Students in Dublin have an array of budget meal deals to choose from at various eateries. For instance, St. Stephen Street Lower’s Wok In provides a free drink with a rice or noodle dish starting at €10.95. A larger meal deal at €13.95 is also available that includes the aforementioned plus a spring roll or chicken satay.
Wowburger demands a student ID for its €11.95 deal, which includes a burger or chicken bites, fries and a soft drink. The Bison Bar has a lunch offer for students costing €12.95 available weekdays between 12pm and 5pm. This includes a burger paired with fries or sweet potato fries, and accompanied by a soft drink or a pint of Heineken, Heineken 0.0, or Island’s Edge.
Mongolian Barbeque, although it doesn’t offer a specific student discount, provides a lunch bowl at a reasonable €12.90. An all-you-can-eat lunch is also on offer for just €18.90 every day from 12pm to 4.30pm. They also serve cost-effective dinner options starting from €21.50.
With a valid student card, Neon offers an unbeatable deal of a main course followed by an ice cream cone at an incredible €7. The offer is available only at the Camden Street Lower branch from Monday to Friday between 2pm and 5pm.
Meanwhile, a €10 package at Disndat on Dame Court includes a pint of Guinness, a toastie, and a packet of crisps. This deal extends until 5pm from Monday to Friday. They also have €5 pints from Monday to Wednesday, with €7.50 spirit and dash and €10 cocktails on offer.
At the extremely popular Bambino on St Stephen St Lower, the meal deal includes two pizza slices and a drink at €13, or added €2 to upgrade the drink to wine or beer. Serving affordable lunch deals is The Goodies in the basement of NCAD, offering soup from €4, large sandwiches from €7, and sausage rolls starting at €4.
In contrast, Dunnes Stores offers a basic lunch meal deal comprising a sandwich, a packet of crisps and a drink at €4.50. Yum Thai, on the other hand, offers meal deals from as low as €5.
Available at all Yeeros locations (Drumcondra, Glasnevin, and Dame Street) is a lunch offer: a gyros pita wrap paired with a soft beverage, priced at €9.85. A variety of other choices is also available. The Jar on Wexford Street presents a week-long offer of two pizzas coupled with two cocktails priced only at €30.
South Leinster Street, located a stone’s throw from Trinity College, provides a special student offer: a regular burrito with a choice of 9 fillings reduced to €8.50 from €9.50. Additionally, Mamas Revenge serves a bowl stuffed with chilli con carne, rice and beans topped with cheese and jalapeños at €7.50.
For those craving burgers, Bunsen offers a regular or cheeseburger accompanied by shoestring fries and a soft beverage costing €13. This offer is valid from 2pm – 5pm, Monday to Thursday, with the presentation of a student card.
The Express Lunch Menu at Boeuf & Coq is conveniently set at €14.95, available from 11.30am to 4pm, seven days a week. The menu includes complimentary triple-filtered still and sparkling water and a range of meals such as char-grilled Piri Piri chicken with frites and Bantry Bay moules frites served with white wine, tarragon cream, and a rustic baguette. Their sister restaurant, Boeuf, offers their own express lunch menu from 12pm to 4pm, seven days a week. Main dishes start at €11.95, including a steak and chips meal for €13.95.
Students with a student card can avail a 10 per cent discount at KC Peaches where a coffee and a pastry are priced at €5.50 until 11am, Monday to Friday. They also provide a 50 per cent discount on hot food during the last service hour, so it is advised to check their opening times.
Cork
For a blend of Nashville and Korean chicken, Poulet Vous offers numerous choices from their main menu around €9 or €10 and you can accompany it with fries and a beverage for an additional €4.50. For instance, a Korean fried chicken meal with shredduce, house pickles, kimchi mayo, and gochujang served in a toasted bun with fries and a beverage at €14.50.
For €14, The Pie Guys offer a choice of pie served with mash, slaw, and pickles. Additionally, their freezer pie pack is available at €17.
Frankie’s, renowned for its Roman or New York-style pizza, offers indulgent slices for less than £5 each or a hearty tray for around £36 that serves 10 people. This will sufficiently fuel you until it’s time for your evening Koka noodles.
On Cork’s Oliver Plunkett Street, you can find the ever-popular Wabisabi. This restaurant is acclaimed for its fantastic value, including a substantial take away bento box with rice, miso soup, and mixed salad for £14.90. Amigos, a beloved spot in Cork, has a unique Turkish-Mexican menu and a £9 dine-in-only lunch deal on burritos that includes a complimentary drink. An in-house prepared gyro costs you £8.
In Galway, Giovanni’s Kebab House on Dominick Street offers a complete burger meal for £7.50. There are also plenty of affordable weekly specials. Furthermore, a falafel salad comes for £8.95. You could also stop by Pizza and Pasta Napoli, with pizza slices priced less than £5, or get a large sandwich from Plamás, capable of keeping you energised for the rest of the afternoon without the typical crash post a spicy lunch. When it comes to spice bags, the best choice might be Xi’an Street Food, where it costs £8.95. Smashbird offers a delightful student deal, which comprises of an exceptional “hatch burger” along with fries for a hard-to-resist £10 from Monday to Thursday. In times of budget restraint, The Student Pantry in the University of Galway, a worthy initiative, provides students with surplus food from supermarkets via Foodcloud.
Venturing into Limerick, The Grove Veggie Kitchen provides healthful soups, sandwiches, and meals, most of them around £10 or less, and soup can be added at around £4.50. Locke Burger presents a lucrative midweek offer of a burger with rosemary sea salt fries for £10. Canteen serves breakfast starting from £4.60 On the other hand, at The Student Corner, meals are obtainable starting from £6.
The Parlour Bar in Belfast is quite a favourite among the student population, offering complete pizzas from £10 as well as unique student deals throughout the week. In addition, the widely famous Maggie Mays provides an iconic breakfast from as low as £6.50. Moreover, in the evenings you have the option to bring your own beverages, where a fee of £2.50 covers your wine or six beers. A broad menu accommodating both vegetarians and vegans is also accessible. At their recent establishment, Maggie Mays Belfast Chippy, a ‘roast on chips’ can be enjoyed for £7.50 (including gravy chips with chicken, ham and stuffed meat), or a snack box for your midday meal at £7.