Tonkotsu and beyond:
The best Ramen in London
Irasshaimase! いらっしゃいませ!
We Londoners have moved from the era of pasta to ramen. Here is our list of top ramen places where you can exercise your slurping technique in London.

Ippudo
If you are looking for something simple and classic, look no where else. Founded in 1985 in Fukuoka city, Ippudo is a ramen chain directly from Japan. The founder transformed the Tonkotsu (pork broth) ramen from a working-class street food to a restaurant dish, and gained popularity throughout Japan. You can now enjoy their signature “Shiromaru Classic” that was launched in 1996 in London.
Shiromaru Classic Ramen £10.50
Central Saint Giles: 3 Central Saint Giles Piazza, London WC2H 8AG
Canary Wharf: Unit CR 28, 1 Crossrail Place,London E14 5AR

Yamagoya
Another ramen restaurant straight from Japan. Yamagoya was founded by Ogata San in 1969, using scrap wood from a local school to build his restaurant with his bare hands! Now they have a pop-up in London just outside Chinatown. You can try their classic Yamagoya ramen, or the spicy Tobanjan ramen made from their house chilli paste.
Spicy Tobanjan Ramen £11.50
Chinatown: 1st Floor 64 Shaftesbury Ave, London W1D 6LU

Kanada-ya
In 2010, Kanada San’s ramen was voted one of the best out of 40,000 in Japan. Kanada San was a professional cyclist back in Japan, but following his injury he turned his attention to become a ramen master. We don’t have to say much about how good they are given the queue outside their first ramen bar in London. Want to try something different from Tonkotsu ramen? Check out their Spicy Yuzu ramen!
Spicy Yuzu Ramen £12.00
Haymarket: 3 Panton Street, London SW2Y 4DL
Central Saint Giles: 64 St Giles High Street, London WC2H 8LE

Cocoro
Cocoro is more than a ramen bar. You can find all sort of Japanese dishes, and in their original Marylebone branch, you can even find tatami sitting! Before ramen became trendy in London, Cocoro was already famous for their Tonkotsu ramen. A favourite is also the Karaage ramen with Japanese fried chicken.
Karaage Ramen £12.00
Marylebone: 31 Marylebone Lane, London W1U 2NH
Bloomsbury: 25 Coptic Street, London WC1A 1NT

Shoryu x Sakagura
From the team behind Japan Centre where most Japanese expats in London get their hometown groceries, Shoryu started in 2012 at Lower Regent Street, and now you can find several branches all over Central London and even in Oxford! In summer 2017, they team up with Sakagura, a new upmarket Japanese restaurant and sake bar in order to offer this not-to-be-missed Spicy Black Cod ramen.
Spicy Black Cod Ramen £18.00
Sakagura:8 Haddon Street, London W1B 4BS

Tonkotsu
Another ramen chain that started from London is Tonkotsu, named after the lip-smacking, creamy ramen typical in Kyushu, Japan’s southern-most island. They care about the ingredients so much that they even make sure the water they use is softened and alkaline. Started in Soho, they can now be found all over London. If you want something different, try out the Eaten Alive Hiyashi ramen, the refreshing cold ramen with hand-cut smoky pink kraut and miso-cured beef.
Eaten Alive Hiyashi Ramen £13.50 (with beef)
Soho: 63 Dean Street, London W1D 4QG

Bone Daddies
Bone Daddies is the brainchild of acclaimed chef Ross Shonhan, mixing the London spirit with authentic Japanese culture. They started as a simple ramen bar in Soho, and now there have several branches in London serving dishes from ramen to izakaya or yoshoku. If spicy seafood is your thing, don’t miss their Kimchee ramen!