Best Ramen in Tokyo: 7 Bowls, Ranked

Tokyo has somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 ramen shops. Our 2018 trip was the one where we converted from "people who like ramen" into "people who have opinions about ramen." Seven days, eleven bowls, one Michelin-starred experience that changed how we think about soup.

1. Tsuta: The Michelin ramen

In 2018, Tsuta in Sugamo was the only Michelin-starred ramen in the world. ¥800 for the basic shoyu ramen with truffle. The broth was clear soy with a perfume of black truffle oil and a light grating of fresh truffle on top. The noodles were thin, springy, slightly al dente. We took thirty minutes because we were studying every spoonful.

The drill: queue for a token first thing in the morning (queue forms by 8am, shop opens at 11am, you get a return time). ¥800 to eat. Total time including queue: two hours. The bowl itself: ten minutes of perfection.

Note: Tsuta has moved since 2018. Check current location and reservation rules before going.

2. Rokurinsha: The tsukemen at Tokyo Station

Inside Tokyo Station on the basement Ramen Street: eight famous shops in one corridor. Rokurinsha does tsukemen (dipping noodles, cold noodles dipped into hot rich broth). ¥950. The dipping broth was more emulsified than any sauce we've ever eaten. Queue at the one with the longest line, it's the one the locals are queuing for.

3. Mensho: The lamb ramen surprise

In Bunkyo, near Tokyo Dome. Mensho is the lamb ramen specialist, which sounds wrong and is excellent. The lamb broth is rich and gamey, the noodles are curly, the toppings include cumin and coriander. ¥1,200. Different from anything else on this list.

4. Afuri Ebisu: The lighter option

Afuri does yuzu shio ramen: citrus-based clear-broth ramen that's the lighter, more elegant alternative to tonkotsu. ¥1,100. The yuzu lifts the soup. The noodles are perfectly straight. We ate two bowls in two days.

5. Ichiran Shibuya: The experience

Ichiran is everywhere now (London, New York, Hong Kong) but the Shibuya branch is the quintessential Tokyo experience. You sit at a private booth divided by wooden partitions, fill in a paper order form (broth strength, noodle firmness, garlic level, everything), and the bowl is delivered through a gap in the wall by hands you don't see. ¥980 for tonkotsu with kakuni pork. Open 24 hours. We went at 2am after a Shinjuku night and it was transcendent.

6. Ippudo: The reliable one

Ippudo in Roppongi. Tonkotsu pork-bone broth, thinner noodles, soft-boiled egg. ¥1,100. Reliable, efficient, opens early, 90% as good as the famous places. Don't queue 30 minutes elsewhere when Ippudo has zero queue.

7. 7-Eleven Nissin Raoh: The unironic recommendation

This is not a joke. Japanese convenience stores sell instant ramen so good it would put most British ramen restaurants out of business. Buy the Nissin Raoh tonkotsu pack (¥220, microwave 4 minutes), add an onsen tamago (¥130), top with a slice of pork from the deli counter. Total cost ¥480, total time 6 minutes. Better than 60% of the ramen we've eaten in London. Try it on a hangover.

Ramen budget for 7 days in Tokyo