Bang for Your Buck London Restaurants

You've heard the rumors... London food is lousy, right? Well, it's just not true. Food in London can be good, and it can be reasonable--if you know where to go.

Quick Tips:

- Get off the beaten path: Tourist traps can get you in Leicester Square/Piccadilly Square/Covent Garden. Venture a little farther out and you'll find a range of possibilities and neat little neighborhoods. Try Lebanese on Edgware Road or the variety of restaurants in Islington.

- Chains can be good: With chains, you know what you're getting, and you know what the price will be--no surprises. Many of the restaurants I recommend are chains that can be found all over the city of London.

- Try a pub: Pubs are usually for people who want to drink, so the food can be really cheap. Try the Wetherspoon's chain of pubs for great food at reasonable prices--and great drink deals, too. Plus, Wetherspoon's gives you the chance to try out shepherd's pie and other British specialties.

- Get ethnic: Britain is renowned for its great Indian food, but there's also great Italian, Turkish, Lebanese, and even Persian restaurants. Get international when you're in London and try an ethnic restaurant. If you want Indian, check out Brick Lane.

- The early bird?: Yes, some restaurants do have early bird specials (like Giraffe). Just check the menus when you walk by.

Best Way To Get Around:

- There's nothing better than the Tube. Forget a car or a taxi--the Tube can take you anywhere you want to go. And with an all-day pass, you can go anywhere you want all day. Another alternative is the buses, but these can get confusing, and the bus-ticket machines rarely work.

- You'll rarely if ever go outside zone 1 and 2, so don't worry about getting a pass to other zones (unless you're going to the airport). If you're staying with the main tourist sites, you only need a zone 1 pass.

- Let your feet do the walking. Yes, you can walk around London if you're staying within the main tourist area. It is possible to walk from Piccadilly Circus to Covent Garden to Leicester Square to Oxford Circus and Waterloo (the London Eye). Just get an A-Z and look at a map to see how close those places really are.

- Use a minicab?: If you're going somewhere off the beaten track where a Tube just won't get you or are travelling at off-hours, you can take a mini-cab rather than a taxi. These are basically guys in cars at a fraction of the price of a taxi. Look in a phone book under minicabs and find one in your area. These are especially good for getting to the airport at a time when the Tube doesn't run.

Whenever we wanted a quick meal that would taste good, we went to Nando's. Nando's primarily serves chicken; I always got a chicken sandwich with chips which was delicious, but they also have great chicken salads and chicken in a pita. Besides chips, other side items include rice and corn on the cob (yum!) Nando's also serves beer, wine and delicious sangria. But beware if you order your chicken other than lemon and herb -- if you get it spicy, it will definitely not disappoint you!

Go up to the counter and place your order, and someone will bring it to your table. Don't forget to get napkins, knives and forks, and your favorite peri-peri sauce to bring back to your table after you order.

It's a really fun atmosphere with the Spanish music coming out of the speakers and the rustic tables.

Nando's is a great place to meet friends for a quick and casual meal for a great place. And this is definitely not your usual British food!

The best way to describe Giraffe is well, international. The restaurant plays an assortment of world music, and depending on the restaurant you go to, you might end up sitting on a long cafeteria-style bench.

But whether you're comfortable on a bench or not, the food is some of the best I've had in London. It's just good, international cuisine. The salmon is good, the noodles are good—everything the restaurant cooks just tastes delicious and healthy. And for London, that's definitely a rarity. The portions are a decent size, and the prices (for London) are good for a full-service restaurant. The desserts are also delicious, and I loved getting the hot chocolate with marshmallows on a cold winter day.

Giraffe offers specials if you get there before 7pm, and these specials are amazing—two courses for something like 7 pounds. And they've also run a special which involved paying at whatever time you ate—if you ate at 5pm, you'd only pay £5!

Giraffe is also very kid-friendly with healthy choices for the little ones.

Giraffe has locations near Islington and Baker Street among all of its London locations.

Gallipoli (and its sister restaurants -- all located on Islington's Upper Street) is crowded for a reason. When you walk in, you feel as if you've been transported to Istanbul. The restaurant is small, but cozy on a cold day, and the pillows and wallhangings are all from Turkey. And if my Turkish friend brought me here for dinner, you know it has to be good!

I usually got the vegetarian mezze (really a starter) as a main course since it offered such a variety of wonderful foods. The mezze included different small sized samples of Turkish delicacies such as falafel, a filo pastry with cheese, eggplant dishes and dishes with lima beans. Yum! My husband would usually opt for some kind of lamb, the chicken wings, or the grilled chicken with rice. Everything was delicious, and the portions were a good size.

For us, going to Gallipoli was a special night out. If you want something different, I'd definitely recommend Gallipoli for the food and the atmosphere. After all, how often do you get a chance to eat fantastic Turkish food?

I'd also recommend the restaurant for a small party or a group of friends.

A good Italian meal near Leicester Square? Yes, it can be done given that Strada is nearby.

Strada is a casual, relaxed restaurant perfect for a romantic dinner or a group of friends. I often took my relatives here if they visited since the pizzas were amazing, and the prices were reasonable. Plus, if you check toptable.co.uk, there are often specials if you make reservations on the site.

As I mentioned, the pizzas at Strada are outrageous—I know there was one with goats cheese but I always opted for the mushroom. They seemed as if they came right out of a wood-burning oven. But the other dishes are pretty good as well, and the desserts are delicious. But our favorite part of Strada was the bottle of house wine provided on the table—you only pay for whatever you drink. Strada also had tap water on the tables, which is never seen in London!

Go to Strada for a nice, inexpensive meal, especially if you love pizza!

You've probably seen Pret A Manger locations all over the city. Well, you should definitely stop inside!

Pret A Manger is basically a sandwich shop with the standard fare British sandwich in a box idea. But unlike the typical British sandwich, Pret A Manger has a healthy bent and offers baguettes, salads, soups and breadless options (for those on an Atkins diet) along with their boxed sandwiches. And with their clean, shiny silver locations, it's difficult not to stop by to grab a sandwich.

Most Pret A Mangers have very limited seating so this is more of a place to grab and go than grab and stay. If there's a park nearby, it's a great place to grab something and sit in the sunshine (although in London, there's not much sun!) And the location near Trafalgar Square, has outdoor seating where you can watch the world go by.

I usually get the sandwich box with tuna or hummus although all the sandwiches I've tried are good. And the soup is delicious on a cold day.

On the side, Pret A Manger offers hot beverages (so skip Starbucks!), yummy cakes, fresh fruit, and crisps (including veggie crisps).

La Porchetta (the pig in Italian) has this name for a reason. The pizzas are ENORMOUS so if you finish one, well, you get the point.

La Porchetta is a great place to go with friends since the enormous servings will impress them while the great prices will surprise you. The restaurants have a casual atmosphere.

We always get a salad to start and share a pizza given the serving sizes (and the fact that no one in London takes anything home!) And don't forget to get some good house wine!

If you're looking for great pub food at a fantastic price, look for a pub with the JD Wetherspoon's brand name. There's actually a small one at Leicester Square as well as the Heathrow Airport and numerous downtown locations (including pubs near Liverpool Street and one near the Tower of London). JDWetherspoon's owns Lloyds Bar (locations near Camden Market and at the N1 Center in Islington) so the prices and great food apply here as well—although Lloyds Bar seems to be slightly more upscale with more of a bar feel than a pub feel.

We went to our local Lloyds Bar at least once or twice a week. All the locations have a special where two can eat for the price of one. And surprisingly enough, the food is good. My husband usually opted for the chili con carne which comes with rice or chips and is perfect on a cold day. I always went to for the fish and chips served with peas, which was always delicious.

If you don't feel like a big meal, the pubs also serve really good wraps, sandwiches and jacket potatoes. I loved the chicken wrap, and the Lloyds Bar locations had great paninis.

If you want to share with friends, Lloyds Bar also has great deals on sharing platters—particularly at certain times in the evenings. The Wild West Platter includes a feast of ribs, chicken wings, chips and onion rings while other platters have a stack of paninis or nachos and chili.

Lloyds Bars have incredibly reasonable drinks as well—whether you're going for a pint, a glass of wine, or a alcopop (like Smirnoff Ice). And for dessert, Lloyds Bars offer coffee, tea, lattes, cappuccinos and Otis Spunkmeyer muffins among other things for great prices.

Like any pub, you order at the bar and the wait staff brings your food. There are usually separate sections for smoking and non-smoking, and at Lloyds Bars, there are special sections for those who are eating versus those who aren't.

With a great kids menu, even kids are welcome at Wetherspoon's/Lloyds Bars although they aren't permitted inside after a certain time.

Some of the locations also offer party facilities (like the Cross Keys in the City).

Wagamama is a London institution. In fact, I should say it's a European institution since I've also seen locations in Amsterdam and Dublin.

For a quick meal at a good price, Wagamama can't be beat. But this also means there are often lines out the door. Fortunately, with the cafeteria-style tables and quick service, the lines move fairly quickly.

When you come in, you'll be directed to a place at one of the long tables, usually sitting next to people you don't know. But there's still plenty of space, and room underneath the table for your bags.

Waiters use a little machine to type in your order and write the number of what you ordered right on your placemat.

A lot of the menu consists of soups, but there's also the cha han (rice with vegetables) and my favorite, the soba (7 or 8 pounds), which comes with those Japanese noodles. My husband always opts for the soup with pieces of steak since it seems like one of the few places in London where you can get a decent piece of meat! Wagamama also offers smoothies which look really interesting.

Wagamama is a great place to go with friends if you want something quick—or a great place to go before the theater given locations in Covent Garden and Leicester Square. Just be prepared to feel like you're back in your high school cafeteria!

You'll see the Pizza Express brand all over the city, and for a good reason. If you want to go somewhere where you know exactly what you're going to get, Pizza Express is the place to go. The pizzas are standard throughout the chain so there are no surprises.

If you go to Pizza Express, you have to get a pizza—and you're not spoiled for choice. There are gourmet pizzas with every imaginable ingredient (costing from £6 to £8)—even an egg in the center— but I always went with a spicy grilled chicken pizza with sweet roasted red peppers (yum!). The starter salads are good too, given the special Pizza Express dressing (also sold at supermarkets). There are also main dishes like eggplant (melanzane) parmesan, and ravioli as well as wonderful salads.

Get the house wine to go with your meal, and you're guaranteed to have a decent meal.

This restaurant doesn't belong in a category called 'bang for your buck' per se, but it was such a find for an ex-pat living overseas that I had to include it.

Bodean's is one of the only BBQ restaurants we were able to find in London, and it's a pretty good one.

In the front, is an informal atmosphere with a bar area, where you can order at the counter and they call your number. They have great hot dogs and BBQ-type sandwiches.

In the back of Bodean's is the restaurant. It's kind of small so try to make reservations if possible. At Bodean's, you're able to get American favorites like BBQ chicken, ribs, etc. Prices aren't crazy, but they're definitely not cheap.

The location is kind of tricky since it's off a little street between Oxford Street and Soho/Leicester Square area. I would definitely bring my A-Z or use Mapquest before I went.

And when you're looking for Bodean's, just look for the neon pig!

If you're in the city and want to grab something for lunch, Eat is a great place to go.

Similar to Pret a Manger, Eat has the typical British boxed sandwiches and a variety of salads. But unlike Pret, they also have some more exotic noodle dishes.

However, the best thing about Eat is the soup. Every day, Eat offers a simple and bold soup of the day, which can be found on their website (www.eat.co.uk). And the soup is definitely a meal.

When I worked in London, I would check the internet before I headed down to Eat to see if I liked the soup they were serving. And some of the soups were just outrageous -- like chicken pot pie and Hungarian goulash. I never had a bad soup.

At 2-3 pounds for a soup, the prices are reasonable. Like Pret, there isn't much seating in Eat, but there are some stools and a couple tables in most of the locations.

On a cold day in London, there's nothing better than a hot bowl of soup. And Eat has the best soup I've ever eaten.

Want a cheap place to eat when you're in the middle of the city? Catching a train from Liverpool Street station and need a place to eat? The best place to go for a wide range of food and an interesting ambience is Spitalfields Market.

Cross the street from the station, head left (east), make a right by Pizza Express, and you'll be by Spitalfields Market. The Market is kind of funky and artsy with handmade clothes and purses from up and coming designers. Besides that, there's artwork, organic vegetables and foods, flowers, and dried fruits.

And in the far back corner, once you get through all of the stalls, there are a bunch of food stalls selling everything from Thai to Italian to Hungarian to Indian food.

There's always a line at the Thai food stall, and once you taste it, you'll understand why. It is absolutely the best Thai food I've ever had—with enormous portions for £3 or £4. I love the special noodles while my husband usually opts for the chili chicken. The flavors are phenomenal, and although the portions are huge, all the veggies make you feel like you kind of ate healthy once you're finished with your meal (if in fact, you are able to finish!) I've tried the other food stalls, but none measure up to the Thai food.

The market's open during the week, and you'll usually see a bunch of people in suits taking a lunch break. The market's also open on Sunday, but it gets really crowded really early (I believe it opens at 11am). It can be difficult getting a seat on one of the spare tables and benches if you get there too late on a Sunday, but during the week, it's always kind of empty.

This is definitely the best, cheap food I had while I was in London. Just be aware of the Sunday crowds and the lack of tables. Also, the tables they do have are what you would expect from a food stall—cheap metal tables and little benches you'll most likely have to share with someone else in desperate need of somewhere to sit and eat.

As an epilogue, the last time we were in London (April 2005), Spitalfields Market had completely changed and become, well, yuppified. My recollection of the market (from 2000 - 2004) may be different from the way the market is now.