Cheap Eats in London - Stylish Dining and Cheap Eats Meet at Little Bay

Little Bay - A Small Group of Quirkily Stylish Yet Cheap London Restaurants

The Bottom Line

Little Bay is an eccentric little restaurant group with several locations in London and the London suburbs. They have a quirky price policy - all starters and desserts are one price (cheap), all main courses are another(also cheap). That makes it easy for visitors to plan a good night out while staying within a vacation budget.

The Setting

Little Bay Restaurants go in for a kind of festive-bizarro decor. Imagine the Prom decorating committee growing up to become the daytime television house makeover queen and that just about sums it up. The decor is colorful, theatrical, fun and slightly makeshift.

The Food

Restaurant critics from listing magazines, national newspapers and international guidebooks have all been blown away by the quality available at such knockdown prices. Starters might include

• a filo pastry filled with smoked chicken, foie gras and mushrooms
• or choux buns filled with crab, ginger, chilies and a citrus hollandaise.

Main courses might include:

• breast of duck with sweet potato and leek gratin
• pork filet with ceriac mash and caramelized apple
• or filet of salmon with Thai noodle salad and tomato and chili jam.

And, for afters, each restaurant has a good selection of sinfully rich and desirable desserts.

The Cost

Prices vary from one location to another but the one-price-fits-all approach stays the same. In Battersea, for example, starters and desserts cost £2.25, rising to £3.80 after 7 p.m. In Farringdon, in Central London, starters and desserts are £2.25 going up to £3.25 after 7p.m.

Main courses at Farringdon are £6.45 and £8.45 after 7 p.m. while at Battersea they're £5.25 and £8.80 after 7p.m.

All offer a selection of light dishes for £5.25 and side dishes - including scrummy European chips fried in goose fat - for £2.25.

Anything Else that's Special?

They're all open on Christmas Day, serving four and five-course Christmas lunches for between £26 to £29 per person, depending upon the location.

Essentials for Cheap Eats at Little Bay

• Locations -
  • Farringdon in Central London - 171 Farringdon Road,London EC1R 3AL, Tel: +44 (0)207 278 1234
  • Battersea, south of the Thames - 228 York Road,London SW11 3SJ, Tel: +44 (0)223 4080
  • Kilburn, not far from the famous Abbey Road - 228 Belsize Road, London NW6 4BT, Tel: +44 (0)372 4699
  • Croyden, south of London along the way to Brighton - 32 Selsdon Road, South Croydon CR2 6PB, Tel: +44 (0)208 649 9544.
• Email bookings must be sent seven days in advance.
• To find email addresses, location maps and menus, visit their website