Eating out is great, whether it involves a quick sandwich at lunch or a three-course meal somewhere your palate loves but your bank balance hates!

Sometimes, it can be hard to strike the right balance between quality and price; cheap eats, especially in cities, can compromise badly on flavour and overall dining experience.

In Leeds, though, we’re blessed to have a number of cheap eats on our doorstep that offer quality, flavor, and interesting dining options for a price that doesn’t leave us needing to eat cup-a-soup for dinner for the next six nights!

In my opinion, these are the top four cheap dining options in Leeds:

Friends Of Ham

Regulars to my blog will already know how much I love Friends of Ham. Since reopening in its expanded premises, it’s an even better option for foodies in Leeds to flock to as you now know that you’re pretty much guaranteed a table, even at busy times.

On a recent visit, we went for lunch, and ordered olive tapenade, raclette, and two meat-based platters. With a couple of coffees, this came to under £25, a tad expensive for a lunch but when you bear in mind that we couldn’t manage a morsel in the evening because the food was so filling, you can see that it is actually an option that offers good value.

There aren’t many restaurants in Leeds that have such a good reputation where you can fill up on hearty food for under £15 per person.

Timoney’s

We’re cheating a little bit here by heading out of Leeds city centre. Timoney’s is situated in Oakwood so is an excellent dining option if you’re looking for restaurants near Roundhay Park. It is family friendly, cosy, and offers home-cooked food at all times of day at a reasonable price.

Our favourite time to go is Sunday morning for brunch. Without a doubt the best thing on the menu is the pancakes with bacon and maple syrup. The pancakes are served soufflé style, which I’ve never eaten anywhere else and which make pancakes served the flat, traditional way look rather boring!

The bacon is served crispy and delicious and the maple syrup ties the whole dish together.

If you’re looking for a cheap breakfast, lunch, or dinner at a good price, head up to Timoney’s – you won’t be disappointed.

Riverside Café

This unassuming café is tucked away down by Leeds Bridge. There are numerous cafes in Leeds city centre that offer breakfast and lunch options, but few which offer the quality this place does.

You’re drawn in by the bright yellow exterior and the amazing views over the river (as well as the smell of bacon!)

In my opinion this place does the best fry-ups in Leeds. If you’re not a fan of fried breakfasts, the jacket potatoes with chilli and cheese also come highly recommended!

Fuji Hiro

Have you ever wanted Wagamama food, but not at Wagamama prices? Ever wanted Wagamama dishes, but done just a little bit more authentically?

If you’ve answered “yes” to either of those questions, head to Fuji Hiro, up near Leeds Arena and the Merrion Centre.

They serve no-frills, authentic Japanese food in a no-frills environment and at an excellent price. You come here for the food, nothing else, so it’s fortunate that the food is very, very good.

Come here for a cheap lunch or an even better value dinner.