Dining in the UK is an eclectic experience. While traditional dishes like fish and chips, bangers and mash and steak and kidney pie can be found in canteens and pubs across the British Isles, such diverse dishes as lamb vindaloo, sweet and sour chicken and pad Thai are also common.

Most UK universities have canteens (or dining halls) where students can get affordable and healthy meals. It is common for UK students to sign up for the on-campus dining option their first year and then fend for themselves their second and third years (though a good number of first-year students also opt out of university dining plans). Study abroad students, however, often take advantage of the dining option when it is available as a way to integrate themselves into UK campus life.

Students living in UK university residence halls also enjoy cooking for themselves and eating out. These options are perhaps more common than in the US, where on-campus students tend to eat most meals in university dining halls.

Read on to gain a glimpse of typical dining options for UK students:

EATING IN THE HALLS OF RESIDENCE

As at most US universities, canteens normally serve a buffet of hot and cold options (including vegetarian choices) for breakfast and dinner. While breakfast sausage and tea may replace pancakes and waffles, and while jacket potatoes and curry may replace pizza and hamburgers, you will encounter a wide selection of both traditional British and international cuisine from which to choose. At many UK universities on-campus lunch options are not as prevalent, and students either have a cold sandwich or get a quick meal at the student union or local restaurant.

COOKING IN THE HALLS OF RESIDENCE

If you are living in a dorm, chances are you either will have a kitchen in your suite or down the hall from your room, making cooking a convenient and popular option! When cooking, you can opt for the easy options, such as pasta, pizza bagels or the ubiquitous microwave meals (anything from tandoori chicken to full roast beef dinners). You can opt for the “traditional” British options, such as beans on toast or full English breakfasts. Or, with the help of your international classmates, you can experiment with new dishes.

EATING OUT

Student unions usually run their own cafes which are great for a quick lunch. Jacket potatoes and take-away sandwiches (takeout in the US) are very popular lunch options, as is cheap and tasty pub grub. Restaurants in the UK run the gamut from curry houses to pubs, from Chinese to Italian. And if you do get nostalgic for home, popular US chains such as Pizza Hut, TGI Friday’s, McDonald’s and KFC line many UK High Streets.