London's ramen scene has gone from zero to serious in barely a decade. Where there were once a handful of mediocre noodle shops, there are now dedicated ramen bars, regional specialists, and cult-following counter seats. But how does London's ramen actually compare to Tokyo's? We break it down.
The Fundamental Difference
In Tokyo, ramen is fast food. It is a ¥900 bowl (£5) eaten standing at a counter in eight minutes. In London, ramen is a dining experience. It is a £14 bowl eaten sitting down over thirty minutes. This difference in positioning shapes everything: the price, the portion sizes, the atmosphere, and the expectations.
Tokyo
Hyper-specialist. Most shops perfect ONE type of ramen. Open late. Ticket machines. Counter seating. ¥800–1,200 per bowl. Speed is part of the culture.
London
Broader menus. Side dishes, starters, drinks. Table service. £12–18 per bowl. More casual dining experience, less singular focus.
Neither approach is better or worse. They are simply different contexts. Tokyo ramen is about singular obsession. London ramen is about accessible quality. Understanding this helps set expectations.
The Four Main Ramen Styles
Japan has dozens of regional ramen styles, but four dominate both Tokyo and London. Here is what each one is and where to find it done well in London:
Tonkotsu
The style that conquered London. Thick, creamy, opaque white broth made from pork bones simmered for 12–18 hours. Originally from Hakata in Fukuoka, this is the style most Londoners think of when they think "ramen." Rich, fatty, deeply savoury.
In Tokyo: Ichiran, Ippudo, and countless tiny counter shops in Shinjuku and Ikebukuro. The broth is heavier and the noodles are thinner and firmer (hakata-style).
In London: The dominant style by far. London does tonkotsu well because the long-cook broth travels relatively easily as a technique.
Shoyu
Tokyo's native style. Clear, brown broth based on soy sauce with chicken or seafood stock. Lighter and more nuanced than tonkotsu. The soy sauce should enhance, not dominate. Curly medium noodles, typically topped with menma (fermented bamboo), nori, and chashu.
In Tokyo: The default. If you order "ramen" without specifying a style, you will likely get shoyu. Every neighbourhood has its champion.
In London: Underrepresented compared to tonkotsu. London diners tend to prefer the richness of pork bone broth, so shoyu gets less attention than it deserves.
Miso
Originally from Sapporo in Hokkaido. Rich, hearty broth flavoured with fermented soybean paste. Often served with sweetcorn, butter, and bean sprouts. The heaviest style, built for cold weather. Miso adds an umami depth and slight sweetness that makes this style distinctively robust.
In Tokyo: Available everywhere but most associated with northern Japan. Sapporo Ramen Yokocho is the spiritual home.
In London: Growing in popularity. A natural winter warmer that suits the London climate well.
Shio
The most delicate style. Clear, pale broth seasoned primarily with salt. The simplicity means there is nowhere to hide — the quality of the base stock matters enormously. Light, clean, elegant. Often considered the most difficult style to master.
In Tokyo: The connoisseur's choice. Shops specialising in shio tend to attract serious ramen enthusiasts.
In London: The rarest of the four main styles. Very few London shops specialise in shio, likely because it requires exceptional stock-making skill and British palates tend to prefer bolder flavours.
Where London Wins
- Fusion and creativity. London ramen shops are more willing to experiment. Ramo Ramen's coconut and tamarind broth or Tenmaru's lemon ramen simply would not exist in Tokyo. London's multiculturalism produces genuinely interesting combinations.
- Vegan and plant-based options. Tokyo is notoriously difficult for vegans. London has Tokoton, an entirely plant-based ramen shop where every dish has a vegan equivalent. Tokyo is years behind on this.
- Comfort and space. London ramen shops are generally more comfortable. Table seating, longer meal times, side dishes. If you want to linger, London is the better experience.
- Accessibility. You can get a good bowl of ramen within 15 minutes of almost anywhere in central London. The coverage is genuinely impressive.
Where Tokyo Wins
- Depth and obsession. A Tokyo ramen shop might have perfected one bowl over 30 years. That level of single-minded dedication produces a quality that is hard to match.
- Price. No contest. £5 in Tokyo gets you what £14 gets you in London. And often better.
- Variety. Tokyo has hundreds of regional styles that London has barely scratched. Tsukemen (dipping ramen), tantanmen (sesame-chilli), niboshi (dried sardine broth) — London's range is still limited.
- Late-night culture. In Tokyo, ramen is a 2am meal. In London, most ramen shops close by 10pm. The late-night ramen run barely exists here.
- The ticket machine. Controversial, but the vending machine ordering system in Tokyo ramen shops removes friction entirely. Order, sit, eat, leave. No waiting for a bill.
The Best Ramen Bowls in London Right Now
If you want to experience the best of London's ramen scene, start here:
- Kanada-Ya — The benchmark tonkotsu. 18-hour broth, perfect noodles, worth the queue.
- Monohon Ramen — The cult favourite. Mentaiko cream ramen at a tiny counter in Old Street.
- Ramo Ramen — The wildcard. Filipino-fusion with coconut and tamarind broth. Nothing else like it.
- Koi Ramen Bar — The budget pick. Solid tonkotsu for under £10 across South London.
- Tokoton — The vegan champion. Plant-based ramen that actually delivers.