Paris has some amazing Japanese restaurants and is home to some of the best ramen restaurants in France. Many are located in the city’s 1st arrondissement around rue Sainte-Anne – an area well known for its many Asian restaurants and supermarkets.
There’s plenty of fantastic bistros in Paris for those looking for a fix of traditional French food. However, if you are wondering where to find the best bowls of delicious ramen, we’ve got you covered.
The Best Ramen Restaurants in Paris
These are our favourite spots across the capital serving up different types of tonkatsu, shoyu (including veg & vegan options), miso and sea-food based bowls of ramen. All have been tried and tested multiple times! (In no particular order).
Hakata Choten
Hakata Choten is one ramen restaurant that most ramen enthusiasts in Paris will immediately reference. Probably my favourite spot for a bowl of ramen in Paris, they’ve got two locations, one near the famous rue Saint-Anne and the second, near the Chatalet les Halles.
Hakata Choten offer mainly Tonkotsu based ramen (with the exception of one vegetarian dish). Their tonkatsu broth is exceptionally rich and full of flavour and has excellent mouthfeel.
There are variations on offer including tonkatsu miso ramen and tonkatsu noir and rouge (the ‘noir’ ramen includes a black garlic based sauce and ‘rouge’ includes a spicy red sauce). Prices start from €14 for a bowl of tonkatsu ramen with limited toppings.
I’d also really recommend starting with their gyozas – they’re exceptional. You’ll find that at many Asian restaurants that serve dumplings, their filling mixture is overworked and you get more of a meatball texture. Here their gyozas are crispy on the base and the filling is juicy and so well seasoned.
What to know before you visit
- Their Opera/rue Saint Anne location is usually full so prepare to queue unless you arrive before they open
- Vegetarian friendly (they have one veggie ramen option)
Hakata Choten
Address: 53 Rue des Petits Champs, 75001
Tel: 01 40 20 98 88
Hakata Choten Les Halles
Address: 16 Rue de la Grande Truanderie, 75001
Tel: 01 40 13 95 32
Website: http://www.hakata-choten.com
Ippudo
Ippudo Ramen have a couple of restaurants dotted throughout the capital (and worldwide) in popular areas such as close to the Louvre and Saint Germain des Près. Whilst their menu set-up might mean that they’re one of the more expensive ramen options in the city, they’re definitely one of the best.
Their menu has a layer system, each style (there’s the classic tonkatsu, chicken and veggie) of ramen starts at €13.50 and goes up to €18.50 if you want all the extras. The basic version includes the broth, home made noodles (you can choose the firmness when ordering), roast pork belly slices, spring onions and mushrooms.
Each ‘version’ goes up with toppings with the most expensive including extra pork belly, marinated egg and sheets of noru. They also offer gyozas, Japanese fried chicken (karaage) and donburis.
What to know before you visit
- They don’t take reservations
- Their restaurant in St Germain des Près is usually very busy around lunch and dinner and you may need to queue
Ippudo République
Address: 6 Pl. Jacques Bonsergent, 75010
Tel: 01 40 18 40 81
Ippudo Louvre
Address: 74-76 Rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 75001
Tel: 01 42 86 09 85
Ippudo Saint-Germain
Address: 4 Rue Grégoire de Tours, 75006
Tel: 01 42 49 17 98
Website: https://www.ippudo.fr/
Kodawari
Kodawari Ramen are probably the best known ramen restaurants across the city. Their tiny traditionally decorated restaurants are extremely instagrammable – but it’s not all smoke and mirrors, their ramen is really good.
Kodawari Yokocho (their first restaurant in Paris) located on Rue Mazarine in the 6th arrondissement mainly specialises in Shoyu based ramens. This is to say that the majority of their ramens are based on chicken broth and flavoured with a home made sea-food dashi.
There are multiple choices available with different flavours and ingredients; roasted pork, sous-vide cooked chicken and a seasonal vegetarian option. The prices are reasonable – €13-14 per bowl. However, they are extremely popular and have little seating so make sure you come very early to avoid queuing.
Their second restaurant, Kodawari Tsukiji, offer incredibly interesting sea-food and fish based ramens. Clear sardine broths are paired with grilled sardines and roasted iberico pork belly – they’re all incredibly delicious.
What to know before you visit
- They don’t take reservations
- Both restaurants are incredibly popular – prepare to spend a long time queuing
- Both restaurants have 1 vegetarian option
Kodawari Tsukiji
Address: 12 Rue de Richelieu, 75001
Tel: 01 42 61 34 60
Kodawari Yokochō
Address: 29 Rue Mazarine, 75006
Tel: 01 43 29 37 67
Website: https://www.kodawari-ramen.com
Naritake Ramen
Naritake Ramen is located just off the famous Rue Saint-Anne in the 1st arrondissement. A tiny, ultra traditional Japanese restaurant, Naritake offer two types of ramen: Shoyu or Miso.
Their soups are very customisable depending on your preference, firstly you choose your soup base then your toppings (spring onions/scallions, mung beans, roasted pork etc), then you can choose the thickness and seasoning intensity.
Their ramens are extremely well seasoned – perhaps for some approaching over seasoned. For those not wanting to bother, they have one set menu with toppings pre-selected (though you can choose the soup base) for €23. Worth a visit when you’re in the very centre of the city however like most spots, the restaurant is tiny and you may need to queue.
What to know before you visit
- They don’t take reservations
- Prepare to queue at peak times
- If you find the soup too salty, they are happy to tone the seasoning down a bit
Address: 31 Rue des Petits Champs, 75001
Website: https://www.facebook.com/naritake.ramen/
Neko Ramen
Neko ramen currently have two restaurants on the right bank of the city with identical menus. There’s 3 different bowls of ramen on the menu here; Shoyu (vegan), Shio and Tonkatsu. On the cheaper side of ramen options in Paris, the Shoyu ramen comes with a vegan vegetable based broth simmered for 10 hours and is reasonably priced at €9.5.
Their tonkatsu based ramen has the traditional well emulsified broth which apparently is cooked for over 2 days. With all the traditional toppings it’s a solid option and again is on the cheaper side compared to others in this list.
Neko ramen also have a decent menu for those not wanting ramen – including Japanese noodle dishes (yaki soba), katsu curry and fried chicken.
What to know before you visit
- Usually easy to get a walk-in sea
- Vegan friendly
Neko Ramen
Address: 6 Rue de la Grange Batelière, 75009
Tel: 06 13 60 29 23
Neko Ramen Green
Address: 31 Rue de Paradis, 75010
Tel: 06 11 48 91 73
Website: https://www.nekoramen.fr