Alongside the explosion of fine-dining Japanese restaurants in Manchester, there’s been an equally sharp rise in casual eating spots for this on-trend cuisine. While once we had a tapas place on every corner, we now have a ramen bar. We can’t suck up those noodles fast enough in this city.
In winter a bowl of well-made ramen really comes into its own: it’s a comforting carb fix, with a gentle, warming spice kick that cuts through any seasonal colds. And then there’s all the health-giving properties of slowly simmered bone broth, fresh veggies, and nutrient-rich proteins. No wonder it’s become so popular in our post-pandemic world.
Here we’ve picked out eight brilliant Japanese restaurants in Manchester for ramen. Read on for our top of the broths for 2024.
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Manchester City CentreHouse of Fu Manchester
More detailsBeloved Leeds ramen hotspot House of Fu opened on Portland Street in October 2023. This Japanese restaurant and bar is renowned for its nourishing bowls of ramen, its small plates – and its karaoke booths.
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AncoatsLucky Ramen & Sushi
More detailsLucky Ramen & Sushi restaurant is known for its late-night dining offering of fresh bowls of stewed ramen that are carefully prepared by a head chef with over 15 years of experience.
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Manchester City CentreMaki & Ramen
More detailsBorn in Edinburgh and now in Glasgow and Manchester, Maki & Ramen is a high-quality, quick-eats-style place that easily holds its own amongst the plethora of Japanese restaurants that have opened in the city centre recently.
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ChorltonShogun Ramen and Bar
More detailsShogun Ramen and Bar in Chorlton says it does Manchester’s cheapest ramen (from £7.99 a bowl) and we’ve no evidence to counteract that bold claim. But we’ve not listed it in our guide just because it’s day-before-payday-cheap. It’s here because it does ‘proper, traditional’ ramen and the folks of M16 can’t get enough of it.
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Manchester City CentreShoryu Ramen
More detailsShoryu Ramen is the first branch of the mini London chain to leave the capital. It’s located in Piccadilly Gardens but don’t let that put you off. The other eateries are, for the most part, bland brands with very little going for them but Shoryu Ramen is a ray of hope dedicated to The Land of the Rising Sun.
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DeansgateSuki Suki
More detailsSuki Suki is a Pan-Asian street food bar located on Deansgate under the arches of the Great Northern Warehouse.
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Northern QuarterTokyo Ramen
More detailsSpartan and stripped back is the only description for Tokyo Ramen – and that’s both the menu and the restaurant itself. With barely enough space to swing a noodle, the place only accommodates 20 walk-ins. It’s not a sociable place, more a utilitarian slurping station.
