Whenever it gets cold and rainy (which is at least 75% of the time here in Manchester), there is nothing we like more than slurping on a steaming hot bowl of noodles and broth, so it’s a good job we’ve got some of the best ramen places in the country. Yeah, we said it.
For many people, ramen still conjures up images of Pot Noodles and packet food you simply ping in the microwave or stick the kettle on for, but the truth is that the Japanese comfort dish with roots in China, Korea, Indonesia and all over the world is a deeply rich cuisine has decades of culture behind it.
It isn’t just a case of dumping any old carbs in a bowl of soup and sprinkling a few bits and bobs on top: the very best ramen chefs in the world pride themselves on the expert craft of slaving over broths for days, perfecting homemade noods and fine-tuning the dish into something more gourmet and special.
Fortunately, there are plenty of people who take ramen seriously here in Manchester and serve up bowls made with just as much finesse as love — here are some of the best places for when the craving hits:
The top 15 ramen spots in and around Manchester
1. RAMENSHOP – Northern Quarter
@the.manc If you spot a new ramen joint in the place of Tokyo Ramen, don’t panic – it’s still the same ramen #themanc #manchester #northernquarter #ramen ♬ Again (Remix) – Timble
Starting off with a noodle bar that has been duking it out for the top spot on Manchester city centre’s ramen scene for years now, Ramenshop – formerly known as Tokyo Ramen – is and always will be one of our absolute favourites.
Being the first place responsible for introducing us to fried chicken in our ramen and experts at tweaking their broths with various types of tare, there’s a reason this place is walk-in only because not only does it pride itself on its informal setting but it would be booked out all year-round otherwise.
Known not only for a small but superb menu of four different bowls of broth, noodles and toppings but popular Japanese sodas, twists on classic cocktails and an absolutely banging playlist (we couldn’t not shout it out), for many people these guys will always be one of if not the best ramen place in Manchester.
2. Maki and Ramen – Central
Next up is a relatively new addition to 0161: Maki and Ramen. Starting out with one restaurant in Edinburgh before going on several more and then sister sites in Glasgow, Leeds and now Manchester, we have literally no complaints about their start to life in our city. Even their takeaway containers are ace.
From founder Teddy Lee‘s time studying the art of both ramen and sushi making in the heart of Tokyo to being welcomed through the doors with the banging of a drum as all the staff shout a traditional Japanese greeting, you get that feeling of authenticity right from the off.
The sushi, side plates and other mains are all genuinely delicious too but we all know what you’re here for and while the classic tonkotsu never misses, the steak tataki is lovely and creamy and the salmon miso one is a nice light take on things, we’ve never had anything quite like their black garlic ramen. Wow.
@the.manc Maki & Ramen has opened their first restaurant in England, and it’s right here in Manchester 😍 #manchester #newopening #manchesterfood #food #ramen #sushi ♬ original sound – The Manc
3. New Wave Ramen – Central
Another fast-growing city centre spot is New Wave Ramen which, following the success of their stall inside Mackie Mayor, has now opened its first proper brick-and-mortar venue over on Tib Lane and it’s already proving to be just as good as the original.
The 2.0 site has all the charm of its parent pop-up and is still ordering the freshest and most sustainable Japanese ingredients available. You can get your standard miso and shoyu ramen, but specials like the chicken and meatball are so lip-smackingly umami we can never get enough, and the spicy lamb Tantanmen is just unreal.
We won’t lie, it helps that the new place is literally right around the corner from The Manc office but we’ve been enjoying their hearty bowls for a hot minute and now they’ve even got ex-CBRB chefs working in the kitchen for all you former ‘Girl Gang’ members (guilty as charged).
4. Wazuzhi – Chinatown
Formerly known as Wasabi, which itself was already a popular and budget-friendly little city centre spot for a good while, this Faulkner Street gem is basically the same ramen and sushi restaurant just levelled up, open six days a week and, once again, walk-in only.
Offering some of the more unique concoctions we’ve stumbled across in Manchester, including the likes of roast duck tonkotsu, ramen filled with nothing but broth and gyozas and the Chef Special packed with all the best proteins, this place unsurprisingly gets a lot of Chinatown footfall.
Another thing that definitely helps is the fact that as well as being super tasty, Wazuzhi also does one of the best value-for-money lunchtime deals in town, with big ol’ bowls of ramen and more available from just £8. Immense.
5. Lucky Ramen – Ancoats
In at number five is Lucky Ramen which is based out of the Mule coffee shop over in Ancoats and only comes out when the intimate little spot tucked away into the side of a building on Blossom Street turns into a cult favourite ramen and sushi bar in the evenings.
Seating just a dozen diners at a cosy but manageable squeeze, the first thing that strikes you about this place is the aesthetic and the next thing that hits you is how bloody good the food is.
Chiming perfectly with the immaculate and stylish design of the interior, this place promises clean and complex flavours served in colourful bowls topped with the freshest ingredients. We’ll say one thing, though, don’t expect ladles upon ladles of broth here: it’s all about savouring things — and you can always fill up on sushi.
6. Samsi – Central
As we cross the halfway mark, we’re going aiming for smack bang in the middle of the ramen experiences here in Manchester and one of the longest-standing places on this list: Samsi.
Situated near the Gay Village and not far from Piccadilly Station and Oxford Road, Samsi has been sitting as a go-to food spot for all things ramen and Japanese cooking not only thanks to its central location but because of its reputation for delivering no-nonsense but traditional and incredibly tasty food.
It might look somewhat unassuming from the outside but the second you step inside to see the cherry blossoms and red accents, you’re already transported. All that being said, their beef and Jagoki chicken ramen are the stuff of legend and the ‘Kinoko’ might be one of the best veggie ramen we’ve ever had.
7. Shogun Ramen – Chorlton
Stepping out of the city centre and into the reaches of Chorlton, we’re heading to another ramen place that prides not only on its authenticity but being one of the best when it comes to price point.
Boasting queues that went all down the road and around the corner after Sacha Lord chose to pay for everyone’s bill in August 2023, Shogun Ramen went from feeling like one of our best-kept secrets and instant recommendations to friends out-of-town to one on everyone’s list of must-try food spots.
We can’t speak highly enough of this place but we have tried in the past, and if we can tell you one thing is that more people should make and eat chicken teriyaki ramen. They even do kid-sized portions — though we assure you they’ll be asking for more.
8. Mr Su’s – Oxford Road Corridor
Ok, getting to the business end of things now and if you’ve not jumped on the Mr Su‘s hype train yet, what are you playing at?
Joining the ever-growing list of food and drink units at Circle Square, Mr Su’s is flying the flag for the Chinese side of the dish and while it might be simply listed as ‘noodle soup’ on the menu, there can be no mistakes as to the rich tradition you’re enjoying here.
With over 20 different types of noodles, five different broths and 30 different fresh and authentic ingredients to choose from, you can essentially build a different and potentially perfect ramen, noodle soup, hot pot or whatever you want to call it every time you visit. A real interactive experience.
9. House of Fu – Portland Street
From one Leeds fave to another, House of Fu is our penultimate pick and another newbie here in Manchester, but it inserted itself into the top 10 places to go for ramen the second almost immediately.
It might have started out in Yorkshire but we couldn’t give these lot a warmer welcome as the noodle bar serves up some of the nicest scran you could ask for when the weather’s a bit crap. If their trademark ‘Spicy Fu’ or incredible kimchi and cheese ramen doesn’t sort you out, nothing will. Their broths are also thicker and creamier than most and that can only be a good thing.
This place also has the bonus of not only a wide selection of other non-noodle-based items, as well as some pretty banging cocktails, but it also has private rooms and a karaoke bar downstairs after you’ve finished fuelling up. Ramen, booze and a sing-song — what’s not to like?
10. Suki Suki – Deansgate
Last but not least, this list of the top 10 ramen spots in Manchester wouldn’t feel like we’d done it right without adding in another relative newcomer which has quickly become one of the most popular in The Manc office, and that’s Suki Suki.
Chuckle at the name all you like, these lot know what they’re doing and after trying virtually everything on the menu at their Great Northern site, we can confirm the ramen is up there with some of the very best stuff they do — and they do a lot really well.
From soft-shell crab, prawns, karaage chicken, char sui pork and more to choose from as your toppings as well as four different broths — miso, shoyu, tonkotsu and their take on curry ramen — we promise each bowl is the umami bomb you’re hoping for and you’ll neck every last drop.
11. Shoryu Ramen – Piccadilly Gardens
Now, as we approach a dozen different ramen places in Manchester, we’re going to allow ourselves to throw a couple of chains into the mix but with good reason: they’re, well… pretty darn good.
Shoryu Ramen‘s Manchester location – the first site they ever opened outside of London – over at One Piccadilly Gardens has been standing there for a few years and it’s served as a more than reliable option for our favourite way to eat noodles when arriving back in the city on more than one occasion.
Known for super soft and succulent pork belly, a ridiculously large selection of tonkotsu style broths, as well as great weekly offers like the early bird ramen from just £10.99, two buns for £8 when you buy any bowl of broth or curry and the express lunch deal (two courses and two drinks for £20), we can’t overlook it any longer. Affordable ramen is something we can get behind.
Can you handle the heat?🔥
Our Spicy Mountain Tonkotsu Ramen comes with our signature tonkotsu broth but this time supercharged with Godzilla’s heat ray spicy sauce and topped with char siu pork, spicy mince, and lots of toppings.
🖱️BOOK at https://t.co/h6DPzNTxQJ pic.twitter.com/SRqfNP3C70
— Shoryu Ramen (@shoryu_ramen) September 21, 2024
12. Tampopo – Central
In a similar vein, Manchester-born mini-franchise Tampopo is also rightly landing on our list because for one, we love a local success story and secondly, because, it remains one of the so-called bigger-name brands that we still frequent and are never let down.
Starting out back in 1997, the Pan-Asian paradise has now made its way to London and boasts locations in the Corn Exchange and The Trafford Centre, but it all started with that standalone and still stunning restaurant on Albert Square.
You won’t go far wrong with their ramen, bowls of pho or vermicelli noodle options but the thing we love about this so much is the sheer variety and value for money. We know this list is about one type of dish specifically but we’ve got a lot of love for pretty much everything they do.
13. HakkaPo – First Street
The baker’s dozen pick on our list of the best ramen places in Manchester comes in the form of the fast-growing HakkaPo over on the First Street complex, though like Bunny Jackson’s it’s technically located on Jack Rosenthal St – but you catch out drift.
It became an instant hit with the students and residents of the Vita building it sits at the bottom of and also serves up a super enticing £10 lunch deal from 12-3pm on weekdays as well as happy hour to keep you there a bit longer from 4-7pm.
They have seven sensational ramens but their wagyu shoyu is the start of the show as it effectively comes with carpaccio-grade Japanese beef. The only thing against it is that it’s closed on Monday but we’re sure if everyone just reads this and makes it super busy we can change that…
14. Taiko – Mackie Mayor
Coming in right at the death is one of the more recent additions to Manchester’s ramen scene and that’s the Taiko dining concept over in Mackie Mayor.
A spin-off of New Wave based more around street food that’s just as fast in service as it is fierce in flavour, this place hasn’t even been open that long and is already becoming one of the most popular vendors in the bustling food hall.
Serving up a small but ever-evolving menu, their ‘Devil Ramen’ was one of the nicest things we ate in the entirety of 2024, as was their frankly unreal fried chicken sandwich. Do not sleep on this place and we’d recommend sitting at the bar to watch the magic happen right in front of your eyes if you can.
15. Garden of Peach – Chorlton
Ok, last but not least we’re going honesty hour here: number 15 on our list of the best ramen places in Greater Manchester is one we actually haven’t yet tried but you best believe we’ll be bringing our chopsticks to the Barlow Moor Road spot sometime very soon.
Garden of Peach is the home of Taiwanese ramen and beer, specifically right in the heart of Chorlton. The reason we feel compelled to put it on this list is that we’ve now heard so many good reviews about this place from trusted friends and foodies that we’re simply having to concede that it should be on here.
For now, you’ll have to take their word for it just like us and when we have sampled their soupy goodness for ourselves, you’ll be the first to know about it.
Read more:
- The Last Bowl: An Ode to Cocktail Beer Ramen + Bun
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- The very best and booziest bottomless brunch places Manchester to offer
And that’s it, that’s your list of the best ramen restaurants in Manchester — or at least what we believe is the best we’ve had (barring that one honourable mention) from the region’s budding scene.
Thankfully, this is just a drop in the MSG-infused ocean of noodle spots across the various cuisines in the city overall and there are literally too many of them to mention, so we’ll all have to go away, do our research and reconvene when it comes to the best Chinese hot pots, bowls of pho, laksa and so on.
Slurp ya’ later.
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Featured Images — The Manc Group
The post The 15 best places to get ramen in Manchester appeared first on The Manc.
