{"id":7538,"date":"2026-10-23T14:11:19","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T14:11:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/?p=7538"},"modified":"2026-10-23T14:12:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T14:12:19","slug":"london-food-recommendations-for-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/2026\/10\/23\/london-food-recommendations-for-students\/","title":{"rendered":"London food recommendations for students"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Written by Priyal (India), MSc Business Analytics and AI (Online)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>As a student, you don\u2019t always want to spend \u00a320\u2013\u00a330 on a full meal, especially when the portions can be too big to finish or you simply want something quick without ordering a takeaway. I started finding places where I could get something filling, usually for under \u00a315, that was easy to grab while studying or travelling around London.<\/p>\n<p>These are some of my favourite, budget-friendly finds that I\u2019d recommend trying:<\/p>\n<h3>1. Start with a Chinatown food crawl<\/h3>\n<p>If there\u2019s one part of London where I could probably create an entire food crawl without ever having a proper meal, it\u2019s Chinatown.<\/p>\n<p>For something savoury, I would start with <strong>Bunsik<\/strong> for their Korean corn dogs, which are one of my favourite quick bites in Chinatown. The cheese and vegan options are around \u00a34\u2013\u00a38, and on days when I want something more filling, I usually go for their vegetarian kimbap for around \u00a38 instead.<\/p>\n<p>Another place worth stopping by is <strong>Chinese Tapas House<\/strong> for their jian bing which is made in front of you and costs around \u00a35\u2013\u00a36. It\u2019s warm, crispy and surprisingly filling so it\u2019s another good option when you want something more substantial without sitting down for a full meal.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re anything like me and love trying new desserts, Chinatown is where the options really start to add up. There are so many bakeries and dessert spots within walking distance of each other that I usually end up picking up a few different things to try and share with friends.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Chinatown Bakery<\/strong> \u2013 you can get a slice of pandan cake for \u00a31.80, which is light, fluffy and has a slightly sweet vanilla coconut flavour. Their custard taiyaki (Japanese fish-shaped cake made from pancake batter) is another one of my favourites, especially as you can get four for \u00a32.50. The bakery has been in Chinatown since 2011 and has since become a popular stop for tourists visiting the area.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mrs Bakery<\/strong> \u2013 if you want to hop onto the matcha trend that seems to be everywhere at the moment, Mrs Bakery\u2019s matcha mochi lava bun is definitely worth trying for around \u00a32.60, as it has a soft bun with chewy mochi and warm matcha filling inside. Their garlic cream cheese bread for around \u00a33.80 is equally good if you want something savoury afterwards.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Onsu<\/strong> \u2013 for more Japanese inspired desserts, I\u2019d head just outside Chinatown to Onsu bakery on Dean Street, where most of the pastries are around \u00a33\u2013\u00a38. Their hojicha cream bun is \u00a34.20, and the matcha tiramisu latte is \u00a36.80. It\u2019s one of those places that checks all the boxes for me: the food is filling, actually tastes good and looks great in a photo too!<\/li>\n<li><strong>Milksha<\/strong> and <strong>SeeWoo<\/strong> \u2013 more desserts worth trying (especially when mangoes are in season) are the mango pomelo sago at Milksha for around \u00a37\u2013\u00a310, and the \u00a31 mango sticky rice bites at SeeWoo, which is just a four-minute walk from there.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Xing Fu Tang<\/strong> \u2013 after you\u2019ve done your Chinatown food tour, I\u2019d finish off with a takeaway coffee or fruit bubble tea from Xing Fu Tang, where there are over 20 options to choose from, with most under \u00a35. My favourite is the Brown Sugar Boba Milk with Dalgona Coffee for \u00a34.95, but they also have everything from peach oolong and grapefruit green tea to matcha and taro milk, so there\u2019s plenty to choose from depending on what you\u2019re cravings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/image-handler.unibuddy.co\/6a99c3a5de1ee9084fc11cdb.png\" alt=\"A collage of savoury and sweet foods including a corn dog, matcha buns and a bowl of pho.\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>2. Something warm for colder days<\/h3>\n<p>Once autumn starts and the colder London evenings set in, there\u2019s nothing better than a huge bowl of warm noodles, especially after spending most of the day studying.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Murger Han<\/strong> is one of my favourites for hand-pulled noodles, with loads of vegetarian and vegan options still under \u00a315. Their stir-fried noodles with seasonal vegetables and wheat gluten are \u00a39.80, or if you like something with a bit more flavour, try the spring onion and chilli oil noodles for \u00a311.50, where you can choose between BiangBiang, spinach or La Tiao Zi noodles. On an especially cold day, I\u2019d go for their flat glass noodles with mixed vegetables in broth for \u00a313.80, which is basically a huge bowl of noodles and soup in one.<\/p>\n<p>Another favourite of mine is <strong>Pho<\/strong>, where for around \u00a313\u2013\u00a315 you can get a huge bowl of pho noodles with tofu, vegetables, herbs and vegetable broth. The portions are really generous and I love how you can add your own herbs, chilli and sauces depending on how you like it. They also have rich Vietnamese curries with chicken or tofu, which you can have regular or spicy, as well as rice bowls for around the same price. If you have room for a drink, their Vietnamese coffee is also worth trying for around \u00a34.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Affordable pizza, pasta and tacos in London<\/h3>\n<p>Italian food in London can get expensive very quickly, and a lot of the popular places require reservations, which isn\u2019t always ideal when you\u2019re looking for something last minute or just want to grab food between plans.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ICCO<\/strong> in Fitzrovia and Soho is one of the best affordable pizza places I\u2019ve found, especially as you can get a whole 12-inch Marinara for around \u00a34 or a Margherita for around \u00a36.50. Considering you can easily spend almost the same amount on a coffee in central London, it\u2019s a really good option when you\u2019re craving pizza without wanting to spend \u00a315\u2013\u00a320 on one.<\/p>\n<p>For pasta, <strong>Grand Cheesy Pasta<\/strong> in Soho is worth trying if you prefer something richer and more filling, with big bowls of cheesy pasta costing around \u00a310\u2013\u00a315. <strong>Stringray Globe<\/strong> on Columbia Road is another good option, with vegan penne arrabbiata for around \u00a311 and vegetarian pasta dishes for around \u00a314. You can also combine a visit here with a weekend stroll around Columbia Road and Brick Lane and make an afternoon of it.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re craving Mexican instead, save <strong>Proper Tacos<\/strong> for a Tuesday, when their handmade blue corn tacos drop from the usual three for around \u00a315 to just \u00a33 each. They also have plant-based fillings, so Taco Tuesday is probably the best time to try a few different options while keeping the overall meal under \u00a315.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Build your own sushi roll under \u00a310<\/h3>\n<p>One option I recently came across is <strong>SushiDog<\/strong>, where instead of ordering from a fixed sushi menu, you can build your own oversized sushi roll by choosing your own base, protein, vegetables, toppings and sauces. Most combinations come in under \u00a310, including their sesame cashew tofu roll for \u00a38.70, so it\u2019s a useful one to have saved for a quick lunch, especially if you\u2019re going for a lunch with a group as everyone can tailor their meal to their different preferences.<\/p>\n<h3>5. A few sweet spots outside Chinatown<\/h3>\n<p>Chinatown might have already covered most of my dessert recommendations, but there are a few places elsewhere in London that are still worth mentioning:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Chin Chin Ice Cream<\/strong> \u2013 with locations in Soho and Seven Dials Market, I\u2019d visit especially for their Coffee &amp; Olive Oil Ice Cream and Tiramisu Sundae, with most of their sundaes and desserts coming in at around \u00a36\u2013\u00a310. During the colder months, their signature hot chocolate is also worth trying for around \u00a35, topped with their gooey vegetarian marshmallow fluff, and they have plenty of vegan choices across their ice creams, desserts and toppings too.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Humble Crumble<\/strong> in Borough Market \u2013 I\u2019d save this one for autumn and winter, especially when you want something warm after walking around the market. Their crumbles are around \u00a39, with flavours ranging from the classic apple and cinnamon to combinations like rhubarb, strawberry and raspberry. They also bring out different seasonal options throughout the year. You can choose plant-based and gluten friendly options too, which makes it an easy place to visit with friends even if everyone has different dietary preferences.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These are some of my top recommendations, and I hope they help you discover a new favourite while exploring London\u2019s food scene. Remember to check student discount apps like UNiDAYS and Student Beans before you go, as you might find even more savings!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/image-handler.unibuddy.co\/6a99c3a5f05019be1dd3efc1.png\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Written by Priyal (India), MSc Business Analytics and AI (Online) As a student, you don\u2019t always want to spend \u00a320\u2013\u00a330 on a full meal, especially when the portions can be too big to finish or you simply want something quick without ordering a takeaway. I started finding places where I could get something filling, usually [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1636,"featured_media":7541,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[96276],"tags":[300984,300986,300985],"class_list":["post-7538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-things-to-do-in-london","tag-food-recommendations","tag-london-food","tag-london-food-recommendations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1636"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7538"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7538\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7543,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7538\/revisions\/7543"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7541"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.imperial.ac.uk\/student-blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}