The cheapest option would be to buy food from a local supermarket (Sainsbury's in Cromwell Road, Safeway in High Street Kensington, Waitrose in King's Road or see the latest addition to supermarkets in Kensington, a huge new Tesco on the corner of Warwick Road and Cromwell Road, with an inexpensive cafe inside). Buy some cold cuts, cheese, fresh bread and go to a local park and have a feast in the nice weather. This would be about £6-£7 for two.

Otherwise MacDonalds, Burger King, KFC are the usual options. There is always one in easy reach, wherever you are.

There are some cheap cafes, and one of the cheapest is the Holland Park Café (inside Illchester Place, London W8, tel: 0171-602 2216) one minute from the youth hostel. It is highly recommended, particularly in good weather. Meals are about £3, a cup of tea for 45p. Benjiy's (157 Earl's Court Road) serve huge breakfasts all day long with as much tea or coffee as you can drink for under £4. The Troubadour (265 Old Brompton Road, tel: 0171-370 1434) is one of the original coffee houses in London. My father swears by it and it was his second home! Meals are around £4. Live music downstairs in the evenings. Bob Dylan made his first London appearance here and John Lennon also played here. The Picasso Café (King's Road) has good food at reasonable prices. Popular with the locals. Chelsea Farmers' Market (Sydney Street, off King's Road) has several restaurant and café places at reasonable prices. The Chelsea Kitchen (98 King's Road, tel: 0171-589 1330) has been going for many years and serves cheap and filling food.

There are also countless Seattle Coffee Company, Costa Coffee and Coffee Republic cafes dotted around which all serve varied coffee drinks and pastries at reasonable prices.

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