Best-known as the spiritual home of hipsterism, Shoreditch has smartened up in the past decade to become one of London’s coolest and most vibrant neighbourhoods. The creative tech hub of the East End is crammed full of independent shops, cocktail bars, boutique gyms, rooftop views and a thriving local art scene.
Vibrant and creative Shoreditch (Photo: Travelmusk via Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
While it may now boast designer boutiques and Michelin stars alongside ‘proper pubs’ and ‘old-fashioned caffs’, there are still plenty of bargains to be found. When it comes to eating, Shoreditch offers both quantity and quality, from vietnamese cafes to pie and mash shops. Here are seven of Shoreditch’s best budget eats.
1. Bun Bun Bun
Traditional Bun Cha from £11.90 at Bun Bun Bun (Photo: Bun Bun Bun)
Fondly referred to as the Shoreditch ‘Pho Mile’, the stretch between Shoreditch High Street Station and Hoxton is crammed full of reputable Vietnamese restaurants. But, for the best bargain Bun Cha Hanoi, you’ll need to head to Bun Bun Bun. Signature bun salads are made from hot steamed rice vermicelli, tender barbequed grilled meats or tofu, plenty of fresh vegetables, pickles and a big bowl of dipping sauce. Portions are generous and prices are low at this BYOB spot.
134B Kingsland Road
2. Beigal Bake, Brick Lane
Pick up a a traditional beigal for £5.70 at Beigal Bake (Photo: Beigal Bake, Brick Lane Bakery)
This east-end institution has been serving up freshly baked bagels to hungry customers 24/7 for the past 43 years. Its signature dish, the salt beef bagel, is popular for a reason – a chewy sweet bagel stuffed with salt beef carved while you wait, coated in mustard, pickles and cream cheese. Other offerings include the smoked salmon ‘Lox’ classic, as well as an array of delicious buns, cheesecakes and donuts. With clientele ranging from city workers, to cabbies, to ravers, it’s not surprising that this establishment produces an average of 2300 bagels per day.
158 Brick Lane
3. CookDaily
Fresh and inventive vegan dishes at CookDaily in Shoreditch Boxpark (Photo: Tim Jokl via Flickr: CC BY-NC 2.0)
King Cook, the man behind the legendary vegan eatery ‘Cook Daily’, has a mission – to prove that vegan food doesn’t have to be boring. His ‘no blood, no bones’ culinary philosophy is credited to have revolutionised the vegan scene in London, but visitors don’t need to spend much to sample it. For just £10, customers create their own freshly cooked rainbow vegan bowl, with fillings ranging from Caribbean inspired yams and dumplings to house pad-thai.
Unit 56, 2-10 Bethnal green Road (Boxpark Shoreditch)
4. Pizza Union
Grab a bargain margherita pizza for £3.95 at Pizza Union (Photo: Ben Walton via flickr / CC BY 2.0)
We’re spoilt for choice when it comes to pizza in London, but Pizza Union still offers some of the cheapest around. A signature Margherita will set you back just £3.95. The fire-baked 12” romana-style pizza is ultra-thin with a light crust and a generous choice of toppings. If you don’t fancy loading up on carbs, salads are priced reasonably at around £3.25. If you haven’t had your fill of pizza for main course, try the Nutella, mascarpone and chocolate pizza for pudding.
145 City Road
5. Rudie’s Jerk Shack
Island-inspired flavours at Rudie’s Jerk Shack from £8 (Photo: Rudie’s Jerk Shak)
Rudie’s offers tropical, tasty and authentic Jamaican flavours in the heart of Shoreditch. Their signature jerk chicken, which is marinated for twenty-four hours in a secret recipe and cooked over charcoal and wood in traditional steel drums, costs just £8. Other specialties include fresh patties, cassava croquettes and island-inspired deserts such as Caribbean ring cakes with ice cream, best served with a side of rum cocktails and reggae.
2-10 Bethnal Green Road
6. F.Cooke Pie & Mash
Traditional pie and mash for £4 at F.Cooke (Photo: Martin Deutsch via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
For a taste of London’s original fast-food, visitors should head to F.Cooke to try a traditional pie and mash. Only a handful of traditional pie and mash shops remain in London, and F.Cooke claims to be one of the oldest – its first premises opened in Brick Lane in 1862. The modest menu offers traditional meat pies made to the original 19th-century recipes. Meanwhile, vegetarians can enjoy made-to-order veggie pies too. Prices for a pie, mash and traditional liquor start at £4.
150 Hoxton Street
7. Padella
Freshly hand-rolled pasta at Padella Shoreditch for less than a fiver (Photo: Wei-Te Wong via Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0)
The second outpost of London’s favourite pasta restaurant, Padella Shoreditch offers fresh pasta at unbeatable prices. For example, a steaming bowl of hand-rolled gnocchi tossed in nutmeg butter costs just £4. The pici cacio e pepe and parpadelle in beef shin ragu have achieved near legendary status on the London dining circuit. Both will still set you back less than £10. The Shoreditch branch, which is larger than Padella London Bridge, also boasts a bakery, serving fresh bread and buns.
1 Phipp Street
By Allie d’Almo