Ramen shops in central Tokyo
Open 11am-3, 5-10:30pm daily.
This attractively appointed branch of a Tottori-based shop serves organic ramen in a beefy shio-style soup. The drinks menu features a house-brand organic junmaishu sake from Akita as well as beer...
Open 11am-3, 5-10:30pm daily.
Open 11:30am-2:30, 6pm-1am (Sun -8pm) daily.
The unusual chicken ramen here is topped with lettuce, tomato and olive oil.
Open 11:30am-2:30, 6pm-1am (Sun -8pm) daily.
Open 11am-9pm daily.
Tsukemen is the specialty here; it comes in three different sizes, but they're all the same price - Y720.
Open 11am-9pm daily.
Open 11:30am-3, 5:30-9pm (Sat, Sun 11:30-9). Closed Mondays.
Takadanobaba is considered a bit of a ramen battle zone. Through the years, many shops have opened and closed, and to have a successful shop in this part of Tokyo is considered a great feat. ...
Open 11:30am-3, 5:30-9pm (Sat, Sun 11:30-9). Closed Mondays.
Open 11:30am-11pm daily.
Nicely textured noodles in a tasty fish-based broth are topped off with excellent home-made menma (pickled bamboo shoots). They also offer a rather novel ramen pizza.
Open 11:30am-11pm daily.
Open 11am-3, 4:30-11pm daily.
The delicate but flavorful very seafood-based shio broth at this ramen shop is made from the catch of the day - a mix of several types of fish in season. Equally unusual are the toppings - chicken...
Open 11am-3, 4:30-11pm daily.
Open 11am-11pm daily.
Oreryu's Special "Ga-Ba-Chi" Ramen (aka "Garlic Butter Cheese") is a very satisfying bowl of noodles. It's moderately spicy and heavy on the garlic, with toasted garlic chips supplementing the roast...
Open 11am-11pm daily.
Open 24 hours a day.
Dried baby sardines (niboshi) have been a common ingredient in ramen for many years. It wasn't until recently, though, that ramen chefs began using them in abundance. The tiny fish have a very...
Open 24 hours a day.
Open 11am-9:30pm daily.
The original branch of a famous and very popular ramen chain, this shop usually has a line to get in. In addition to the usual options of toppings, you can also choose the size of your bowl, and...
Open 11am-9:30pm daily.
Nakamoto - Ramen: Nishi-Shinjuku
Open 9am-2:30am daily.
The tanmen noodles here are very spicy, but the soup has a depth of flavor the goes beyond one-note hotness. You can pick from several variations, with different levels of spiciness.
Open 9am-2:30am daily.
Nagi - Ramen: Nishi-Shinjuku
Open 6-11:30pm. Closed 3rd Sunday.
This relaxed second-floor branch of the Nagi chain offers an evening menu of izakaya-style side dishes to nibble on with drinks, including a "ramen-shop omelet" and gyoza topped with ratatouille. ...
Open 6-11:30pm. Closed 3rd Sunday.
Open 11am-3, 5-9pm. Closed Sundays.
Tsukemen is everywhere in Tokyo. Expecially tonkotsu gyokai tsukemen. Pork and chicken bones are cooked on high heat for a long time to draw out as much creamy collagen as possible. Thickness is...
Open 11am-3, 5-9pm. Closed Sundays.
Open 11am-11pm daily.
One of an small chain of ramen shops noted for their inventive recipes, this branch of Mensho specializes in tori paitan (creamy chicken stock) ramen. The beige-colored soup is light and refreshing,...
Open 11am-11pm daily.
Open 11:30am-4, 5pm-3am daily.
Classic Hakata-style tonkotsu (pork-bone soup) ramen.
Open 11:30am-4, 5pm-3am daily.
Open 11am-4am daily.
This popular shop is known for their light, "cafe-style" shoyu ramen livened up with a bit of yuzu, and their excellent chashu. The late-night hours are convenient if you've been out on the town.
Open 11am-4am daily.
Open 11am-5am daily.
A creamy, richly flavored cheese-tonkotsu ramen is the specialty at this popular shop.
Open 11am-5am daily.
Open 11am-4am daily.
The first Tokyo branch of a renowned Hakata ramen shop (they also have a branch at the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum), they serve thin, slightly chewy noodles in a pork-based broth ("red" or "white"),...
Open 11am-4am daily.
Open 11:30am-2:30pm. Closed Sundays.
Serving very good ramen by day, in the evenings Zoot turns into a comfortable wine-bar/bistro. The shio ramen with egg comes in a chicken-based broth, with fried garlic chips, croutons and a lemon...
Open 11:30am-2:30pm. Closed Sundays.
Open 11am-10:30pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
This popular, rather old fashioned-looking shop is famous for their classic shoyu-style ramen.
Open 11am-10:30pm (LO). Closed Sundays.
Open 7:30am-10, 11-10pm (LO) daily.
The prize-winning tsukemen here is served with a thick, richly flavored dipping sauce made with pork, seafood and vegetables. For those who want to skip the long lines, the shop also sells a very...
Open 7:30am-10, 11-10pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-3, 5-10pm. Closed Sundays.
There's no better way to enjoy amazing, housemade ramen noodles than in a bowl of abura soba. Literally meaning oil-noodles, abura soba leaves the soup out, with only some tare seasoning, oils, and...
Open 11am-3, 5-10pm. Closed Sundays.
Open 11am-3:30, 6-10pm (LO; Sat, Sun 11-5). Closed first Sunday.
Ramen is often thought of as a manly food in Japan. Dirty shops with an air thick with oil fumes would have most pretty ladies heading to the local cafe for lunch instead. In recent years, a few...
Open 11am-3:30, 6-10pm (LO; Sat, Sun 11-5). Closed first Sunday.
Open 11am-4, 5-10pm daily.
Italian-inspired novely ramen is the attraction here, with cheese-based "fromage" ramen and cold cherry-tomato ramen. The ham-and-cheese ramen comes with prosciutto and a small portion of noodles -...
Open 11am-4, 5-10pm daily.
Open 10am-6am daily.
Ramen maniacs come here for the Gabachi ramen - the "ga-ba-chi" stands for garlic, butter and cheese - made with a rich, spicy base of roasted garlic oil. Other popular variations include Yuzu...
Open 10am-6am daily.
Open 11am-3, 5-11pm. Closed Tuesdays.
This trendy ramen and tsukemen shop is outfitted with a "research laboratory" in the back where the chefs experiment with innovative techniques and combinations of ingredients. Some notable results...
Open 11am-3, 5-11pm. Closed Tuesdays.
Open 11am-8pm daily.
The intensely flavorful miso ramen, made by blending three types of miso, is the recommended bowl at this hole-in-the-wall shop.
Open 11am-8pm daily.
Open 11am-3pm (Sat -2pm), 5:30-8pm. Closed Sundays.
Tantanmen is a direct descendant of Chinese dandanmein. This dish of Sichuan origin is spicy, and a traditional bowl will have plenty of chili oil, Sichuan peppercorn, and minced pork. You can find...
Open 11am-3pm (Sat -2pm), 5:30-8pm. Closed Sundays.
Open 11am-11pm (Sat, Sun -9pm) daily.
Serving one of Tokyo's best bowls of miso ramen, Tsujida is popular with serious noodle connoisseurs and other ramen fans.
Open 11am-11pm (Sat, Sun -9pm) daily.
Open 11am-4, 5:30-9pm. Closed Sundays.
You'll find spicy ramen on many shop's menus. This usually means they take their normal bowl, throw in some chili peppers, and call it a day. Many of these bowls are just hot, with very little in...
Open 11am-4, 5:30-9pm. Closed Sundays.
Daiki - Ramen: Ueno
Open 11:30am-3, 5:30-10pm. Closed Sundays.
The very popular ramen shop Daiki is known for their tasty chicken-based soup, available in both shio (salt) or shoyu (soy sauce) varieties. The "torisoba" option indicates a pure chicken-stock...
Open 11:30am-3, 5:30-10pm. Closed Sundays.
Open 10:30am-11pm daily.
This very popular shop is known for their tsukemen, served with a thick, richly flavored dipping sauce made with pork, seafood and vegetables. Prepare to wait on line during busy times.
Open 10:30am-11pm daily.
Open 11am-1:30am. Closed Mondays.
Nagano-style ramen is the specialty here, served in a triple-barreled soup flavored with pork, chicken and various fish.
Open 11am-1:30am. Closed Mondays.
Open 11am-3, 5-10pm (Sat 11-3). Closed Sundays.
The master at Tanaka commutes in to this shop every day from the far side of Chiba, about two hours away. He is a surfer, and that part of Japan has some nice waves in the morning. That part of...
Open 11am-3, 5-10pm (Sat 11-3). Closed Sundays.
★Nikusoba Keisuke - Ramen: Koto-ku
Open 11am-11:30pm daily.
Keisuke is best known for their excellent, potently strong shoyu-style ramen.
Open 11am-11:30pm daily.
★Hajime - Ramen: Itabashi-ku
Open 11:30am-2:30, 6-9pm daily.
Voted best new bowl of 2009, Hajime's shio-ramen uses salt that's imported from Mongolia.
Open 11:30am-2:30, 6-9pm daily.
Open 11:30am-3, 6pm-12:30am (LO). Closed Mondays.
The decor here is closer to a trendy bar than a ramen shop, with liquor bottles on shelves and rock music on the stereo. As far as the noodles go, the shop is known mainly for their gingery shoyu...
Open 11:30am-3, 6pm-12:30am (LO). Closed Mondays.
Ramen outside central Tokyo
Open 10am-7pm. Closed Thursdays.
The ramen at this popular shop comes with big slabs of chashu that taste almost like ham.
Open 10am-7pm. Closed Thursdays.
Open 11:30am-1am daily.
Spicy (but not crazy-spicy) Chinese-style tantanmen noodles in a thick, pork-filled soup are the specialty at this small shop. They also serve good gyoza dumplings as a side dish.
Open 11:30am-1am daily.
★★Harukiya - Ramen: Ogikubo
Open 11am-9:30pm daily.
This long-running shop (founded in Showa 24) serves classic Tokyo-style ramen in a shoyu soup that's made with dried sardines. The wonton-men is especially recommended.
Open 11am-9:30pm daily.
Open 11am-9pm. Closed Wednesdays.
This branch of the famous Ogikubo honten serves classic Tokyo-style ramen in a shoyu soup that's made with dried sardines. The wonton-men is especially recommended.
Open 11am-9pm. Closed Wednesdays.
Open 11:30am-3, 6-10pm daily.
Excellent shoyu ramen with thick noodles is the draw at Kyoka, along with a pleasant setting with dramatic lighting.
Open 11:30am-3, 6-10pm daily.
Open 11am-3, 6-11pm. Closed Mondays.
Thick tonkotsu ramen is nothing new. You'll find many shops all over the country serving bowls of it. But if you want the thickest, most intense bowl there is, Muteppo is the place to go. The soup is...
Open 11am-3, 6-11pm. Closed Mondays.
Open 11:30am-3, 6-11pm. Closed weekends.
The tasty ramen soup here is flavored with pork bones and sea bream. When you're done with your noodles you can ask for rice to go with your remaining soup (chazuke style), and a hot stone in your...
Open 11:30am-3, 6-11pm. Closed weekends.
★Taishoken - Ramen: Eifukucho
Open 11am-11pm daily.
This popular shop is best known for their shoyu ramen. Closed on the 2nd, 12th, and 22nd of every month.
Open 11am-11pm daily.
Open 11am-2:30, 5-9:45pm daily.
There is a ramen shop in Japan called Jiro (not to be confused with the famous sushi shop of a similar name). Jiro features thick, wheaty noodles in a mega-porky soup. Add to that copious amounts...
Open 11am-2:30, 5-9:45pm daily.
Open 11:30am-2, 5-10pm (LO) daily.
Kitchen Troquet is a small, ten-seat restaurant from the folks who brought us Buono Buono, a lunchtime-only Italian-fusion ramen shop which was located just around the corner. Here they've expanded...
Open 11:30am-2, 5-10pm (LO) daily.
Open 11:30am-12:30am daily.
Mitsuyado's double-cheese ramen is the perfect late-night bowl of ramen after a few drinks. Unusual for a ramen shop, there's some open-air terrace seating.
Open 11:30am-12:30am daily.
Open 6pm-1:30am (LO). Closed Sundays.
A Thai-influenced green-curry ramen is the specialty here, although they also do nice versions of more ordinary ramen styles. Near Shin-Daita station, one stop from Shimo-Kitazawa.
Open 6pm-1:30am (LO). Closed Sundays.
Inosho - Ramen: Nerima-ku
Open 11am-3, 5:30-11:30pm daily.
Seriously spicy ramen in a fish-based soup is the specialty at this highly rated shop.
Open 11am-3, 5:30-11:30pm daily.
Menya Kissou - Ramen: Kiba
Open 11:30am-3pm. Closed Sundays, Wednesdays.
Ranked the number-one bowl of ramen in Tokyo by many critics and popular surveys, the nine-seat Kissou is open only for lunch, when the long lines can take more than an hour. The broth is a light...
Open 11:30am-3pm. Closed Sundays, Wednesdays.
★Oyaji - Ramen: Machida
Open 11am-11pm daily.
Oyaji's miso ramen uses imported Dutch lard to brew a rich, creamy soup.
Open 11am-11pm daily.
Open 11am-3, 6-9pm. Closed Tuesdays.
At first, pineapple ramen sounds strange, maybe even downright awful. But imagine some other things that have been matched with pineapples. Pineapple and a sweet terriyaki sauce make a great burger...
Open 11am-3, 6-9pm. Closed Tuesdays.
Open 11am-9:30pm (LO) daily.
Sanmamen is a regional style of ramen that originated in Yokohama's Chinatown and first gained local popularity throughout Yokohama in the 1940s. Also known as "bean-sprout ramen," it uses a salt-...
Open 11am-9:30pm (LO) daily.
Open 11am-10pm (last admission) daily.
Ramen for serious connoisseurs, with branches of eight of the best ramen shops from throughout Japan. See article.
Open 11am-10pm (last admission) daily.
See venue map
Please see our cuisine and menu-reading guide to ramen to learn more.
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