£20 & under dining in London

London has been hailed one of the best in terms of dining out destination globally. This has birthed an array of diverse restaurants, which can be expensive when all you want to do is eat well without paying a fortune! I believe it needn’t cost an arm and leg to enjoy the pleasures of London’s eating out scene and below are great places I’ve discovered during my foodie ventures costing £20 or less. Let me know if you know any others in the comments and here’s to more (solo) foodie ventures!

 

Aksular Restaurant – 3 courses & drink £15-£19

Enfield’s Aksular restaurant is great due to the level of flavoursomeness their food possesses, impeccable hospitality and crisp modern dining space. The affordability of their food is fantastic – just be careful to not induce a food coma… It begins with the complimentary starter they offer comprising of warm flatbreads, delicious dips and salad – a mini feast before the main feast! Guests can then enjoy mains like Imam Bayildi and Et Sote. Baklava – a traditionally famous Mediterranean sweet can be had at the end (come on, we both know there’s always room for dessert…) along with a complimentary serving of delicious Turkish Tea.

• Menu style – main menu
• What’s included; complimentary starter, vegetarian main £8/main £12, dessert £4 & soft drink £3
• Cuisine: Turkish
• Location: Enfield, North London
• TripAdvisor rating – 4

Zaman Lounge – 3 courses & soft drink £19

Set in the heart of West London along Goldhawk Road, Zaman Lounge is THE Somalian spot that delivers big on flavour, portion and price! Their incredible hospitality is sure to leave you wondering whether you’re within the cosy confines of an old friend’s home due to their accommodating, friendly and attentive nature. Their menu is a fusion of Somalian and Mediterranean food that will leave you wanting more despite how stuffed you may already be! Guests can enjoy scrumptious starters like their chicken and pineapple salad, mains such as mouth-watering salmon with salad and Somalian rice, all of which can be finished off with their flavourful Timir cake.

• Menu style – main menu
• What’s included; starter £4, main £10, dessert £3 & drink £2
• Cuisine: Somalian
• Location: Goldhawk Road, West London
• TripAdvisor rating – 5

 

Rocca di Papa – 2 courses & drink £16.50/£19.50

Italian food – simple, fresh and delicious, which is what you’ll get at South Kensington’s Rocca di Papa. Arancini, Zuppa del Giorno and calamari are examples of starters that can be enjoyed, followed by a Picante pizza or authentic carbonara with guanciale. Portions are generous, and prices are highly affordable for the neighbourhood within which Rocca resides, while the staff are welcoming and friendly, making your dining experience that bit more special!

• Menu style – A La Carte menu
• What’s included; starter £7, pizza £9/pasta £10 & soft drink £2.50
• Cuisine: Italian
• Location: South Kensington, South West London
• TripAdvisor rating – 4

Banana Tree – 3 courses & drink £19

We journey next to Clerkenwell to the award-winning Banana Tree, priding itself on being ‘the home of Indo-China cooking’. Their express set lunch is one you must try as an introduction into the exciting realm of Indo-Chinese food. Starters such as the Mekong (A river in the SE Asia region) pulled duck spring rolls, and chicken laksa soup are must-tries, along with the legendary chicken Rendang or spicy tamarind aubergine as mains. The accompaniments for the mains act as tasty additions: Indo house salad, aromatic spiced rice and crushed nuts. Desserts will see guests indulge in their ‘frotiteroles’ – crispy nuggets of banana fritters topped with chocolate and caramel sauce served with vanilla ice cream. Alternatively, guests can enjoy coconut stuffed green Thai pancakes made with Pandan – a tropical fruit plant; pancakes filled with caramelised coconut laced with sesame seeds and vanilla ice cream, all while sipping on fresh raw juices.

• Menu style – set lunch menu
• What’s included; starter and main £10.95, dessert £5.25 & soft drinks/juices £2.50
• Cuisine: Indo-Chinese, South East Asian
• Location: Clerkenwell, The City
• TripAdvisor rating – 4

 

Banu at The Colonnade – 2/3 courses & wine £15/£19.95

Our next venue is nestled within the affluent neighbourhood of Maida Vale in a gorgeous 4* hotel. Banu at The Colonnade claims to offer guests an exceptional dining experience, serving traditional Persian food in an enchanting dining room where guests can indulge in freshly cooked stews, bread and kebabs. Their dishes include Cholo Joojeh (chicken marinated in garlic, saffron and lime) served with saffron rice and salad, as well as Bamieh (slow-cooked okra/ladyfingers stew with tomato and peppers) also served with saffron rice and salad. You’ll also be glad to know this is offered as a set lunch menu served from 12pm-4pm weekdays with a glass of wine. To top it all of Banu is THE perfect location as it is a stone’s throw from the breath-taking Little Venice where you can head down for a stroll after all that grubbing, basking in the sunshine (when it does decide to make an appearance). Now, you couldn’t tell me that is not a perfect end to this foodie paraphernalia huh?

• Menu style – set lunch menu
• What’s included; starter and main with wine £15, with dessert £19.95
• Cuisine: Persian, Mediterranean
• Location: Maida Vale, West London
• TripAdvisor rating – 3

Afghan Kitchen – 2 main dishes, side & drink £20

London’s Islington strip – dotted with food and drink hotspots from various regions. Away from the hustle and bustle lies the delicious, quick and simple Afghan Kitchen. Meals here are freshly prepared daily where diners can enjoy Qurma Suhzi Gosht (tender pieces of lamb with spinach) as well as, Lavand-e-Murgh (moist chicken in creamy yoghurt). Afghan Kitchen also caters for veggies, serving dishes such as their well-known Borani Kado (pumpkin cooked with yoghurt) or their Moong Dall (a tasty lentil dhal dish). Sides like rice and warm bread can be enjoyed as accompaniments, all of which can be washed down with freshly squeezed juices or water.

• Menu style – main menu
• What’s included; meat dish £7.50, veg dish £7.50, rice/bread £3.50 & juice £1.50
• Cuisine: Afghan
• Location: Islington, North West London
• TripAdvisor rating – 4

 

Polo Bar 24 – mains/burgers, side and beer £20

London is regarded as ‘the city that never sleeps’, yet it seems to us there aren’t many eateries open 24hours daily. As the capital may be deep in slumber, Polo Bar 24 remains awake serving all-day breakfasts, award-winning pancakes and dishes from their lunch/dinner menu along with sides and dessert to end the feasting fanfare. The focus has been placed on the lunch/dinner menu; however, the all-day dining menu is also affordable and won’t see you spend more than £10.50 for a dish. The lunch/diner menu claims to be ‘homemade onsite everyday’ offering British favourites such as fish, chips and mushy peas, bangers and mash and steak and ale pie along with sides. Soft drinks, beers or cider could also be had as a nice way to round off your tasty meal.

• Menu style – main menu
• What’s included; main £11/burgers £10, chips/side £4.50- £5 & beer/cider £4
• Cuisine: British café style
• Location: Bishopgate, The City
• TripAdvisor rating – 5

 

O12 Bar and Grill – 3 courses & drink £20

Our final stop is situated within proximity to the Olympic stadium in a modern eatery known as O12 Bar and Grill, claiming to offer guests ‘a unique’ dining experience. Their fresh and tasty food is great in quality without seeing you pay a fortune to enjoy it, along with delicious cocktails and wines to compliment your experience. Dishes such as the vegetable spring rolls and Momo – a Nepalese special are sublime, followed by their moreish mutton or chicken Thali – another Nepalese special.

• Menu style – main menu
• What’s included; starter £5, main £10, sides £3 & soft drinks/juices £2
• Cuisine: Continental
• Location: Stratford, East London
• TripAdvisor rating – 5

 

The Solo Foodie