Monohon Ramen — Restaurant in London

Monohon Ramen Research

Monohon Ramen is an authentic Japanese ramen specialist located on Old Street in London, living up to its name which means "real" or "genuine" in Japanese by providing an authentic Japanese ramen experience.

Location & Basic Information

Monohon Ramen is located at 102 Old Street, London EC1V 9AY, conveniently situated between Old Street and Barbican stations. It operates as a small neighborhood Japanese ramen bar with a walk-in only policy - no reservations accepted.

Opening Hours: Lunch: Mon-Fri 12:00-14:15 Dinner: Mon-Sat 17:00-21:30, Sunday 17:00-21:00

Menu & Specialties

The restaurant's biggest claim to fame is being the first in London to serve Abura Soba - a brothless ramen that's popular in Japan but relatively unknown in London.

Key Menu Items: Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen (£13): Features 20-hour slow-cooked bone broth with house-made noodles using flour imported from Japan Abura Soba: Brothless ramen with sesame oil base, various toppings, and soft-boiled egg Vegan Ramen: Considered one of London's best vegan ramen options Mentaiko Cream Mazemen: Special cream-based mixed ramen

Atmosphere & Interior

Designed in typical Japanese ramen-ya style, the restaurant features a long wooden counter facing the kitchen where diners can watch the chefs prepare their ramen. The minimal decor includes cute light bulbs creating a cozy atmosphere, with red lanterns hanging in the back room adding to the authentic Japanese feel.

Customer Reviews

Ranked 3,443rd out of 21,706 restaurants in London on TripAdvisor based on 104 reviews, and has received the Travellers' Choice Award. Many customers praise it as "London's best ramen," with particular acclaim for the Abura Soba and vegan options.

Key Customer Feedback: "Best ramen I've had in London" "Best ramen outside of Japan" "Outstanding authenticity and freshness" "True Japanese ramen-ya experience"

Popularity & Queues

Monohon Ramen is famous for consistently having queues due to its popularity. Both lunch and dinner times see crowds, particularly from nearby offices and tech startups in the area. However, waiting times are generally reported as reasonable.

The restaurant attracts Japanese customers regularly and employs Japanese staff, adding to its authenticity. The menu is written in both English and Japanese, showing respect for...

I have finally found the best and most authentic ramen place in London! Having tried a few different ramen restaurants London has to offer and having been disappointed every time, monohon has finally been able to meet my expectations. I have heard so much about this place for a long time and so I was really happy to finally try it out with a friend for dinner on Wednesday night. It's walk-in only so we got there just before 6:30 and thankful it was only half full.

I went with the spicy tonkotsu ramen, choosing medium spice level. I had originally wanted to go higher but was advised by the waitress that it'd be very spicy even for those who could handle spice so she suggested to give a spoon of the sauce on the side as extra which I gladly accepted as I had later found out how much heat the broth had packed! The broth was absolutely fantastic, rich and savoury. In fact, I could already smell the broth as soon as I stepped into the restaurant so my expectations were high and this broth managed to match them. The pork chashu was tender and soft, the toppings of burdock and bean sprouts were generous which I really appreciated. My friend also enjoyed her chilli sansho miso a lot, although she noted it could have been spicier for her liking. The kakuni was so tender and well-marinated it's so easy to swallow without having to chew at all! Very nicely done indeed.

I liked the vibes a lot of this place, exactly how a low-key authentic ramen place should be like those in Japan. As I mentioned above, service was fantastic. It's a 5/5 for me and I would happily come back often as a regular customer, really want to try the abura soba and mentaiko cream...

I was excited to try this place and I make a point of seeking out good ramen wherever I go having eaten a lot of it in Japan - I'm always looking for authenticity and quality. We had a Shouyu Tonkotsu and a Spicy Tonkotsu, large sizes, with an additional egg, Onsen style. The broth was well flavoured and seasoned, perhaps a little thin for my tastes but better than average for London but nothing amazing. The toppings were OK - one piece of pork felt a bit mean given the prices and having to pay extra for an egg as well. The eggs were fridge cold - so be ready for that, not everyone might like it. The noodles were OK, but nothing special. The staff were friendly, welcoming, and the service is very fast. The decor is basic and the seating/tables OK but pretty small - you aren't going to linger after you have eaten. Overall this place is decent 3+ star kind of place - I thought it was a touch expensive for what you get by the time you have paid £5 for two eggs (which are not included despite being in all the menu photos). There's also 10% service on top despite the fact that they just take your order and put your meal in front of you - not much more service than you would get in a McDonalds. I get it, London is expensive and everyone needs to get paid, but it was £41.25 for two fairly basic (but good) bowls of ramen and we were done in 30 minutes. Overall a little bit disappointing given the hype and the website which makes you think you are going to ramen heaven. Could be better. The...