September marks the annual pilgrimage of students across Scotland heading back to university – with some of them likely to blow their student loan within the first week of term. With that in mind, here’s a roundup of some of the best budget-friendly food spots within Scotland’s university towns and cities.
St Andrews
Blackhorn Burger, 10 Church Street, St Andrews
St Andrews isn’t exactly known for being cheap. But at Blackhorn Burgers, you can get handmade burgers, made from 100% locally sourced beef, for as little as £4.50. With a slogan of ‘All Beef, No Bull’, Blackhorn was established in 2013 with the aim of using the freshest possible produce, with an original burger mix made using beef that’s delivered daily from local farms. They don’t take bookings so you may have to wait for a table – but it’s worth it, we promise.
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(Image: Bloc Glasgow)
Glasgow
Bloc, 117 Bath Street
A favourite of financially-savvy diners, Bloc ‘Daily Deals’ is surely one of Glasgow’s best-value food offers. Every day from Monday to Friday, this uber-cool Bath Street venue offers specific dishes for a remarkably good price. The best deal is probably ‘Steak Wednesday’ – when you can get a 6oz sirloin with fries, tomato and peppercorn sauce for just £6 – but you can also enjoy ‘Burger Tuesday’ for £4, ‘Kentucky Thursday’ with chicken strips for £5 or ‘Bloc Dog’ Friday for £5. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because it’s cheap, it isn’t good quality, with a special mention to the ‘Pasta Monday’ where you can get a delightful macaroni cheese for just £4.
Dundee
Tailend, 81 Nethergate, Dundee
As a coastal city, Dundee has no shortage of quality seafood restaurants. But that doesn’t have to mean a huge expense, with seafood specialists Tailend offering dishes that include salmon curry, haddock tacos and Arbroath smokies for competitive prices. Of particular note is the homemade house fish cakes, served with chips and a side salad for just £9.50. Classic fish and chips are also available.
Edinburgh
Chez Jules, 109 Hanover Street, Edinburgh
Chez Jules is a bit of an Edinburgh icon. This atmospheric French bistro is always packed to the rafters, but they have resisted the temptation to capitalise on this success by increasing their prices. Indeed, you can still get their famous Steak Frites for just £12.90, a deal that is even better value when you consider their prime city centre location on Hanover Street. Also worth a mention is the steamed white wine mussels for £7.90, and the oysters, served with lemon for just £2.10 each. Booking ahead is a must.
Aberdeen
Madame Mews Thai Restaurant, 7 Summer Street, Aberdeen
With dishes starting from just £5.90, Madame Mews is a great value Thai restaurant in the West End of Aberdeen. It was opened by Churairat Garthley (more commonly referred to as Mew) back in 2003 after she moved to Scotland, and has since become one of the best-rated venues in the city on TripAdvisor. Yet Madame Mews remains reasonably priced, while still maintaining the quality, authentic dishes that helped it make its name.
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