Chuku's is a Nigerian tapas restaurant in Tottenham, London. Photo / Supplied
Chuku's is a Nigerian tapas restaurant in Tottenham, London. Photo / Supplied
A tough exhange rate means your Kiwi dollars don’t go as far as they used to in the UK. Fortunately, lifelong Londoner, Stephen Emms knows where to find a delicious meal on the cheap when visiting London
As a lifelong Londoner, I’ve seen the capital’s food culture change beyond all recognition in the last four decades. Whereas once you had to head to Covent Garden, Soho or Shoreditch for a decent (if overpriced) dinner, these days the tastiest – and best-value – places to eat are often found in the increasingly vibrant local neighbourhoods dotted across this never-ending sprawl.
These nine places will challenge what you may think of as one of the most expensive cities in the world, from BYOB joints to backstreet cafes and under-the-arches smokehouse.
Burnt Smokehouse, Leyton
Burnt Smokehouse in Leyton has no website and only take walk-ins. Photo / Supplied
You can experience a slice of authentic East London by Leyton Midland station, whether its artisan coffee store Perky Blenders or the railway arches housing two craft beer taprooms, the established Gravity Well and newer Libertalia Brewing. But it’s hip BBQ restaurant Burnt Smokehouse that draws queues snaking far out onto the pavement and was voted one of TimeOut London’s Best Venues for 2024. Step inside and its interior is refreshingly unpretentious, with sharing benches and bare bulbs, while the focus is on the dangling meats smoking away in an open kitchen overseen by Texan chef Tiberius Tudor. A changing chalkboard menu lists meat at cost per 100g, from 4-hour corn-fed chicken to 7-hour birch-roasted spring lamb and 12-hour beef brisket or ribs. Even better, it’s BYOB with no corkage.
No website, Mains from £10 ($11-32), 161a Midland Rd, London E10 6JT
Treestone Butcher, New Malden
This southwest suburb, known as Koreatown, is 20 minutes’ train ride from Waterloo, but a must for fans of Korean BBQ. Even on a midweek night every table can be taken in its most popular haunts, which include Yami and acclaimed newcomer Cah Chi. My tip for those on a budget is the wildly busy Treestone, where you can pick your cut from the adjoining butcher shop and cook it on the BBQ grill in front of you – or order it half charcoal-cooked and finish it off yourself. Try the salted mackerel, soy chicken or rosy ribeye – and don’t forget the kimchee pancakes.
Treestone, mains from £8 ($18), 73 High St, New Malden KT3 4BT
Chuku’s, Tottenham
Chuku's is a Nigerian tapas restaurant in Tottenham, London. Photo / Supplied
Tottenham is an area of North London undergoing big changes. Its hottest dining destination is Nigerian small plates restaurant Chuku’s, run by a brother-sister duo, and such a cult smash that none other than Beyoncé donated £8000 (NZ$18200) in 2023 when she played at the nearby stadium. Outstanding plates include fiery shredded chicken in a red pepper sauce and baked beef meatballs with Nigerian suya (a mix of peanuts, ginger and chillies). A must? The cassava fries with a tangy scotch bonnet and sweet pepper sauce.
Borough houses the world-famous food market spreading west from London Bridge station, but a 15-minute walk south-east will take you to the quirkier Maltby Street Market. A bunting-strewn Bermondsey backwater comprising seven Victorian railway arches, there’s a colourful row of streetfood stalls lining the right hand side with a couple of bars on the left, including dimly lit (and very photogenic) Spanish bodega Tozino. A must is The Beef Steaks stall, whose signature flat iron with chips, smothered in chimichurri, is £15 – one of the best-value steak frites in the capital. It’s also the start of Bermondsey’s famous Beer Mile of must-visit craft breweries.
MOTHER Canteen is a community canteen in Gospel Oak. Photo / Supplied
Tucked away at the tip of a 1970s housing estate in Gospel Oak, the northwest stretch that connects brash Camden with hilly Hampstead, is the wonderful Mother Canteen, specialising in home cooking with everything from South Asian to African influences. It’s a casual café where houseplants cascade from the ceiling, with repurposed furniture and wonky living room lights, while the open kitchen buzzes with bonhomie and a sense of playfulness with its daily-changing blackboard. On my last visit I enjoyed Jjajangmyeon, the Korean/Chinese noodle dish with a thick black bean and vegetable sauce topped with slow-cooked pork.
Mother Canteen, mains from £9.90 ($22), 181 Mansfield Rd, London NW3 2HP
Baban’s Naan, Finsbury Park
The best £5.50 wrap in North London? It’s worth making the pilgrimage from gritty Finsbury Park tube station to in-the-know Kurdish tandoor Baban’s Naan, a hole-in-the-wall takeaway that’s been on Blackstock Road for over two decades. Even in winter inside is furnace-hot, with sweating chefs pulling flatbreads out of the oven, while punters order their choice of naan, from zaatar to peschwari, chilli to sesame (£1.50 each). Try the signature Kurdish, with beef mince, or a vegan version packed with meltingly soft falafels, mango sauce, spice and herbs.
No website, 51a Blackstock Rd, Finsbury Park, London N4 2JW
Marie’s Café, Lower Marsh Market
Waterloo, on the banks of the Thames, is right in the heart of central London, but nearby Lower Marsh Street, is lesser known, boasting a well-priced daily street food market and still not quite a tourist trap by night. Marie’s is a long-running sliver of a café that serves a filling fry-up by day and simple Thai food from 5pm each night. The hack is to arrive when it opens, otherwise you may find yourself in a long queue, but it’s BYOB (£2 per person) so it’s worth the wait for starters like prawn toast or tom yum soup and stir fries, packed with juicy prawns, or red and green curries, mostly priced under £10.
Marie’s, dishes from £4-7 ($9-16).90 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7AB
Roti King is one of central London’s clutch of basement joints serving authentic Asian food to a clued-up clientele. Having said that, this particular Malaysian cafe is far from secret: peaktime queues stretch out of the door at lunchtime and you’ll certainly end up sharing a table. The flaky-yet-squelchy hand-spun roti canai bread, served with a light curry, is what the place is renowned for but equally good is a plate of Char Kway Teow (flat rice noodle stir fry). Mains from £8.45,
Roti King, mains from £9.50 ($21), 40 Doric Way, NW1 1LH (also in Waterloo, Battersea and Spitalfields)
Umut 2000, Harringay Green Lanes
The many Turkish restaurants along North London’s Harringay Green Lanes are a must if you fancy experiencing what some call Little Istanbul during your stay, but the truth is they vary in quality, and some can be pricey. My favourite is Umut 2000, a humble-looking ocakbasi with glass-fronted smoke-filled open kitchen. Just order a couple of mains and the owner will bring you a selection of complimentary meze, perhaps sumac onions with pomegranate, a spicy-crunchy side salad and creamy hummus with warm pita, while lamb chops are juicily chargrilled, the fat and skin caramelized perfectly.
No website, mains from £12 ($27), 551 Green Lanes, London N8 0RL (also in Dalston)
