Finding a cheap meal is hard, especially in Canberra! So we’ve done some work and put together a list of cheap eats that you can enjoy for $10 or under. You can save a few dollars and still enjoy eating out and trying different places.
Choose from a ready to go lunch box at Roti House in the city that includes your choice of nasi lemak or nasi goreng with chicken wings for only $8.50, or $10 with a soft drink. This special is available from 11:30am-2:30pm, Monday-Friday.
You can choose any breakfast option off the menu at As You Like It Café and Bar for ONLY $10 every Tuesday until 11:30am. It’s great value!
Sanya Bar is located on Lonsdale St in Braddon and offers a range of delicious Beijing-fusion tapas dishes that are designed to share. They also have some killer cocktails and it’s a really cool bar. You can get two baos of your choice (choose from peking duck, prawn or crispy tofu) and sweet potato chips for $10 on Wednesdays and Thursdays! Happy hour is from 4-6pm on Fridays and Saturdays when you can get $10 cocktails and $6 house wine and house beer.
Serving up a range of delicious healthy eats, The Goods Wholefoods located in No Name Lane offer a range of filling toast and toppings starting from $9. They also have salads starting from $8, breakfast bowls starting at $6.50 and a range of other nutritious options for a reasonable price. I love the toast with beetroot hummus, roasted pumpkin and hazelnut dukkah.
Grab a delicious Jerusalem-style bagel from $6.90 with a $2 coffee from Pressed Coffee Co, located at the bottom of Neon House in Hobart Place. The bagels are sooo yummy and there a lots of fillings to choose from. They’re open from Monday-Friday but get in quick because they often sell out of bagels!
The Canberra North Bowling and Rugby Union Club (The RUC) is located in Turner and is perfect for some barefoot bowls and cheap eats. The RUC dishes up typical pub-style dishes and they offer some great $10 deals for members during the week. You can get a $10 seafood special from 5pm on Mondays and a $10 schnitty from 5pm on Tuesdays. It only costs $5 for a one-year membership and you save more than $10 from purchasing a schnitty at the members price.
You can get lunch for $8.50 at Zaab Street Food! The menu will change monthly and you can currently get Chicken Chili Basil, Cashew Beef or Garlic Pepper Tofu from 12-2pm Mon-Fri 
😍 The first 50 people to get their lunch will also get free iced tea!
Grab a surf shack burger or a chicken burger from the bar menu ALL DAY at Kokomo’s for just $10. They sometimes do $5 burgers on Monday nights!
Indo Cafe offer a range of $8 Indonesian takeaway lunch box specials. I had this nasi goreng and I have no complaints for $8! They are located on the ground floor of the Waldorf Apartments in the city and are open from 11am-3pm Monday to Friday.
Natural Nine is located in the Canberra Casino and are offering bowls of Kung Foo Noodles for $10 from 12-3pm Monday to Friday. You can choose from pork, chicken and egg tofu.
Located in Forrest, 1 On One Espresso offer some great $10 lunch specials that are available from 12-2:30pm during the week. Their lunch special changes each week and can include burgers, schnitzels, salads and more.
Hello Hanoi has recently opened on Alinga Street in the city. Owner Pink Pham is also the owner of popular Vietnamese food truck, East Street Canberra. Hello Hanoi offer a simple but satisfying menu and they have a range of banh mi’s on the menu starting from as little as $6.90. They also have cups of pho for $5.50 and a range of other delicious Vietnamese cheap eats.
This is the best valued takeaway lunch deal for Indian food that I’ve come across in Canberra and the food is so yummy too. You can choose from one or two curries from the special board with rice for only $9.50 takeaway from 12-2pm, during the week. Copper Chimney is located in the Melbourne Building, Canberra CBD.
Ramen for $10 sounds to good to be true doesn’t it? Especially when it looks as good as the bowl in the photo. Akiba is serving up bowls of $10 ramen for lunch and after 10:30pm on Thurs, Fri and Sat.
Izumi on Marcus Clarke St offers cheap and cheerful Japanese and Korean food. This bento box will only set you back $10 and there are a few different types to choose from. Nothing on the menu at Izumi is over $18!
Golden Drum Chinese Restaurant
Choose two dishes out of a range of daily lunch specials with rice for $10 at Golden Drum Chinese Restaurant. They’re located on Childers St in Canberra CBD.
Who doesn’t love a good cheap steak? You can get a $10 rump or New York steak with chips or mash and your choice of sauce for lunch or dinner, on Wednesdays at PJ O’Reilleys in Tuggeranong. They also have $10 specials on Mondays and Tuesdays that includes fish and chips, burgers and chips, pizza, calamari and more. Find out more about their specials on their website. Everything can be eaten in or you can get it to takeaway. I suggest getting in early for the specials because I have a feeling they might run out.
The Alley Bar & Grill Canberra
Choose from a range of lunch specials including soup of the day, chicken schnitzel, pizza or a salad for $10 + free wifi from 12-2pm at The Alley Bar & Grill, located in Pacific Suites, Braddon.
Here’s another burger deal for $10! Hopscotch offers the Hoppy Cheeseburger or the Crispy Buffalo Chicken Burger for $10 between 12-2pm, 7 days a week. They also have trivia on Monday nights with $10 schnittys. It’s so hard to find a schnitty under $20 these days!
Located on 7 Akuna St in the city, Transit Bar offers a range of pizza specials.
- Every day from 12-2pm you can get a pizza and soft drink fro $10
- Wednesdays from 5-8pm you can choose from a selection of pizzas for $5 and selection of schooners for $5
- Mondays from 4-8pm you can get a pizza for $10
The Beach Burrito Company in the city have a range of $10 specials including a range of burritos, a burger and a mexibento box until 4pm during the week. You can also get 2 tacos and a beer for $10 on Thursdays.
Choose from a range of pizzas from Siren Bar in Gungahlin from 4-6pm, Tuesday – Friday.
These delicious momos can be found at Momos Taste of Tibet, located at the ANU Pop-up Village. Six momos will set you back $10 and you can choose from beef, pork or vegetarian and you can have them fried or steamed. I went with the steamed pork and a combination of sauces!
Have we missed your favourite cheap eats that are $10 or under? Let us know!
Amelia Bidgood
Amelia is the Founder and Editor of Eat Canberra and the Founder and Managing Director of Eat Canberra Food Tours. She's a qualified journalist, presenter, freelance writer and also runs a boutique communications agency working with small business owners on all things social media, content creation and marketing. She's taught cheesemaking classes, judged hospitality and tourism awards, completed the WSET Level 1 Award In Wines, loves to cook and has travelled to 23 countries. She's also passionate about mental health and has recently started studying to become a Counsellor.
Awesome article! I follow @canberracheapeats on Instagram and they share cheap eats around Canberra every day! Would definitely recommend if you love delicious food for delicious prices!
Thanks for sharing Liz!