After over nine years of living here, I’ve eaten my way through dozens of bowls across the city — from cloudy tonkotsu to clear shio broths, and everything in between. Paris isn’t short on Japanese food, but great ramen? That’s a bit more niche. This guide rounds up the best spots worth slurping your way through – whether you’re after something rich and heavy or light and balanced. No tourist traps, no fluff – just restaurants I always go back to.
🍱 Looking for more Japanese food in Paris? Check out my guide to the best Japanese restaurants in Paris.
Where to Eat Really Good Ramen in Paris
These are my favourite spots across the capital serving up different types of tonkotsu, 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).
Kodawari Ramen (Tsukiji)
I think the Tsukiji location of Kodawari is probably my absolute favorite spot to get ramen in Paris. I’ve heard it being described as the best ramen in Europe and it doesn’t surprise me. There are pretty much always queues to get in from midday to 11pm at night. Is it worth the one hour queue? Definitely.
Walk inside the restaurant and you’ll be transported to the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. There are a lot of amazing details which really make it feel real, from Japanese industrial stickers on the fishing crates to vintage weighing scales on the tables. It’s so extra that it becomes slightly impractical but it’s really good fun.
They have 6 very different bowls to choose from and all are extremely interesting. My personal favorite is their sardine shoyu ramen made with a clear sardine and dashi broth and seasoned with 3 aged soy sauces from Japan. The noodles are perfectly cooked – nice and springy. The broth is just incredible – it’s so well balanced and has tons of umami. The depth of flavour is mind-blowing yet the taste of sardines is very subtle. The sardine fillets are just cooked through with the hot broth keeping them warm. There’s a lovely thin slice of pork belly that’s beautifully charred and has a perfect bite. Finally they leave a little smear of miso for you to mix in if you want it a little stronger – great move. It really is a superb bowl of deliciousness.
My other favorite bowl here is their ‘sea bream paitan’ ramen – one of the creamiest broths they offer. This features a broth made with sea bream and thickened with white miso. It comes with a fillet of sea bream that’s perfectly cooked and a slice of chicken ‘chashu’ – really, it’s just sous vide cooked chicken breast that really does fall apart in the mouth. Again, there’s just crazy amounts of flavour in this bowl – it’s addictive.
What to know before you visit
- They don’t take reservations
- Expect to queue for 1h during peak times
- They have a digital queuing system which means once you’re in the queue, you can sit elsehwere for drink
Address: 12 Rue de Richelieu, 75001
Tel: 01 42 61 34 60
Website: https://kodawari-ramen.com
Kodawari Ramen (Yokocho)
Kodawari’s Yokocho location is in the 6th arrondissement – just next to the Saint-Germain-des-Prés area of the city on Rue Mazarine (where I lived for 3 years). Unlike at their Tsukiji restaurant, the Yokocho location specialises in chicken-based broths and they’re very, very good.
The decor is a bit more low-key compared to its bigger brother but it’s still very cool. This restaurant feels a like a back street ramen dive in Tokyo with its street food decor.
My go-to bowl here is their ‘niboshi paitan’ ramen. It’s a thicker, emulsified (think tonkotsu) broth that is creamy and completely and utterly delicious. It’s interestingly blended with a shellfish dashi and infused with dried sardines. It’s subtle and it honestly brings just a load of umami. The chashu pork is a thin slice of shoulder or collar from a Spanish black iberian pig – it’s superb. The noodles are cooked to perfection with a slight bite, just as they should be.
Their shoyu ramen is worth a mention too. It’s strong in flavour with a slightly thinner broth than their paitan ramens. It’s slightly cleaner on the palate and has some interesting toppings including finely minced red onions. It might sound bizarre but it really works.
What to know before you visit
- Open every day
- They don’t take reservations
- Expect to queue for 1h during peak times
- They have a digital queuing system which means once you’re in the queue, you can sit elsehwere for drink
Address: 29 Rue Mazarine, 75006
Tel: 01 43 29 37 67
Website: https://kodawari-ramen.com
TonTon Ramen
After Naritake Ramen closed last year (that was previously featured in this guide), the Chef-owner opened up TonTon Ramen just off Rue Sainte-Anne and like its predecessor, it does not disappoint.
The small restaurant has much more of a western feel compared to Naritake but it’s bright and on the minimalist side. There’s about 15 tables so you’ll most likely be queueing for a bit during peak times.
There’s 3 options on the menu – Shio (salt), Shoyu (soy) and Miso all made with light pork broth. I really like the Shio ramen – it’s a kind of Niigata style ramen with plenty of back fat mixed in. It’s got an incredible mouthfeel – it’s thick but not as much as a tonkotsu but as a lovely balanced flavour.
Get the Shio special (pictured) for €17 and you’ll get bamboo shoots, nori sheets, marinated egg and perfectly sliced, tender chashu pork – delicious.
I think TonTon is up there in my top 3 in Paris – the flavours are just so good. It’s seasoned to perfection and the roast pork is cut thinly, tastes incredibly and just falls apart.
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: 4 Rue Cherubini, 75002
Tel: 01 42 33 42 98
Website: https://www.instagram.com/tonton_ramen_paris/
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 Châtelet‑Les Halles.
Hakata Choten offer mainly tonkotsu based ramen (with the exception of one vegetarian dish). Their tonkotsu broth is exceptionally rich and full of flavour, with excellent mouthfeel.
There are variations on offer including tonkotsu miso ramen and tonkotsu 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 tonkotsu 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 has 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 tonkotsu, 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/
Menkicchi
Menkicchi is another tiny ramen joint on Rue Sainte-Anne and it’s very good. There’s only 6 tables with stool seating – it’s admittedly not a restaurant where you’ll want to spend hours.
Their ramens are pork based with tonkotsu, shoyu and miso options and come in a very reasonable €12 each. Spend €2 extra and you’ll get the special versions – including half a Ajitsuke egg, noru sheets and extra chashu.
Their tonkotsu ramen is very good – great mouthfeel and flavour although not as aromatic as others in the city. Their noodles were extremely well cooked with a lovely bite. The Chashu slices weren’t as tender as I would have liked but they’re still very good.
Finally their miso ramen is killer – thick, heavy on the seasoning and great flavour – it’s probably my favourite here. Overall Menkicchi is a great option if you’re needing a ramen fix but note that you will be queuing during peak hours.
What to know before you visit
- They don’t take reservations
- Prepare to queue outside at peak times (on the narrow pavement!)
- There’s stool/bench seating – it isn’t massively comfy
Address: 41 Rue Sainte-Anne, 75001
Website: https://kintarogroup.com/menkicchi/
