25 best restaurants for students
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.
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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:
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BrewDog
- Best for – Burgers, pizza and beer
- Price range – Medium
- Student discount – 25% off food and drinks (or just food in Scotland) or 50% off for 18-25's each Sunday from 4pm.
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.
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Nando's
- Best for – Peri-peri chicken
- Price range – Medium
- Student discount – Although not live at the moment, Nando's sometimes offers a 20% student discount on food.
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.
If you're feeling particularly cheeky, have a read of our top ways to get free and cheap Nando's...
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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.
As with Nando's, we just so happen to also have a guide to getting free and cheap McDonald's. You're welcome.
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Las Iguanas
- Best for – Latin American food and cocktails
- Price range – Medium
- Student discount – 25% off food and drinks from 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.
They also have free cocktails on offer from time to time, so keep an eye out on our deals page to catch the best offers.
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Shake Shack
- Best for – Burgers and milkshakes
- Price range – Low – Medium
- Student discount – Buy one burger, get one free from Sunday to Wednesday.
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.
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Chiquito
- Best for – Mexican food and cocktails
- Price range – Medium
- Student discount – 25% off food and drinks.
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 (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.
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Revolution
- Best for – Bar food and drinks
- Price range – Medium
- Student discount – 30% off food.
Revolution (a.k.a. Revs) is ideal for bar meals and a lively atmosphere.
Their menu includes cheeseburgers, nachos, pizza and cookie dough s'more. We're sold.
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YO! Sushi
- Best for – Sushi
- Price range – Low – Medium
- Student discount – 20% off food and five free gyozas.
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.
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Pizza Hut
- Best for – Pizza and pasta
- Price range – Medium
- Student discount – 20% off food from 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, check out our complete guide.
Have you ever tried making pizza from scratch? We have a recipe that shows you how to make a pizza for well under £2 per person. -
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!).
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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.
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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...
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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 from time to time which we post on our food and drink discount page.
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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 a 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.
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Honest Burgers
- Best for – Good-quality burgers
- Price range – Medium
- Student discount – 20% off everything from Sunday to Thursday.
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. -
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.
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Slim Chickens
- Best for – Chicken tenders and wings
- Price range – Low – Medium
- Student discount – 20% off at participating stores.
For big, hearty portions of chicken and fries, try Slim Chickens.
On top of their 20% 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.
Talking of chicken, have a read of our hacks for getting KFC food for less (or even for free!). -
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.
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Byron Burger
- Best for – Burgers and craft beer
- Price range – Medium
- Student discount – 25% off all food.
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!
Plus, they sometimes offer bottomless fries with burgers, so look out for this deal...
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Zizzi
- Best for – Pizza and pasta
- Price range – Medium
- Student discount – 30% off from Sunday to Thursday.
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.
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Pho
- Best for – Vietnamese cuisine
- Price range – Medium
- Student discount – 25% 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...
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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.
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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.
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Prezzo
- Best for – Pizza, pasta, grills and risotto
- Price range – Medium
- Student discount – 20% off and £10 meal deals for students.
Prezzo has quite a similar menu to Zizzi, so it's worth considering them if there's a restaurant in your area. Especially as their student discount offer is valid all week.
Their student meal deal offers could also help you cut down the cost of your bill, so have a look and consider your cheapest option.
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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.
Looking for even more foodie deals? Check out the restaurant section in our student discount directory.
