Cheap Places to Eat in Whitechapel

"Equal parts Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian, SUSHISAMBA – nestled high up on the 38th and 39th floors of 110 Bishopsgate – is the place to see and be seen in the heart of the City of London. Standing tall as the second-highest restaurant in London and with floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, this space beguiles its guests with its immersive views of the city at night. Order yourself a moqueca mista – a platter of jumbo shrimp, squid, sea bass and mussels with coconut milk, dende oil and chimichurri rice – and you’ll catch a feeling for why people fall in love with SUSHISAMBA."

"The second venture following the City site, this West End restaurant offers a unique mix of Brazilian, Peruvian and Japanese cuisine. When it's not hosting a swanky celeb-filled party, head to Sushisamba for leafy decor and beautifully plated cooking."

"For an extra special evening why not go all out with a Michelin-starred Chinese takeaway and order from one of the best in the business: Hakkasan. Having partnered with delivery service Supper, the restaurant now offers discerning Londoners a taste of the good life, without even having to get out of their PJs. The benefit of ordering from a premium service is that your food comes hot and fresh, and with things like crispy duck on the menu that means preserving that all-important crunch."

"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."

"Hakkasan are all about beloved Cantonese plates at an elevated level as the luxury Soho Chinese restaurant brings you dim sum and duck in a glamorous, date-worth setting of dimmed lights and lush cocktails."

"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."

"The ”it crowd” dine on a menu of more than 84 amazing dishes at this sexy dim sum teahouse in Soho. Michelin-star quality and incredible cocktails from behind the fish tank bar brings in big names such as Amanda Seyfried, Gwyneth Paltrow and Gwen Stefani.You don't even have to break the bank to dine here, with a cheap dim sum afternoon tea available Monday to Thursday."

"A top Chinese restaurant in Soho, Yauatcha is home to some of the best dim sum that Chinatown has to offer. Serving up an extensive collection of Cantonese classics, this place is pairing its authentic dishes with signature sips and even has its own on-site patisserie."

"You’ll probably smell David Carter’s barbecue joint well before you see it; while the signage is discreet, the tang of smoke meets you halfway up the street. Behind two heavy, metal-riveted doors, it’s a temple to certain ideas of masculinity and to meat—all concrete walls, steel paneling, and rough-planked tables and banquettes (subtext: real men don’t need cushions). The meat comes in many forms here: 15-hour smoked brisket, superb pastrami, and generous portions of ribs."

"As well as introducing a line of DIY meal kits, SMOKESTAK has launched a weekend takeaway and delivery service. Available on Fridays and Saturdays, deliveries can be made within two miles of the Sclater Street restaurant, or collected if pre-ordered. For a full feast, diners can begin with crispy pigtails; smoked cod roe and potato skins; crispy ox cheek with anchovy mayo; and new autumnal dishes such as mushrooms on toast with beef dripping gravy."

"Another of the Shard’s elevated eateries, dimly lit, sophisticated Hutong on the building’s 33rd floor serves what our waitress described as “spicy and numbing” Sichuan food. In practice that means an extensive range of dim sum and dumplings, alongside roasted Peking duck, crispy oysters and braised beef ribs in lotus leaf. The highlight of our meal, unquestionably, was the sichuan-style deep-fried lobster mixed with a potent blend of chilli, black beans and dried garlic, while cocktails (most at £16) are innovative and enjoyable, too - is there any other London cocktail counter where ingredients such as squid ink, pancakes and Peking duck are intermixed with the expected mixers and spirits?"

"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."

"Andrew Wong and his eponymous restaurant have earned their place as one of London’s most show-stopping Chinese restaurants. At Wong’s newest – Kym’s in the Bloomberg Arcade – the plush opulence of the first is swapped for dark wood, low lighting and a cherry tree by the stairs. Focusing on classic Chinese barbecue and butchery with a few of A Wong’s dim sum and duck options, it’s a worthy addition to the family."

"When I moved to London from the US, I was surprised by the number of pizza places I saw. The city has a ton of chains and standalone shops, and most of them serve Neapolitan-style pizza. Hilariously, the American pizza chains that hopped across the pond–Domino’s and Papa John’s–charge insane prices."

"Rudy's Neapolitan Pizza has been mainly serving pizzas in the north but they've now headed south, straight into Soho with pizzas made fresh daily from 24-hour fermented dough with ingredients imported twice weekly from Naples."

"From the classic egg mayo to the fancy coronation chicken, there’s no need to settle for a sad ham and cheese. Pret A Manger is the go-to place for London’s busy workers, and you can score a sandwich from the cold case for around £3. Full size and mini grocery shops like Sainsbury’s and M&S Local also carry pre-made sandwiches for the same price."

"Serene leafy terraces in bustling Mayfair are hard to come by, so thank heavens for Cafe Biltmore from chef Jason Atherton. Expect a casual offering (for this postcode at least) full of globally inspired dishes."

" This ‘lovely little Japanese grill’ may not be London’s prettiest spot, but locals find it hard to resist the allure of its sushi, sashimi & fla ..." Read our full review"

"London’s West End is pretty good for celeb spotting, but the easiest place to do it is probably at the National Portrait Gallery. It’s home to kings, queens, cultural juggernauts and sporting heroes – all in portrait form, of course – with a collection spanning over five hundred years of painting history. You can find Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn in the Tudor galleries, Mary Jane Seacole and the Bronte sisters in the Victorian galleries, right up to Amy Winehouse and the Queen in the contemporary galleries."

"Essential building works have closed the National Portrait Gallery until spring 2023, but before Google or Wikipedia, this is where the British came to put a face to the names of famous historical figures from the country's history. As such, the paintings are prized more for their subjects rather than their artists. Highlights include portraits of Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth II, the latter courtesy of pop art sensation Andy Warhol."

"This historic warship, operated today by Imperial War Museums, will definitely be of interest to military buffs, or anyone with even a slight interest in boats. Launched just before the outbreak of World War 2, this Royal Navy Light Cruiser saw action in both World War 2 and the Korean War, before being decommissioned in 1963."

"This historic warship, operated today by Imperial War Museums, will definitely be of interest to military buffs, or anyone with an interest in boats. Launched just before the outbreak of World War 2, this Royal Navy Light Cruiser saw action in both World War 2 and the Korean War, before being decommissioned in 1963."

"Despite its name, the cultural venue formerly known as the Imperial War Museum (one of five IWM branches around the country) does not…"

"Fashion fans should bookmark this undeniably chic patisserie pronto. Pasticceria Marchesi is one of Milan’s most established bakeries and is now owned by one of the world’s biggest fashion powerhouses, Prada. They opened a London outpost earlier this year and it’s become one of Mount Street’s most Instagrammable spots – for both it’s sweet treats and sugar almond coloured interiors."

"This dog-friendly east London café is certainly one to add to your London vegan food roster. Not only is there a full vegan English breakfast, complete with crispy hash browns, roasted plum tomatoes and grilled sourdough dripping in creamy vegan butter, they also serve seriously generous portions, leaving even the hungriest of customers full. There’s far more than fry ups on offer, though: the spicy coconut ramen is a delightful winter warmer, served with silky tofu, shiitake mushrooms and thick udon noodles deliciously slurped up when drizzled in hot chilli oil."

"Philippe Conticini is a legend of pâtisserie and both of his eponymous Londoncafés are home to some of the finest gourmet pastries on this side of the channel. Paying a visit to Phillipe Conticini is like paying your respects to the butter gods. His Paris Brest is a thing of delicate, complicated beauty; his vanilla flan a reminder of what heights custard can achieve; and his pain au chocolat, a pastry so layered and flaky that it makes all pretenders seem a sham."