Now us Londoners do pretty well for grub, it has to be said, and we’ve got dishes on offer here from practically every corner of the world. We know we might be biassed, but we’d argue that our Asian cuisine is some of the best outside of actual Asia. So with that in mind, we thought that we’d offer you a roundup of where you can find some of the best noodles in London Town. From hearty bowls of udon to some spicy ramen, we’ve got you more than covered. Happy slurping!
1.Murger Han, Various Locations
Murger Han was London’s very first authentic Xi’an restaurant, and it arrived in the capital way back in 2014. Since then, it has attracted hoards of punters who are looking for that noodle fix – and boy, what noodles they are.
At 12-foot-long, their thick and slurpable ‘biang-biang’ noods are quite literally the biggest ones you’ll find in town, and they’re bloody delicious. Plus, they’re a hell of a lot of fun to eat! Add in the fact that you can opt to have them covered with braised pork, spring onions, a spicy chilli oil and a tomato and egg sauce – and you can see why we’re practically salivating here. If you’re looking for something other than noodles, then go for their ‘Murger’, which bills itself as the world’s oldest hamburger!
📍You’ll find Murger Han at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
2. Marugame Udon, Various Locations
Another contender for having the best noodles in London here, Marugame Udon is – as the name suggests – famous for its udon, which are thick wheat-based noodles hailing from Japan.
The delicious menu here boasts the likes of kama age, beef nikutama (with sweet short-rib and onsen egg), two pork tonkatsu and chicken katsu curry udon, and we’d like them all please! Elsewhere, you can expect to find tempura to tempt you – with chicken, prawn, pumpkin, and squid croquettes all present – and plenty of vegan options too.
📍You’ll find Marugame Udon at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
3. IPPUDO, Various Locations
Let’s face it, is there any problem in life that can’t be solved other than slurping on a warming bowl of ramen? We think not, and if you’re like us, then you could do worse than head to IPPUDO. A three-time winner of the very prestigious ‘Ramen King Finals’ awards, this beloved spot has an excellent reputation all over the world. And for good reason.
Their beautiful bowls of creamy broth are all made with homemade noodles and carefully selected ingredients, and everything from the minute you enter the restaurant to the moment you leave is totally authentic. The rich, filling stocks find perhaps their best companion in the Akamaru Modern – a hearty dish consisting of pork belly chashu, bean sprouts, sesame kikurage mushrooms and spring onions.
📍You’ll find IPPUDO at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
4. Lanzhou Lamian Noodle Bar, Leicester Square
This cosy, hole-in-the-wall-style spot just by Leicester Square tube station is cheap and cheerful – which is always a winner in our books. Open until the wee hours (4.30am on the weekends!), they also happen to whip up some of the best noodles in London, with favourites including ones infused with roast duck, pork and vegetables, chicken or pork.
The noodles served here are offered in three different variations – in a soup, dry, or fried – and there are some pretty out there flavours including pig’s ear with added stomach!
📍You’ll find Lanzhou Lamian Noodle Bar at 33 Cranbourn Street, London, WC2H 7AD.
🚇 Nearest station is Leicester Square.
5. Lo’s Noodle Factory, Chinatown
Another Central London joint which offers some of the best noodles in London, Lo’s Noodle Factory is a real hidden gem tucked down an alleyway in Chinatown. They supply their ‘ho fun’ and ‘cheung fun’ noodles to 95% of Chinatown’s restaurants – as well as to the Michelin-starred Hakkasan too.
But this one ain’t a restaurant. They only sell packets of these delicious noodles, so this is the place to go if you’re wanting to whip up your own noodle dish at home. And why are they so good we hear you ask dear reader? Well, thanks to the perfect balance of water, rice and potato starch, they stay softer for longer and don’t break when cooked. Now if that isn’t a reason to head here, then we don’t know what is…
📍You’ll find Lo’s Noodle Factory at 6 Dansey Place, London, W1D 6EZ.
🚇 Nearest stations are Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus.
6. Bone Daddies, Various Locations
If you know anything about the London food scene, and you’ve ever craved some noodles, then you will know about Bone Daddies. And with recent announcements of new openings, Bone Daddies are continuing to dominate the London ramen scene.
Alongside their already delicious selection of ramen bowls, wings, and bao, every month there’s an all new ramen special that pushes the boundaries of noodle, broth, and topping to the extreme. Collaborations come from established eateries as well as up-and-coming UK food stars, running the gamut from cheese vendors, to BBQ legends, to other culinary wizards. Currently they’ve got the legends from Coqfighter bringing their ‘buffalo ramen’ to the table. Sign us up!
📍You’ll find Bone Daddies at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
7. Seto, Camden
Next up on this roundup of the best noodles in London is cherished Camden joint Seto – a cute, family-run restaurant that specialises in shoyu and miso ramen. It’s incredibly affordable – warming bowls of ramen at lunch are just nine quid – and their fried gyoza are pretty much to die for.
Don’t miss trying the ‘kimuchi ramen’ – a delightful dish consisting of Korean-style pickles with chashu pork and a hearty noodle soup. Vegetarians needn’t feel left out either, as there is a fantastic homemade veggie soup here too.
📍You’ll find Seto at 5-6 Plender Street, London, NW1 0JN.
🚇 Nearest station is Mornington Crescent.
8. Koya Ko Hackney, Broadway Market
Tucked down a side street off Hackney’s Broadway Market lies Koya Ko Hackney – the ‘little sister’ to its Soho and City counterparts. But don’t be fooled by its ‘little sister’ status – this spot packs one hell of a big punch. A more casual, fast food-style affair, this culinary gem offers a whole new menu to its larger counterparts, and it has to be said that the udon is to die for here.
Make sure you go for the ‘ko set’ – which adds two sides to your order. While there’s loads on the menu for you to enjoy, we’d recommend the chicken or tofu karaage, which lock in tons of flavour thanks to a tasty, pre-dredge marinade. You’ll be tempted to immediately order another serving – and we wouldn’t blame you if you do. They even do cold udon dishes here – perfect if the sun’s shining.
📍You’ll find Koya Ko Hackney at 10 Broadway Market Mews, London, E8 4TS.
🚇 Nearest station is Hoxton.
9. Super Ya Ramen, Dalston and Peckham
Another great spot for noodles here in a similar neck of the woods, Super Ya Ramen is the brainchild of Luke Findlay, who carved out an impressive career at The Hand & Flowers, Berber & Q, and Patty & Bun – pretty impressive roster if you ask us. The menu on display here is concise but packed full of carefully-cooked ingredients. Standouts include the Iberico pork fat, salt beef, Supa Ya pickles, and chicken soup noodles – flavoured with a hot mustard, house soy, and chilli paste, and topped off with a fudgy egg. Phew!
Meanwhile, a house kimchi special cut through with crisp white cabbage, crunchy bean sprouts and fresh cucumber – topped off with a whole boiled egg of course – makes for a meal vegetarian option. They also opened a venue in Peckham at the tail end of 2022, so if you’re south of the river, you needn’t miss out.
📍You’ll find Super Ya Ramen at 499 Kingsland Road, London, E8 4AU and at 191 Rye Lane, London SE15 4TP.
🚇 Nearest stations are Dalston Junction and Peckham Rye.
10. Xi’an Biang Biang Noodles, Whitechapel
As you’d guess from the name, this is another joint that offers those legendary hand-pulled noodles – though this time they’re not quite 12-feet-long! A lively East End eatery, there’s everything here from ‘hand-pulled noodles with pork mince in a spicy Qishan soup’ to ‘biang-biang noodles with cumin lamb’ – along with an assortment of flavoursome and sides too.
A real standout here is the street food, which is inspired from the cuisine back in Xi’an. We’d go for the two noodle dishes – the ‘skin cold noodles in sesame sauce’ and the ‘sweet potato noodles in a hot and sour soup’ – for a real slice of the East.
📍You’ll find Xi’an Biang Biang Noodles at 62 Wentworth Street, London, E1 7AL.
🚇 Nearest station is Aldgate East.
11. Noodle & Beer, Spitalfields
Noodles AND beer? Now that’s a winning combo if ever we saw one! This modern spot close to Spitalfields was inspired by food from the Chinese provinces of Chongqing and Sichuan, notably ‘chongqing xiaomian’ – a warming bowl of noodles packed with a delicate spicy aroma and intense flavours.
The flavours come from a variety of rich seasonings, notably chilli, pepper, mashed garlic, ginger, scallion, sesame and preserved Sichuan pickles. This beloved takes that soulful dish and goes even further with it, and there are a whole host of lip-smackingly good options on offer here. Standouts for us include the ‘suan-cai yu fen’ which consists of rice noodles with basa fish, sour mustard greens and pickled chilli – and the exceedingly spicy ‘xian jiao niu-rou’ which incorporates wheat noodles with red peppers, beef, peanuts, spring onions and pickled greens. All best washed down with a bottle of beer or two of course…
📍You’ll find Noodle & Beer at 31 Bell Lane, London, E1 7AB.
🚇 Nearest station is Liverpool Street.
12. Nanban, Brixton
Rounding off this list of the best noodles in London is a real classic it has to be said. Nanban is a lovely little spot that was founded by the winner of Masterchef 2011, chef Tim Anderson, who by the way has since gone on to publish four books on Japanese cookery thank you very much.
As well as some bangin’ fried chicken, they are known for their ramen here and have got six different ones for you to get your chops around. The vegan-friendly ‘aubergine and courgette tan tan men’ and ‘kumamoto pork ramen’ are both bloody fantastic.
📍You’ll find Nanban at 426 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, London, SW9 8LF.
🚇 Nearest station is Brixton.
So there you have it – 12 spots to get the best noodles in London. From warming bowls of ramen to 12-foot-long udon, there’s something for everyone to slurp on here. Just don’t forget to pack your bib…