Affordable tasting menus in London: 14 of the best budget friendly options

Going out for dinner is a time to unwind, indulge and catch up with loved ones over a few plates of food. But often, with so much on offer, even choosing what you want to eat can be challenging - and an unwelcome stress on what is otherwise a lovely time. Thankfully, restaurants in London and beyond have a solution for such a dilemma, and that’s a tasting menu. For these, guests are treated to a selection of the chef's best dishes, and it can range anywhere from four to 20 courses (note: it’s worth bringing your appetite).

Often the downside is that these can rack up a hefty bill, with a majority of the options in London coming in north of £100. So we’ve decided to track down the best affordable tasting menus, where you can feast for less than the three digit counterparts, and with many costing you less than half of that.

There’s always a good reason to head out for food, whether it’s to catch up with friends or celebrate an anniversary, so it’s important to have plenty of choice when it comes to finding your restaurant. We’ve got a selection of fine dining options, including a spot that boasts a Michelin star, as well as a more low key eatery that's set on a boat. With this variety also comes a range of budgets, so it’s easier to narrow down, whether you’re after somewhere alarmingly close to payday, or feeling reasonably flush.

One thing we can guarantee you is that these are all tasting menus under £100, with many of the cheap tasting menus coming in at under £70 - all whilst still maintaining a consistent level of quality. So what are you waiting for? Take a look through our list to find your next big meal out, get it booked, and then that truely is all of the ‘hard work’ done.

Restaurant St Barts, Barbican

What: The most sophisticated member of the Nest family, St Barts rocketed straight into the upper echelons of London’s restaurant atmosphere when it opened in October 2022. It remains one of London’s most intriguing, unique experiences, and the only London restaurant to hold both a Michelin star and a Michelin Green star. The lunch menu is a fair bit shorter than the lengthy dinner menu, but you still get six courses plus lots of St Barts epic house bread and butter, plus snacks to warm up. If you’ve got a free lunchtime, this is right up there with London’s best lunch deals.
How much: £70 per person for short lunch menu
Where: 63 Bartholomew Close, EC1A 7BF
Book now: Restaurant St Barts

Farang, Highbury

What: Farang in Highbury is as good as ever, and few seem to know about this incredible tasting menu deal, which lays on seven courses for a very wallet-friendly £60 per person. There’s the option of a wine pairing (with wines coming from the excellent Passione Vino in Shoreditch) for an extra £35 per head if you choose. Sebby Holmes’ cooking at Farang is beautifully balanced and the team still goes to great lengths to get just the right produce direct from Thailand. Also, we can confirm that there’s no way you’ll leave hungry - you get a phenomenal amount of food that’ll satisfy even the hungriest diners.
How much: £60 per person
Where: 72 Highbury Park, N5 2XE
Book now: Farang

Ayllu, Paddington

What: If fusion food is your thing, then you’ll want to check out the tasting menu at Ayllu, which brings together the very best of Peru and Japan. There are three different tasting menus available that start at a mere £45 per person, with the top price only peaking at £70. Expect dishes like lomo saltado, black cod and ceviche. There's also a business lunch set menu that clocks in at just £29 per person for six courses, including California roll sushi, sea bass with plantain, poussin with grilled vegetables and churros for dessert.
How much: £45 per person
Where: 25 Sheldon Square, W2 6EY
Book now: Ayllu

Bubala, Soho and Spitalfields

What: Bubala’s ‘Bubala Knows Best’ menu is more of a big sharer than a tasting menu per se, but we’re including it anyway as it’s a barnstorming deal that everyone should know about. Both Bubala sites are outstanding value already, but the £45 per person menu dishes up all the best stuff on the menu - labneh with confit garlic, oyster mushroom skewers with tamari and grilled halloumi with chamomile and fennel honey. Bubala is great at accommodating dietaries too, making it a great all-rounder (and always busy as a result).
How much: £45 per person
Where: 15 Poland Street, W1F 8PR; 65 Commercial Street, E1 6BD
Book now: Bubala Soho; Bubala Spitalfields

Hélène Darroze at The Connaught, Mayfair

What: Yes alright, we’re aware that this is sort of breaking our own rules but hear us out, because we think £125 per person to eat seven courses at one of the UK’s top three Michelin-starred restaurants is value worth shouting about. Dishes such as bluefin tuna with potimarron and Piedmont hazelnut, coco beans with cockles and smoked eel, and Magagascan chocolate with saffron and cocoa are straight from the dinner menu (which will cost you £225 a head before supplemental courses and drinks) so it’s worth blocking off an afternoon to enjoy all the same food but much cheaper.
How much: £125 per person
Where: The Connaught, Carlos Place, W1K 2AL
Book now: Hélène Darroze at The Connaught

Perilla, Newington Green

What: Perilla is tucked away in Newington Green and offers small European plates in a pared-back setting. Chef Ben Marks is one of London's most exciting chefs, and his cooking combines smart technique honed at The Square with seasonal ingredients - expect plates like squid and Iberico pork scotch egg, and roast hen of the woods mushroom with Jerusalem artichoke sauce. If you’re someone who likes to order a little bit of everything, your bank balance will thank you for opting for the tasting menu here, where you can still enjoy five courses for a fraction of the price.
How much: £75 per person
Where: 1-3 Green Lanes, N16 9BS
Book now: Perilla

Casa Fofo, Dalston

What: Ex-Pidgin head chef Adolfo de Cecco has something very good going at Casa Fofo, which is just up the road from his old restaurant site in Hackney Downs. The daily tasting menu is ever changing, with dishes taking a wide range of influence from all over the world. With just 16 covers inside, bookings aren’t always easy to come by, but the relaxed minimalist interiors are a lovely place to spend an evening, and there are outdoor courtyard tables in the summer too.
How much: £73 per person
Where: 158 Sandringham Road, E8 2HS
Book now: Casa Fofo

Silo, Hackney

What: London’s preeminent zero waste restaurant is at the very top of its game these days, serving up a menu of absolutely exceptional creations that are just as delicious as they are inventive and worthy. Given the amount of work that goes into finding zero waste workaround for all sorts of laborious processes, it’s a marvel that Silo’s ‘All In’ menu comes in at just £75 a head. Even more amazing, there's a shortened version of the menu that still clocks in at just £45 a head, which is unbelievable value for cooking this good. 
How much: £75 per person, £45 per person for the short menu
Where: CRATE Brewery, Queens Yard, E9 5EN
Book now: Silo

Paradise, Soho

What: Paradise was already one of our favourite places to eat in Soho, but after a 2024 revamp, chef creator Dom Fernando has switched things up from an a la carte to a more creative tasting menu format. Paradise has become even more exciting and adventurous as a result, and some of the delicious morsels on offer are truly superb, especially given the bargain price. If you're an admirer of restaurant design, Paradise is worth a visit on that front too, as the slick, minimal aesthetics pay tribute to Sri Lanka's heritage of tropical brutalist architecture.
How much: £65 per person
Where: 61 Rupert Street, W1D 7PW
Book now: Paradise

Rogues, Bethnal Green

What: One of our favourite Hackney haunts, wine bar and restaurant Rogues is just a fantastic time, whether you’re here for a snack and a drink or a proper dinner. The tasting menu is more of a chef's choice affair, with various a la carte dishes highlighted each night - as a result it can come in anywhere between £50 and £65 depending on the dishes available. Even at the top end that's still excellent value, and you get to try one of the best bread courses in London - Rogues' signature potato and thyme sourdough with Bovril butter.
How much: £50-£65 per person
Where: 460 Hackney Road, E2 9EG
Book now: Rogues

Tendril, Mayfair

What: Chef Rishim Sachdeva worked at Chiltern Firehouse and The Fat Duck before starting Tendril, and his great experience is well-used at 'mostly vegan' Tendril. From his lovely earthen-hued restaurant in Mayfair, Sachdeva is blazing a trail for plant-based cooking with an innovative tasting menu of mostly vegan and vegetarian food. At £59 a head it’s also wildly good value.
How much: £59 per person
Where: 5 Princes Street, W1B 2LQ
Book now: Tendril

Angelina, Dalston

What: Angelina combines an unlikely fusion of Japanese and Italian cuisine to create unique kaiseki tasting menus served in a laid back setting. Expect dishes like focaccia with peach and burrata, tuna with lardo and moromi, and langoustine ravioli with sansho and chicken. The kaiseki menu serves up a whopping 13 courses of magic, with dishes at the time of writing including a katsuobushi donut with beef and Barolo, rosemary and nori focaccia, and lamb katsu with mussels and puntarelle. There's a very reasonably priced wine pairing on offer too. 
How much: Kaiseki menu £68 per person
Where: 56 Dalston Lane, E8 3AH
Book now: Angelina

Six by Nico, Fitzrovia and Canary Wharf

What: Six by Nico is well known for it's oft-changing seasonal tasting menus. Six is the magic number here, as each tasting menu features six dishes, all based around a theme that changes every six weeks. You could find anything from Sicilian inspired plates to innovative dishes inspired by fairytales, but something we can guarantee you is that it won't set you back an arm and a leg. Of course if you are looking to push the boat out, then you can also add on an optional wine pairing.
How much: £50 per person
Where: 33-41 Charlotte Street, W1T 1RR; 6 Chancellor Passage, E14 5EA
Book now: Six by Nico Fitzrovia, Six by Nico Canary Wharf

Nest, Hackney

What: Set in Hackney, Nest is one of the many East London restaurants that has always driven for sustainability, offering a menu that changes every few weeks. Each tasting menu takes a theme, whether it's beef, seafood or an in-season vegetable, with 12 courses of carefully curated dishes. At the time of writing, the beef season menu includes soda bread with bone marrow butter, Cornish cod with spiced carrot, and cider poached pear with hazelnut. The shortened menu still includes seven courses at a very reasonable £70 for cooking of this exceptional standard.
How much: £90 per person, 70 per person for short menu
Where: 177 Morning Lane, E9 6LH
Book now: Nest

Converted to the idea of a tasting menu but think you’re ready to push the boat out? Well we’ve also put together a list of the best tasting menus in London, regardless of budget (so expect some eye-wateringly pricey options).

There are other ways to save some money when it comes to eating out. We're also regularly updating our round-up of the best value set menus in London, as well as all the great pre- and post-theatre dinner deals in London. Treat yourself!