Osaka is all about eating and drinking, as Dotonbori is one of the main attractions in Osaka. There are many local specialties such as takoyaki or okonomiyaki. Kushikatsu, fried skewers of meat or vegetables, are also popular as a snack with a beer. But another Japanese soul food is also popular and widely available in Osaka: Ramen.

There are an immense number of ramen shops in Osaka. You can find more or less every kind of ramen that exists in Japan in Osaka.However, there is also an original Osaka style of ramen: Takaida style. This is a very dark and intense ramen based on soy sauce. Simple, honest, but surprisingly delicious.

Join us as we discover 15 of the best ramen dishes in Osaka. So that you will be prepared to find the best ramen to suit your taste during your next stay in the bustling city of Osaka.

The 15 Best Ramen in Osaka

These are the 15 best ramen in Osaka that we would like to introduce to you. So that you can choose the style and taste you like, and not miss out on any great ramen during your stay in Osaka.

Sumiyoshi – Osaka’s local taste of Takaida ramen in a 70 years old shop
Kikuhan – Great Mazesoba in a less known, less crowded area
Musaian Tsukemen – a very unique and strict way to eat tsukemen
Daitsuru – Horumon Mazesoba, barely seen, worth a try
Sanpei – Light but intense taste tonkotsu with lots of garlic
Mazosoba Maren – a clean and fancy place to enjoy soup-less noodles
Kirinji Abura Soba – a chain store to enjoy Tokyo’s abura soba in Osaka
Muteppou Ramen – Rich and heavy tonkotsu as no other
Seimenya – Awarded chicken giblets tsukemen
Ramen Ippachi – a lucky catch just by walking around
Bokkoshi Ramen – snow white and creamy chicken soup ramen
Hanamaruken – Happiness ramen in the center of Namba that is open 24/7
Ikareta Noodle Fishton – Tsukemen in perfection
Menya Jouroku – Deep black colored soup of Takaida ramen in Namba
Nikumen Hidamari An – Heaps of meat on top of delicious noodles in the outskirts of Osaka

The restaurants above are in the order of my visit with the latest on top.

Sumiyoshi

If you want to taste the original Osaka Takaida style chuuka soba in a shop that seems to be from another era, then Sumiyoshi is your choice. It is located near Fuse Station in eastern Osaka, where Takaida style chuuka soba originated. This shop has been around for more than 70 years. It’s everything a ramen shop should be. Small, cozy and nothing fancy. Just a few counter seats around the kitchen. So you can see exactly what the chef is doing.

They only serve Chuuka Soba. You can add either wantan or chashu as toppings and go for a large portion of noodles. The price is still reasonable as the Chuuka Soba starts at 700 yen. The taste of the dark shoyu ramen is great and the atmosphere is unique. All in all a great experience and a must try to get the original Osaka ramen taste.

By the way: This place opens at 8:30 a.m. and locals come here to have Takaida style ramen for breakfast.

Kikuhan

This ramen restaurant is located in Nakazaki-cho, just a few minutes walk from Umeda, the main station of Osaka. It specializes in chicken and pork soup called Toriton. The menu features 8 different ramen, including mazesoba and soup-less tantanmen. Each of them comes in a “basic” and a “special” version with different toppings. All soup-less ramen come with a mini bowl of rice.

We tried the special Toriton Mazesoba on our visit. The highlights are the three different kinds of chashu and two kinds of eggs, a raw yolk and a seasoned boiled egg. The thick and chewy noodles soaked up the sauce perfectly and gave it a great flavor.

The place is rather small and has only counter seats. It’s a famous place, so there might be a line. The area is more of a local living area and different from the busy places of Namba and Umeda. It’s a very relaxing place to visit.

Musaian Tsukumen

Musaian specializes in tsukemen. In fact, they only have tsukemen. And they offer a very unique and strict way of eating them. The staff will tell you exactly how to do it and make sure you do it right. On our visit, one of the two guys was explaining in English.

First you start eating the noodles and add some of their homemade cream on top. After half of the noodles you get a lime and you have to eat a drop of lime with every bite. Finally you get some rice. The soup is diluted with some dashi so you can drink it. The taste is good and the chashu topping is delicious. However, it is the unique style of eating that makes this place special and definitely worth a visit.

This restaurant is located in the center of Namba’s nightlife area and is therefore open until 5 am. The entrance is a bit hidden as there is only a small Japanese sign at the entrance. The restaurant itself is on the second floor. It doesn’t look like a typical ramen restaurant, but more like a lounge. It looks a little strange at first. Dare to enter, it’s worth it.

Daitsuru

Daitsuru claims to be the inventor of Horumon Mazesoba. Horumon are offal that are popular in yaki niku restaurants. Daitsuru’s sign also piqued our interest because it says “Men and Niku,” which means noodles and meat. It also says that they are experts in spicy ramen.

Their menu also focuses on the meat topping of the noodles. There is their “New Niku Soba” which comes as shio or shoyu, their signature dish “Spicy Horumon Mazesoba” and the “Korean Pork Belly Mazesoba”. The latter was our choice.

This dish is really something special in the ramen world as it brings an unusual Korean flavor. It’s topped with lots of pork belly, but also kimchi (spicy pickled Korean cabbage), crispy potato chips, and chilly powder. It’s spicy, so it might not be the best choice for everyone.

The restaurant is located next to Tsuruhashi Station on the Kintetsu and JR Osaka Loop Line. This is a commuter station and the area is more local than a tourist hotspot. And so are the typical visitors to Daitsuru. The shop is rather small and cramped. There is only one counter next to the kitchen. It’s perfect for watching the staff prepare your meal.

As they offer an unusual style with Korean pork belly and horumon, this shop is perfect if you are already in the ramen scene and want to experience something new.

Sanpei

Ramen Sanpei’s specialty is garlic. Sounds strange, but it’s true. The broth is a tonkotsu based on pork. However, it’s more light and less creamy. The flavor is very intense and tough. The amount of noodles is quite large, and there are also heaps of spring onions and bean sprouts as toppings. And of course a lot of garlic. Better make sure you don’t have an important business meeting after eating this. Your breath might smell. At lunchtime, the ramen comes as a set, with a small bowl of rice and kimuchi (Korean-style pickled cabbage). Be aware that after the large noodles, the rice might be too much.

Ramen Sanpei is located next to Tsuruhashi Station, which is served by the JR Osaka Loop Line and the Kintetsu Line. It’s more of a local area and local restaurant than a tourist hotspot. The restaurant itself is very small and cozy. Just a counter with a few seats. So there might be a line outside during busy times. Since people eat ramen quickly, don’t worry about a few people waiting. It shouldn’t take long.

The thin tonkotsu broth and the garlic specialty make Ramen Sanpei a unique experience and one of the best ramen in Osaka.

Mazesoba Maren

As the name suggests, Mazesoba Maren is a mazesoba expert. It is located in the Nakazakicho area, a quiet residential area just 10 to 15 minutes walk from Umeda station.

The shop is very clean, modern and new. It looks more like a lounge than a ramen shop. The interior seems to attract younger and female customers. The dishes are a bit modern. Posters on the wall tell about the quality and history of the ingredients used.

As said, their signature dish is mazesoba, which comes in two varieties: Shoyu (soy sauce) Mazesoba and Salted Chicken Mazesoba. They also have Salted Chicken Toripaitain which is a chicken broth ramen. Each of them has some variation in toppings offered.

What is the salted chicken in your dishes? The salted chicken is actually the pink ball on top of the mazesoba. It’s chopped chicken breast mixed with marinated vegetables and mayonnaise. It has a delicious and slightly sour taste. The noodles are thick and chewy and there are three different types of chashu. In addition, the shiso oil makes Mazesoba a very unique experience.

All in all, Mazesoba Maren is a great choice. A creative and modern store design and a unique menu with the salted chicken and the shiso oil mazesoba. Definitely one of the most interesting and best ramen in Osaka.

Kirinji Abura Soba

I found this shop by chance while walking through the streets of Namba after having some Nihonshu at a small bar.
Abura Soba is a type of ramen that is very rare in the Kansai region around Osaka. It originated in Tokyo and is very popular there.

Abura Soba looks like a very simple dish. Since it is soupless, there is only the sauce for the noodles. You can add flavorings such as vinegar yourself.
Kirinji is a chain that runs a few restaurants all over the place. Usually, I do not prefer the chain restaurants. However, if you want to try Abura Soba in Osaka, Kirinji is not a bad choice.

Muteppou

Muteppou is a very famous and popular ramen shop located just south of Namba. Watch out for long lines. Their ramen is heavy and greasy. Definitely not a healthy choice, but a very tasty one. Eat after a hard day of sightseeing in Osaka, but not every day. They offer two types of soup. A pork based tonkotsu and a shoyu based one that also uses fish (sanma) stock. There is also a combination of both soups available as “W Soup”.

After you buy the ticket, give it to the staff. Then you have three choices:

Hardness of the noodles: Hard, Medium and Soft
Thickness of the soup: Thick, Medium, Thin
Amount of spring onions: Lots, Medium, Few, None

Of course, it depends on your taste. Personally, I like the noodles hard, which is closer to what you call al-dente for Italian pasta.
The shop itself is what a ramen shop should be. Nothing fancy, small and the kitchen is right in the main room.

It’s definitely a good choice and one of the best ramen in Osaka.

Seimenya

At Seimenya you can taste unique and special tsukemen. Tsukemen can be translated as dipping noodles, where the noodles and soup are served separately. Especially in the hot Japanese summer, this can be a great choice since you do not have to hold your sweaty head over a steaming hot bowl of soup.

According to their sign, Seimenya is the No. 1 winner of the Sarah Japan Menu Award. So their food has been recognized and honored.

Their signature dish is called Tori Motsu Tsukemen. Tori Motsu means chicken giblets, and that’s what they use for the soup. At least I haven’t heard that before, so it can’t be that common. Besides the chicken, there are a lot of onions in the soup, which gives it a nice and fresh taste. The noodles are thick and chewy and nicely decorated with two slices of chashu, some green leaves and a lime. Dripping some lime on the noodles makes the flavor even fresher. The whole dish looks very clean and of high quality.

Seimenya is run by a very nice and friendly couple and is located a few minutes south of Namba Station near Dendentown. So it’s very conviniant for access and a visit can easily be integrated into your sightseeing activities or a night out in Namba.
The high quality, the nice owners and the unique chicken giblets make these tsukemen definitely one of the best ramen in Osaka.

Ramen Ippachi

Ramen Ippachi is another one that I found by chance while walking the streets of Namba after having a few drinks at a Nihonshu bar. It’s located on the main street leading to Kintetsu-Nippombashi station, but also just a few minutes walk from Namba station.

Their specialty is a thick and heavy chicken broth for their ramen. This is unusual, as chicken broth is usually thinner and lighter than, say, pork broth. But this one is completely different.

The Kazuya Special Ramen is their signature dish that has all the toppings on top of their thick chicken broth. This includes some pork chashu, seasoned egg, menma and scallions. The flavor of the soup is really great and intense. It had a slight acidity that I personally liked. The noodles are cooked al dente with some firmness which makes them really great.

Because of the thick chicken broth, Ramen Ippachi is on the list of the best ramen in Osaka.

Bokkoshi Ramen

A shop located a few alleys away from the famous Dotonbori Street that serves chicken broth ramen. The entrance is a bit hidden but can be found with a careful look.
Their style is a creamy chicken based broth with straight noodles and a minimal but delicious topping called Tori Paitan. They serve a white, black and red version of their signature dish.

The black version is called “burnt”. It has a smoky or burnt flavor. The chashu here is also chicken and green leaves are added as an extra topping. Egg, more chashu and other items can be added to the order.

The creaminess of the broth and the intense flavor is really great. Because of the chicken used, it’s a completely different experience than tonkotsu. To get some variety in your ramen life, this is definitely a must try and a good choice.

Hanamaruken

Hanamaruken is a popular shop just one turn away from the famous Dotonbori Street. They are at least prepared for tourists by having English names for their ramen on the signs. Their ramen is called “Happiness Ramen”. A nice promise, but necessary to try.

Note that the shop is open 24 hours. So either you finished drinking late or need a hangover breakfast ramen, this could be your choice.

What caught my attention here was the “Slow Cooked Pork Rib Ramen”. A dish with a huge, fatty and heavily marinated piece of pork rib on top. The meat was super tender and delicious. A little too fatty, tough. Something to enjoy, but not recommended too often. The soup was quite good. Other toppings were Bamboo, Naruto and Negi.

If you are up for a heavy fatty ramen dish, than this is definitely a must try ramen for you.

Ikareta Noodle Fishton

A little north of Namba, near the Shinsaibashi or Nishi-Ohashi stations, is a shop called Ikareta NOODLE Fishtons. As the first row of vending machines there indicates, their specialty is Tsukemen. This is a variation of ramen where the soup and noodles are served separately. Grab the noodles, dip them into the soup and enjoy. Tsukemen is great and typically rare outside of Japan. So it’s a good choice to try it in Japan.

The prices at Ikareta are on the high end, but well worth it for the great quality and taste. I choose their most popular dish called “Special Thick Tsukemen”. Noodles topped with 4 slices of chashu and egg. Soup and onions and spices are served separately.

The noodles are incredible. Thick, straight and long and cooked to perfection. They are darker in color than typical ramen, so I assume they use some whole wheat flour. The soup is dark, creamy and flavorful. The chashu is not greasy but tasty. The served dish looks nice and tastes delicious. A pure recommendation and another must try as one of the best ramen in Osaka.

Menya Jouroku

Like many cities or areas in Japan, Osaka has its own local and unique ramen flavor. This is called Takaida (高井田) ramen. In this style, the noodles are thick and straight. Chicken and seaweed are used for the soup, which is then flavored with soy sauce, making it shoyu ramen. This flavor originated in western Osaka. However, there is also a shop in Namba that serves this type of ramen. It’s called Menya Jouroku.

The shop is about a 10 minute walk from Namba Station. It is located in a small alley and is a bit difficult to find. So a closer look at the map is recommended. The shop has seven counter seats and twelve waiting seats inside, separated by some corona-conform distance. When we went there, there were only two people in front of us. But their waiting area indicated that they are usually more crowded.

Their signature dish is Chuuka Soba in the Higashi Osaka Takaida Fu style. The regular size version is incredibly cheap at only 750 yen (as of 2022).
This dish looks really good and is steaming hot when served. The noodles are thick, flat and straight. They float in a dark broth with little fat eyes on top. The broth is strong and hearty. It’s a little salty and there’s a hint of pepper. The garnish is minimal but perfectly fitting. There are slices of lean meat, bamboo shoots and green parts of spring onions. That’s it, simple but perfect.

It’s a shoyu-based ramen to perfection. I used to think I wasn’t a big fan of shoyu-based ramen, but this completely changed my mind. Nice side effect, it’s not as heavy and filling as a tonkotsu ramen.

Nikumen Hidamari An

This shop is located just outside of Osaka in the city of Sakai. It can be reached by Nankai from Namba Station to Sakaihigashi and then a short walk.

Their brothless ramen is a unique experience. Especially if you like meat. The noodles are topped with four different kinds of chashu, ranging from fatty to non fatty. I went for the “big” version, Niku Niku Mazesoba Koteri Shoyu. It was a good amount of noodles. The noodles are medium thick and medium firm. They are in a little bit of oil and sauce. Since this is mazesoba, there is no soup or broth. Finally, it’s topped with the raw yellow part of an egg. It looks and tastes delicious. Only some vegetables are somehow missing.

It’s a really delicious dish. The brothless ones are especially recommended in the hot Japanese summer when you do not want to hold your sweaty face over a steaming bowl of soup. A must try ramen dish in Osaka.

Osaka Ramen FAQ

Here are a few typical questions and answers about ramen in Osaka.

How much is a bowl of ramen in Osaka?
That depends. A plain chuuka soba starts at 700 yen these days. A tonkotsu ramen with some toppings is around 1000 yen. A special bit fancy one with all the toppings can be 1400 yen. I haven’t seen anything close to 2000 yen.

What is the best area for ramen in Osaka?
Not easy to answer. Namba is full of ramen shops, but also full of tourists. Umeda is more the business district with great ramen. If you want to dive deeper into the local scene, the eastern parts around Takaida are a good choice.

What is the local style of ramen in Osaka?
Takaida Style Chuuka Soba is the local style of ramen in Osaka. It’s a dark and intense soy sauce based ramen. Usually with thicker noodles. Takaida style ramen shops often open in the morning as locals eat it for breakfast. Then the shops close after lunch.

Even though Osaka is not necessarily known for ramen, there is definitely such a wide selection of fantastic ramen there. The local specialty “Takaida Ramen” is definitely a must for anyone who likes ramen. You can also find almost all other types of ramen in Osaka in top quality. Anyone visiting Osaka should definitely try some of the ramen from the list of the best ramen in Osaka.

But don’t forget to try the typical Osaka specialties such as takoyaki, kushikatsu and okonomiyaki.

Checkout Osaka Ramen on Youtube