Oxford has some amazing restaurants where students can eat delicious food without spending a lot of money. In fact, there are so many good options you really don’t need to look that hard to find places to eat when you are on a budget. Below you can find some of our favourite eateries.
Where to Eat for Cheap in Oxford - Budget Food Options for Students
If you’re an Oxford University or Brookes University student, and especially if you have just arrived in the city of Oxford and you’re not sure where to brag a bit, the prospect of picking a restaurant can be daring. Especially if you are on a budget! But you don’t need to spend much to find good food in Oxford. We suggest you give these places a try. They are perfect for both enjoying a hearty meal (alone or with other students or friends) or for celebrating a special day in great company.
Najar's Place
Budget: £ – Open 08:00 am to 08:00 pm.
Type of Food: Lebanese, Mediterranean food. Vegetarian and vegan-friendly, halal options.
Dish You Need to Try: Don’t miss the roast lamb with falafel.
Great Restaurant for Students Because:
Najar’s Place might have a long queue – but when has this been a bad sign, right? Waiting in line is absolutely worth it when you know you’ll get a delicious wrap and the best falafels in Oxford. It’s flavourful, it’s filling, and it’s cheap. A perfect meal for students and visitors alike. You can find Najar’s Place right on St Giles’, about 1 minute from the Ashmolean Museum.
Address: St Giles’, Oxford OX1 3LU
Polish Kitchen
Budget: £ – Open 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
Type of Food: Polish, Eastern European. Vegetarian and vegan-friendly, gluten-free options.
Dish You Need to Try: Don’t miss the slow-cooked pork shoulder and the delicious homemade apple pie.
Great Restaurant for Students Because:
Polish Kitchen is a small business in Rose Hill, Oxford. One of the reasons it’s such a good restaurant for students is because they offer a meal of the day and delicious homemade mains and desserts. The portion sizes are great, you will NOT go hungry with this food, and the staff is very friendly, too.
Address: 96 Rose Hill, Oxford OX4 4HX
Lula's Ethiopian and Eritrean Cuisine
Budget: £ – Open 12:00 pm to 03:00 pm and 06:00 to 10:00 pm pm.
Type of Food: Ethiopian and African food. Vegetarian and vegan-friendly.
Dish You Need to Try: Don’t miss the lamb platter and the coffee.
Great Restaurant for Students Because:
When you visit Lula’s restaurant, there’s a good chance Lula herself might come to see how you’re doing. She used to have a stall in Gloucester Green – and her creation proved so successful she opened this place just opposite the station. The dishes here are incredibly tasty and the prices are excellent. A must-visit for students in Oxford!
Address: 21 Park End St, Oxford OX1 1HU
Pieminister
Budget: £ – Open 10:00 am to 03:00 pm.
Type of Food: British, fast food. Vegetarian-friendly and gluten-free options.
Dish You Need to Try: Don’t miss the blue moo and the chicken free-range with English mustard
Great Restaurant for Students Because:
Pieminister is not a family-owned restaurant, but it’s still one of the best and most economic food options for students in Oxford. The shop is inside the Covered Market, so you will need to get there before 3 pm (the longer you take, the fewer pies left there will be, though!). Pieminister is a perfect choice for a hearty lunch, and you can eat the pies in the market, which is always a pretty sight.
Address: Unit 56-58, Covered Market, Oxford OX1 3DX
The Royal Standard
Budget: £ – Open 11:00 am to 11:00 pm.
Type of Food: British food. Vegetarian-friendly and gluten-free options.
Dish You Need to Try: Don’t miss the best fish and chips in Oxford!
Great Restaurant for Students Because:
The Royal Standard makes, what many have argued, the best fish and chips in the entirety of Oxford. I mean, that should be enough to convince many a student about visiting it, surely? The pub has a great atmosphere and the staff is extremely friendly. A perfect place to visit with friends or family and enjoy a cold beer.
Address: 78 London Road, Headington, Oxford OX3 9AJ
Comie's Caribbean Grill
Budget: £ – Open 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm.
Type of Food: Caribbean and Jamaican food. Vegetarian and vegan-friendly, gluten-free options.
Dish You Need to Try: Don’t miss the jerk chicken and the goat curry.
Great Restaurant for Students Because:
This grill is laid back, fun, and has great music. Not to mention, amazing food for a budget. The atmosphere makes it definitely a great restaurant choice for students, the staff is friendly, and everything is served fast. Bob Marley makes for a great companion when digesting delicious food! Some visitors have reported that not everything on the menu is available on every visit, but that means that what is, is always fresh.
Address: 202A Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 6NQ
IScream Oxford
Budget: £ – Open 09:30 pm to 05:30 pm.
Type of Food: Desserts. Vegetarian-friendly, gluten-free options.
Dish You Need to Try: Don’t miss the ice cream, of course.
Great Restaurant for Students Because:
IScream has some of the best ice creams in Oxford, so we thought we would include it as a great “restaurant” for students. One of the advantages of this indulgent little spot is the fact that they do truly gluten-free options (no cross-contamination, ideal for celiacs). The shop is inside the Covered Market (so you can gran a Pieminister pie and indulge yourself with some ice cream afterwards).
Address: 113 & 114 Covered Market, Oxford OX1 3DZ
FAQ for Eating on a Budget in Oxford
A few things you should know about eating in Oxford.
Do you need to go to Oxford's city center to find good food?
Absolutely not! You can find tons of restaurants and shops all around the city – basically, anywhere there are students and workers. Both the city centre and the surrounding areas have great options for food on a budget.
How much money do you need to eat in Oxford?
Oxford is quite a touristic city, but there is one big difference from other places equally attractive in terms of history and culture: Oxford is full of students. And students tend to have a more restricted budget (so do researchers and grads, and workers. We’re all on a budget sometimes!). This means that Oxford has several (and I mean it, SEVERAL) great options for eating for cheap. The £ will depend on what you order, but we can assure you: You will definitely spend less than you would in, say, Bath or London. You can get a tasty and filling pie for about £4-5, a hearty meal for £7-10, and a memorable dessert for £3.
Do you need to be a student to find cheap food?
No. Your student ID can help you get food from your uni, but it won’t give you many advantages outside the colleges or official buildings. Meaning: anyone can eat on a budget in Oxford!
