12 great budget restaurants in London

Indian

Chowki
2 Denman Street, London W1. Tel: 020 7439 1330
There is no shortage of good value Indian restaurants in London, but Chowki is a cut above. Communal tables, squishy red leatherette stools and specially made plates that fit snugly into one another like jigsaw pieces impart designer chic, while a menu that features a different region of India every month means regulars never get bored. Around £45 for two.

Masala Zone
9 Marshall Street, London W1. Tel: 020 7287 9966 Run by the same people who own Chutney Mary and Veeraswami, this smart and stylish split-level Indian diner in the beating heart of Soho is the Indian answer to Wagamama and Busaba Eathai. The menu is flexible, fast and affordable, from the streetside dumplings and yoghurt lassi to the lunchtime burgers and sandwiches. Try the chicken or vegetarian thalis (trays) which give you a little bit of everything. Around £40 for two.

Rasa
55 Stoke Newington Church Street, London N16. Tel: 020 7249 0344
This is TV chef Jamie Oliver's favourite Indian vegetarian restaurant, and he is not alone, judging by the way this vividly pink establishment is perpetually busy, day or night. The draw is the exemplary Keralan cooking, so full of spice and flavour and character that even carnivores are happy to overlook the fact that there is no meat to be had. At £15.50, it's hard to go past the set Keralan feast, a generous selection of dishes from the main menu, rounded out by a delicious array of chutneys, pickles, pappadams and the like. Around £50 for two.

Burgers

Gourmet Burger Kitchen
44 Northcote Road, London SW11. Tel: 020 7228 3309 Set up by a couple of enterprising New Zealanders with a little start-up help from The Providores' Peter Gordon, GBK serves up what many critics regard as London's finest burger. The bun is sour dough, the chips are crisp and golden and the beef is top-notch, grass-reared Aberdeen Angus. There are several variations on the burger theme on offer, and the feeling in this buzzy Battersea café is light, bright and breezy. There are branches elsewhere in the capital: in West Hampstead, Putney and Fulham Broadway. Around £40 for two.

Turkish

Mangal Ockabasi
10 Arcola Street, London E8. Tel: 020 7275 8981
No menu, no bookings, and you have to bring your own wine. You will also more than likely be asked to go and have a drink in the corner pub until a table comes free. But who cares, when the food (mainly simple Turkish grills, dips, hot breads and great salads) is this good? The grilled sweetbreads are cooked while you watch, as are the spicy minced chicken kebabs. Those who spend more than £15 a head would have to be very, very hungry. Around £30 for two (not including wine).

Iznik
19 Highbury Park, London N5. Tel: 020 7354 5697
In suitably 'Ottomanned' surroundings complete with exotic lamps, decorative tiles and flickering candles, Iznik turns out some of London's finest and most authentic Turkish food. Here you can taste traditional home cooking, including courgette and feta fritters, sayadiah of fish and rice and karniyyarik (aubergine stuffed with minced lamb), as well as a variety of creamy dips, fresh salads and delicious desserts such as pears stuffed with pistachios and revani semolina cake. Around £50 for two.