Slurpable soup, chewy noodles, and mouthwatering toppings – there’s nothing quite like a steaming and hearty bowl of ramen. So, without further ado, here’s the Secret London rundown of the best ramen in London!
1. Hakata Ramen + Bar, Bermondsey
An ‘if-you-know-you-know’ ramen den that takes absolutely no bookings, Hakata hides an izakaya drinking den underneath its restaurant. Rock up, ask for a table, and then head downstairs for a drink while you wait. And with a drinks menu that rivals some of London’s best cocktail bars, all of a sudden that wait is rather enjoyable after all. When your table is ready, you’ll head back upstairs to enjoy the fruits of your labour (waiting…). The menu caters equally to vegans and meat-eaters alike, with the option to ‘pimp’ your bowl with extra toppings from an exhaustive selection. It’ll all be over far too soon, and you’ll be raring to return.
📍 You’ll find Hakata at 177 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UW.
🚇 Nearest station is London Bridge.
2. Shoryu, Various Locations
Shoryu’s menu is brimming with excellent dishes; all served with oodles of noodles, that can be cooked exactly how you like them. We thoroughly recommend going for the 12-hour pork broth ramen, aka Tonkotsu. They all come topped with char siu barbecue pork belly, plus all the trimmings. And thanks to the restaurant’s many locations around London, you’ll never be far from a delicious bowl.
📍 You’ll find Shoryu at various locations in London. You can find out more here.
3. Monohon Ramen, Old Street
Founder Ian Wheatley fell in love with Japan whilst living in Osaka in the 90s, and channelled that passion into Monohon Ramen, which began as a pop-up back in 2015. The Shoyu Tonkotsu delivers a big umami hit, whilst cod roe is used to flavour the Mentaiko Cream Ramen. Of course, you could always opt for the largest option on the menu with The Big Boy Spicy Special complete with all the toppings, extra egg, and spicy miso pork mince.
The Vegan Tan Tan Men is a great choice for vegans and veggies, consisting of a creamy sesame-flavoured soup with medium thick noodles, spring onions, beansprouts, pak choi, toasted seaweed and spicy miso-fried seitan. It’s a huge favourite among London’s foodies, and easily one of the best ramen in London.
📍 You’ll find Monohon Ramen at 102 Old Street, EC1V 9AY.
🚇 Nearest station is Old Street.
4. Tonkotsu, Various Locations
Tonkotsu is known for two things: ramen and whiskey. (Their Mare Street branch may be tiny, but it has over 60 whiskies behind the bar.) But don’t go in thinking they’ve got their priorities split at all – the ramen here is among the best in London. And, sure, they may count 15 locations around London but they haven’t let the quality suffer one bit!
They’re passionate about their noods, and you can even watch them get made by hand at the Noodle Room at Tonkotsu East, in Haggerston. In their opinion – quoting advice the founders were given when visiting Japan – “If you don’t make your own noodles, you’re just a soup shop”.
📍 Find Tonkotsu in various locations across London. You can find out more here.
5. KOI Ramen Bar, Various Locations
High-quality ramen at low prices is the aim of KOI Ramen Bar, who sport branches across Brixton, Tooting, Herne Hill, and Elephant and Castle. Extra toppings let you customise your dish to your heart’s desire. And if all that slurpable soup has you worried about messing up your outfit, you can opt for the soupless Naked Ramen.
The Old Skool Shoyu and Mellow Miso are also lip-smackingly good choices, and you can wash it down with ice-cold bottles of Asahi, Sapporo or even delicious Sake. Finished your noodles and still got plenty of soup to get through? Grab a whole new portion of noodles for just £2 and keep on chowing down!
📍 You can find Koi Ramen in various locations across London. You can find out more here.
6. Taro, Various Locations
Perhaps better known for their sushi and bento boxes, Taro also has some incredible ramen to choose from. They specialise in the Soya base, with a thinner, soy-based soup, but also serve up a mean Tonkotsu. But be sure not to miss their incredible sashimi, hand-rolled sushi, udon and yummy bento boxes.
📍 You can find Taro in various locations across London. You can find out more here.
7. Kanada-Ya, Various Locations
Kanada-Ya has a huge (and very well-deserved) reputation amongst ramen-loving Londoners. And, yes, this can result in lengthy mealtime queues. But don’t let this put you off! Pork bones are simmered for eighteen hours to create the rich and seriously smooth Tonkotsu broth, whilst the toppings take the dish here to the next level. Founded first in Yukuhashi, Japan, before being brought over to London, this is as authentic, and tasty, as it gets.
You can find Kanada-Ya in various locations across London. You can find out more here.
8. Menya Ramen House, Holborn
London foodies are all but unanimous in their praise for Menya Ramen House, one of London’s very best ramen restaurants. Miso ramen with pork belly collects the bulk of the plaudits, but visitors are also given the option to spice up their broth to sweat-inducing levels using fiery Korean ingredients. If you need a chilli kick, opt for their Karai Ramen – it’s the spiciest of the lot! Menya Ramen House also is unique in that they simmer their pork and chicken broths for 48 hours – yep, you read that right – no wonder it tastes so darn good.
A spot by the British Museum certainly doesn’t hurt the foot traffic, either.
📍 You’ll find Menya Ramen House at 29 Museum Street, Holborn, WC1A 1LH.
🚇 Nearest stations are Tottenham Court Road and Holborn.
9. Ramo Ramen, Kentish Town and Soho
Ramo Ramen stands out from the pack with a menu that draws heavy inspiration from the Philippines. You wouldn’t usually find the likes of cumin mince lamb and lime in a traditional ramen, but the Lamb Keema Ramen is well worth going off the map for – it’s only available at their Kentish Town site though. Be sure to order some bubble tea to wash it down. Their Oxtail Kare Kare is another gem – consisting of peanut beef broth, pulled oxtail, Tokyo noodles, nitamago, menma, pea shoots, nori and spring onion shiitake.
📍 You’ll find Ramo Ramen at 157 Kentish Town Road, NW1 8PD & 28 Brewer Street, W1F 0SR.
🚇 Nearest stations are Kentish Town West and Piccadilly Circus.
10. Bone Daddies, Various Locations
It’s been described as ‘the mother of all hangover cures’ by one Secret London writer, and there’s no higher praise than that, is there? A New York-inspired Japanese noodle joint, Bone Daddies hang their hats on gutsy, thick soup dishes that put fire in your belly and a spring in your step. Keep an eye out for their inventive, and wildly flavourful, monthly specials that see them teaming up with unexpected foodie friends and restaurant industry legends.
📍 Find Bone Daddies in various locations across London. You can find out more here.
11. Okan, various restaurants
In Osakan slang, ‘okan’ translates as ‘mum’, and founder Moto Priestman has brought the food of downtown Osaka to London and infused it with a little home-cooked love. You can’t really go wrong with any of their three restaurants, but the Brixton East spot might be the best spot for wonderful warming ramen. Okan also makes a mean bowl of donburi rice and a mouthwatering spicy miso udon pot. Add in cocktails and you’ve got yourself a real slap-up meal.
📍 You’ll find Okan Ramen at various locations across London. You can find out more here.
12. Cocoro, Various Locations
Cocoro’s expansion from Marylebone was powered by the strength of their Kumamoto pork bone ramen. And while you might be tempted by the huge range of sushi, curries and izakaya-style dishes, a deep dive into the noodle-y, soup-y menu is guaranteed to put a smile on that face. Trust us. As well as Miso and Tonkotsu ramen, there are plenty of veggie and vegan options – the chef’s spicy sauce is well worth adding in too.
📍 You’ll find Cocoro at various locations across London. You can find out more here.
13. IPPUDO, Various Locations
Three-time winner of the very prestigious Ramen King Finals awards, IPPUDO has an excellent reputation all over the world. Their beautiful bowls of creamy broth are all made with homemade noodles and carefully selected ingredients, and everything about their restaurants strives for total authenticity. Give them a try, you certainly won’t regret it!
📍 You’ll find IPPUDO at various locations across London. You can find out more here.
14. Seto, Camden
This cute, family-run spot has achieved cult legent status in Camden and specialises in shoyu and miso ramen. It’s incredibly affordable and their fried gyozas are a must-order. You simply can’t miss out on trying them! And you’ll no doubt find yourself returning time and time again for even more.
📍 You’ll find Seto at 5-6 Plender Street, London, NW1 0JN.
🚇 Nearest station is Mornington Crescent.
15. Yokocho, Mayfair and Leicester Square
This retro ramen joint hearkens back to the olden days of ramen, with a restaurant inspired by the yokocho (alleyways) of 70s Tokyo, and “a living ramen museum” in the other. You can tuck into ramen from all across Japan, including Sapporo Miso – drawn from the snowy northern reaches of Hokkaido – and the classic Tonkotsu ramen, which has its origins in Kyushu.
Their signature is The Yokocho Ramen, a soy based chicken and pork broth ramen. It comes topped with a mountain of BBQ pork belly, menma bamboo shoots, naruto fish cake, and more. The menu also includes a plethora of street food favourites, such as karaage, gyoza, and yakitori. Wash it all down with a special Japanese Ice Beer or try out a sake flight, and soak up the splendid decor of retro signage and colourful lanterns.
📍 You’ll find Yokocho at 8 Heddon Street, Mayfair, W1B 4BU & 35a Panton Street, SW1Y 4EA.
🚇 Nearest station for both sites is Piccadilly Circus.
16. SABA, Kensington
And now, for something completely different. In between the offerings of ramen shops and corner-shop packaged ramen is SABA, which brings a South Korean tradition to London: self-serve ramen. Stop in, choose from over 25 ramen types, add boiling water and toppings, and tuck in. Who doesn’t love the joy of self-service and making your dish exactly how you like it, after all?
📍 You’ll find SABA at 29 Kensington High Street, W8 5NP.
🚇 The nearest station is High Street Kensington.
So, where to first?!