Sometimes it can be hard to decide what to eat when dining out which is where the humble tasting menu comes in clutch - a pre-selected variety of dishes? Yes, please. But these always come with a hefty price tag, right? Wrong. London's dining scene is brimming with hidden gems offering incredible multi-course meals that won’t leave your wallet crying for help.
From modern twists on classic dishes to innovative fusions, these spots are all about delivering big, luxury flavours and unforgettable experiences - without the need to put your savings on hold. Ready to dive into a world of deliciousness on a budget? Here are the best cheap tasting menus London has to offer.
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Tasting Menus In London Under £55
1. Ayllu
- Location: 25 Sheldon Square, Paddington, W2 6EY
- Price: from £39 per person
- Cuisine: Peruvian-Japanese
- Why I recommend: Ayllu is a popular choice for a tasting menu on a budget, and it provides a luxurious setting to devour tataki in. I particularly enjoy the deep emerald green walls and how walking into the subterranean space feels like entering a speakeasy. The tasting menus offer some of the restaurant's favourite dishes - a chance to explore its highlights for a good deal
Ayllu in Paddington is where contemporary Peruvian-Japanese fusion cuisine meets rich cultural traditions. Inspired by the Ayllu community of the Inca Empire, this restaurant celebrates the spirit of togetherness, much like the families of the Inca civilisation. Every day from 12pm to 9pm, you can enjoy a range of tasting menus among forest green walls, intricate décor, and plush banquette seating.
From the £49 Cuzco, featuring dishes like ceviche, tuna tataki, and short beef rib, to the indulgent £65 Machu Picchu, with delicacies such as oysters, Peruvian BBQ, and spicy tuna rolls, there's something for everyone, including a vegetarian tasting menu for £39 each.
This Ayllu-sive spot is tucked away underneath Smith's Bar & Grill.
2. Smith's Bar & Grill
- Location: 25 Sheldon Square, Paddington Central, W2 6EY
- Price: from £55 per person
- Cuisine: British
- Why I recommend: Smith's Bar & Grill is somewhere you go if you want a very classic, riverside dining experience. The tasting menu highlights oysters, scallops and a rib eye steak cooked to your liking, and really works with the sommelier wine pairing for date night
Every Friday from 6pm to 10pm and Saturday from 6.30pm to 10pm, Smith’s Bar & Grill transforms into a haven for food lovers and wine connoisseurs alike with its exclusive eight-course tasting menu. Looking forward to tucking into classics, like scallops and fillet steak. Highlights also include hand-dived fresh Dover scallop, beef tartare, and cod fillet, with homemade bread and profiteroles to round out the experience. The evening ends on a spirited note with a sip of Grappa.
To elevate each bite, sommelier-curated wine pairings are offered with the premium ticket, ensuring every course is beautifully complemented by a glass of wine tailored to its profile. Meanwhile, the soothing melodies of a live violinist add a layer of elegance, creating an intimate and unforgettable ambience.
The tasting menu ranges from £49 to £79 per person, depending on whether you opt for a wine pairing.
3. Six By Nico
- Locations: Canary Wharf and Fitzrovia
- Price: £55 per person
- Cuisine: varies
- Why I recommend: I love how Six By Nico makes fine dining accessible, and the themes never fail to entertain or surprise me. Presentation is equally playful, and the quality of the dishes is great. Each theme typically comes from the team's travelling adventures, and the curation is made to feel very personal
At Six by Nico, every visit is a new adventure. This innovative dining experience, created by the talented Scottish-Italian chef Nico Simeone, offers a six-course tasting menu that changes every six weeks, ensuring there's always something fresh and exciting to try. Each menu is inspired by a unique theme, destination, or concept, allowing diners to experience a culinary journey like no other.
For just £55, you’ll enjoy a thoughtfully crafted selection of six dishes that are as playful as they are delicious. Want to elevate your meal? Add matching cocktails for £45 or wine pairings for £35 to complement each course. Previous concepts have included The Chippie, Once Upon A Time and Taste of Hanoi - there's even been a murder mystery affair.
Fancy an affordable tasting menu? London's Six By Nico has just the thing.
4. Bubala
- Locations: Shoreditch, King's Cross, and Soho
- Price: £39 per person
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
- Why I recommend: I adore the freshness and creativity of each plate of food I've enjoyed at Bubala, and the oyster mushroom skewers are a real highlight (available on the Bubala Knows Best menu). While a vegetarian restaurant, I don't know any meat eaters who have been disappointed after dining here
If you've got a hankering for houmous, then we've found just the place for you. Bubala is a cool haven where bold Middle Eastern flavours meet a playful, vegetable-forward approach to dining. Originally born as a pop-up, it's since flourished into two permanent locations in King's Cross, Shoreditch and Soho.
For a taste of everything, check out the Bubala Knows Best menu (£39 per person), featuring delights like pickles, laffa bread, burnt butter houmous, and tamari oyster mushroom skewers, to comforting halloumi drizzled with chamomile and fennel honey. You'll also discover an outstanding collection of natural wines and homemade sparkling gazoz to complement the dishes. Delicious.
Lap up the labneh and devour juicy oyster mushroom skewers.
5. Bamboo Mat
- Locations: Leyton and Stratford
- Price: from £36 per person
- Cuisine: Nikkei
- Why I recommend: these guys cook with a playfulness that's reflected in the dishes. It's a great restaurant for an introduction to Nikkei while satisfying those who are very familiar with it too. I love the signature bamboo maki, featuring crisp nobashi shrimp meets silky bluefin tuna and creamy avocado
Bamboo Mat has swiftly earned its place as one of East London's standout dining destinations since bursting onto the scene in 2022. Chef-owner Denis Gobjila, formerly of Chotto Matte, and his business partner Victor Rosca, previously of Sushisamba and Lucky Cat, have teamed up to create a menu that celebrates the best of both cuisines with premium sushi and inventive twists on classic dishes like ceviche, teriyaki, and tiradito.
Located in Stratford and Leyton, the restaurant offers a variety of tasting menus to suit different tastes and occasions, from the indulgent The Nikkei Voyage (£64 per person) to a more accessible Essence of Nikkei (£55). Tuck into seabass ceviche, hamachi tiradito, and exquisite sushi such as bluefin tuna nigiri and A4 grade wagyu beef aburi nigiri. For those seeking vegetarian options, there’s a delightful vegetarian tasting menu (£36) featuring dishes like vegetable ceviche and grilled sweet potato.
Bamboo Mat (pictured) has one of the best affordable tasting menus London's got up its sleeve.
6. Tendril
- Location: 5 Princes Street, W1B 2LQ
- Price: £47 per person
- Cuisine: vegan and vegetarian
- Why I recommend: Tendril sets out to show what's possible in a plant-based (well, mostly) kitchen, and I love how colourful and delicious the dishes are. What's really terrific is that they try and source their ingredients as close to the restaurant, in Soho, as possible
Founded by former 'hardcore meat-eater' Rishim Sachdeva, Tendril is a breath of fresh air in London’s dining scene. With its plant-first ethos, its mission is clear: celebrate incredible produce and elevate it with expert technique. What started as a Veganuary challenge in 2019 has now blossomed into a permanent spot just off Oxford Circus, and it’s quickly becoming the go-to for vegetable-forward tasting menus that don’t break the bank.
Rishim’s background in Michelin kitchens and his love for simple, ingredient-driven cooking come to life in every dish. From grilled celeriac with togarashi emulsion to charred aubergine fattoush, each plate is a harmonious mix of bold flavours and innovative techniques. And with their root-to-shoot approach - using every part of the produce - Tendril is not only affordable; it’s sustainable and creatively resourceful too.
For plant-based goodness, head to Tendril (pictured).
7. Manthan
- Location: 49 Maddox Street, Mayfair, W1S 2PQ
- Price: £55 per person
- Cuisine: Indian
- Why I recommend: a comprehensive tasting menu for £55 in this neighbourhood is a rare find, especially when the quality rivals Michelin-starred counterparts. Even for meat-eaters, the vegetarian tasting menu is a triumph. The soya chops, served with a unique gooseberry and green cardamom sauce, are a masterclass in texture and spice
In a city where Indian cuisine has flourished since 1810, it takes a truly visionary chef to cut through the noise. Enter Rohit Ghai, the Michelin-starred maestro who has traded the bustling markets of Delhi and Rajasthan for the refined corners of Mayfair. At Manthan, Ghai and business partner Abhishake Sangwan have created a retreat just steps from the chaos of Oxford Circus.
The true soul of Manthan is found in its tasting menus. For an accessible £55 (vegetarian) or £60 (Charitra - the signature), diners are treated to a choreographed sequence of signature dishes that redefine street food. From the crisp, lentil-filled ram laddoo of Delhi to the inventive artichoke tikki drizzled in spicy strawberry chutney, each course tells a story of heritage meeting high-end technique.
This is the second restaurant from acclaimed chef Rohit Ghai.
Tasting Menus In London Under £100
1. Perilla
- Location: 1-3 Green Lanes, Newington Green, N16 9BS
- Price: £66 per person
- Cuisine: modern European
- Why I recommend: Perilla comes from chef Ben Marks and front-of-house Matthew Emmerson, who have both continued their partnership to launch Morchella in Clerkenwell. I really like the calm and earthy interiors here, with a splash of greenery bringing the outside in. It's a stunning spot to indulge in fresh plates of food with your friends
Tucked away in the charming neighbourhood of Newington Green, Perilla is a modern dining gem that puts a fresh spin on classical European flavours. With a focus on high-quality, humble ingredients, this inviting restaurant delivers a refined yet approachable tasting menu in a laid-back setting, making it a go-to for those who love inventive cooking.
For £66 per person, the tasting menu takes you on a seasonal journey through beautifully balanced dishes. Expect plates like radicchio paired with Todoli citrus and Apulian stracciatella, tender Cumbrian beef bavette with Jerusalem artichoke, and a decadent prune, Armagnac, and almond choux bun to finish.
Devour an ever-changing menu among greenery and stone-washed walls at Perilla.
2. Akoko
- Location: 21 Berners Street, Fitzrovia, W1T 3LP
- Price: £65 per person
- Cuisine: West African
- Why I recommend: for many, West African cuisine is often associated with hearty, home-style portions. Akoko flips the script. The short lunch menu offers a condensed greatest hits reel of Aji Akokomi’s vision. You get the technical precision of a Michelin-starred kitchen, without the food fatigue
You'd be correct in thinking that a Michelin-starred restaurant's tasting menu would be over £100, however, Akoko is one of the handful of gems that's an exception to the rule, exclusively when it comes to its short lunch tasting menu. Founded by Aji Akokomi, the restaurant celebrates traditional ingredients and cooking methods, while pushing the boundaries with innovative dishes that highlight the bold flavours of the region.
Priced at £65 per person, the menu showcases a carefully curated selection of dishes that blend textures and tastes in unexpected ways. Highlights include baked oyster with an onion foam, and guinea hen with jollof sauce and mbongo sauce. For those seeking a truly luxurious experience, the menu features the addition of Exmoor caviar and goat cashew cream. Ending with a rich dessert that features black sesame fudge, this menu offers an unforgettable journey through West African culinary tradition.
Think gorgeous, warm stone walls and minimalist interiors at Akoko.
3. Casa Fofò
- Location: 158 Sandringham Road, E8 2HS
- Price: £76 per person
- Cuisine: international
- Why I recommend: one of the most refreshing things about Casa Fofō is the lack of a paper menu. You aren't distracted by reading ahead; you are forced to be present. I find that this creates a unique bond between the diner and the open kitchen. You watch the chefs, who are masters of butchery and preservation, work with a quiet, focused intensity
In Hackney and on the hunt for a cheap tasting menu? London's Casa Fofò can deliver. Helmed by Adolfo De Cecco (formerly of Pidgin), this intimate spot - named after his grandfather - blends rustic charm with culinary creativity, all within a cosy, stripped-back setting of bare brick and warm wood.
The real magic? The menu changes daily, meaning every visit is a fresh adventure. For £76 (with an optional £58 wine pairing), you’ll be treated to a surprise selection of dishes, which in the past have included crab with nori and daikon, tomato with kimchi and tofu, and strawberry grapes with white chocolate.
Watch the masters at work in the open-plan kitchen.
4. Angelina
- Location: 56 Dalston Lane, E8 3AH
- Price: £68 per person
- Cuisine: Italian, Japanese
- Why I recommend: if you're apprehensive about fusion cuisine, Angelina will change your mind. What makes its menu so successful is the expertise in finding the 'common ground' between two seemingly distant cultures. They lean into the shared love for noodles and pasta, raw seafood, and deep-frying when it comes to fritto misto and tempura
Blurring the lines between tradition and innovation, Angelina in Dalston is where Italy meets Japan in an ever-evolving culinary experience. More than just a restaurant, this enoteca celebrates the art of fusion, weaving together seasonal ingredients, traditional techniques, and a deep respect for farmers and artisans.
Each visit is a new journey, shaped by the finest produce available that day. Their Kaiseki menu (£68 per person) offers thirteen meticulously crafted dishes, from wagyu ragu with crab and peas to scallop acqua pazza and black sesame cheesecake. For the ultimate experience, opt for the wine pairing and let the team guide you through a bold, boundary-pushing feast.
A fusion feast for the eyes.
5. Angler
- Location: South Place Hotel, 3 South Place, EC2M 2AF
- Price: £90 per person
- Cuisine: British
- Why I recommend: the expertise here lies in sourcing. Angler works with Cornish suppliers like Flying Fish to ensure seafood is landed and delivered within 48 hours. This provenance is evident in the Scottish cod; when handled with Johnston's chicken butter sauce and caramelised cauliflower, the fish flakes into pearlescent petals
Perched atop the stylish South Place Hotel, Angler offers more than just breathtaking views - this Michelin-starred restaurant delivers the best of sustainable British seafood with a touch of culinary brilliance. Under the direction of Craig Johnston, the youngest-ever winner of MasterChef: The Professionals, Angler's rooftop dining experience surprises with a luxurious five-course tasting menu that won’t leave your wallet feeling drained.
Craig’s menu celebrates the best of seasonal ingredients, with dishes like native lobster ravioli in a spiced bisque, Scottish cod with chicken butter sauce, and tuna tartare with a zing of ginger and sesame.
Head to Angler for great views and food.
6. Farang
- Location: 72 Highbury Park, N5 2XE
- Price: £65 per person
- Cuisine: Thai
- Why I recommend: Holding a Bib Gourmand (Michelin’s award for high quality at a great price) and the UK Thai Embassy’s stamp of approval means you are getting elite-level cooking without the white-tablecloth pretension. For £90 total, you get a world-class wine pairing, and Farang’s collaboration with Passione Vino is absolute wizardry
What began as chef Sebby Holmes selling Thai street food out of the back of his car has transformed into a Highbury powerhouse, boasting a Michelin Bib Gourmand and a consistent spot in the National Restaurant Awards Top 100. Farang's space itself is a beautiful contradiction: humble and earthy, with exposed brick and cascading greenery.
Yet, tucked away is a high-octane kitchen where fresh ingredients flown in from Bangkok are hammered, charred, and wok-fired into some incredible dishes. The tasting menu, for £65, is where the restaurant's credentials truly shine. It's featured the likes of mackerel miang bites served in edible betel leaves, and addictive ‘Gai Prik’ crispy chicken glazed in sweet fish sauce.
For exceptional Thai food, head to Farang.
7. Restaurant St. Barts
- Location: 63 Bartholomew Close, EC1A 7BF
- Price: £75 per person
- Cuisine: British
- Why I recommend: I think it's one of the few places where sustainability isn't just a buzzword. Knowing your meal supports British biodiversity adds a layer of satisfaction that goes beyond the palate, and at £75 per person, the set lunch is an absolute steal for a Michelin-starred experience in the City
While many restaurants chase trends, this Michelin-starred gem has anchored itself in the rugged beauty of the British Isles. Restaurant St. Barts is also the proud owner of a Michelin Green Star, a badge of honour recognising its fierce commitment to ethical sourcing and conservation.
The remarkably curated £75 set lunch has been known to feature bold, cerebral pairings like monkfish with flamingo pea miso or Chinese water deer accented with chestnut and charcuterie. From the initial crunch of their house-made snacks to the final, earthy notes of Black Koji and Barley, every plate is meticulously crafted to honour the ingredient first.
Discover the tasting menu at Restaurant St Barts.
8. Rogues
- Location: 460 Hackney Road, E2 9EG
- Price: from £60 to £75 per person
- Cuisine: European
- Why I recommend: because the menu is dictated by the morning’s market haul, you are guaranteed the absolute peak of British seasonality. No two visits are ever the same. It sounds small, but their sourdough with Bovril butter and pickled walnuts has achieved near-mythical status with locals
Born from the Michelin-starred kitchens of Galvin La Chapelle, founders Freddie Sheen and Zac Whittle traded fine-dining formalities for a gritty, high-octane journey through pop-ups, online supermarkets, and even a cult-status gourmet sandwich shop during the lockdown years. Today, they’ve found their permanent home on Hackney Road, and the result is a restaurant that feels like a celebration of survival and skill. The space is run by a tight-knit group of friends whose obsession with seasonal produce translates into a daily-changing menu.
Rogues excels at the tasting menu format, offering a classic five-course feast (from £60) alongside a brilliant 'light' set menu starting from just £45. Whether you’re tucking into rabbit bolognese, Maldon oysters with mango hot sauce, or their legendary potato and thyme sourdough with Bovril butter, every dish is a testament to the duo’s pedigree.
Rogues is a hot pick for great food and ambience.
Looking for more meals on a budget? Check out our guide to cheap Michelin-starred restaurants in London.
