When it comes to restaurants in Melbourne the city’s dining scene incorporates pretty much every genre.
From Italian to Indian, Thai to Turkish whatever style of food you want to eat is available. This presents foodies with a huge choice of gastronomic delights to try. With one of the most popular options being ramen.
A dish that ticks a lot of boxes, ramen possesses big, bold flavours is quite affordable and can be eaten in a range of venues from upscale, date night establishments, to hole-in-the-wall eateries that are perfect for lunch on the run.
Made with thick, handmade noodles which come in a flavoursome broth that is topped with a mountain of your favourite meats, veggies and Japanese accoutrements, the great thing about ramen is that you can customise it to your particular taste and preferred level of spiciness.
If you have not tried ramen before, or you are a long-time fan that is looking for another venue in which to try this delicious dish, here in no particular order, is a list of 12 awesome ramen restaurants in Melbourne you simply have to eat at.
Yoku Ono Ramen + Sake
Even though you know you are in Prahran, from the moment you enter Yoku Ono Ramen + Sake, you could be forgiven for thinking you have been transported to one of Tokyo’s famous alleyway restaurants.
Set within an authentic space that is distinctly Japanese, the ramen here is crafted using traditional methods employed by their onsite Ramanmasuta (ramen master).
Their signature chicken broth is cooked for over 8 hours, while their vegetarian broth has over 20 different types of vegetables, mushrooms and herbs in it. Both are cooked with passion and love and are absolutely delicious.
Your problem will be deciding which one to choose.
Address: 6A Anchor Place, Prahran VIC 3181
Phone: +61 3 9521 4746
Hours: Mon 12 am – 2:30 pm & 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm, Tue – Wed & Sun 12 pm – 2:30 pm & 5:30 pm – 10 pm, Thu – Sat 12 pm – 2:30 pm & 5:30 pm- 11 pm
Shujinko
Ever faced the problem that you craved ramen at 5 am but there was nowhere open to have it? Then Shujinko is the perfect place for you to go.
Open 24 hours a day, this CBD institution provides you with the opportunity to satisfy your ramen cravings any time you feel like it.
Presenting a broth that features fresh, thick noodles and a wonderfully balanced flavour profile, you are in for a treat whatever time you decide to order it.
The restaurant itself has traditional decor, as well as a menu that is quite well priced. Best of all, the service is always exceptional – irrespective of what time of the night or day you go.
Address: 225 Russell Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: +61 3 9654 0989
Hours: Open 24 hours
Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen
Established in 1970, Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen has been a stalwart on the CBD dining scene for over 50 years.
A premium Japanese ramen restaurant, that makes the perfect date night venue, the restaurant specialises in chikuho noodles and Tonkotsu soup, which is as good as anything you can get in the land of the rising sun.
All their ramen is handmade, as is their Izakaya too. But if you feel like something different, their Chashu roast pork and Gyoza dumplings are highly recommended.
Address: Basement of 27 Russell Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: +61 3 9650 3708
Hours: Mon – Thu 11:30 am – 3 pm & 5:30 pm – 10 pm, Fri – Sat 11:30 am – 3 pm & 5:30 pm – 11 pm, Sun 11:30 am – 3 pm & 5:30 pm – 10 pm
Mr Ramen San
Another popular venue in the CBD, Mr Ramen San offers up an exciting menu of traditional Japanese ramen that derives from the Hakata region of Japan.
Made every day in their shops, their noodles are among the best in Melbourne and form the basis of hearty dishes that have a real comfort food element to them.
Located in the Midcity Centre, they also specialise in Mazesoba. While their menu has plenty of vegan and vegetarian options, as well as a great range of beers on tap too.
Address: Shop 12A, 200 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: +61 3 9042 1588
Hours: Sun – Thu 11:30 am – 3 pm & 4 pm – 9 pm, Fri – Sat 11:30 am – 3 pm & 4 pm – 9 pm
Mensousai Mugen
Offering up ramen, Japanese tapas and a delicious selection of microbrewery beer and sake, Mensousai Mugen is one of the coolest restaurants in town.
Situated right in the heart of the CBD, this fabulous venue occupies two contrasting levels. Downstairs is a low-lit, basement that features lots of eye-catching art, while upstairs is a hip ground-floor cafe with a great ambience.
Specialising in ramen, tsukemen (a kind of dipping ramen) and a selection of other Japanese dishes which are designed to be shared, the food here is exceptional.
In particular, the dipping ramen is well worth trying. As it is made with chewy and thick handcrafted noodles that are served with incredible house-made broths.
Address: 11 Bligh Place, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: +61 3 9620 3647
Hours: Mon – Fri 11:30 am – 2:30 pm & 6 pm – 11 pm, Sat 6 pm – 10 pm
Ajisen Ramen
With three venues across Melbourne, Ajisen Ramen is one of the most popular places to get ramen in town.
A major chain of Japanese fast food restaurants, they actually have 750 branches around the world, which are highly regarded for the consistent quality of the ramen noodle soup dishes they offer.
Known for their delicious tonkotsu (pork bone) soup, which is believed to prevent ageing and promote bone and heart health, on account of it having lots of collagen in it, this restaurant offers plenty of taste and value for money in abundance.
Address: Shop GD 13, Melbourne Central, 211 La Trobe Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: +61 3 9650 8986
Hours: Sun – Thurs 11:30 am – 9:00 pm, Fri 11:30 am – 10:00 pm, Sat 11:30 am – 9:30 pm
Address: 367 Burwood Road, Hawthorne VIC 3122
Phone: +61 3 9837 5522
Hours: Sun-Thurs 11:30 am – 9:30 pm, Fri-Sat 11:30 am – 10:00 pm
Address: 82 Kingsway, Glen Waverley VIC 3150
Phone: +61 3 9560 9018
Hours: Mon-Sun 11:30 am – 9:30 pm
Little Ramen Bar
Over on Little Bourke Street, Little Ramen Bar is exactly what its name suggests. A small, intimate and charming restaurant that serves up a delightful and traditional range of ramen dishes.
Set within a buzzy space that has basic stool seating and exposed brickwork, they offer three varieties of ramen which are made from fresh local produce that is delivered daily.
Their signature pork broth is a must try, as it is perfectly cooked, full of flavour and features plenty of toppings. All of which makes it perfect for those who want a quick bite to eat.
Address: 346 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: +61 3 9670 5558
Hours: Mon-Sat 11:30 am – 3pm & 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Hakata Gensuke
Championing a yobimimodoshi (master stock) that is only found in Japan’s best fine dining ramen experiences, Hakata Gensuke offers up one of the best ramen experiences in the whole of Melbourne.
Known for its authentic flavours, their broth is brewed for 24 hours and packed with incredible flavour. It features homemade noodles and over 20 fantastic flavours that give it, what they call a ‘100% slurp-worthiness’.
Using the best quality pork bones they can find, their signature pork bone broth is a must-try, if you ever find yourself hungry in the CBD.
Address: 168 Russell Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: +61 3 9663 6342
Hours: Mon – Thu 11:30 am – 10 pm, Fri 11:30 am – 10 pm & 10 pm – 1 am, Sat 12 pm – 10 pm & 10 pm – 1 am, Sun 12 pm – 10 pm
Shop Ramen Fitzroy
Located in Fitzroy, Shop Ramen is a quaint restaurant that serves top-notch Japanese noodle soups, that come with a delicious assortment of meats and veggies, with the minimum of fuss.
Clean, simply decked out and reasonably priced, the restaurant here has a menu that is relatively small. However, all the dishes on it are very good.
Pair any of them with one of their fabulous sake, and if you still have any room left, be sure to try one of their delicious matcha and sesame ice cream pies.
Address: 329 Smith Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Hours: Mon – Sun 12 pm – 9:30 pm
Neko Neko
An institution in Fitzroy, Neko Neko, specialises in vegan, vegetarian and seafood ramen, which might put some people’s minds at ease because ‘Neko’ means cat in Japanese.
Made with the freshest of ingredients the ramen here is as good as anything you can get in Melbourne and is also one of the healthiest dinner choices around.
Address: 83 Smith Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Phone: +61 3 9415 6026
Hours: Mon – Fri 12 pm – 3 pm & 5:30 pm – 10 pm, Sat 5:30 pm – 10 pm
Ramen Ya
Situated on the lower ground floor of the Emporium, Ramen Ya is a popular CBD venue that is known for being the home of charshu tonkotsu ramen.
Taking the best cuts of pork belly they can find, they stew it for hours in a signature and secret master broth which creates a taste sensation that is out of this world.
Presenting one of the most diverse Japanese ramen menus in the city, they also serve up delicious kimchi ramen and veg gyoza ramen. While their tofu ramen, karaage ramen and curry ramen are very popular too.
Address: Lower Ground, Emporium Melbourne, 267-321 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: +61 3 9662 1001
Hours: Sat – Wed 11 am – 7 pm, Thu – Fri 11 am – 9 pm