London's Japanese food scene is concentrated enough that you can eat your way through four completely different styles of Japanese cuisine in a single afternoon, all on foot. No Tubes required. Just your appetite, a willingness to pace yourself, and comfortable shoes.
This route takes you from Soho through to the West End, covering handmade udon, proper sushi, sake with izakaya snacks, and late-night ramen. Four stops, four different experiences, one very good day.
Route overview: Start around noon. The full crawl takes about 4–5 hours, including walking time and a comfortable pace between stops. All four stops are within walking distance of each other — you will never walk more than 10 minutes between spots.
The Route
Begin your crawl at the place that defined udon in London. Koya in Soho has been making handmade udon daily since 2010, and it remains the benchmark that every udon place in the city is measured against.
This is your foundation meal, so do not go too heavy. Udon is comforting without being overwhelming, which makes it the perfect opening act. The beauty of Koya is in the simplicity: excellent noodles, clean dashi broth, not a wasted element on the plate.
Order a single bowl and maybe a side. You have three more stops ahead of you.
A short walk through Soho takes you to Jugemu, an intimate sushi bar where authenticity beats flash. This is proper sushi at prices that will not require a second mortgage — a rarity in central London.
The contrast with Koya is deliberate. You have moved from comforting noodles to precise, delicate fish. Different technique, different tradition, different part of your palate. This is what a food crawl should do: take you on a journey through variety, not just volume.
Sit at the counter if you can. Watching the chef work is part of the experience. Do not rush this one.
Now the pace shifts. Sakagura on Heddon Street spreads across two floors and houses one of the largest sake collections in London. This is your afternoon session: slower, more social, and built around the Japanese art of drinking and snacking.
Izakaya dining is about shared small plates and good drinks, taken at whatever pace feels right. There is no rush, no prescribed order. This is the stop where you settle in, try a sake flight, and let the afternoon unfold.
The food here is washoku — traditional Japanese cuisine — and it pairs beautifully with sake. Think of this as the bridge between your lunch stops and the grand finale.
You finish where all great food days should finish: with a bowl of ramen. Bone Daddies brings a rock-and-roll energy that is the perfect way to end a crawl. The vibe is loud, fun and unapologetic, with Western twists on Japanese ramen that keep things interesting.
After an afternoon of delicate sushi and refined sake, Bone Daddies hits differently. It is bold, it is rich, and it is exactly the kind of full-stop ending this route needs. The tonkotsu broth is hearty, and the creative specials are always worth checking out.
Slurp loudly. You have earned it.
Tips for the Crawl
- Start early-ish. Noon is ideal. It gives you plenty of time between stops without feeling rushed.
- Hydrate between stops. Water is your friend. It resets your palate and keeps your energy up.
- Weekend is best. Saturdays are ideal — all four spots are open, the atmosphere is lively, and you are in no hurry.
- Bring the right people. Two to four people is the sweet spot. Small enough to get counter seats, big enough to share plates at Sakagura.
- Flexible on stops? If you want to swap in Kanada-Ya for the ramen stop or Atari-Ya for something more off-the-beaten-track on the sushi front, the route still works. Make it your own.
Build Your Own Crawl
This route is just one way to do it. London's Japanese restaurant scene is deep enough to support dozens of variations. You could do an all-ramen crawl, an East London crawl, a budget-only crawl — the options are endless.
Use the Food Crawl Planner on Oishii London to build your own custom route, or browse the full directory to find restaurants that match your style and budget.