eating out and seeing your friends. London’s an expensive city, but there are plenty of inexpensive restaurants with excellent food. Here are our favourite places in West London to get a good sit-down meal for around £10-£15.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
There are plenty of reasons to go to The Best Broasted, but the signature chicken at this excellent Syrian spot in Willesden Green is the kind of thing you should happily travel across London to get your hands on. From the crunchy, sweet breading that clings to every succulent piece of meat, to the selection of pickles, the pot of creamy toum, and the chipped potatoes that come with it, it’s moving and memorable stuff. And the best thing is that you can get a single-person half-chicken order for £8, making it one of the best financial decisions you can make in London.
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
This family-run bakery and restaurant in north Acton has a menu with enough range to keep most people happy, with Lebanese classics like shish taouk and batata harra, but what makes it worth going out of your way is the bakery section of the menu. Their clay-oven baked mana’eesh are some of the best you’ll find in London and from £3 a pop, are also some of the best value. These flatbreads, topped with things like za’atar, spinach, or sujuk and cheese are all delicious—they’re crispy, fluffy, and perfectly baked. Our go-to order is a couple of lahm bi ajeen and spinach mana’eesh, all with additional cheese. Because… cheese. It’s a complete Levantine breakfast spread, at an excellent price.
photo credit: Karolina Wiercigroch
One for fans of alliteration and great-value char siu bao, Phat Phuc Noodles is the most reasonable—and one of the most tasty—places to eat in Chelsea. This little courtyard spot serves noodle dishes from across Asia—laksa, bang bang salads, and phở—all for around a tenner. It’s unlikely to be the best version of each you’ll ever try, but it’s the best in the area if you’re looking for a low price. There’s covered seating or, if the sun’s out, uncovered seating, and it makes for a very pleasant place to eat.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
You cannot get more no-nonsense than this Japanese mini-chain's spot right outside Notting Hill Gate station. It’s a fun, busy restaurant where you can get some tasty sushi at a very good price. You can see the chefs lined up in the kitchen, slicing fish, making rolls to order, and we’d suggest heading here when you’re in the mood to split some dragon rolls, hot udon, and prawn tempura. Or come for a solo sushi session with urumaki that’s under a tenner.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
If you’ve tried London’s best pani puri, then you probably already know about this casual spot on The Broadway in Southall. And if you haven’t been, then you should stop making claims that aren’t true. Rita’s Chilli Chaat Corner is a small, canteen-like spot, filled with shoppers coming from the market and families popping in for a midweek dinner consisting of excellent yoghurty samosa chaat and refreshing, citrussy pani puri shots. Come for some of the best Indian street food you can find in London. And order plenty of chaat—there’s a reason it’s in the name. They’re all around the £6 mark, so bring some friends, split a bunch of different ones, and leave only £15 lighter.
photo credit: Shree Krishna Vada Pav
This vegetarian and vegan mini-chain has locations in Hounslow, Ilford, and Harrow, all specialising in vada pav—a slider-sized Maharashtran snack of deep-fried potato in a little doughy white bread bap, alongside whacks of chilli and coconut chutneys. As far as handheld, two-gobble snacks go, these are very much up there. The Harrow location, like all of them, is a colourful, casual, fast food-ish space that’s just as good for a solo lunch as it is a quick and delicious good-value dinner. If you’re after something heartier and more gravy-heavy, get the vada misal or the methi malai mutter, and be content in the knowledge that very little here costs more than £10.
photo credit: Karolina Wiercigroch
In a city known for its rain, ramen is always a welcome dinner option. And the huge bowl of filthy dense, meaty ramen at this Kensington spot is some of the best in town. The pork broth is a 20-hour job, so don’t expect a light, airy soup—this is a thick, hearty bowl of food. They’ve got a halal chicken number, as well as some vegan options—and all of them are around the £14 mark. They also provide you with bibs and hair ties, in case there was any confusion about this being a dainty meal.
Santa Maria on Waterford Road is a solid all-rounder, making great Neapolitan-style pizza topped with simple ingredients from both Italy and the UK. The hanging lights and casual seating mean it’s a great spot for chilled dates, catching up with mates, and for creatures who have small creatures attached to them (we think they’re called “parents” and “children”). There’s enough variation on the menu to keep everyone happy, all for under £15.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
One restaurant, one chef, one roti beef rendang that will inevitably become two when you just need to double check that a roti can be this gloriously soft and flaky. Yes, this low-key Malaysian spot inside Queensway Market is the kind of place where sharing seems like a good idea—the fried chicken, laksa with king prawns, assam pedas seabass, and that roti beef rendang are all essential orders. Come with a group, order them all, and leave only £15 lighter. But sometimes the best thing to do is to get a table for one and tuck into roti beef rendang for under a tenner.
photo credit: Giulia Verdinelli
This casual Goldhawk Road spot combines two godly creations. The fried dumpling and jerk chicken. The dumpling is so fluffy that you could very well eat a whole batch of them alone (which they do sell), but the Caribbean jerk spiced chicken inside is saucy and full of flavour. You can add more fillings to the dumpling burger like fried plantain, avocado, and cheese, or you can keep it simple. It’s a casual, popular, and small spot with limited seating, but the dumpling burger is worth it. Get a bottle of their homemade fruit punch while you’re there.
