The ritzy Ginza area in Tokyo is famous for glamorous high fashion on every corner, glitzy showrooms, flashy neon lights, and multi-story department stores. Not to forget its wealth of upscale dining options. But more than just a hub for Tokyo's Michelin-starred restaurants, Ginza offers a number of more affordable Japanese food options, including the humble bowl of Japanese ramen.
For noodle fanatics, there are a number of unique ramen restaurants in Ginza to choose from. However, if you're looking for the best ramen in Ginza, you need to be looking in the right places!
Join a Tokyo Ramen Tour with Frank
A hearty, high-quality bowl of ramen is one of the many delicious options around Tokyo for a filling meal, but where to find them? To experience some of the best ramen in Tokyo with insights from a local guide, join a ramen tasting tour featuring 6 bowls of ramen with our local ramen expert, Frank!
Frank has lived in Tokyo for a number of years and has a specialized food blog dedicated to documenting different ramen dishes he's tried throughout the city (and beyond). He's incredibly knowledgeable about all aspects of the noodles, soup, and toppings, and is able to translate information about ingredients and recipes easily from staff at the shops you visit. Learn more about the humble bowl that we all know and love, and find out about the ingredients and flavor profiles, the history of shops and their specialties, and in-depth knowledge about all aspects of ramen.
Best Ramen in Ginza
Here are 3 of the best ramen restaurants in Ginza from the area’s most unique local specialty shops.
- Kazami Ramen: Sake Lees Ramen
- Yama-chan: Tonkotsu Ramen
- ABC Ramen: Rich Sesame Ramen
1. Kazami Ramen: Sake Lees Ramen
In homage to the cultural capital of Japan, Kazami Ramen serves specialty “sake kasu” (sake lees) ramen at their sophisticated, Kyoto-inspired shop in Ginza. Kyoto is of course known for its famous Fushimi Sake District, one of the 3 most prominent sake production areas in the whole of Japan. Tipping a hat to the elegance of Kyoto and its local sake culture, this featured ramen dish from Kazami Ramen features sake lees in the broth!
Sake kasu or sake lees is a byproduct of sake that is created during the sake production process. It's the leftover mash with a mildly sake-like aroma and a rich flavor. Sake lees are infused into the ramen broth along with chicken bones, pork bones, and the unique element of shellfish! Shellfish is an uncommon ingredient to be included in a ramen broth, however it beautifully complements the slight sweetness imparted by the sake lees into the broth.
For its unique flavor and artful presentation, Kazami Ramen is one of the best ramen restaurants in Ginza. Their specialty ramen also features two slices of chashu pork, each of which are cooked differently to add another level to the dish. Other toppings include Japanese mustard spinach, mitsuba (Japanese parsley), nori seaweed, and thin red wisps of togarashi pepper. The addition of abura-age (deep-fried tofu) from Niigata Prefecture plus an oozy soft-boiled egg makes this dish one of the best ramen in Ginza.
Access Info: 6 Chome-4-13 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan
- 9 minute walk from Tokyo Station
- 5 minute walk from Ginza Station
- 7 minute walk from Shimbashi Station
- 9 minute walk from Uchisaiwaicho Station
- 8 minute walk from Higashi-ginza Station
Price: 700 yen ~ 1100 yen
Business Hours: 11:30am – 8:30pm Monday to Saturday, closed on Sundays
2. Yama-chan: Tonkotsu Ramen
Yama-chan is famous for its specialty Fukuoka-style Nagahama ramen, and it’s considered to be one of the best ramen restaurants in Ginza. This is tonkotsu ramen, which is a style of pork bone broth ramen that has a characteristically rich and thick soup, flavored with a soy sauce base.
This style of ramen originated in the Fukuoka prefecture of Japan. Nagahama ramen is particularly special for using a straight type of thin noodles, much thinner than your average ramen noodle. The toppings feature green negi (Japanese spring onion), kikurage (wood ear mushrooms), and a sheet of nori seaweed. The defining feature is a generous blob of bright red mentaiko (spicy cod roe), another specialty of Fukuoka on Japan’s western coast.
At Yama-chan, you can also customise how well-done you would like your ramen noodles to be cooked! So if you like it extra firm or softer, the chef will ask you so that you can enjoy the noodles just the way you like it! The bowl is topped off with takana (pickled mustard leaves with chili), zingy beni-shoga (red pickled ginger), and a sprinkling of goma (sesame seeds). With a range of specialty condiments and a richly flavored broth, this tonkotsu ramen from Yama-chan is one of the best ramen in Ginza you can find!
Access Info: 3 Chome-11-10 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan
- 4 minute walk from Ginza Station
- 1 minute walk from Higashi-ginza Station
- 6 minute walk from Tsukiji Station
- 6 minute walk from Shintomichō Station
- 11 minute walk from Tsukijishijo Station
Price: 700 yen ~ 1100 yen
Business Hours: 11:00am – 4:00am Monday to Saturday, closed on Sundays
3. ABC Ramen: Rich Sesame Ramen
Another one of the best ramen restaurants in Ginza is ABC Ramen. Its vibe is much more laidback than what you might normally expect from the glitzy Ginza area, where walking into this Ginza ramen restaurant gives you a feel for the atmosphere of old-school Tokyo. Not only does this shop sell some of the best Ginza ramen, but there is also a range of izakaya food on the menu as well, including yakitori chicken sticks and plump gyoza dumplings. These Japanese pub-style snacks make a delicious side dish to accompany a bowl of one of the best ramen in Ginza, a rich sesame ramen!
ABC Ramen’s specialty sesame ramen is called majyanmen. This iconic ramen dish is characterized by its soy sauce and sesame paste base that is complemented by a vegetable broth. You can also get a richer version of this Ginza ramen that has added miso paste and moreish pork back fat.
If you look closely, this ramen is served in an enormous Japanese grinding mortar called suribachi, literally meaning “grinding-bowl.” With fine grooves textured down all sides of the bowl, these are typically used to grind sesame seeds in Japanese cuisine. On the tables at ABC Ramen you can use the small suribachi sitting with the condiments to grind extra sesame to add into your bowl!
For its unique and intense sesame flavors and cozy atmosphere, ABC Ramen is definitely one of the best ramen restaurants in Ginza.
Access Info: 3 Chome-5-5 Ginza, Chuo City, Tokyo 104-0061, Japan
- 9 minute walk from Tokyo Station
- 2 minute walk from Ginza Station
- 1 minute walk from Ginza-itchome Station
- 5 minute walk from Higashi-ginza Station
- 12 minute walk from Shimbashi Station
- 12 minute walk from Tsukiji Station
- 9 minute walk from Shintomichō Station
Price: From 400 yen for izakaya food, 1050 yen for ramen
Business Hours: 11:30am – 8:00pm Monday to Sunday
Ginza may be one of the most glamorous districts of Tokyo for all its high fashion stores and classy restaurants, but it also features some of the best ramen in Tokyo for a unique flavor experience (and also as a more affordable meal option). There’s nothing quite like a humble bowl of the best ramen in Ginza to end a day of exploring and shopping.
To really get into Japanese ramen, join try 6 mini bowls of ramen on this food experience!
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