Cheap Places to Eat in Hayes Town

"Like it’s taller sister Duck & Waffle, the spectacle of the iconic SUSHISAMBA Liverpool Street begins from the panoramic glass lifts, which whisk you up to the 38th and 39th floors of the Heron Tower where the restaurant is located. It boasts one of the highest outdoor dining terraces in Europe, but during the winter months you can admire the views from indoors thanks to the restaurant’s three glass walls. A glamorous New York City import, the menu fuses together Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cuisines."

"Unashamedly fusion, this restaurant and bar at the top of the Heron Tower mixes Brazilian, Peruvian and Japanese influences. One of the coolest things about the experience is being whisked up in panoramic glass elevators, Willy Wonka–style, to what are the highest dining terraces in Europe. There’s probably no better place in the city to drink in the sunset."

"While SUSHISAMBA in the City is notorious enough, it's the Covent Garden site that has caught our eye. Not only the place to catch sky high views and serious amounts of sushi, this pretty London restaurant is a sight to behold from the bold prints on the walls and the hanging plants overhead to the fusion cuisine, worthy of any Instagram post."

"Glamorous, moody and somehow still cool, Michelin-starred Cantonese trendsetter, Hakkasan remains the benchmark of all high-end Chinese restaurants and the food is as good as ever. For thrifty-ish dining, keep to the ambrosial dim sum and splash out on the grilled morel buns. For a full treat splurge, try the jasmine smoked ribs, crispy duck salad with pomelo, salty and moreish deep-fried softshell crab with specks of chilli and for full decadence: champagne-poached turbot and Peking Duck with foie gras."

"Restaurants Chinese Tottenham Court Road. Launched back in 2001, this Michelin-starred Cantonese trendsetter remains a benchmark against which all high-end Chinese restaurants should be judged. It’s one for the big spenders, who lap up dazzling signature dishes such as roasted silver cod with champagne and honey or jasmine tea-smoked organic pork ribs."

"Sample Chef Tong Chee Hwee's contemporary take on Cantonese cuisine at elegantly designed, Michelin-starred restaurant Hakkasan, a celebrity haunt in Mayfair. The dim sum are particularly scrumptious. Other highlights include the roasted silver cod with champagne and honey and the black truffle roasted duck."

"This modern Chinese restaurant on Broadwick Street, slickly designed and eagerly staffed, is a great option for all-day dim sum year round, and their seven-dish Chinese New Year menu (on ’til March 4) is pretty special. The sesame balls filled with a salted egg-yolk custard are a real treat, the braised pork is ludicrously tender and melty, and the golden fortune prawns are mouthwatering too. The cocktails we tried were just the ticket to sharpen the senses (the Black River Martini is a punchy, purple Scotch + blackberry delight) and although I wasn’t wholly sold on the admittedly very pretty petit gateau that concluded the meal, my companion eagerly demolished both of ours, so what do I know?"

"Despite its effortlessly stylish setting, Yauatcha makes fine dining thoroughly accessible, with reasonable prices for Michelin star quality food. A celebration of Cantonese cuisine, dim sum makes up the restaurant’s main offering and is served throughout the day, though they have a number of different menu options tailored to several price points. For those looking for something a little more luxe, we recommend treating yourself to their Harmony menu which includes two dim sum, an appetiser, a wok dish, a side and dessert per person."

"If you're looking for a Michelin-star Chinese takeaway in London, then Yauatcha is a guaranteed winner. The Chinatown restaurant is known for serving up some of the finest dim sum in the biz, with a tempting cocktail list to match. Add a touch of luxe to your next night in by selecting one of their gourmet set menus, available to order online."

"Being outside Smokestak in Shoreditch is already a delightful experience as the smell of the burning wood and charcoals that fire the barbecues is simply irresistible. Couple that with their covered, heated when needed terrace area and there's no reason not to book in with another household immediately, especially if you're in the market for sensational wood-fired cooking."

"David Carter’s barbecue restaurant continues to stand strong in Shoreditch, putting out conscientiously smoked meats by the 100 grams alongside its now overly Instagrammed brisket buns with red chilli. In wintry climes, the baked potato is a must-order."

"Sitting on level 33, Hutong is the highest of the restaurants in the Shard. Hutong showcases the very best of northern Chinese cuisine and culture, with its stylish interior sporting traditional red lanterns, hand-carved ‘Moon Gates’, silk curtains and epic views over London, a menu based on the ‘Lu school’ cuisine of China’s Shandong Province and cocktails inspired by ingredients used in traditional Chinese medicine. While all of the restaurants in the Shard certainly come with an inflated price tag, popping in for a cocktail and small bite could still prove better value than forking out £32 for a ticket to ‘The View from The Shard’ viewing platform."

"Take the romance to another level – or 33 – at the Shard’s sky-high northern Chinese restaurant, where the panoramic views of the city are simply astounding. Inside, the restaurant is low-lit, dotted with glowing red lanterns, and intricately decorated with antique wooden panels. Things really heat up when you get to the menu: Sichuan spice peppers most dishes, so it’s aphrodisiac-central."

"The chairs are so uncomfortable they may as well have been designed by the Marquis de Sade, and after sunset the lighting is iris-testingly low. Yet we keep coming back."

"Secluded in one of the labyrinthine side streets behind Goodge Street tube station, this chic, cosy vegetarian café has tempting displays of colourful salads, hot dishes, cakes and pastries by the entrance; and a miniscule seating area at the back. Originally set up by a father and son duo, the venue shut down for a few months last year, and has recently reopened with a new owner. It’s notable for currently being the only vegetarian venue in London to showcase cooking with broadly Ottolenghi-esque Middle Eastern influences."

"Balady is an Arabic word that can mean home, but also homeland and when applied to something like an aubergine, it can mean a local or heirloom variety. The name is written out in both Arabic and Hebrew at this Temple Fortune cafe, nodding to the complex interaction of people that has created the food it serves. That food, all made in house by the Sabbo brothers, is a labour of love and generosity."

"The Temple Fortune sabich slinger opened its second restaurant, Alaesh next door mere weeks before the previous lockdown. It’s taken it in its stride, with that sabich, one of the best sandwiches in the city, flying out alongside tubs of mafioso-smooth hummus and top-tier chips. Call for takeaway or order through the apps."

"With more than 2300 European masterpieces in its collection, this is one of the world's great galleries, with seminal works from the 13th to the mid-20th century, including masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian, Vincent van Gogh and Auguste Renoir. Many visitors flock to the eastern rooms on the main floor (1700–1930), where works by British artists such as Thomas Gainsborough, John Constable and JMW Turner, and Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces by Van Gogh, Renoir and Claude Monet await."

"The National Gallery is the first place to go if you want to see work by some of the most famous artists from history. Nearly seven hundred years of work from the world’s greatest artists can be found here, including Leonardo, Van Gogh, Monet, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Vermeer, Rubens – seriously we could go on for a while. A wander from the The Wilton Diptych in the 14th century galleries to Pablo Picasso’s early works is both an intensely pleasant afternoon and a pretty consummate art history lesson."

"The crowning glory of Trafalgar Square, London's National Gallery is a vast space filled with western European paintings from the 13th to the 19th centuries. Find works by masters such as Van Gogh, da Vinci, Botticelli, Constable, Renoir, Titian and Stubbs. Some exhibitions require tickets."

"One of the earliest specialised photography galleries in London, Hamiltons, founded in 1977, offers novel perspectives on some of the giants of 20th century and contemporary photography. In a striking exhibition space, the likes of Irving Penn and Annie Leibovitz have had their work displayed in a honed and evocative environment. The gallery has cultivated a reputation for representing the true masters of the field, and it is unsurprising that their exhibitions never fail to reflect this level of prestige."

"Hamiltons was a trendsetter for photography-filled private galleries when it opened in 1977, and has since hosted some of the biggest names in the business. Specialising in modern masters, the likes of Helmut Newton, Richard Avedon, Irving Penn and Robert Mapplethorpe have graced the walls over the years. This year, the gallery is showing the works of Sir Don McCullin, a British photojournalist known for his war photography."

"The Hackney Museum is a local London history museum located in Hackney. Its collection of more than 8,000 different objects is dedicated to exploring the history of Hackney with a special emphasis on immigration, ranging from Anglo-Saxon settlers to early Victorian times and more recent refugees and migrants."

"Although famous for its jewellery, crafts and antique stalls, this 200-year-old covered market at the heart of Greenwich’s UNESCO World Heritage Site also does a good line in street food – on any given day you’ll find more than 40 pitches selling everything from artisan sarnies to Ethiopian veggie food. Da Fish Ting is renowned for its epic soft-shell crab burgers, Chuckling Wings specialises in crispy chicken coated in shards of ramen, while Brazilian Churros speaks for itself."

"Greenwich Market is open 7 days a week and its location makes it one of the best for me. The romantic proximity to the banks of the Thames River attracts the tourist but the locals as well. If you are fans of good street food, crafts, and natural cosmetics, do not miss Greenwich Market."

"Greenwich Markethas been in existence since the 18th century and is one of London’s best covered markets. The market sells food, clothing, flowers, antiques, crafts, souvenirs, art, and more. There are also a number of pubs and restaurants nearby. A great area to grab a snack or meal."

"Although – or perhaps because – it stopped being cutting-edge several thousand cheap leather jackets ago, Camden Market attracts millions of visitors each year and is one of London's most popular attractions. What started out as a collection of attractive craft stalls beside Camden Lock on the Regent's Canal now extends most of the way from Camden Town tube station to Chalk Farm tube station."

"Camden Market is not a single market, but consists of several different markets within walking distance of each other. Market stalls sell just about everything including food, clothing, crafts, art, souvenirs, and more."

"Sunday is the day when Brick Lane’scobweb of different markets really shine. Brick Lane itself transforms a cool street market in London – a jumble of stalls selling clothes, handmade items, household goods with a fair bit of tat for good measure. Venture off the main drag for even more treats: the Sunday Upmarket brims with designer makers selling gorgeous jewellery and accessories and a similar vibe can also be found at the Backyard Market."

"Another Tower Hamlets market being held back, a return to the vintage clothing and street food paradise that is Brick Lane is likely at least another weekend away. We’ll keep you updated on any more openings we hear of – and with the summer starting to begin in earnest, we’ll keep our fingers crossed that wandering lazily through the stalls, street food in hand, becomes a reality very soon. Also published on Medium."

"The best day to visit Brick Lane market is Sunday when the streets fill with stalls selling second-hand goods. Popular with young Londoners on the lookout for a bargain this market has a lively artistic vibe. Whilst browsing you’ll also stumble upon various street performers to entertain you and discover good value places to eat."