Ramen Restaurants in Tokyo

Tokyo isn’t just about sushi and tempura – ramen here is a serious obsession. You’ll find everything from tiny shanty-style shops with lines spilling onto narrow streets, to sleek modern ramen counters that serve up unique brews. And some places have been around for decades, like Ichiran in Shinjuku, famous for letting you customize your bowl down to the last drop of seasoning.

If you want something a little different, try a bowl of tsukemen (dipping noodles) at Rokurinsha in Tokyo Station’s ramen street. It’s thicker noodles, cold, for dipping into rich, almost syrupy broth – wildly satisfying but not for the faint-hearted. When it comes to seasons, winter in Tokyo is made for ramen; nothing beats warming up with a hot bowl of miso ramen at Misoichi in Kichijoji.

Pro tip: avoid peak lunch hours unless you don’t mind the queues, especially around popular places in Ikebukuro or Yokohama’s Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum. Oh, and bring cash – many ramen shops don’t take cards. It’s a small thing, but you’ll thank me when you breeze in without fumbling.