13 Best Noodle Bars in London

Robin’s Ramen

Robin’s Ramen is a hidden gem tucked inside the well-recognised luxe grocer Supermarket of Dreams. Robin’s Ramen turns out bowls that look like little works of art.

Expect uniquely flavoured ramen you won’t find on a typical menu, like the Pistachio Matcha, with a pistachio matcha broth, spiced mushrooms and candied pistachio. They also run rotating limited specials that are always worth keeping an eye on. If you’re on the hunt for a new noodle spot that prides itself on inventive twists (while still nailing the classics), this is the place.

Where: Supermarket of Dreams, 126 Holland Park Ave, London W11 4UE
Website: www.robinsramen.com

Ramen Moto

If noodles are magic, then Ramen Moto is the sleight-of-hand that proves it. This is where traditional technique meets the finest British produce, with insistence on making something precise and comforting. 

The roots run straight to Sapporo, Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. Renowned for rich miso-based broths, which are distinct from the other soy, salt, or pork bone-based broths common to Japanese noodles. Moto holds that lineage with pride, perfecting a rich and delicate chicken white broth and a chewy, curly noodle designed to absorb without losing bite. In fact, Ramen Moto is the first and only ramen shop in London to hold exclusive licensing rights from Nishiyama Seimen, meaning they use the same original noodles as the best shops in Sapporo. For that reason, you’d be winning with any order; you can’t really go wrong. Every bowl is a masterclass in doing things properly. 

Where: 6 Charlotte St., London W1T 2LR
Website: www.ramenmoto.uk

Ivan Ramen

Ivan Ramen is the long-anticipated London stop for chef Ivan Orkin — a genuine ramen obsessive who turned his passion into a global journey. After making waves in Tokyo and New York, Orkin has chosen Clerkenwell for his first permanent UK venture.

The menu reads like a masterclass: the Tori Paitan, with rich chicken broth, minced chicken, egg yolk and crispy togarashi chicken; the classic Tonkotsu, with pork broth, shoyu-braised chashu, mushrooms, pickled mustard greens and soft egg; and the Spicy Miso Red Chilli, designed for heat-seekers. Nothing is accidental; the noodles are handmade to hold the broth, the toppings layered for texture and impact.

What sets Ivan Ramen apart is the authenticity and craft ethos. Orkin’s story — American chef turned Tokyo ramen pioneer, Netflix Chef’s Table contributor — gives the establishment weight, but the dining experience itself stays relaxed, walk-in friendly and focused on what counts: the food.

Tonkotsu

Tonkotsu has become one of London’s most reliable names for a proper bowl of ramen. It all started with a simple mission back in 2012: if they couldn’t find decent ramen in the city, they’d make it themselves. The Haggerston shop is still the one fans talk about, partly because you can watch the noodles being made on site. It’s a small detail that says a lot about the transparency of their approach. 

Everything here is made from scratch: the noodles, broths, gyozas, and most notably the chilli oil, which has developed its own following and is now jarred with two Great Taste Awards on the label. The original Tonkotsu ramen remains the bestseller and the best place to start. It‘s a clean, focused bowl built around thin-cut noodles, a pork broth enriched with lardo, pork belly, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, an egg, and a touch of garlic oil. It’s well-made ramen, consistent across all their shops, and a solid benchmark for anyone exploring London’s noodle scene. 

House of Ming 

House of Ming brings a more polished, date-night feel to London’s noodle and regional Chinese scene. The restaurant is built around a narrative of Ming-dynasty nobility travelling across early trade routes, carrying food and culture with them. The menu is rooted in Sichuan and Cantonese cooking with a modern, refined touch. 

Service is one of the standout elements here: warm, attentive, and very much in keeping with the luxe hotel setting. It’s not the cheapest spot on this list, but it’s a definite occasion spot. House of Ming is where you go when you want Chinese cuisine presented with ceremony, depth, and speciality. 

Where: 54 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6AF
Website: www.houseofming.co.uk

Silk Road Camberwell 

I have genuinely never seen prices like this in London; it almost feels like someone forgot to update the menu. Silk Road has been a Camberwell staple for years, serving Xinjiang-style dishes at costs so low they make you double-take. Think bowls of hand-pulled noodles for £2, sour soups with lamb and tomato for £4.50, crisp cucumber salads for £2 and plates of dumplings that taste far better than their £3 ticket may suggest.

The noodle soups are the move here: long, chewy noodles in a clear broth. The dumplings are reliably great, and the hand-pulled noodles are the kind of everyday comfort food people are looking for and struggling to find in London. It’s generous, unfussy, and I honestly just can’t get over those prices. A London essential, especially if you care about great food and great value.

Where: 47 Camberwell Church St, London SE5 8TR
Website: www.silkroadlondon.has.restaurant

Noodle Inn

Chinatown has no shortage of noodle shops, but it’s Noodle Inn that is the one that continuously gets all the attention, and for good reason. The draw is the Biang Biang noodles: thick, springy, hand-pulled ribbons tossed with minced pork or a whole short rib, served in metre-long lengths. Everything is made in-house, and you can taste that. The knife-cut noodles in particular have that perfect chew you only get from dough worked to order. 

It’s hugely popular, so yes, you should be prepared to queue. If you’re patient, it’s definitely worth it, but if you’d rather skip the line, check out places like Xi’an Impression, which will give a similar style. That said, Noodle Inn’s fame is not accidental; it’s a Chinatown spot that earns its reputation bowl by bowl. 

Where: 4-6 Old Compton St, London W1D 4TA

Xi’an Impression

Xi’an Impression is the kind of place that proves spicy, northern Chinese food can fix almost anything — hangovers included. Tucked beside the Emirates Stadium, it’s a casual, wallet-friendly stop serving some of the best Shaanxi dishes in the city, and the cooking has real character: bold, bright, comforting and full of heat.

The biang biang noodles are the essential order — wide, hand-pulled ribbons slicked with chilli sauce and topped with tender beef chunks. The chilli oil dumplings carry the same addictive burn, soft and slippery with just the right amount of punch. And while it may not be the dish you expect to recommend at a specialist Xi’an spot, the sweet and sour chicken is genuinely worth the journey.

Where: 117 Benwell Rd, London N7 7BW
Website: xian-impressions.menu-world.com

LIU Xiamian

Liu Xiaomian has built its name on Chongqing Xiaomian: spicy, aromatic noodle bowls with real personality. The shop is compact and casual, but the flavours hit with purpose: springy wheat noodles, a broth laced with Sichuan peppercorn, and a heat level you can tailor from gentle warmth to full fire. The menu is straightforward — noodles, toppings, spice — but each bowl carries a balance in flavour that keeps people coming back. Affordable, fast-moving and consistently satisfying, it’s an essential stop for anyone serious about London’s Chinese noodle scene.

Kung Fu Mama

Kung Fu Mama brings a dose of Taiwan’s night market energy to London, thanks to the collaboration between Chris Hsu and Noam Bar, the co-founder of Ottolenghi. The result is a menu that feels fun and vibrant, though still light on its feet. Their chicken thigh noodles with ginger and sesame are the dish people are consistently talking about: simple and properly satisfying. The 12-hour beef with Sichuan pepper has a bit more oomph, with the kind of tenderness that many miss the mark on. If payday has treated you kindly, the soft-shell crab bao is the move. This is a spot that feels buzzy, and a great entry point for anyone looking to try Taiwanese cooking with a bit of London polish. 

Where: 80 Long Acre, London WC2E 9NG
Website: www.kungfumama.co.uk

Dream Xi’an

Dream Xi’an takes its cues from the ancient city of Chang’an (modern day Xi’an) and the flavours of China’s Shaanxi province. It’s hearty cooking with real history behind it. The restaurant has picked up attention beyond London (including a nod on Chef’s Table), but the appeal is straightforward: everything is made to order, the portions are huge, and the value is almost unbelievable for the quality you get. 

Their pork biang biang noodles are the signature: hand-pulled and served with tomato and egg sauce and a generous hit of chilli oil. It’s a kind of bowl that encourages comfort, delivering exactly what you want from Shaanxi-style noodles: depth and spice.

Where: Tower Place West, London EC3R 5BU
Website: www.dreamxian.co.uk

Master Wei

Master Wei reflects the cooking of chef Wei Guirong, who arrived in London from Xi’an in 2008 and later helped put the city’s Shaanxi cuisine on the map with Xi’an Impression. Her Bloomsbury restaurant is her first solo project, and it shows in the clarity and confidence of the food. The cucumber salad is a must-order — probably one of the best versions you’ll find in London — and the fried hand-pulled belt noodles with lamb are the standout for something more substantial. It’s an easy, reliable choice if you’re in central and craving Xi’an dishes that are done with real precision and care.

Where: 13 Cosmo Pl, London WC1N 3AP
Website: www.master-wei.com

Xi’an BiangBiang 

Xi’an BiangBiang is worth knowing for one thing above all else: its sesame noodles. They’re rich, nutty and almost creamy, a different mood entirely from the chilli-led bowls elsewhere on this list. The hand-pulled biang biang noodles have the right weight and chew to carry that sauce, though the option with chunky pork belly and a braised egg in broth is a solid choice if you want something more warming. It’s a straightforward spot that delivers exactly what you want, and those sesame noodles seal the deal — a final reminder that London’s noodle scene is as wide, varied and brilliant as ever.

Where: Across London
Website: www.xianbiangbiangnoodles.com