Where to eat for cheap in Oxford

its fruit salad agaaaiiiinnn  #cantcope

Falafel House in Gloucester Green

Probably Oxford’s most underrated cheap-eatery, this exceptional falafel kiosk in the corner of Gloucester Green is greasy, grimy and mouth-wateringly delicious on a cold autumn day. Starting at £2.70, you can have a tortilla wrap stuffed with hot, freshly made falafel, hummus, haloumi, sautéed spinach and gherkins (optional!); the perfect pick me up after a long morning of contact hours or a big night in Bridge.

friendly falafel men 🙂

Itsu

Everyone’s favourite pseudo-Japanese-chain-store, Cornmarket’s branch of Itsu is normally reserved for un-hungry people who don’t mind spending £6 on a couple of crab rolls for lunch. BUT… Come after 4.30 and receive 25% off with your NUS card, meaning you can justify those extra edamame beans. This discount is poorly advertised and staff don’t exactly look happy about offering it to you, which is why we love it. Even better, come at 10 PM on the way back from the pub and receive 50% off everything (!), with an occasional FREE Hot Pot if you smile nicely.

White Rabbit

The White Rabbit, tucked away on the alleyway connecting Gloucester Street and Cornmarket (which comes out by Tesco), is Oxford’s best value good quality, good atmosphere pizzeria, in the guise of a hearty ole pub. Notoriously busy even on weekdays, you can’t book tables here except for large parties so make sure you turn up early. The best frugal find at the White Rabbit are their £4.50 lunchtime “paninis”, basically just full-size pizzas folded in half.  You can also get 16 nutella doughballs for £3 if that’s your sort of thing.

parma ham, rocket, mozzarella and tomato… because why not?

Get a free burger or McFlurry at Maccy D’s if you buy a ‘meal’ (main, side and drink). Enough said.

Dosa Park

The only South Indian restaurant in Oxford, this disgusting looking fast-food restaurant serves authentically cheap and surprisingly good dosas with a huge range of fillings and rice. The restaurant is always full, a good sign, and you can get a huge stuffed dosa for between £4 and £5, or a whole tandoori chicken for £9.99.

Alpha Bar

The most wholesome of the Oxford Cheap eats, Alhpa Bar in the Covered Market is a sister company to Vaults and Will’s Delhi. Pick up sweet potato curries, Tuscan beef stews, goulash, porcini and a generous range of colourful salads for around £5 at lunch-time. The food is truly delicious, the portions are big and it feels healthy and nourishing – the sort of place your mum would like! As with the White Rabbit, make sure you come early to avoid things selling out.

head to the Covered Market for a healthy lunch

Express Pizza in Gloucester Green

Its 9pm, you have an essay in for tomorrow morning and you missed hall… so head to Gloucester Green (again) for a few £1 slices of pizza, or a large pizza for £6.99. They’re open till midnight, their pizzas greasy, cheesy and delicious, and they also do deliveries if you can’t be bothered to leave your college.

butters but cheap

Every day is Pancake Day in this cheerful little van on Broad Street, where you can get crêpes filled with cheese, ham, mushrooms and loads of other toppings for around £3-4. Perfectly located if you’re slaving away in the Rad Cam, it is made even better by the 10% discount you receive if you’re a member of the Oxford Union or French Society.

Cheesy Chip Vans

Most colleges are within range of a dubiously unclean van serving cheesy chips, kebabs and burgers at antisocial hours. Maybe you’ll start off by turning your nose up at these polystyrene boxes of saturated fat. but you’ll soon learn to love them, become obsessed with them, and not be able to live without them after a night out. The point of no return is when you find yourself sneaking out there sober at 10.00am. McCoys outside Pembroke College have been known to allow drunk freshers into the van, and, bizarrely, to give them free jalapeños.

McCoys Graduate Scheme 2k15

Markets in Gloucester Green

Finally, if you’re craving the familiar smells of Portobello Market, head to Gloucester Green on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for an array of hot, freshly cooked and good value street-food. Choose from cheap curries, noodles, Tibetan momos, burgers, pastries and much much more, and sit on a bench surrounded by nosy pigeons while you feast. Ideal for a quick break from the Oriental Institute, Sackler Library or the History Faculty. Alternatively, if you’re in need of some fresh veg but don’t have the budget, the farmers market on Wednesday is ideal for ridiculously cheap avocados, courgettes and punnets of fruit.

Peachy Wednesdays in Gloc Green

And if all else fails, just steal bananas from hall.