Free Sightseeing in London

Is someone coming over to visit you? Whether it's your mum, your grandma, your five-year-old brother or your best friend, the Sandermans tours are the best free tours in London. And, to my benefit, the tour's in both English and Spanish ;)

It starts everyday at either 11:00 or 13:00 at Hyde Park corner. Have you ever seen the statue of a man on top of a horse right in the middle of the square? Do you know who he is? He is the mighty Duke of Wellington! See, we're already learning something :)

Sometimes we go around the city where we grew up and, even though we do notice the monuments, we don't know what they are or why they're there. This is the perfect way of showing someone the main tourist sights in London in approximately 3 hours. It's pretty good, as you can then spend the rest of the trip showing your own personal corners of the gigantic city, having gone past the "must see" barrier. 

It's not boring at all; in fact they tell you the most random stories you could think of. This way, you'll always remember that "Napoleon's" nose is stuck to the Admiralty Arch (commonly known as the Arch in Trafalgar Square).

However, even though it's technically free, the tour guides don't get paid for it, so if they've done a good job you usually give them a fiver. Imagine how draining it must be to spend 3 hours walking and speaking, entertaining a bunch of strangers!

Website: http://www.newlondon-tours.com/daily-tours.html

Tours: 11:00/ 13:00 (if you go at 11 you get to see the change of guards at Lizzy's palace)

Languages: English and Spanish

Polish Ambrosia

Ranked nº7 in Tripadvisor, Autograf is a restaurant you must go to. They serve Polish food and, for those of you who haven't tried it, it's really nice.

When I went Inter-railing I stayed in Krakow for a couple of days, and I must confess that I only vaguely remember the food I ate. What I do remember was that the portions were massive and tasty, and very very cheap!

Autograf has managed to bring to London both the flavour and the large portions, as well as decent prices. Don't worry if you don't know about Polish food, as the staff is friendly and happy to explain what everything is.

The ingredients they use are of decent quality, and a dish costs approximately £5-7. The good thing about this place is that you can share a dish with someone and feel full. Another great thing is that it has many dishes and side dishes for vegetarians.

Also if you love vodka, you'll like this restaurant. They offer 13 different types of vodka that I didn't even know existed! And a shot is £2, so it's average price.

Address: 488 West Green Road, London N15 3DA

Phone: 02 088 892 999 

Closest tube station: Turnpike Lane

Website: http://www.autograf.biz

 Menu: http://www.autograf.biz/menu.html

Go and watch a movie for £3.50

Even though my main focus is on food and drinks, I think you might also be interested in cheap activities you can do in London.

One of them is going to the cinema. Last time I went to watch a film in a mainstream cinema in central, the Vue (to watch X-Men: First Class), I paid £14! Just because it was the release day!

Even though this an especially expensive example, there are a few cinemas in London where you can go and watch a film for a lot less.

Coronet is a small cinema in Notting Hill Gate, that dates back to 1898. They have great deals on weekdays: on Tuesdays a ticket costs £3.50 for everyone (even if you're not a student). If you are a student/ have a student ID card you can also go on Mondays and pay £3.50.

Also, the tickets cost £4.50 for the matinee shows during the week.

Address: 103 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3LB

Phone: 02 077 276 705

Closest tube station: Notting Hill Gate

Website: www.coronet.org/

Salsa Party: Here we go!

Is the latino inside you craving for some non-lying hips? And, most importantly, are your latino pockets begging to be left alone? The Cuban bar in Camden is the place for you: They play Latino, Salsa, Reggaeton and sometimes RnB.

It's open everyday of the week till about 2am. Even though during the day it's a restaurant, at night it becomes a salsa nightclub. There are two floors, but one of them is only open during the weekend.

Sometimes if you go there quite late they ask you for money to get in. However, if you go to the upper floor (there are some outer stairs on the left side of the building) you never have to pay.

On Wednesdays they have free salsa lessons for beginners. If you already have the gist of it, the intermediate and advanced lessons cost £6 per hour or £10 for two.

Also, on Thursdays and Fridays you get to see Cuban bands playing live (for free!).

The drinks are cheapish (bearing in mind it's Camden): the happy hour is on from Monday to Thursday from 4pm to 1am. This means that you can have two cocktails for £8, and a pint of strongbow for £2.50.

Address: The Stables Market , London NW1 8AH 64

Phone: 02 074 240 692

Closest tube station: Camden town/ Chalk Farm

Website: www.thecuban.co.uk

Drinks menu: www.thecuban.co.uk/bar

Cocktail menu: www.thecuban.co.uk/images/menus/cocktail.pdf

Lured into Mezzo

Aw, Mezzo brings back good memories. At some point during my London experience I entrenched myself here, as I lived 5 minutes away from the restaurant (in Green Lanes).

When people ask me, "What type of food does Mezzo serve?", I find it hard to say. They have Turkish food (as in humus, tarama and falafel), big burgers, nice jacket potatoes, toast, filling salads, pasta, ciabattas, crepes, ice-cream and many other delicious things.

Even though the prices aren't as cheap as they used to be back in the day, the amount of food you get makes it worth the price. I mean, a cheeseburger served with chips and salad costs less than a fiver, so you still get bang for your buck.

It's a great place to go to with 4-5 friends, as some of the deals they have are very good for groups: 8  starters for 12 pounds (in healthy servings). Whenever I go I keep hoping I have space for the awesome crepes that they offer but, sadly, the main dish usually fills me up. However, if you don't gorge yourself on the main meal I would recommend the chocolate and banana crepe (*w*).

A great plus is that Mezzo has a shisha room in the back, where you can relax, drink some nice Turkish tea and avoid London's frequent rainy days.

Address: 64 Green Lanes, London N4 1AF

Phone: 02 088 008 996 

Closest tube station: Manor House/ Haringey Green Lanes overground st.

Website: www.theroxy.co.uk/

 Menu: http://www.mezzobar.co.uk/menu.pdf

The Roxy: A Cheapskate's Heaven

The Roxy is a club just off Tottenham Court Road where cheap students go to save some pennies. I have only been there on weekdays, but it has never disappointed me. Depending on the day, you'll hear one type of music or another: I've experienced from dubstep to indie to rock to pop-hiphop (madness, I know!).

The entrance is only a fiver and you get a pound or two off if you're a student/ someone with a student ID (see what I did there?). This is pretty cheap for London, and even cheaper bearing in mind the offers they have. The party usually goes on till 3-3:30 am.

If you go there for the dubstep/ hiphop night on Wednesdays, you can get a whole cocktail jug for 8 quid. And if you're a bit more hardcore, you can buy a double vodka mix for £2.90. Pretty good huh?


If you're not into dubstep and prefer the indie stuff, then you should go on a Monday. The cocktail jug is still 8 quid and you can buy two beers for £3.40. And if you want to be the king or queen of the cheapskates you can go from 10pm-11pm and get in for a quid.

So, now you have a place to go on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. And before going here you can have your pre-drinks at Camden.



Address: 3 Rathbone Place, London W1T 1HJ
Phone: 02 073 551 008
Closest tube station: Tottenham Crt Road
Website: www.theroxy.co.uk/

Spanish food for the homesick and curious

For some reason Spanish restaurants in London are pricey. This came to me as a surprise, having grown up in Spain and having enjoyed the Spanish cuisine for years and years. But in London, Spanish restaurants are treated as if they offered rare delicacies. But why? I'll tell you why. Spanish food is very healthy and tasty; and in London that almost never comes cheap.

However, as the awesome cuisine detective I am, I can recommend a lovely place to you on a not so lovely road: Tapas bar La Viña in Wightman Road, Harringay. It suits both veggies and meat lovers and has over 50 tapas that range between £4-7.50. Oh, and their sangria jugs are the bomb, even if you think you don't like sangria you should give it a go here. 

They give out healthy portions and with 5 of them you can feed a couple of hungry people. Let me remind you that the whole point of tapas is to share. Spanish eating culture is a social one, so the idea behind tapas is to order a couple of dishes and each person tries a bit from each plate.  

Here's a list of tapas I'd recommend from this restaurant to someone who has never had Spanish food (the must-haves):

• Patatas bravas (potatoes with a spicy tomato sauce) - Vegetarian
• Boquerones (small fried fish)
• Tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelette) - Vegetarian
• Fabada asturiana (beans and chorizo)
• Albóndigas (meatballs with tomato sauce)
• Empanadilla de queso (pastry things similar to Cornish pasties filled with cheese) - Vegetarian
• Brochetas de cordero (lamb brouchettes)
• Chorizo al vino (tasty chorizo)

And if you have space for dessert and you like almonds, try the "Tarta de Santiago" it's spectacular. 

Address: 3 Wightman Road, London, N4 1RQ

Phone: 02 083 405 400

Website: www.la-vina.co.uk

Menu: www.la-vina.co.uk/OurMenu.aspx

21.50 for a 26 inch pizza O_O

Lets face it guys, size does matter. That's the golden rule at Rays Pizza. Never will you see a pizza with so many sexy inches. A friend of mine and I were feeling cocky at the time and thought we would be able to manage.
However, as you can see in the picture, that pizza was bigger than the both of us. We were still able to do a pretty good job cause we are fat bastards :)

This is the perfect takeaway for a hungry group of party hyenas. Starting at £21.50 you can order an epic pizza for the whole group. It's based between Russel Square and Euston, so if you're ever in those ends go and check the place out, it's in a bowling alley!!
If you're a scaredy cat or a mardy bum, you can also get a 8" pizza starting at £9 or a 12" one from £14.50.

Address: Bedford Way, London WC1H 9EU
Closest tube station: Russel Square
Phone: 020 71834483
Email: orders@rayspizza.co.uk
Website: www.rayspizza.co.uk
Menu: www.rayspizza.co.uk/london/menu.html

2 for 1 cocktails in Camden

Awwww men, how I wish I had known this place before! A friend of mine recommended this bar in Camden called Fifty Five Bar, and it was a spot on.

Every night of the week, before 8pm you get the chance of drinking two cocktails for the price of one during the happy hour. On average, a cocktail costs 7 quid, so that's £3.50 each!

When you go to the website to check the booze out, they have over 200 different cocktails, neatly divided into types of alcohol (tequila, vodka, rum, gin, whiskey, etc).
And, according to my friend, their confident staff know what they're doing and have the required skills to suit every palette. You can drink for cheap AND be picky about it :)

If you usually party after 8pm, fear thee not, for there is an option that may suit your demanding needs. On Monday they have a deal called "Monday Mojito Madness", which consists of two mojitos for the price of one for the whole night. Pretty good, huh? As I said in earlier posts, going out during the week is the best option for your pocket.

Oh, and thanks Li for your suggestion :)

£5 CAN go far in London

When I worked near Kings Cross, in the first couple of weeks my bank account kept draining steadily as I had to eat out every day. Luckily, I finally discovered STEAK+, a small Italian-looking restaurant on Grays Inn Road. It was the "Two courses for a fiver" sign outside that first got my attention.

I wasn't expecting anything too good out of it, but I was pleasantly surprised. As a starter, I had some Italian ham salad (prosciuto) and then as a main dish I had a massive steak. Both dishes were tasty and included good quality ingredients. After that day, I went there every day for lunch, and was never disappointed.

Apparently they also have a Sunday roast for £5.95 which has been highly recommended on tripadvisor. Oh, and they also have some vegetarian dishes, such as salads and something called "Vegetarian parcel" (scroll to the bottom of this post entry for the menu).


Address:73 Grays Inn Road, London, WC1X 8TP
Phone: 0207 242 0909
Closest tube station: Russel Square/ Kings Cross St Pancras/ Chancery Lane
Website: http://steakplus.co.uk
Menu: http://steakplus.co.uk/menu.html

Thai meal for a fiver

You heard me. Spicy Basil is a Thai place in Kilburn that offers good amounts of good quality food for 4 to 5.50 pounds.

The kitchen is in the same room as the seating area, so you can watch them cook your meal and make sure there's nothing dodgy going on! The ingredients they use are fresh and healthy, which avoids feelings of guilt after stuffing your face.

Because it's styled like a cafeteria, you may end up finding yourself eating with a random stranger...But it's part of the fun! And if you think it isn't, you can always take away. In fact, if you live around the area, you can even ask for home delivery.
The staff is nice but they're generally quite busy (a buzzy atmosphere is always a good indicator of a bargain, right?).


Address: 165 Kilburn High Rd, London NW6 7HY
Phone:  020 7328 6646
Closest tube station: Kilburn Park
Closest overground station: Kilburn High Road / Brondesbury
Menu: www.zomato.com/london/spicy-basil-kilburn/menu

Mexican food in Camden Town

Going to Camden with your stomach empty is torture: there are so many stalls with amazing smells emanating from them we feel the need to buy the first thing we see. However, if you manage to control the beast inside you you'll feel rewarded by the awesomeness of Mexican food.

El Mexicano is not far off from the seating area where all of the sickly pigeons hang around. You can see the stall in this mildly shaky video I found on youtube with my super powers of detection. The food they offer is nice, and their take away container is big enough to fill your stomach (some stalls in Camden try to rip you off). My favourite dish is the chili con carne with guacamole (yuuum!).

As I don't like eating where the pigeons shit, I usually walk to where the river is and sit by the lock (where the bridge), near a pub called the Ice Wharf. The only bad thing about eating in Camden is that the stalls close earlyish, around 6-7pm, so if you've gone out for a couple of drinks at night they'll be closed by then.




















This is my favourite place in Camden. What about yours? Have I been missing a cheap and delicious diamond in the rough?

Authentic Turkish food

Harran is a Turkish restaurant in Green Lanes, close to Manor House. I lived in that area for over three years and, sadly, I only discovered it during my last year.

Kebab food doesn't go down well in my stomach, so I tend to avoid these types of restaurants. However, when my grandma came to visit me in London, she had only just gone to Turkey. We were looking for a place to eat and she chose it (years of experience haha).

The food was absolutely amazing. We ate and ate and ate, until we couldn't even move. My grandma was stunned because she said the food tasted just like it did in Turkey. When we got the bill, we were surprised by how cheap it was, especially bearing in mind we had to roll out of the place on our bellies.

Since that day I always check it out on my way to Manor House, and it's always full of turkish-looking people (the best way of knowing that the food is authentic is when you see people from that culture eating there).

They have many salads, humus and falafel which will fill up even the greediest veggie :P
RAQUEL's advice of the day is that you stop yourself from asking for many starters, as if you do you won't be able to face the main dish like a hungry Samurai.


Address: 399 Haringey Green Lanes, London N4 1EU
Phone: 02 083 485 434
Closest tube station: Manor House / Harringay Green Lanes overground
Website: www.harranrestaurant.co.uk
Menu: www.harranrestaurant.co.uk/menu.html

Indian Food

This place has been recommended by a friend, and according to him it's the cheapest and nicest Indian/ Pakistani restaurant in London. It also has very good reviews in tripadvisor. It's called Tayyabs and it's just off Whitechapel Highstreet, in East London.

They cook traditional punjabi cuisine and have food available for vegetarians; they have halal food, spicy food, and the restaurant is accessible for people with disabilities (you'll appreciate it if you ever break your leg). They don't serve any alcoholic drinks, but you're more than welcome to bring your own booze, which is unusual for a restaurant.

This place is always quite full, so I suggest you book in advance in order to escape the long queues :) Also, because it's generally packed don't get upset if the waiters seem to rush you, I've been a waitress myself and it must be so stressful to have so many customers!



Address: 89 Fieldgate Street, London E1 1JU
Phone: 020 724 795 45/ 020 724 764 00
Closest tube station: Whitechapel / Aldgate East
Website: http://tayyabs.co.uk/contactus.php

Wetherspoons for lazy afternoons

Most of you probably know about Wetherspoons but, as I'm writing this blog for both Londoners and tourists, I think a post about them is essential (imagine moving to London and not knowing about them!).

Wetherspoons is a British pub chain that is known for its low prices and long opening hours. There are 833 Wetherspoons in the UK (cor' blimey...). If you look you'll probably find one on your doorstep.
My favourite is the Montagu Pyke, between Leicester Square and Tottenham Crt Road, because it's in central, it's quite big and has clean toilets.

Drinks are really cheap and if the prices haven't changed, you can get a Carlsberg for 3.50 pounds. However, while the food is cheap, it's relatively shite. In fact, I once found a worm in my chili. NOT NICE. But, if you're desperate and check your food you probably won't die of food poisoning ;)



The Montagu Pyke's address: 105-107 Charing Cross Road, WC2H 0DT
Closest tube station: Leicester Sq/ Tottenham Crt Road

Brick Lane Beigels

Have you ever found yourself in Shoreditch after one too many and needed something to soak up the alcohol? Well, in Brick Lane there are two beigel shops that will fill your stomach for the right price. Their names are Beigel Shop and Beigel Bake (I know, people are so imaginative!). Because of the original names they have, people usually refer to them as the yellow or white beigel places in Brick Lane.

                          VERSUS

Beigel Shop is the oldest of the two. In fact, it dates back to 1855 and was the first beigel shop in London (or so it is said). Apparently, it has the nicest beigels out of the two but, on the other hand, Beigel Bake is cheaper.

Both of them are open 24/7, a real relief when everything else is closed and your stomach is grumbling. As well as being nice, the beigels these shops make are very cheap and you get large portions. Some people argue that one is better than the other but, in my opinion, both are pretty much the same. Additionally, they also have some sweets and cakes that are more than tempting at all hours of the night.

Which one do you prefer? And, most importantly, WHY???


Address:155, 159 Brick Ln, London E1
Phone: 02 077 290 826 (Beigel Shop), 02 077 290 616 (Beigel Bake)
Closest tube station: Shoreditch High Street/ Liverpool Street/ Old Street

Rocket Pints

Finding cheap booze in London is almost impossible. However, there are certain places where you can go during the week and get pints at a decent price. Remember, if you want to party cheap, the best thing you can do is go out on random weekdays.

The Rocket is a great place to go to on Tuesdays. They have a student offer, which means that from 8pm onwards you can get a pint from £1.50.  This is a really good deal and, because of it, this place tends to get packed. 

So, my tip is that you turn up at 19:45, look for a place to sit down/ leave your stuff, chill out for 15 minutes and then ask for many many pints. Trust me, if you wait a little longer you'll have to stand up for the rest of the night!

The only downside of this place is that it closes fairly early, around 12ish. But that gives you enough time to get a little bit tipsy before you move on to the next place :)

Address: 120 Euston Road, London NW1 2AL

Tube Station: King's Cross / Euston

Phone: 02 073 880 021

Website: www.therocketeustonroad.co.uk

Chinese Take-away

China Buffet is at the heart of Chinatown, at the end of Gerrard Street (The O'Neil's pub is on the opposite end of the street). The food they offer is typical Cantonese dishes: rice, noodles, sweet and sour pork, soups, mixed vegetables and fried chicken.

The quality is good, but £9.50 for a buffet is a bit pricey. However, they have a takeaway option which is really good, as the amount of food you can get will fill you up 100%.

There is a Padoga (chinese chess table) right in front of the restaurant, so when I take-away I usually sit on those stairs and munch it all away. Plus, if you're lucky enough, you might get to see some old chinese fellows playing- it's really cool! :)

Address: 7-9 New Port Place (Chinatown), London WC2H 7JR
Phone: 02 072 873 328
Tube Station: Leicester Square/ Piccadilly Circus

Cheap Pizza at ICCO

As the pizza lover I am, my first post had to be about ICCO, an awesome Italian pizza place. It's a good price for a high quality pizza: it can get as cheap as 3.95 quid for a full-sized Margerhita. The pizzas are very nice and have a thin and crispy crust; and they have a large variety.

It's based in Goodge Street, right in central London. This makes it an ideal place to go to when visiting the heart of the city, as around the area the prices are usually high.

ICCO has an unusual method of service that avoids the formality of a typical italian restaurant: you buy a pizza, they give you an electronic buzzer, you look for a place to sit, and when the pizza is ready the buzzer alerts you.

On a sunny day (if you are lucky enough to experience one) it's a good idea to get a takeaway pizza and eat it in Soho square.

Address: 45 Goodge Street, London W1T 4LU
Phone: 02 075 809 688
Closest tube: Goodge Street
Website: http://icco.co.uk

What this is about

Hello and welcome all to my personal blog. When I used to live in London, eating and drinking out was a complete nightmare; everything's so expensive! My friends used to say they couldn't go out because they had no money. I struggled to surpass this problem, but in the end I made it!

Anyway, this blog's aim is to help you find the few nice and cheap places around London, for both tourists and Londoners. Any suggestions or questions are very appreciated, as well as comments.