Looking for the best Japanese ramen restaurants in London?
From London ramen chains like Shoryu Ramen and Bone Daddies, to independent Japanese restaurants like Monohon and Ramo, these are the best ramen restaurants in London.
This post may contain affiliate links to tours and hotels. These help us earn a small commission at no additional charge to you.
You might like – Best Japan things to do in London, activities to plan the perfect Japan themed day in London >
Best Japanese ramen restaurants in London
1. Monohon Ramen, Old Street
Founded in 2015 by Ian Wheatley who studied at ramen school in Osaka, Monohon Ramen started life as a pop-up and developed into a hugely successful and authentic London ramen restaurant.
Their signature tonkotsu ramen dish has delicious umami flavours with a creamy broth made from pork bones, kelp and shiitake mushrooms. The noodles are freshly made in-house with specialist flour from Japan, and their pork belly is slow-braised for up to 5 hours.
Other dishes on the menu include Taiwan Maze (Nagoya style soup-less ramen), vegan tan tan men noodle soup and ramen noodles served with Japanese style chicken curry.
Address: 102 Old Street, London EC1V 9AY
You might like – our guides to Japanese convenience stores, including 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson and our guide to konbini egg sandwiches
2. Ramo Ramen, Soho
For ramen with a twist head to Ramo Ramen, where the noodle soup dishes have unusual and creative Filipino-Japanese fusion flavours!
Some of the most fun and untraditional items from their menu include Chicken Sopas (creamy chicken broth with black garlic oil and Hakata noodles), and Sinigang (spicy tamarind seafood broth with grilled king prawns and roasted tomatoes).
Side dishes, rice bowls and desserts are also available.
Location: 28 Brewer Street, London W1F 0SR
3. Menya Ramen House, Bloomsbury
Located footsteps away from the British Museum, the highly rated no frills Menya Ramen House has been serving tasty bowls of ramen to hungry London locals and tourists for years.
The majority of the menu is devoted to tonkotsu ramen dishes made with 48 hour simmered pork and chicken bone broth, including the popular and firey Korean style kimchi ramen.
You can tweak your noodle hardness and spice level to your own personal preference.
A selection of vegetable broth shoryu ramen bowls and some small side dishes are also available.
Address: 29 Museum Street, London WC1A 1LH
You might like – Guide to creating your own personalised cup noodle at the Cup Noodles Museum in Japan >
4. Kanada Ya (multiple London locations)
Founded in 2009 in the small city of Yukuhashi in Japan, this highly rated and award-winning global chain of restaurants serves up authentic bowls of tonkotsu ramen with a rich and smooth broth made from pork bones that have been simmered for 18 hours.
Each of their four London ramen restaurants make their wheat noodles on site with an imported high tech Japanese machine that allows them to offer differing levels of noodle hardness. You can choose between soft, regular, hard or extra hard noodles, but they recommend ordering the hard noodles.
Highlights from the menu include a spicy green yuzu ramen and their famous truffle ramen. You can also customise your bowl and add extra toppings such charred black garlic sauce and soft boiled marinated ‘Harajuku’ eggs.
On our last visit we ordered the truffle ramen as we had read many good reviews, however the flavour was way too overpowering – so just a warning to avoid this dish unless you are a huge fan of truffle!
Location: There are 5 branches located in Soho, Piccadilly, Covent Garden, Ealing and Angel. White City Westfield is opening soon.
You might like – Best anime, manga and kawaii shops in London >
5. Shoryu Ramen (multiple London locations)
Specialising in tasty tontokotsu ramen from Japan’s Hakata district in Kyushu, this chain is rapidly expanding across London and other parts of the UK.
The brand was conceived in 2012 by Hakata native Tak Tokumine, who also founded the popular Japan Centre in London. As you step into the restaurant you are greeted with the traditional Japanese welcome ‘irasshaimase’!
Shoryu Ramen have a decent range of tonkotsu dishes using their thick, rich and meaty 12 hour simmered pork broth.
Unusual options on the menu include the ‘dracula tonkotsu’ with black garlic mayu, and the ‘piri piri tonkotsu’ with spicy Korean gochujang sauce and jalapeños!
Other Japanese foods available include curry and rice, bao buns, poke bowls and donburi.
Location: There are 8 branches in Liverpool Street, Covent Garden, Regent Street, Carnaby, Soho, Shoreditch, Stratford and Shepherd’s Bush
You might like – Best Japanese shops and supermarkets in London >
6. Bone Daddies (multiple London locations)
Bold and brash, Bone Daddies serves Japanese street-style dishes with a rock ‘n’ roll attitude.
This London ramen restaurant chain is inspired by the chaotic street scenes of downtown Japan with a mix of bright neon and traditional Japanese graphics, and a blaring soundtrack of classic rock hits.
Bone Daddies has a solid menu that mainly comprises of a range of creative ramen dishes made from a rich 20-hour simmered pork bone or chicken broth, plus a decent selection of plant based broths for vegetarians.
Don’t overlook their epic selection of side dishes to accompany your bowl of ramen. The crispy Korean fried chicken wings are some of the best we’ve ever tasted in London, and you can also order bao buns, spicy pigs bones and a variety of poke dishes.
There is also an extensive list of Japanese drinks including cocktails, beer, saké, shochu and whiskey.
Location: There are around 7 different branches across London including Soho, Victoria, Bermondsey, Leicester Square, Old Street, High Street Kensington and Bond Street.
You might like – 35 Japanese foods you must try >
7. Ippudo (multiple London locations)
Ippudo is one of the few Japanese restaurant chains to make it really BIG overseas (there are currently over 50 branches in Japan).
This award winning restaurant started life in Fukuoka in Japan in 1985, before opening its next branch in Yokohama in 1994. It opened its first store in London in 2018 and quickly expanded to four branches due to its popularity.
Their signature dish is a creamy tonkotsu pork broth ramen served with homemade thin and straight noodles. You can also order bowls of ramen with miso paste and fragrant garlic oil, plus a spicy miso paste version and a vegetarian option.
Other dishes available on the menu include bao buns, takoyaki, kara-age, gyoza, donburi bowls and Japanese curry with rice.
Location: There are 4 branches including Villiers Street (Charing Cross), Canary Wharf, Goodge Street and Central Saint Giles (Tottenham Court Road)
BRAND NEW FOR MAY 2024
Join our Facebook Japan Travel Tips Group!
Need help with your Japan itinerary or have any questions?
Head on over to our Facebook group and ask the experts!
Click here to join our group >
8. Yokocho (two London locations)
Possibly one of the best looking ramen restaurants in London, Yokocho transports you back to the retro alleyways of 1970s Japan with glowing lanterns and neon street signs!
Yokocho offers a variety of ramen from all regions of Japan including Sapporo miso ramen, Tokyo tantan men ramen and Fukuoka hakata tonkotsu ramen, plus some London ‘specials’.
Other menu offerings include udon and soba noodle soup (Panton Street only), street food side dishes and sake cocktails.
They have an offer available on Mondays and Tuesdays where certain bowls of ramen are just £9.99.
Location: There are 2 branches on Heddon Street and Panton Street in central London.
You might like – Best Japanese restaurants and food halls in London >
9. Taro (multiple London locations)
Taro was founded in 1979 by Mr Taro, who had a vision of bringing authentic and delicious Japanese food to London.
Today Taro has seven branches across London including its first branch in Brewer Street, Soho.
Their specialty ramen dish is soya soup (a thinner, soy-based stock), but they also offer tonkotsu ramen.
Other dishes on their extensive menu include bento boxes, udon noodles, donburi bowls, sushi and Japanese curry rice dishes.
Location: There are 7 branches in Soho, Walthamstow, Balham, Kennington, Finchley Central, Victoria and Catford.
You might like – Guide to the retro Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum in Japan >
10. Okan Brixton East
Okan Ramen is the sister restaurant from the owners of the super popular okonomiyaki restaurant Okan – which is located around the corner in Brixton Village Market.
The ramen menu is simple but effective, with a signature shoyu ramen dish, plus a Hokkaido miso and vegetarian option. They also offer wheat-free noodles.
Other Japanese dishes on the menu include okonomiyaki, donburi, Japanese curry and rice, plus a selection of side dishes.
Address: 338 Coldharbour Lane, London SW9 8QH
You might like – Best okonomiyaki restaurants in London >
11. Cocoro (multiple London locations)
Despite being located in several upmarket areas in London, Cocoro is a down to earth restaurant chain serving affordable and tasty bowls of Kumamoto pork bone ramen.
It first opened its doors in Marylebone Lane in January 2006, and they have since opened 3 more branches in London.
Other items on their menu include izakaya-style small dishes, sushim udon, donburi and Japanese curry and rice.
Location: There are 4 branches in Bayswater, Marylebone, Highgate and Bloomsbury
You might like these Japan chain restaurants guides
A Happy Pancake >
CoCo Ichibanya >
Denny’s >
Kura Sushi >
Matsunoya Tonkatsu >
Mister Donut >
Saizeriya >
12. Tonkotsu (multiple London locations)
This popular no frills chain restaurant has a solid menu of tonkotsu ramen soup noodles made with their creamy and delicious pork bone broth.
The first Tonkotsu restaurant opened in Soho in 2012 and has steadily grown to 12 branches across the city.
Each of the stores use mid-century noodle making machines that have been imported from Japan to create their springy noodles, and their policy is that their noodles must be cooked for exactly 32 seconds to create the perfect texture!
To accompany your ramen you can order classic side dishes such as chicken kara-age, gyoza and chilli cauliflower ‘wings’ for vegans. The chicken kara-age was some of the best we have ever tasted in London!
If you are looking for a bargain lunch deal then between Monday to Friday you can order a set menu for £9.95 which includes a small bowl of ramen and a side dish of gyoza.
Location: There are around 12 different branches across London – check out their locations page for more information >
You might like – Best Japan things to do in London >
13. Koi Ramen (multiple London locations)
Koi Ramen started life as two very popular street food stalls inside Pop Brixton and Tooting Market, before opening up a small chain of restaurants across south London.
The menu is very simple and affordable consisting of their signature tonkotsu ramen, a shoyu ramen, a vegetarian miso ramen and ‘naked ramen’ (a no-soup version).
You can add a side dish of gyoza to your meal, and matcha green tea ice cream for dessert. Japanese beer, sake and whisky is also available.
Location: There are 4 branches in Brixton, Herne Hill, Tooting and Elephant & Castle.
Found this best Japanese ramen restaurants in London article helpful?
Did you enjoy our best Japanese ramen restaurants in London blog post? Let us know in the comments or by sharing it on social media.
You can follow us on:
Instagram
Tik Tok
Facebook
Pinterest
YouTube