Victoria cheap eats: Best food under £10

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Ailis Brennan11 July 2019

Not long ago, Victoria was close to being a veritable wasteland for foodies.

Hungry travellers and Hamilton fans can now, however, marvel at the influx of restaurants to have arrived in recent years, housed largely in the new food-centric developments that have sprung up in the area.

Pockets empty from that pricey train ticket? Not to worry. From dumplings to dhall, pancakes to pizza, here are some of the tastiest dishes you can find in Victoria for less than £10.

Roti canai dhall at Gopal’s Corner - £6.95

The number of top-quality cheap bites available in Victoria skyrocketed last year with the opening of Market Hall Victoria, which collected some of the best affordably-priced food traders from across the capital and put them under one roof – in what noughties clubbers will remember as Pacha nightclub. One such bite is arguably one of the best value dishes in London: Roti King spin-off Gopal’s Corner serves a version of the original’s famous roti canai dish, which pairs a bowl of deeply flavoured curried dhall with two slices of impossibly light roti. It’s a little pricier at Victoria – £6.95 versus £5.00 in Euston – but still well worth your money.

191 Victoria Street, SW1E 5NE, markethalls.co.uk

Oahu bowl at Ahi Poke - £9.95

London is home to poke bowls aplenty, but Ahi Poke offers some of the best out there. At this Hawaiian-inspired spot in the shiny, new-ish Nova development (another centre for Victoria food-lovers) a light and healthy lunch comes packed with flavour and just enough carb to keep the cravings at bay. Build your own or plump for a signature bowl, with offerings including the Oahu, which comes with ahi tuna, red onion, radish, carrots and coriander on top of a bed of rice, all drizzled with sesame shoyu. A small bowl will cost you £7.95, but the full sized version still comes in under budget at £9.95.

11 Sir Simon Milton Square, SW1E 5DJ, ahipoke.co.uk

Cheeseburger at Bleecker Burger - £6.50

Bleecker Burger: A patty to be proud of

After a long train journey, there’s nothing like a dirty burger to quell post-travel fatigue. Bleecker is ready and waiting to take on that charge at Victoria, where its burger joint is located moments from the station exit. Bleecker burgers are to the point – the cheeseburger consists simply of a juicy patty, a slathering of American cheese, a particularly indulgent burger sauce, lettuce and gloriously squishy bun. Other options include bacon or blue cheese, but not much more is needed. If you want to go all out, you can double up your patties for £9.50.

205 Victoria Street, SW1E 5NE, bleeckerburger.co.uk

Salt beef Reuben at Monty’s Deli - £9.50

Monty’s Deli’s salt beef Reubens have been the talk of the sandwich-loving town for quite some time now. Having initally charmed at its soon-to-depart Hoxton restaurant and on its Spitalfields stall, the Jewish deli’s stacked sarnie is also making lunchtimes a little better in Victoria. Slices of warm salt beef are towered to two inches thick, piled inside two slices of light toasted rye and accompanied by sauerkraut, swiss cheese, russian dressing and house mustard. On the side, you’ll always get a pickle – keep it to yourself or make the pickle lover in your life very happy.

191 Victoria Street, SW1E 5NE, markethalls.co.uk

Banana cream doughnut at Crosstown - £3.50

Sweet pick-me-ups make the world go round, and there are few better places to grab one than at Crosstown. The doughnut purveyor makes its squidgy treats with sourdough for a fermented, bread-like flavour which balances out sweet toppings and fillings perfectly. Its stall in Victoria sells an array of its innovative varieties, which include vegan options, a matcha tea doughnut and this banana cream showstopper, which fills chocolate sourdough with banana custard, and tops it with sea salt caramel and a dusting of homemade chocolate soil.

14 Sir Simon Milton Square, SW1E 5DJ, crosstowndoughnuts.com

Bacon bun at Bun Shop - £4

The Marksman pub in Hackney has eased many an east London hangover in its time, thanks to its practically perfect bacon buns. A cross between a bacon sandwich and a Chinese baozi bun, these golden, pillow-soft orbs have made their way south west to the Marksman’s Bun Shop stall at Market Halls Victoria. For £4, you can pick up one of the baked-then-steamed buns which are filled with braised ham hock, bacon and toasted oats – served with ketchup on the side, of course. As two buns come in under budget (and one isn’t enough to fill you up, sadly), mix up your selection with either the welsh rarebit or beef and barley bun, or go for the Bun Box deal which serves one bun with devilled fried potatoes and pickles (or salad) for £10.

191 Victoria Street, SW1E 5NE, markethalls.co.uk

Smashed avocado on toast at Timmy Green - £8.30

(Leyla Kazim)
Leyla Kazim

London’s Daisy Green restaurants channel Antipodean cafe culture, providing laid-back but chic spots for a lazy start to the day. Brunch dishes are available from morning to late afternoon at Timmy Green – the Victoria location – where you can pick up a smashed avocado on toast on charcoal bread with house labne and a sprinkling of Aleppo chilli for £8.30.

11 Sir Simon Milton Square, SW1E 5DJ, daisygreenfood.com

Dumplings platter at Baozi Inn - £8.90

After opening two new locations within the past year – one in Romilly Street, another at Market Halls Victoria – Baozi Inn has gone from niche Chinatown favourite to Instagram starlet. This is largely thanks to its aesthetically pleasing dim sum options. Order the £8.90 dim sum platter and you'll get a six-piece selection including a ruby prawn dumpling coloured with beetroot juice, a watercress prawn dumpling turned gold with turmeric, and a prawn and chive number wrapped in spinach dough. Most dim sum options come in at £4.80 per portion – including their spiced-up Northern Chinese pork baozi.

191 Victoria Street, SW1E 5NE, markethalls.co.uk

Tomato, mozzarella and basil pizza at Franco Manca - £6.55

It’s tricky to beat a piece of pizza for price-meets-hunger-satiation, and Franco Manca’s cheap and cheerful options are continuing to conquer cravings across the capital. Keep it simple here: tomato, mozzarella and big chunks of basil is all you need on top of a chewy sourdough base. The prices have gone up a little in recent years, but at £6.55 it’s still excellent value.

7 Sir Simon Milton Square, SW1E 5DJ, francomanca.co.uk

Classic Flank burger at Flank - £9.50

Bleecker is a good place to start on the cheeseburger front, but if you want to really push out the burger boat, head to meat-fanatic Flank in Market Halls Victoria. Chef Tom Griffiths champions nose-to-tail cooking in his dishes, and as such the burger patty is made with aged beef short rib, brisket and flank. It then comes topped with an oozing mix of sweet onions, dill pickles, ketchup and American mustard in a glazed bun. If you can push past the £10 budget, adding a slice of cheese for an extra £1 is a good idea.

191 Victoria Street, SW1E 5NE, markethalls.co.uk

Buttermilk pancakes at Rail House Cafe - £9.50

Fans of Fitzrovia brunching spot Riding House Cafe will be pleased to know they can also soak up similar shabby chic vibes over a latte in SW1 too. Its sibling restaurant Rail House Cafe (situated near the station, naturally), serves up comfort food all day, with prices often tipping over the £10 mark. Head for breakfast for cheaper bites, including a portion of buttermilk pancakes with either berries and clotted cream or triple-smoked streaky bacon and maple syrup for £9.50.

8 Sir Simon Milton Square, SW1E 5DJ, railhouse.cafe

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