gkrnjlr

How much would you budget for snacking/dining/drinks (not alcoholic) in London per day? Our hotel offers a free breakfast, so that will eliminate paying for one meal per day. We're not extravagant diners - so nothing big/special. I know each person is different with their budget, too. We're just trying to figure out a good approximate.

Thanks for any advice you can give!

Gagravarr

Most supermarkets will do you a meal deal with sandwich + snack + drink for £3

Weatherspoons pub will do you a meal deal with something like burger+pint or curry+pint (depending on day) for about the £5-£7 mark. Macdonalds or Burger King meal deals are similarish prices

So, assuming you don't want to buy food in a supermarket and cook / make salads / make picnics, there's the low end of your budget

Many decent restaurants in London will do lunchtime or lunchtime + pre-theatre special set menus, with 2 courses in the £12-£20 range. Generally normal menus (eg in the evening) are more, often closer to double depending on what you order / where you go

In nicer London restaurants, you can easily hit £100 a head before drinks on a 3 course meal.

Ldnn1

It's a tough question, but as a starting point... if you're having a big breakfast in your hotel you'll not need a huge lunch, so £5-£8 will do it for a reasonable sandwich/wrap/salad/curry box + drink from one of the many decent chain outlets or a market. £3 if you're content with a Tesco/Sainsbury's sandwich meal deal.

Chocolate bars/crisps cost 60p-£1 in shops, £1.50 for fancy bars, £2-3 for proper bakery treats.

Dinner... well you can eat well for under £20 excluding booze at almost any pub, and at decent chains like Rosso Pomodoro, Byron, Honest Burger, Pho etc. At places like Pizza Express you can use voucher codes and eat for under a tenner. Local restaurants also often have good set menus for around £15.

Obviously you can spend any amount upwards of the above. I would say I typically spend £30-£40 on nice but not fancy dinners out with some booze.

gkrnjlr

Excellent help! Thank you!!
It's a lot more affordable than I was expecting!

lhrsfo

Generally I find it cheaper at pretty well every level than the equivalent in the US. Or, to put it another way, I find eating out in NY or SF to be approx 30-50% more than London for equivalent quality levels.

Ldnn1

Agreed - it is *a lot* cheaper than NYC!

And of course prices here always include tax. Service charge is max 12.5% in restaurants and you are never expected to tip in a self-service place like a sandwich shop.

tanglin

Thank Brexit for the affordability!

Ldnn1

Even before the fall in the pound, the UK was cheaper for food than the US.

gkrnjlr

Am I safe to assume that the prices are comparable in Edinburgh and The Lake District, as well?

Do most places take MC/Visa? Or are we better off carrying cash?

Thanks!

Ldnn1

Yes. The Lake District has fewer of the urban chain options, and fewer Tesco and Sainsbury's, but isn't more expensive than London and is certainly cheaper for a pint.

Virtually everywhere takes Visa/MC except market stalls and some independent small shops which may accept card but with a minimum amount of say £5, or 50p charge under that.

jt82

Basically everywhere, it's mostly just AMEX that some places don't accept

cruisr

Just go to Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose if you are worried about spending some dosh. You can get breakfast, lunch and dinner there on the cheap. Personally, I wouldn't do that as there are some amazing restos in London that are worth an extra couple quid.

beachmouse

We preferred Marks & Spencer for the best variety of 'grab and go' grocery store options.

Pretty much every museum, garden, national park, etc. will have a cafe for lunch options. Will run from £4 or so for a mediocre cellophane-wrapped sandwich (if you're in the realm of that kind of thing, go for the panini version when possible. The better bread does make a difference) to £8-£12 for a full lunch, often made in-house from regionally produced meat and produce. And sometimes in a really lovely setting like the Orangery at Kew Gardens or the Museum Cafe at the Victoria & Albert.

KenfromDE

Don't forget you can substitute a baguette and lump of cheese for a couple of meals.

lhrsfo

Fine for a one off, but it's better to aim for a balanced diet. I'm sure that carbs, protein and sugars alone for a week long stint will save some money but do horrible damage to the waistline and health.