Yorkshire
Leeds, loads for less
Good food, small bill
Updated
Leeds is a brilliant city for cheap food, and most of it is a short walk apart. Bundobust started here, by the station, and the Northern Market on Great George Street has street-food stalls and Northern Monk on tap underground. Leeds does cheap Thai food well: Mommy Thai on Duncan Street, Zaap’s neon in the Grand Arcade, Thai A Roy Dee on Vicar Lane and, out in Headingley, Jino’s on North Lane. Belgrave Music Hall pairs pizza with a roof terrace and a gig, and at Noodle House you cook your own hot pot.
Our picks
Bundobust
Mill Hill, near Leeds station
Address: Bundobust, 6 Mill Hill, Leeds LS1 5DQ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Share a table full of vegetarian Indian street food and a craft beer at the original Bundobust, a couple of minutes from the station.
Why it's a good date: This is where Bundobust started, and it's still busy and fun. Order a few small plates each, share everything, and order again if you're still peckish.
Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen
Cross Belgrave Street, Northern Quarter
Address: Belgrave Music Hall, 1-1a Cross Belgrave Street, Leeds LS2 8JP- Restaurant
- Cheap and cheerful
Grab pizza or burgers from the kitchens at Belgrave Music Hall and find a seat in the bar or out on the terrace.
Why it's a good date: Relaxed, a bit scruffy in a good way, and cheap for the city centre. Check what's on in the music hall and turn dinner into a gig.
The Northern Market
Great George Street, city centre
Address: The Northern Market, 12 Great George Street, Leeds LS1 3ED- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
Pick from the street-food stalls and the Northern Monk taps at this underground food and beer hall on Great George Street.
Why it's a good date: There's plenty of room for walk-ins and you can each order from a different stall. Good for a cheap dinner near the Town Hall, especially when the weather's bad.
Mommy Thai
Duncan Street, city centre
Address: Mommy Thai, 7 Duncan Street, Leeds LS1 6DQ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Share Thai street food at Mommy Thai on Duncan Street, right in the middle of town.
Why it's a good date: Quick, cheerful and full of flavour, so it works for a lunch date or a cheap dinner before heading out. There's a second branch on Vicar Lane if this one's full.
Zaap Thai
Grand Arcade, Northern Quarter
Address: Zaap Thai, 22 Grand Arcade, Leeds LS1 6PG- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
Eat Bangkok-style street food at Zaap's busy, colourful restaurant in the Grand Arcade.
Why it's a good date: It's lively and quick, with a long menu that's easy to share. It's walk-in only, so expect a short queue at peak times.
Jino's Thai Cafe
North Lane, Headingley
Address: Jino's Thai Cafe, 38 North Lane, Headingley, Leeds LS6 3HU- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Head out to Headingley for home-style Thai cooking at the independent café that's been on North Lane for twenty-odd years.
Why it's a good date: Small, friendly and reliably good, and Headingley has plenty of pubs for a drink after. Book ahead for a weekend evening, as the room fills up.
Thai A Roy Dee
Vicar Lane, city centre
Address: Thai A Roy Dee, 120-122 Vicar Lane, Leeds LS2 7NL- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
- Foodie
Have a relaxed Thai dinner at the family-run restaurant on Vicar Lane, near Kirkgate Market.
Why it's a good date: Unfussy and good value, and there's Thai beer to go with it. Pair it with a morning at the market or an evening at the Grand Theatre up the road.
Noodle House
Merrion Street, city centre
Address: Noodle House, 20 Merrion Street, Leeds LS1 6PQ- Restaurant
- Rain-proof ☔
- Cheap and cheerful
Cook your own hot pot at the table, dropping noodles, meat and vegetables into a bubbling broth, at Noodle House on Merrion Street.
Why it's a good date: It's hands-on and a bit of a laugh, which makes it a good date when you want something to do as well as eat. Ask for the plain broth if you're not sure about the spicy one.
Quick answers
Is there a cheap dinner near Leeds station?
Bundobust on Mill Hill is a couple of minutes from the station. It's where the vegetarian Indian street-food restaurant started, and the plates are made for sharing.
Where can we eat cheaply near the Grand Theatre?
Thai A Roy Dee on Vicar Lane is just down the road, and Noodle House on Merrion Street, where you cook your own hot pot at the table, is a few minutes away.
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