The best cheap eats around Perth

So your meal prep hasn’t gone too well this week (when does it ever?) and things are a little tight in the old wallet department.

Never fear, Perth has plenty of delicious eating out options that will fill your tum without draining the bank account. Here’s a few of our favourites…

Hungry for more budget-friendly dining deals? Check out:
The best weekly meal specials around Perth
The best Happy Hours around Perth
Dining deals: 10 Perth restaurants where kids can eat free

Little Magic Momo

The little momo who could! This itty-bitty neighbourhood eatery is a game changer for Wembley locals. A recent visit had us feasting on buff momos, chicken lollipops and minced chicken-filled syabhales for only about $35 for two – we’ll be back ASAP.

286B Cambridge Street, Wembley

Manise Cafe

We may have lost our beloved Sparrow Indonesian restaurant recently, but Manise Cafe up the top of William Street is a more than worthy replacement! It’s easy to find plenty under $10, practically impossible above $15, the portions are huge and the flavours even bigger. If we can sell it any harder to you, it’s also BYO!

Shop 2/449 William Street, Perth

The Moon

Ah, The Moon. Our faithful stallion, carrying us into the wee hours of the morning. Open from midday until the early hours of the morning, they’ll sort you out with a tantalising plate of pasta, a towering burger, a boozy cocktail or a cosy cup of coffee. Sitting in one of those booths (or out the back in the courtyard with some tunes), sharing the hot goss with mates over a late night coffee? There’s no better way to while away an evening – particularly when paired with one of their weeknight specials, like “The Monday Debrief”: a very shareable selection of snacks for 2-4 that’ll only set you back $40. (They also have a nifty happy hour special every evening between 5 and 6PM!)

Shop 2, 323 William Street, Northbridge 

Bull Creek Hawker

There’s something about chicken rice that’s made extra special by the hustle and bustle of an unpretentious hawker. Luckily, if Bull Creek Hawker has one thing, it’s hustle and bustle – well, that and some killer chicken rice. The chicken is moist, the rice is tasty, and when it’s this cheap, you can hardly find a reason not to… that is, if you can resist the curry laksa.

118 Parry Avenue, Bull Creek

Back Bar at Hylin

We’d like to say some of the specials at Hylin’s Back Bar are hidden gems, but the pumping crowds there just about every night of the week betray that the cat really is out of the bag. Thanks, in no small part, to the heart-stoppingly low prices, like $12 parmies on Wednesday nights, $12 burgers on Thursdays and $15 steak sangas every Friday night.

178 Railway Parade (enter via rear of Hylin), West Leederville

Spencer Village Food Court

When it comes to deliciousness that matches affordability, Spencer Village’s renowned food court can’t be beat. From Fook Kee’s bite-size morsels at bite-sized prices or Ya Kwang’s Singaporean laksa, it’s a treasure trove of tasty treats and an all-time destination for Perth foodies.

200 Spencer Road, Thornlie

Bibra Lake Lunch Bar

Seek and you shall find. Bibra Lake Lunch Bar is the pride and joy of the south – serving up incredible Vietnamese style dishes that are so cheap it’s criminal. Quite possibly the best banh mi in Perth, but we’ll let you be the judge…

1/40 Port Pirie Street, Bibra Lake

Two Hand Noodle Shop

For a slice of delicious Malaysian dining Two Hand Noodle Shop is a Como fave amongst the locals. We highly recommend booking ahead as it’s always busy, thanks to basically nothing costing more than $15 and the one-way trip to flavour town.

4/2 Downey Drive, Como

Taka’s Kitchen

Taka’s Kitchen has garnered a well-deserved reputation as one of Perth’s very best cheap eats spots. There is plenty under the $10 mark (unless you want to be really high-falutin’ and get a bowl of $12 ramen or go all-out with a large sized portion) and just about everything comes with a free miso soup.

150-152 Barrack Street, Perth

The Berrigan Bar & Bistro

The Berrigan’s got a few winners to go with their decently-priced standard menu. $16 and under will get you vege nachos, fish and chips and peri peri calamari to name a few, while $15 will get you a steak (Monday), garlic prawns (Tuesday) or a parmi (Thursday), plus kids eat free on Wednesdays.

52 Berrigan Drive, South Lake

Tra Vinh

When it comes to a good, satisfying bowl of pho, Tra Vinh’s beef is undisputedly one of the best. Popular at all kinds of times throughout the day, it brings to the table a deeply-flavoured and complex broth, raw beef simmering away in the soup, noodles that still retain a good bite and of course all the wonderful additions to customise your meal; mint, lemon, bean shoots and chilli that packs a punch. Best of all, literally nothing on the menu is over $20, and most of it is under $15.

149 Brisbane Street, Perth

Govinda’s Food For Life

Govinda’s has been serving up delicious Indian vegetarian food for more than a decade now, with full course meals capped at around $12 and even cheaper for takeaway. Think huge servings of vegetarian curries with papadums, daal… the works! As an added bonus you’ll always get incredibly friendly service with a smile, to go with all the goodness you’re putting inside you.

194 William Street, Northbridge

Little Lebanon

Little Lebanon is reasonably well-priced across the board, but if you’re looking for real value for money, the half charcoal chicken for $25 is out of control good. A half chicken with salad, hummus, pita and your choice of rice or chips in a super generous serving. Someone approaching it strategically might even take half home for lunch the next day…

200 Main Street, Osborne Park

Cover image credit: Back Bar at Hylin