5 Best Japanese Restaurants in London (2026)

Uzumaki London is an anime-themed Japanese restaurant near the British Museum, built around ramen, Japanese sides and bubble tea inspired by manga and anime series. The room is decked out in anime artwork and manga-inspired decor, with a gift shop attached for merchandise on the way out. It leans into that theming hard, which makes it a natural pick for anime fans and for groups looking for something more memorable than a standard ramen counter.

Shoryu Ramen Soho serves Hakata tonkotsu ramen, buns and izakaya-style plates from a Denman Street site that also stocks the UK's largest sake, shochu and umeshu list, with more than 130 options. There is a subterranean private dining room that seats up to 16, alongside regular walk-in seating, and the kitchen runs late into the evening most nights.

Marugame (The Strand) is a canteen-style udon and tempura counter from Marugame, a Japanese chain, serving hand-crafted udon noodles made fresh roughly every 20 minutes alongside a pick-your-own tempura bar. Bowls start under a fiver and meal deals are priced for a quick weekday lunch, with the Strand branch opposite Charing Cross Station built for fast turnover rather than a sit-down evening out.

SUSHISAMBA Covent Garden sits atop the Grade II-listed Market Building under an Eric Parry-designed glass roof, blending Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian dishes across sushi, robata-grilled meats and ceviche. The space runs a rooftop terrace overlooking the Piazza, an open kitchen and sushi bar, and a private dining room with its own entrance, making it as much a destination for the room as the plates.

OITA Soho is a Japanese izakaya on Gerrard Street in the heart of Chinatown, serving sushi, katsu curry, ramen and dumplings alongside an Oita house lager and a cocktail list. Named after the Japanese prefecture credited with inventing karaage, it is built around a relaxed, casual izakaya format with a second branch in Wood Green.