23 Places Chefs Eat On Their Day Off

We asked chefs for their top cheap eats.

1. Roti King, London

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"Roti King in Euston does a roti canai for £5 and you can easily order a couple of extra roti and still stay under a tenner. I have been following this guy around town since he had a small section of a little Malaysian restaurant near Chinatown and seemed close to giving up; he has since been 'discovered' in Euston and has queues out the door. He is a nice guy and deserves the success." – Ross Shonhan, chef proprietor of Bone Daddies, Shackfuyu and Flesh & Buns

2. Bagel Boy, Bristol

Bagel Boy

"A nice and simple idea that is done to perfection. Imaginative fillings, amazingly fresh ingredients and amazing service. The salt beef bagel in particular is an absolute babe. So tasty." – Dan Beaumont and Andrew Evans, Voodoo Ray's and Ray's Bar

3. Diwana Bhel Poori House, London

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"I go there for the southern Indian veggie food. Order a couple of starters like a bhel poori or dahi bhalle chatt (both £3.80 a pop), a massive dosa (£5.10) with the trimmings, and a lovely mango lassi (£2.25). Great spices and textures, super fresh and amazingly cheap." – chef Malachi O’Gallagher from The Delaunay and The Delaunay Counter

4. Joy Luck, London

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"Joy Luck in Chinatown. Hands down the best hand-stretched noodles in beef broth known to man for under £10" – Carl Clarke, exec chef, Chick ‘n’ Sours

5. Cromars, St Andrews

Cromars

"This is St Andrews' five-star chippie. The fish couldn’t be any fresher, the batter is crisp and non-oily, and the chips are hand-cut and cooked nearly to order. Tourists and locals sit side-by-side in the small dining room – I love the ‘fish tea’, which is haddock, chips, peas, bread & butter, plus a pot of tea, for £14. Or a haddock, chips, and tartare will set you back £9." – chef Charles Hilton, Brasserie Zedel

6. Antepliler, London

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"The cheapest, tastiest thing that I love is a lahmacun from Antipliler in Haringay. £2 baaargain! (Salad included.)" – Hus Vedat, Yosma

7. Cookies Crab Shop, Norfolk

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"At Cookies Crab Shop in Salthouse you can get a picked Cromer crab for £7 plus salad and fresh bread for another £3. What more could you want – except a bottle of wine which they do BYO for no corkage.” Ross Shonhan, chef proprietor of Bone Daddies, Shackfuyu, and Flesh & Buns

8. The Sportsman Club, Birmingham

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"Bengali grill and curry house where they work in vests and shovel coals off the floor. You can eat from £2 upwards, including a mind-bending Bengali BBQ".– Carl Clarke, exec chef, Chick ‘n’ Sours

9. The Rendezvous, Bristol

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"Chips in gravy!!" – Hus Vedat, Yosma

10. Dusty Knuckle, London

Dusty Knuckle

"This place down the road from us do the best sandwiches in the known universe. The bread is baked on-site and the staff are amazing. Great coffee too. It’s a total winner." – Dan Beaumont and Andrew Evans, Voodoo Ray's and Ray's Bar

11. Northern Soul MCR, Manchester

Northern Soul

"My favourite joint in Manchester not only uses the power of melted cheese, it teams it up with blue cheese and bacon or my favourite jalapenos and chorizo! It won't cost more than £6.50, and they give you a gherkin and some coleslaw on the side." – Vanessa Bolosier, chef and author of Creole Kitchen

12. Obalende Suya Express, London

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"I'm a sucker for good, hearty, and super-spicy soul food. So when in need of cheap and cheerful comfort I head to Peckham High Street for a mixed grill suya by Obalende Suya Express. You can also just get beef, chicken, or lamb suya for about £6 and it includes a side of fried plantains, jollof rice, and tomatoes." – Vanessa Bolosier, chef and author of Creole Kitchen

13. Bombay Grill, London

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"I've recently started cycling to work and the route back takes me though Whitechapel and past Bombay Grill – there's a window at the front of the restaurant where they just sell snacks. My girlfriend put me on to pani puri, which are little puffs filled with spiced potato chaat and served with a pot of tamarind water which you pour into and over the whole thing before eating. It literally translates to 'water bread'. Spicy, delicious. They're £2 a plate." – Gabriel Pryce, Quilombero and Rita's

14. Wheelers Oyster Bar, Kent

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“I'm a huge fan of the oysters at Wheelers Oyster Bar, in Whitstable, Kent. £7 to £9 for a half-dozen. The seafood bar/counter in the front part of the restaurant is stocked full of some of the freshest seafood in the UK. It’s also BYOB – a true cheap eat.” – Garrett Fitzgerald, founder of Butchies

15. Tabun Kitchen, London

Tabun Kitchen

"Musakhan chicken wrap, £8.50. A delicious take on Jerusalem street food, authentic, with layers of flavour – and once finished you feel truly stuffed." – Matin Miah, Rudie's

16. Rox Burger, London

roxburger.com

"Rox Burger, just off Lewisham High Street, serves the best burger in London, hands down. Go for the classic burger – £7.90. Tasty, cooked in-house Angus beef patties, customised to your liking with extremely fresh brioche buns, and their outstanding fries are included. Wash it down with a vanilla and Crunchie milkshake." – chef Charles Hilton, Brasserie Zedel

17. Manchipster, Manchester

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"My love of a really good chip knows no bounds. A friend told me that fish 'n' chips are better up north and she didn't lie. I raved about these amazing chippy chips for days after to whoever would listen." – Freya Coote @yeechoburmese

18. Billingsgate Market Café, London

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"With its proximity to Quilombero and our emphasis on fresh, daily-bought/ fish, my route to work now also includes a very early pit stop at Billingsgate market.

"It's no secret that this is the place to pick up fantastic fish, and it's taken a couple of weeks to get into the routine – who to buy from and what the market code is. One way to fast-track yourself into a market pro is, it seems, to develop an addiction to scallop and bacon sandwiches at the caff on site. As someone who doesn't eat a whole lot of breakfast, or bread, I think my love of these says all you need to know about how good they are." – Gabriel Pryce, Quilombero and Rita's

19. The Company Shed, Essex

The Company Shed

"This tiny seafood shack has a cult following and it’s easy to see why. People journey miles for a taste of the good stuff. As it’s just a few yards from where the fishing boats dock each morning, they get first refusal on the pick of the day’s catch. It’s pretty no-nonsense (you have to bring your own bread, or chips, and the shed itself is about as inviting as a bus stop) but that also means dirt-cheap seafood. The freshest oysters you’ve ever tasted are £1 each, you can get a plate of banging grilled mussels for under a fiver, and a whole crab is just £10. Well worth missioning it to the coast for." – Ollie Templeton, Carousel

20. Silk Road, London

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"One of my favourite places is Silk Road – all their sauces are amazing. I used to be so addicted that I went once a week. All dishes are under a tenner." – Erchen Chang, co-founder and head chef at Bao

21. Koya Bar, London

Koya Bar

"Koya Bar breakfast! I love the kitsune udon with an onsen egg dropped in. It gives the energy to the whole day! Kitsune udon is £8.40, onsen tanago egg is £2.50…" – Erchen Chang, co-founder and head chef at Bao

22. Barrafina, London

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“The food is amazing and authentic and staff are always sweet and fun. Get a glass while you wait – it’s worth it! And get the stuffed courgette flower (£7.80) – I still dream about that thing.” – MASH sous chef Louise Nielsen

23. On the Bab, London

On the Bab

"I'm a sucker for all Asian food; any time, anywhere. The vegetable bibimbap with a side of kimchi at On the Bab is the ultimate comfort food." – Freya Coote @yeechoburmese

Is there a cheap eat you think we're missing? Let us know in the comments and you might be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed piece.