Going out for dinner (or breakfast, or lunch...) is such a treat. But finding a place to eat that has good and cheap food can be tricky – to help, here are the best restaurants to visit.

If you fancy going out for dinner, but don't fancy spending a fortune, you've come to the right place.

The key to finding a great place to eat out is not only looking for restaurants that serve your favourite foods, but also ones with generous student discounts. Luckily for you, we know of plenty that do both.

Wondering where to eat tonight? Read on for our list of the best restaurants to try...

 

Best restaurant chains in the UK

Here are some nice places to eat at affordable prices:

 

1. BrewDog

Best for – Burgers, pizza and beer

Price range – Medium

Student discount – Burger or pizza plus a Punk IPA for £12.50 (£15 in London).

If you haven't already, it's definitely worth heading to a BrewDog restaurant for dinner. As well as their main student discount deal (above), they also run free pint offers pretty regularly, which we post in the deals section of our site. 

 

2. Nando's

Best for – Peri-peri chicken

Price range – Medium

Student discount – 20%.

Nando's is a student classic and one of the best places to go for dinner.

 

They're best known for their chicken dishes, but they actually also have some really tasty vegetarian food like the beanie wrap and veggie sides including coleslaw, creamy mash and more.

 

3. McDonald's

Best for – Cheap and quick burgers, fries and chicken nuggets

Price range – Low

Student discount – None, but they occasionally have offers for students.

There are so many McDonald's restaurants around the country that, wherever you are in the UK, there's bound to be one near you.

 

It's no secret that McDonald's has some super cheap food on their menu – but not all students know that there are loads of ways to get their meals for even less.

 

4. Las Iguanas

Best for – Latin American food and cocktails

Price range – Medium

Student discount – 25% off food and drinks on Sunday to Thursday (in Scotland it's just 25% off food).

Las Iguanas isn't only one of the best restaurants in the UK, it also has a great deal for students, making them perfect for anyone looking to eat well on a budget. 

 

5. Shake Shack

Best for – Burgers and milkshakes

Price range – Low – Medium

Student discount – Buy one burger, get one free.

If you're looking for good burgers at decent prices, we'd recommend trying Shake Shack.

 

They use local produce for their meals, including Aberdeen Angus Beef which is grass-fed in Scotland, pork that's been raised on a family farm and chicken that's British and cage-free.

 

6. Chiquito

Best for – Mexican food and cocktails

Price range – Medium

Student discount – 25% off when ordering 2 or more main meals.

From tortillas to burgers to fajitas, there are so many great dishes at Chiquito.

 

They have a fair number of restaurant branches in the UK, so if you're hoping to find a Mexican restaurant nearby, try Chiquito.

 

Alongside their main meals, you could try their cocktails or mocktails, or even one of the tequilas on offer there (but please drink responsibly!).

 

And if you're going out for breakfast, you could try their Mexican Benedict for a tasty twist on a brunch classic. 

 

7. Revolution

Best for – Bar food and drinks

Price range – Medium

Student discount – 25% off food.

Revolution (a.k.a. Revs) is ideal for bar meals and a lively atmosphere.

 

Their menu includes warm duck salad, nachos, pizza and cookie dough s'more. We're sold.

 

8. YO! Sushi

Best for – Sushi

Price range – Low – Medium

Student discount – 20% off food.

Depending on how many dishes you buy, YO! Sushi can start to get a bit pricey. But if you keep the 20% student discount in mind, it will help a lot.

 

As well as their savoury sushi, you can also get indulgent sweet treats like a chocolate brownie with salted caramel sauce and strawberry cheesecake mochi (cheesecake in a sweet rice shell). 

 

9. Pizza Hut

Best for – Pizza and pasta

Price range – Medium

Student discount – 20% off food on Sunday to Thursday.

Just when you thought it couldn't get much better than Pizza Hut's stuffed-crust pizzas – you discover you can get them with 20% off.

 

If you're also looking to save money on takeaways, bear in mind that you can get a 20% student discount on Pizza Hut Takeaway, too.

  

10. Tortilla

Best for – Burritos, tacos, quesadillas and nachos

Price range – Low – Medium

Student discount – 10% off.

If you're in the mood for tacos and burritos, Tortilla is a great place to eat. They're best known for these dishes, but we also recommend trying their quesadillas and nachos.

 

Their portions are pretty sizeable, and they have reasonable prices (which are better still with a 10% student discount!). 

 

11. The Real Greek

Best for – Souvlaki wraps and sharing meze dishes

Price range – Medium

Student discount – 25% off main menu food from Sunday to Thursday.

The Real Greek is definitely up there as one of the top restaurants for students.

 

As the name suggests, they specialise in Greek cuisine and their restaurants are especially lovely to visit if you're hoping for food that you can share with friends and family.

 

They have both hot and cold meze options including halloumi fries, dolmades (stuffed vine leaves) and tzatziki.

 

Or, if you're more of a "Joey doesn't share food" kind of person, their souvlaki wraps are amazing. 

 

12. Crêpeaffaire

Best for – Sweet and savoury crêpes

Price range – Low – Medium

Student discount – 15% off food and drink in participating locations.

Crêpes and coffee, anyone?

 

Crêpeaffaire is such a nice place to eat – whether for breakfast, elevenses, lunch, dinner or for dessert, it's hard to think of a bad time for crêpes.

 

And the 15% student discount makes their food even more appealing

 

13. Wagamama

Best for – Japanese-inspired food

Price range – Low – Medium

Student discount – None, but they occasionally have offers for students.

Wagamama is by far one of the most popular restaurants in the UK for Japanese-style food. Whether your go-to order is curry, ramen, teppanyaki or another equally good dish, it's always hard to resist a meal there.

 

While they don't have a student discount scheme in place, they do have student offers there from time to time which we post on our food and drink discount page.

 

14. Barburrito

Best for – Burritos and churros

Price range – Low – Medium

Student discount – 20% off with the loyalty app.

Burritos are a tiny bit more expensive at Barburrito than they are at Tortilla (even with student discount).

 

However, if there isn't a Tortilla restaurant near you but there is a Barburrito, it's a very good alternative and should only cost you a little bit more per burrito. 

 

15. Honest Burgers

Best for – Good-quality burgers

Price range – Medium

Student discount – None, but they occasionally have offers for students.

If you like the sound of burgers with British beef patties, rosemary chips and local beer, find out if there's an Honest Burgers restaurant in your town or city.

 

Not a meat eater? You could try their veggie burgers, including a burger with meat-free bacon and vegan smoked gouda.

 

They don't do a student discount, but we've got a whole host of ways to get cheap and free Burger King.

 

16. Papa John's

Best for – Pizza

Price range – Medium

Student discount – 35% off pizzas.

Papa John's do some pretty great deals for students.

 

As well as their main student offer (above), they've also been known to offer free pizzas to students who register online with their uni email addresses.

 

Check out our student discount page for Papa John's before ordering to check if this or any other offers are currently available.

  

17. Slim Chickens

Best for – Chicken tenders and wings

Price range – Low – Medium

Student discount – 10% off.

For big, hearty portions of chicken and fries, try Slim Chickens.

 

On top of their 10% student discount, they often run some good additional offers. You can access a lot of the deals by downloading their app, and we'll also post the best ones on our student deals page.

 

18. Itsu

Best for – Sushi and noodle soups

Price range – Low – Medium

Student discount – 15% off.

Looking for a fast-food restaurant in the UK that's a bit more healthy? Itsu is ideal.

 

Not only do they offer sushi and salads, but they also have some tasty hot dishes like veggie gyoza udon, miso soup and bao buns.

 

19. Byron Burger

Best for – Burgers and craft beer

Price range – Medium

Student discount – 30% off all food on Sunday to Wednesday.

Burgers, ales and milkshakes: Byron's menu has some very indulgent meals.

 

Their milkshakes are already delicious, and they even have a vegan salted caramel shake available too!

 

20. Zizzi

Best for – Pizza and pasta

Price range – Medium

Student discount – 30% off on Sunday to Wednesday.

Looking for Italian food near you?

 

There are lots of Zizzi restaurants across the UK, and their pizza, pasta and cocktails make them a solid choice for a meal out with friends.

 

21. Pho

Best for – Vietnamese cuisine

Price range – Medium

Student discount – 15% off food.

As the restaurant's name suggests, Pho (pronounced 'fuh') specialises in a dish called pho. This is the national dish of Vietnam – it's a hot rice noodle soup with fresh herbs, and you can choose which meat, seafood or veggie ingredient you'd like to add.

 

Pho's menu also includes curries, noodles and desserts. There are so many tempting dishes to choose from...

 

22. Frankie & Benny's

Best for – Pizza, pasta and burgers

Price range – Medium

Student discount – 20% off food.

If you're looking to treat yourself, Frankie & Benny's has loads of student favourites: burgers, chicken, pizza and more.

 

They often run great offers like meal deals which, as ever, we share with you on our student deals and discounts page.

  

23. Taco Bell

Best for – Tacos and quesadillas

Price range – Low – Medium

Student discount – 15% off.

If you love tacos, quesadillas and burritos, you're going to love Taco Bell. Plus, it's another food chain in the UK that offers a student discount.

 

Their chalupa (which they themselves describe as "world-famous") is especially worth a try. Crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, then filled with mince, veg and sauce, it's a delight.

  

24. Prezzo

Best for – Pizza, pasta, grills and risotto

Price range – Medium

Student discount – None, but they occasionally have offers for students.

Prezzo has quite a similar menu to Zizzi, but they don't always have deals for students.

 

Although, having said that, it's still worth considering them if there's a restaurant in your area.

 

They often run offers like meal deals that could help you cut down the cost of your bill a little, so have a look at what's up for grabs before booking.

  

25. LEON

Best for – Healthier fast food

Price range – Low – Medium

Student discount – 15% off.

LEON do some really good meals that are quickly prepared and aren't overly expensive. The portions aren't huge, but they're perfect for breakfast, lunch and snacks.

 

While they do have some meat and fish dishes, they specialise largely in veggie and vegan fast food.

 

We recommend their Love Burger which has a beetroot soya patty, vegan gouda cheese and veggie fillings inside. You'll Love it.

 

 

*Source : https://www.savethestudent.org/save-money/food-drink/best-restaurants.html