If standing in a queue for mediocre, no-frills ramen served against the backdrop of incongruous, loud music with staff who whiz past without glancing your way is your thing, then Ippudo is for you. I've never been to the other, global Ippudo locations, but my visit to the new London location was disappointing. Limp, flavorless noodles served with minimal ingredients for £10 ... would much rather queue for Kanada-Ya's superior ramen directly across the road. It seemed to be overstaffed during our visit, and yet, several plaintive "Excuse me?" for water, bill, and for someone to take our order went ignored. I'm spoilt for choice when it comes to ramen in London, with Tonkotsu East, Shoryu, and Kanada-Ya all virtually on my home/work doorsteps ... so I won't be returning to Ipuudo any time soon. read more

Like many others, we were going to the place across the street and changed our minds when we saw the line. Yikes! We opted to try Ippudo out and were very pleasantly surprised. We liked it so much that we actually opted to dine there again on our last night in London. Ramen is very very tasty. Service was spotty the first time but the 2nd time it was fabulous. Sake is good too! read more

To be honest the poor service overshadowed the Ramen on my visit. Which is a shame, because the others have given the ramen here such wonderful reviews. All of the staff we interacted with, including the main host, were curt and rude. The highlight was when the waiter repeatedly insisted the glass of red wine he served me was a Sauvignon Blanc. It felt too chainy and the whole izakaya vibe just wasn't working. read more

A ramen japanese concept, which I wish I would have read before attending. Reasonable prices for inner city London although obviously felt a little bit like a franchise on the way in. Friendly and kinda personal but not really. Although service is better here than most places. Anyhow unfortunately I didn't order the ramen, which was rather tasty. The gyuzo was good and the edimame was the norm. I had a black cod which was nice but far from the best portion I have ever had, although reasonably tasty if I was on a diet. The sapporo beer was excellent, shame I couldn't have a few more. Maybe a place to come again, although there r so many Japanese restaurants to try. read more

See all

I had been to the Ippudo in Paris, and the London branch was no different (as expected). Will it satisfy your ramen craving while you're abroad? Yes. Will you want to come back all the time? For an expensive, okay bowl of ramen, probably not. My friend and I both had the lunch special, which included ramen, a side dish and iced green tea. The Karaka-men broth was the perfect amount of spice, but aside from that, pretty average. Location is convenient and the interior is clean and modern. Brace yourself for your warm welcome inside, it'll make part of you want to hide back behind the curtain! read more

Did not disappoint. Loved the chicken and pork buns! The original ramen is so comforting and the noodles are cooked perfectly.

Great ramen spot in London. Modern and fun atmosphere, solid service, and lots of good veggie options. Their vegetarian ramen is fantastic.

I knew about Ippudo because of my last year trip to Japan; and I still cannot forget the ramen we tried there: OUTSTANDING! In fact, we when twice to Ippudo during our stay in Kyoto and we also went to Ippudo some days later in Tokyo. We also tried Ippudo at NY East Village. The menu in the London restaurant is similar to the Japanese one. And the food is also excellent! I found the noodles just slightly worse in comparison to the previous times. However, there were a couple of differences in comparison to the Japan and NY restaurants that I didn't like at all. First, the restaurant does not have the cozy ambiance I found in Japan and NY. In fact, the restaurant looks like a modern restaurant difficult to identify with the traditional japanese dishes. Second, the service was kind of bad. The waiters were anxious to retire our bowls and they seemed to be depress. Just the opposite I found in Japan and NY, where the waiters were enthusiastic and speaking a much more credible japanese! Overall, I gave 4 points just because I am always willing to reward nice ramen (which unfortunately is still difficult to find). I am sure that I'll be back to NY's and Japan's Ippudo restaurants... but it seems unlikely I'll be back to Ippudo London in my next trip to the UK. read more

A taste of Fukuoka in central London! I discovered Ippudo when I was in Japan - lived there for three years but it took me a later holiday run to actually visit Kyushu. Back there, the Ippudo we went to was much smaller and had a much more familial atmosphere, but this is London so of course here it's a bit fancier. The noodles are the most authentic Hakata-style noodles I've tried so far in London (compared to Bone daddies and Shoryu). We shared an additional serving of noodles (替玉 kaedama) cause they were so good! The karaage were somewhat too greasy due to a small meat to batter ratio (shame on you!), however the crispness factor and the fattiness of the meat (as opposed to the low fat breast meat at the Shoryu) made them ok. The gyoza were good traditional gyoza, not the more unique one-bite gyoza we had in the Japanese branch. I tried a sake-gin-grapefruit cocktail (the Hakata I think) which was quite good and original. We didn't have to queue as we arrived around 2pm on a Saturday, but I think I'd be ready to wait for this. read more

The pork ramen and gyozas are extremely tasty. My wife and I really enjoyed the food at this place. Fairly expensive, but the noodle refills are very reasonably priced, so I recommend you get some. Be aware that you will experience (White, British) waiters shouting barely comprehensible Japanese at customers with little enthusiasm, and communal seating (although it's still fairly spacious). If you can get over that, this place serves some really good ramen. read more

I haven't been to so many ramen places in London yet, but I guess it is fairly good one. We ordered Shiromaru, Akamaru with seasoned boiled egges, and Yamitsuki goma kyuri. The total price was 35 pounds, which I thought was really expensive for ramen.... but it might be a normal price for London. The tonkotsu broth was good, the eggs were seasoned nicely, Kyuri's sauce was okay but might need some more strong taste. There were many staffs enough to take care of the customers and they were all nice and lively just as I see in ramen places in Japan. The place is cleaner than Japanese ones, which is good. I also recognized some Japanese staffs. The only problem is that it is not really a cheap eat here in London. read more

When I look at the menu I was surprised by the wide range of dishes they have as I've been to Kanada-Ya, right opposite Ippudo, previously and their menu was so small. Ippudo even had fish & chips and steak, with a twist though. I ordered the £10 student meal which was so good as it included a bowl of ramen, a portion of gyoza and a drink. Usually the ramen is already over £10 on its own. I shared this with my friend and we ordered some hirata buns and desserts to share. The broth was rich which was tasty but different to Ippudo, the buns were fluffy and the gyoza had golden crispy skin on the outside filled with juicy, meaty filling. The staff was friendly and helpful and all the staff would always greet you when you arrive and when you leave by shouting out Japanese words such as 'welcome' and 'thank you'. Think this is a Japanese restaurant cultural thing but can be awkward as I assume most people here wouldn't know what to say or even what the words mean. But overall it's a great ramen bar in London. The broth taste richer and better than Shoryu and has a wider menu than Kanada-Ya. I would definitely go back! read more

See all

Very nice very solid bowl of ramen. A tad pricy for the rest of the menu but can't say I didn't enjoy the food nontheless! read more

See all

I've been to Ippudo in NYC so I was really excited to find out they had a location in London. I got the spicy tonkastsu ramen which was nice and spicy but not too spicy, just right! The pork and the soft boiled egg in the ramen were super duper tasty!! We also got the pork buns which were super yummy!!! If you love ramen this is an awesome spot! read more

It's all about the broth when it comes to Ramen and this place did not disappoint. Was it the best Ramen I've ever had? No, but it was very good and the pork belly was cooked perfectly. The broth needed no extra seasoning and the soft egg was just right. read more

A place to go if you're hungry for a ramen. It's huge! I went with 5 other friends and none of us finished. We are all students, so we got the promotion (gyoza + traditional ramen + a drink of your choice for £10). This was pretty good; however, I don't think it would be worth the original price (out of the promotion). Ambience is not the best. Staff seem very serious about the tradition, but the music (a mix of Rihanna and Calvin Harris) didn't quite match the place. read more

Really good ramen. The starter dishes however are a bit average. Out of the 3 dishes we ordered the cucumber salad was probably the best. Very fresh and clean flavour. The fried chicken were soggy had better ones at bone daddies. The gyoza tastes exactly the same as the frozen ones I bought at Japan centre. The service was a bit unorganised upstairs everyone seemed lost. I would definitely go back for the ramen though. read more

See all

This has to be my favorite ramen place in London. The staff are all super friendly and welcoming and the atmosphere is very pleasant. Look no further for the best ramen in town. I can't recommend Ippudo enough. I look forward to my next trip to London so I can come back. read more

I liked the ramen here, but it wasn't that memorable. My two friends and I shared pork buns (soft, nice flavor) as apps, and I had the shiromaru classic (a bit bland?). Fine food, but I'm not itching to return here. I much prefer the nearby Kanada-Ya, even with the much longer wait. Basically, if you're not that picky about ramen and are looking for a quick bite in a spacious (quite beautiful, actually) restaurant, then Ippudo is right up your alley. But if you're a ramen fanatic, then this might not be the place for you. read more

Excellent ramen noodles and pork buns. Had al around the world and this location is better than the Thailand location we had last year.

Terrible for vegetarians - only limited items and they're cooked in the same oil as non-vegetarian items. Have enjoyed their food in New York where this isn't the case so very disappointed that they don't have the same standards in London. read more

I had an excellent experience here in December, 2016 -- authentic Hakata ramen (Akadama Tamago), delicious appetizers (Goma Kyuri, Kale Salad, Gyoza, Vegetarian Bun), friendly service and warm waiting area/bar! Ippudo started in Hakata, Japan. I've been an Ippudo fan for over 15 years, even before they had many locations outside Hakata like nowadays. Whenever I visit Tokyo now, I try to go to Ippudo at least once during my stay. Ippudo is so good. As for this location in London, actually I was disappointed when I had Shirodama Ramen over a year ago (March, 2015). But I'm glad I went back. I was very happy about their Akadama Tamago Ramen this time. It is authentic and super delicious. PROS: - Ramen and appetizers tasted excellent! - They have a bar/waiting area. So, you can likely wait for a table warmly drinking a pint of beer or something. - All food on the menu are available at a bar, including ramen. We put down our name for a table but ended up eating at a bar because we didn't want to wait! - They are VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY. That is not UNcommon at ramen joints in London (or San Francisco where I live), but it is VERY rare in Japan. Since my partner is vegetarian, I always appreciate restaurant's awareness and efforts to have vegetarian customers and their friends and families. If there are no vegetarian items, I cannot go with my partner! CONS: - It took long time until ramen was served. I was probably waiting nearly 10 mins after I finished gyoza. Maybe that's because there was less people working in the kitchen during holidays. read more

Do yourself a favor and go to Tonkotsu instead!!! It's unfortunate I can't give this place 0 stars. I am a celiac and I am super flexible when it comes to eating. I completely understand not having gluten free noodles. I asked to replace the noodles in my ramen with vegetables, The server said yes. My food came and it was broth by itself. Next delivered was every ingredient promised to be in the ramen in its own individual bowl. I found this to be strange but didn't over think it. Finally The bill came and I was charged for every ingredient in the ramen separately on top of the standard ramen price. So for £12 you get broth. They even charge you for sriracha. read more

I have been to a ippudo in NYC, Manila, and Singapore and though there are some variations in the offerings, the service was good. HOWEVER, the IPPUDO at 3 Central Saint Giles Piazza; St. Giles High Street, London has ATROCIOUS service. After a 30 minute wait ( not unusual of ippudos), we were seated and after waiting another 15 minutes at the table, I had to get up and go find my waiter to take our orders. Our waiter 'Eric' took the order which was large sake, 4 waters, 2 ORDERS ( 6 pieces) of pork bun appetizer, 3 Karakamen ramen (2 with medium noodles and one with hard noodles) and 1 Shiromaru Hakata classic Ramen (medium noodles). and after 20 minutes he hadn't even brought our sake or water. So I got up and went over to him and then he proceeded to bring the water. 15 minutes later, someone from the kitchen showed up and brought 2 PIECES of pork bun. I asked him what happened to the other pork buns and he said that the waiter only ordered two buns. So I called our waiter Eric over and told him that I ordered two orders of pork buns which is six pieces as exactly I had explained to him however he just didn't seem to get it. The pork buns were quite anemic with the pork filling. 95 % bun and 5 % filling. This is not the IPPUDO that I know. Also, I had ordered Karashi takana to put in the ramen but that never came until later in the meal I had to ask another waiter for it. When our ramens came, I asked him which one had the hard noodles and he said " it doesn't matter because they are all the same". WHAT?? I looked in my ramen bowl and it had mushy soft ramen noodles. I told him that I wanted hard noodles in my Karakka Ramen. He really didn't seem to care. I know that in other parts of the world, ippudo takes pride in the quality of the food as well as customer service, however, London's Ippudo clearly does not follow that philosophy. The waiter than suggested he will just bring some hard noodles which I can dump in my Ramen. WHAT?? So what am I going to do about my mushy soft noodles that are sitting in the ramen bowl mixed up with everything else that is in the bowl. The noodles don't just come out so easily without the other elements of the ramen coming out with it. I told him that was unacceptable and I just want the Ramen noodles that I ordered. All in all, it was a very disappointing Speary and's having been to multiple other ippudos around the world. If you have been to other Ippudos around the world or in your own home country, do not think of this Ippudo as being related to the one that you have been to in your own home country or at other destinations. This is clearly a very substandard ramen noodle restaurant. I have not been to other Ramen restaurants in London but I am absolutely certain that there are other Ramen restaurant which would for outshine Ippudo. This was an extremely disappointing experience, one I will never repeat again. Save yourselves the anticipation, excitement, or hype of an IPPUDO in London and go eat at any decent London restaurant whatever ethnicity the food is. I can't imagine the service to be any worse than this or the food quality to be such a disappointment. TRUST ME, it is just NOT THE SAME IPPUDO that you may have been to in your own home countries. Save your money. Enough said. read more

Ramen good but nothing special. Very disorganised service. Poor staff was friendly but absolutely frantic! Restroom broken. They were out of eggs but it's part of their signature ramen dish. Just okay. read more

Nope. Had high expectation but like another Yelper had mentioned, there is this aura of overbearing pretentiousness that isn't justified by good ramen. It's the same company, but not the same ramen and vibe. The small mom-and-pop ramen shop across the street gets more customers than this giant. Won't be coming back. read more

I came here on a Saturday night before 6pm, it's best to get there before the dinner rush. I ordered the ippudo akamaru modern, with extra sides. What is ramen without a proper egg? I am a fan or tonkatsu ramen, and the broth here does the job. Order a bottle of sake to share with a friend and you are good. read more

Love their daily special and their amazing free bun promotions! Plus, they have an impressive selection of sakes and gyozas. I'm sold.

Decent ramen but nothing close to Kanada Ya across the street in terms of taste/quality/authenticity. Service was very friendly but a bit confusing/ overwhelming. Was pressured into drinking so much water I feel waterboarded. This has made me bloated and antisocial. Chicken Hirata Buns tasted identical to McChicken burgers. Sesame panacotta tastes like i just dipped my tongue in a nightclub ashtray and have left a foul taste in my mouth contrary to the purpose and institution of dessert. Too much noise and unecessary screaming directed to noone in particular in japanese by clearly non-japanese people. What are you saying? All together alright experience but do not think I will be back soon. read more

Delicious ramen and lovely starters too. My friends and I arrived and they had no table for us, but the bar is a big enough that it didn't feel like an imposition to sit there for the 15 minutes it took for a table to clear for us. We were sat in a corner and the food was really good! We shared the chicken buns and vegetable buns and the fish & chips as starters, then each got a ramen. Mine was the Aka Vegetarian with the Boiled Egg. I can honetsly say that the broth had a rich flavour and the umami ball added complexity to the dish that is often quite boring. I will definitely be visiting again. read more

Terrific ramen just like you'd gone in Japan. I'd get hard noodles and the misco broth.

This was a solid bowl of ramen. I've never had ramen in London on account of better more classic things to eat but I have had ramen from Ippudo's original locations in Tokyo as well as other gold standards like Ichiran. All in this ramen was pretty excellent and as advertised. The only thing that took this place from 5 to 4 was the service and the ambiance. The service was kind of slow- they told us to pick a bunch of combo menu items as that was technically cheaper than the a la carte items we ordered but then some of them didn't show up and we had to ask for them. The other issue on ambiance was that tables near the front and the kitchen started to smell sewer and when that happened staff would wash a bin worth of soap water down the floor drains in the kitchen which fixed the sewer gas issue but made the area smell like chemicals. Until this is figured out try to sit in the back. Despite this the food itself was great. read more

Ramen is ok. Everything else is overpriced for the small portion that you get. We had a good time when we went there soon after the opening, but now the service was really bad. The dishes were not corresponding to their description and many order were taken simply wrong (not just ours, the people at tables around us had similar issues). For the poshness that they want to show we were mistreated (even for the simple thing, you don't deserve a small plate if you share gyoza...) Not going back. There are better options for excellent ramen in London read more

after a few days in London, i was craving some good asian food and i had previously dined at Ippudo in NYC so i knew i could rely on the Ippudo name for a hearty bowl of ramen haha...and i was not let down! i think this is a fairly new location and it's located right near the Google London building. me and justin b. showed up right at opening expecting a long line, but to our surprise, there was no one waiting and we were seated right away. the place looks sleek and modern and we were seated on the main level but it looks like there is more space on the 2nd floor too. i ordered an Ippudo favorite, the Akamaru Modern with a boiled egg (extra 1.50) since i feel it has more flavor to it than their classic bowl. at 11 pounds, its not a cheap bowl of ramen...but its a good bowl of ramen haha. it was hearty and flavorful and it hit the spot on a cold London evening. read more

It saves my stomach from disgusting British food in London. What more can I say? The service is great. The place is clean. There's no wait. Tasted a bit lighter (which I prefer) than the one I tried in Taiwan. read more

Ippudo. Where I go when I want a quick, filling and adequate bowl of ramen. This place is like the Nando's of ramen. It's not going to blow your mind, but it will be good enough that you're not walking away disappointed like you would from so many other ramen shops in London. This is probably because it's a Japanese chain. They know how to make their ramen and this bowl is pretty comparable to the one I had in NYC from the same chain. Unfortunately, the pork buns are not nearly as good. I think they are doing something different here (more mayo in the sauce perhaps?), but I guess you have to get one if you've never had one...they are good, just not AS good. Solid 7/10 ramen, but pricey and very limited on their other items. read more

My friend had been raving about Ippudo since she had first tried it in Shanghai, so when she found out that one had opened in London, she organised a group of 9 foodies. When we arrived we were asked to wait at the bar which we happily complied with. While we were waiting, two of our friends went to withdraw some money from a near by ATM and the staff refused to seat us until everyone was ready. Even after they arrived, they made us wait until we were all back from the toilets and absolutely ready to sit our asses down on their chairs. The staff was rude and contemptuous on more than one occasion and with a general snotty attitude. The drinks took a very long time and although the service was included and the place was far from cheap, the experience was terribly unpleasant. You simply had the feeling that no one working there thought that it might have been part of their job description to accommodate us. You know, since we're a party of 9, eating £300 worth of gyozas and noodles! It really felt like above all else (say service?!) they were running an efficient business operation, trying to minimise the time we spent at their table in order to maximise profits regardless of what happens to their customers in the process. The food on the other hand was very good (although at some point I didn't know if I could really enjoy it because I was afraid they might have spat in my Ramen!). I probably won't be going there again regardless of how tasty the dishes were simply because of the overall experience. read more

When I think of a ramen hangout I always look back to my trip to Ramen Alley in Sapporo, Japan and how small and intimate they are. However when you turn up at Ippudo it feels like it's another commercial franchise restaurant. Saying that the staff were still extremely polite. I started with a few Hirata Buns, the filings were tasty, slightly lacking on size and you can get better elsewhere. I also really like spice so went for the Karaka Spicy Men ramen. Personally I thought it was over spiced and it did start to over power the very flavoursome broth after a few mouthfuls. They also catch you out by providing a basic ramen and then you have to add toppings to complete it, making it overpriced for what you get. At least throw an egg in. If you are a traditionalist there are definitely better Ramen restaurants in London, but it is still OK to check out if you are passing by and need some quick comfort food. (Visit - 26/02/2015 Dinner) read more