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Cheap Eats In Cardiff: Where To Eat On A Budget

Camila Karalyte
Cheap Eats In Cardiff: Where To Eat On A Budget

Cardiff is one of the UK's most underrated student cities — great nightlife, a buzzing food scene, and honestly? You can eat really well without spending much.

Whether you're living in Cathays, commuting in from the Vale, or just visiting for the weekend, this guide has you covered.

From £5 market meals to chain restaurants with a student discount, here are the best cheap eats in Cardiff right now. And if you're still getting settled, check out our full Cardiff student guide for everything else you need to know about the city.

🌱 = Vegan-friendly  |  🌿 = Vegetarian-friendly  |  🎓 = Student Beans discount available

In this guide:

Cardiff Market: The Student's Secret Weapon

If you haven't eaten your way around Cardiff Indoor Market yet, fix that immediately. This Victorian covered market right in the city centre is home to some of the most affordable and genuinely brilliant food in Cardiff — most things come in well under £10, and there's something for every diet. Pop in on a weekday lunch and you'll wonder why you ever paid more anywhere else.

The Bearded Taco 🌿

Authentic Tex-Mex tacos made entirely from scratch — including the handmade gluten-free corn tortillas. The Bearded Taco always has at least one vegetarian option on the menu, and everything is fresh and full of flavour. A Cardiff Market institution and well worth queuing for.

Ffwrnes Pizza 🌿🌱

Wood-fired pizza in the market for around £5.50–£9. Ffwrnes (Welsh for "oven") is one of Cardiff's best pizza spots full stop — never mind the price. There are meat, veggie, and vegan options, and the pizzas are proper Neapolitan-style with a charred, chewy base. Go for the Marinara if you're keeping it cheap.

Tokyo Nights 🌱🌿

Japanese gyozas on the ground floor — pan-fried, juicy, and very much worth the short wait. A portion of prawn gyoza comes in at £7.50 and the chicken and pork at £10, with a vegan vegetable gyoza option too. Simple, satisfying, and a bit different from your usual market lunch.

Masala Hut 🌿🌱

Malaysian and Indian street food that's reliably good and affordable. Masala Hut is a market staple for students wanting something warming and filling without spending much. Plenty of vegetarian-friendly dishes on offer.

Thai Asian 🌿🌱

Solid Thai food cooked fresh at the market — curries, stir-fries, and noodle dishes at prices that make it one of the best-value lunches in the city centre. A great pick if you want something hearty and flavourful for well under a tenner.

Dirty Gnocchi 🌿

Italian-inspired comfort food: golden, butter-crisped gnocchi with rich ragú. It's the kind of dish that feels indulgent but costs very little. A vegetarian version is also available, and it's deeply satisfying after a long morning of lectures.

Noglu 🌱🌿

All dishes are naturally gluten-free here, with plant-based options throughout the menu. A solid pick if you've got dietary requirements and are tired of picking around the edges of other menus.

Pierogi 🌿

Handmade Polish dumplings on the first floor — a hidden gem that not enough people know about. Hearty, cheap, and different from everything else in the market. Vegetarian fillings available.

Ya Souvlaki

Greek souvlaki wraps packed with grilled meat, tzatziki, and fresh veg. Simple, filling, and great value — exactly the kind of thing you need when you're between classes and running low on energy.

The Best Vegan & Veggie Spots in Cardiff

Cardiff's plant-based scene is genuinely impressive for a city its size. Whether you're fully vegan or just trying to eat a bit less meat, these spots are worth making a trip for.

Govinda's 🌱🌿 — Queen Street, City Centre

A fully vegetarian restaurant right in the city centre, serving burgers, wraps, curries, and wholesome lunch plates. One of those places that feels like a bargain every single time. Great for a quick, hearty lunch between shopping or lectures.

Chai Street 🌱🌿 — High Street, City Centre

Prices from £1.95–£9.95. An Indian street food café that's incredibly affordable, with plates starting at under £2. Chai Street is the place to go when the bank balance is truly suffering but you still want something warming and full of flavour. Plenty of vegetarian and vegan options throughout.

Chains With Student Discounts on Student Beans 🎓

Chain restaurants get a bad rep, but when you've got a solid student discount in your back pocket, they become a very different proposition. Here's where to use your Student Beans code in Cardiff.

Las Iguanas 🌿🌱 🎓 — Mill Lane, City Centre

Student Beans discount: 25% off food. Bottomless Latin American vibes, bold cocktails (happy hour runs most evenings), and a menu full of sharable dishes that's great for groups. Solid vegan options too. Use the Las Iguanas student discount on Student Beans and you can eat very well here for very little. Valid Sunday–Thursday on the full à la carte menu.

Honest Burgers 🌿 🎓 — City Centre

Student Beans discount: 20% off food & drink. Craft burgers, rosemary fries, and a proper Beyond Meat option for plant-based eaters. The Honest Burgers student discount takes 20% off your whole order (valid when drinks are ordered alongside a burger) — available every day, any time. In-store only.

Zizzi 🌿🌱 🎓 — City Centre

Student Beans discount: 30% off food (Sun–Fri). Zizzi is a solid choice for a proper Italian sit-down — pasta, pizza, risotto — and the Zizzi student discount is one of the best in the restaurant game. Valid for up to 6 people per code, which makes it ideal for a group dinner. Dine-in only.

Nando's 🌿 🎓 — St David's Shopping Centre

Student Beans discount: 5% off gift cards (stackable with rewards). You know the drill. Cardiff's Nando's is a student staple — peri-peri chicken, halloumi wraps, bottomless soft drinks. Grab a gift card with your Nando's student discount via Student Beans and stack it with the Nando's rewards scheme (Chilli Points earn you free food). The 5% gift card saving applies daily, up to £50 orders.

Hub Box 🎓 — Cardiff City Centre

Student Beans discount: 10% off, in-store & takeaway. Proper smash burgers made with quality ingredients — Hub Box is a step above your average chain without the price to match. Cardiff is one of only a handful of UK cities with a location, so make the most of it. Use the Hub Box student discount for 10% off every visit.

Prezzo 🌿🌱 🎓 — Cardiff City Centre

Student Beans discount: 25% off food. Classic Italian — pasta, pizza, risotto — in a relaxed setting, and one of the better student discounts going. The Prezzo student discount takes 25% off your food bill and is valid from 12pm every day for up to 12 people, making it a great shout for a group dinner. Dine-in only.

Pho 🌿🌱 🎓 — Cardiff City Centre

Student Beans discount: 15% off food (student + one guest). Vietnamese noodle soups, rice dishes, and fresh summer rolls — Pho is one of the more interesting chain options in Cardiff and the menu has brilliant vegetarian and vegan choices throughout. Use the Pho student discount for 15% off food for you and a friend. Dine-in only.

Fat Hippo 🎓 — Cardiff City Centre

Student Beans discount: 20% off food & drink, Sunday–Thursday. Smash burgers, loaded fries, and thick shakes — Fat Hippo does indulgent comfort food very well. The Fat Hippo student discount gets you 20% off food and drinks (when ordered with a burger), Sunday to Thursday. In-store only.

More Budget Bites Worth Knowing

Wagamama 🌿🌱 — Mermaid Quay & City Centre

Noodles, ramen, donburi, and plenty of plant-based options including the ever-popular Yasai Pad Thai. Wagamama is a reliable, affordable sit-down meal and the Cardiff Bay Mermaid Quay location is a nice spot for a meal out. Worth checking their own app for any current student or loyalty deals before you go.

Wahaca 🌿🌱 — St David's Dewi Sant, City Centre

Modern Mexican street food with a menu that's brilliant for vegetarians and vegans — sweet potato taquitos, black bean quesadillas, zingy salsas. Plates start at around £3.95 and the small-plates format means you can build a proper feast without spending much. Great for groups.

Mowgli Street Food 🌿 — St David's Dewi Sant

Indian street food in a lively, casual setting. Mowgli's menu is full of smaller sharing plates — the Tamarind Fries are famous for a reason — with solid vegetarian options throughout. A great shout for a birthday dinner or a special occasion that doesn't require blowing the budget.

The Woodville 🌿 — Cathays

If you're living in Cathays (and statistically there's a good chance you are), The Woodville is your local. Burgers, stone-baked pizzas, vegetarian options, fish and chips — all at prices that don't sting. A reliable, affordable pub dinner for when you've had enough of cooking for yourself.

Order In? Don't Forget This

On nights when leaving the house isn't happening, the Deliveroo student discount gives you £15 off a £20 minimum spend — making delivery from your favourite Cardiff spots much more manageable. Perfect for essay-deadline evenings.

Cardiff Cheap Eats: Quick Tips

  • Cardiff Market for lunch — weekday lunches at the market are the best-value meals in the city centre. Get there between 12–2pm for peak choice and freshly cooked food.

  • City Road is your best friend — running through Roath and Cathays, it's Cardiff's most diverse and affordable eating street. Lebanese, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese — just walk it and pick what takes your fancy.

  • Always check Student Beans first — before you pay full price anywhere, check if there's a student deal waiting. Zizzi, Prezzo, Fat Hippo, YO!, and Honest Burgers alone could save you serious money over the course of a year.

  • Midweek is cheaper — most restaurant student discounts (Las Iguanas, Zizzi, Fat Hippo) are valid Sunday–Thursday. Plan your meals out accordingly and avoid the weekend premium.

  • Go sharing-plate at Wahaca — small plates and shareable menus mean you can eat a proper spread as a group without committing to expensive mains.

Cardiff's food scene has something for every budget — and once you know where to look (and which Student Beans codes to use), you can eat brilliantly on a student income.

For more ways to save, check out our free and cheap food hacks and the best supermarket meal deals for when you need a light bite. And if you're still searching for a place to live, our guide to student accommodation in Cardiff has you sorted.

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