Winter Warmers: The Best Ramen in Melbourne

Hot, soupy and soul-reviving – there’s nothing quite like a steaming bowl of ramen to cure all those ghastly winter ailments. And although we’re thousands of kilometres from Japan, there are plenty of dedicated ramen bars in Melbourne serving authentic bowls of the hot, creamy and comforting stuff.

Whether you like your ramen loaded with pork, heaving with an extra serve of noodles, or a delicious vego option, when the cravings hit, head down to one of these spots that happen to be serving the best ramen in Melbourne. Meshiagare!

Best Ramen Melbourne CBD

Kajiken

No broth? No problem! Melbourne’s first ramen store to specialise in aburasoba, Kajiken, has opened at Southern Cross Station, and the reviews are glowing! This type of ramen has been tricky to find, but now you can pop in to see what the fuss is about. Unlike traditional ramen, aburasoba, or shirunashi ramen, is served without broth, with various sauces and toppings – think egg, cod roe, chives, bamboo shoots, nori and minced pork – mixed into the cooked noodles.

Originating in Tokyo in the 1950s, it’s taken a while for this particular style of dish to make it Down Under, but some things prove to be worth the wait. The complex blend of oils, spices and condiments will give you a slightly different flavour profile every time, so you’ll just have to keep coming back for more. Shame.

Shop 11, Southern Cross Station, Spencer Street, Melbourne

Musashi

A variety of ramen and Japanese sides, plus sake, wine & beer can be found in this casual and cosy setting. Musashi sets the bar high with their ramen, made by the expertise of Rikisai Miyajima, who has 25 years of experience creating this delicious Japanese favourite, which stems from an old family recipe. Their noodles are crafted with diligence and heart, offering a springy texture and distinct flavours, creating the perfect balance to the robust and aromatic broth. Carefully selected ingredients coupled with creativity ensure that this is some of the best ramen in town. 

Level 1/181 Russell Street, Melbourne 

Sara Craft Ramen

One of the newer ramen spots to pocket the streets of Melbourne’s CBD, Sara Craft Ramen is an intimate, 21-seater affair not playing by the rules (in the best way). 

Expect delicate broths that are clear and light rather than rich and creamy. There are two noodles to choose from: straight, or two week aged wavy noodles. The spicy pork tonkotsu shoyu ramen has stolen our hearts, but unique you should also pay attention to unique flavour combinations like the pork, tomato caprese ramen. Seafood fan? Try the beautiful Asari Shoyu; meaty clams swimming in a burnt butter and Aosa wakame broth. 

Shop 3/391-393 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne

Shujinko

Here for your post-work dinners, weekend lunches, and late-night escapades is Shujinko, a ramen bar that’s straight out of the back alleys of Tokyo. At just about any hour of the day, you can sink into a bowl of their soul-reviving miso or tonkotsu ramen, open til as late as 4:00 am on Friday and Saturdays. Your interest will be piqued even further by their specialty black ramen, which sprinkles the broth with a umami-laden shellfish powder to give it an intriguingly dark hue. 

Melbourne & Glen Waverley

Little Ramen Bar

This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it ramen bar may be little, but it punches well above its weight with robust soups you’ll return for again and again. Little Ramen Bar serves a variety of styles including classic tonkotsu, spicy miso and shio chicken. By far, their most addictive bowl is the fiery tantanmen, which infuses the soup with brow-mopping chilli and spicy ground pork.

5/346 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne

Mugen Ramen

Mugen Ramen specialise in tsukemen, a dipping ramen where your noodles and soup are served separately. Bouncy, wholegrain wheat noodles arrive alongside a bowl of thick dipping broth – an umami-full base made by cooking pork, chicken and dried fish for a marathon 48 hours, before seasoning with your choice of dashi and soy, sesame or curry. It’s a fun and even more flavourful way to enjoy your ramen, and when you’re done, you can top up the rest with a light dashi broth and drink it as a soup.

11 Bligh Place, Melbourne 

Mr Ramen San

Slurp up hearty bowls of original style ramen from Japan’s Kyushu region at Mr Ramen San, which has a steady stream of dedicated fans bustling for a table. Homemade noodles made daily, a packed full of flavour broth that’s cooked for over 10 hours, and 30 different styles of ramen are three very good reasons to book in your next ramen slurp fest here, with their Charsu (pork) and teriyaki Charsu ramen being some of the most popular options on the menu. They even provide a vegetarian ‘Charsu’ ramen. Did we mention you can get extra noodles added in for free? Yum! 

Shop 12A, 200 Bourke Street

344 Little Bourke Street, Melbourne

Mensho 

Discover innovative flavours of Melbourne’s first Michelin-starred ramen restaurant. Mensho is where traditional Japanese cuisine meets modern creativity. Their signature Matcha Ramen is a standout, featuring a rich and savoury broth infused with the earthy notes of premium matcha. This unique blend is complemented by tender, slow-cooked chashu pork, perfectly cooked noodles, and a delicate sprinkle of matcha powder, creating a harmonious balance of flavours. Topped with fresh green onions and a soft-boiled egg, this dish offers a refreshing twist on classic ramen.

If you can snag it, the elusive A5 Wagyu Ramen is a must-try, limited to just 20 bowls daily. Or soothe the soul with their creamy Toripaitan Ramen, with its rich chicken broth simmered for six hours, topped with duck char siu. 

166 Russell Street, Melbourne 

Best Ramen Melbourne: Northern Suburbs

Ramen Ako’s

Ramen Ako’s in Fitzroy is a sleek, minimalist ramen haven where quality triumphs over quantity. With just 31 seats and three thoughtfully curated ramen options each day, this spot is made for purists. Choose from delicate chintan or rich paitan broths, each crowned with torched pork chashu, seasoned egg, bamboo shoots, and fragrant chicken oil. A shiitake-laced vegan ramen ensures everyone’s included. Pair it with crisp karaage or prawn gyoza, but be quick—quantities are limited, and the love for AKO is anything but. A must for ramen aficionados.

368 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

Ramen Shouyuya Sake Bar

At Ramen Shouyuya, chef Fujio Tamura distils a lifetime of expertise into just three bowls of shoyu ramen—chicken, vegetable, and slow-cooked duck inspired by kamo nanban. The broth, built on niboshi dashi, is rich yet refined, while house-made noodles—crafted with a Yamato machine from Japan—offer the perfect bite. The minimalist Brunswick space mirrors its menu: no excess, just precision. Sides like soy-glazed chicken wings and ganmo nimono round out the offering, while mitarashi dango provides a sweet, smoky finish. This is ramen, stripped back to its essence, and it’s a beautiful thing.

692 Sydney Road, Brunswick

Shop Ramen

A perennial favourite with the inner north hipster crowd, Shop Ramen started as a 10-day pop-up, but firmly cemented itself in the hearts of Melbourne’s ramen lovers with their unconventional bowls. You can spike your ramen with additions like yuzu oil, melted American cheese and jalapenos, but their vegetarian ramen is a standout. A creamy sesame broth topped with a cornucopia of tofu, kale, pickles, pea shoots, edamame and marinated egg. You can also order a boozy umeshu and whisky milkshake, or finish your meal with an ice cream pie.

Fitzroy, Preston & Brunswick

Gogyo

Legendary ramen shop Gogyo is famed for its burnt miso ramen, which features a smoky yet smooth broth that’s made using theatrical techniques – they literally set miso and fat on fire. It’s an intensely rich bowl, not for the faint of heart. Other options include tonkotsu, chilli shoyu and a veggie soba made with a shoyu porcini base. Don’t let this unique ramen experience in Melbourne pass you by. Happy slurping!

413 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy

The Dojo Ramen Bar

At most noodle joints, you’d be lucky to find one vegetarian option, but at this rambunctious Northcote spot, you’ll find four flavourful choices. From a deep miso broth sporting a touch of garlic to a creamy veggie soup fortified with nut extracts and soy milk, The Dojo Ramen Bar holds strong as some of the best ramen in Melbourne. Have a crack at the vintage Nintendo console as you wait for your bowl, while the courtyard out back makes for balmy summer slurping.

333 High Street, Northcote 

Misoya Sake Bar

Bucking the trend towards more substantial tonkotsu broths is Misoya in Brunswick, where they use a miso-based chicken stock that’s rich in flavour but much lighter on the palate. Springy noodles topped with a wobbly soft-boiled egg and slices of slow-cooked pork belly – a perfect winter warmer that you can polish without feeling weighed down afterwards.

165A Sydney Road, Brunswick 

Best Ramen Melbourne: Eastern Suburbs

Suupaa

Suupaa is where Tokyo’s konbini culture collides with Melbourne’s appetite for good food. From the Future Future crew, this Cremorne joint slings sandos, onigiri, and bento built for speed, flavour, and affordability. When it comes to the ramen, Chef Dennis Yong brings the funk with a base broth of chicken and pork simmered for 10-12 hours, before miso and some special secret ingredients are added to create a rich umami flavour. Throw in the 36-hour slow-cooked Wagyu brisket, and you’ve got a melt-in-your-mouth delicacy.

Matcha Milo and banana-infused cold brew fuel the day, while beers, wines, and tight $15 cocktails keep things lively. Shelves are stacked with Japanese snacks and house-made cold brew. It’s casual, it’s fast, and it just makes sense within the lens of Melbourne’s current cafe culture.

Shop 1/65 Dover Street, Cremorne

Snow Monkey Ramen

One of Melbourne’s most loved ramen spots lies in the heart of South Yarra. Snow Monkey Ramen stands out as a unique ramen shop born from the serendipitous encounter of two snow sports enthusiasts amidst the picturesque slopes of Hakuba in Japan. United by their love for skiing and admiration for the genuine flavours of Japanese cuisine, they embarked on a journey to craft an exceptional ramen experience.

At Snow Monkey, the culinary traditions of France and Japan are fused to offer a novel interpretation of this soulful dish, showcasing a harmonious blend of techniques and flavours that promise to tantalise your taste buds. Their house-made shoyu ramen and spicy miso option are both absolute standouts. 

shop 2/180 Toorak Road, South Yarra 

RamenRamen

This unassuming ramen shop has just hit The Glen Shopping Centre, and it’s captured locals’ hearts. RamenRamen often sells out of their incredibly popular bowls before they close for the day, and once you find out how much love and care they put into them, despite being a fast-casual establishment, it’s not hard to see why. The chefs here simmer the  Kyushu and tonkotsu broths for 24 hours, topped with three-day-aged wavy wheat noodles and delicious toppings like chicken katsu or their signature tonkotsu. The matcha soft serve is a hit come summer.

235 Springvale Road, Glen Waverley

Yoku Ono Ramen + Sake

While we’re ramen devotees all year round, warmer days often call for something lighter than a steamy bowl of tonkotsu. That’s where cosy Prahran bar Yoku Ono’s chilled ramens come in. The establishments take on a poke bowl, noodles are soaked in broth to imbue them with flavour, then left to cool before being served with fresh tuna sashimi, wasabi dressing or miso scorched tofu and carrot ginger dressing. Light, wholesome and delicious, they’re one of our top picks during the warmer months. And don’t stress – they still serve steaming bowls to warm you up in winter.

6A Anchor Place, Prahran

Hakata Gensuke

Ask any Melburnian where to find the city’s best ramen, and chances are, they will direct you straight to Hakata Gensuke. Hungry diners eagerly await bowls of their signature tonkotsu, a thick, collagen-rich pork bone soup served with springy thin noodles, tender pork chashu, wood ear mushrooms and spring onions. It’s super hearty ramen that’ll leave you fortified for the day. For the seasoned slurpers, there’s a black garlic spiked-number and super spicy ‘God Fire’ version that lives up to its name. Walk-ins only!

Multiple locations in Melbourne and surrounding suburbs, find your closest here.

Best Ramen Melbourne: Bayside Suburbs

Shyun Ramen Bar

Trust us when we say Shyun Ramen Bar is worth the drive to Carnegie. ‘Shyun’ means ‘season’ in Japanese, and the creators of this delicious ramen bar decided to name their venue just that, thanks to their commitment to using the freshest seasonal ingredients available. Their homemade stock is crafted using a combination of pork and chicken, resulting in a comforting, flavourful umami taste that you’ll love. Save room for dessert – the matcha float is oh-so-creamy.

73 Koornang Road, Carnegie

No 18 Ramen

No 18 Ramen is St Kilda locals’ go-to ramen restaurant for when the weather isn’t fitting for a walk along the beach, but they still want to go on a date night or catch up with a friend. They have all the classic ramen flavours you know and love, plus they even have gluten-free ramen available, so no one misses out!

151B Fitzroy Street, St Kilda

Had your fill of the best ramen in Melbourne and eager to try more of the best spots in the city? We’ve got you covered with our guide to Melbourne CBD’s essential restaurants, as well as our favourite cocktail haunts to keep the cosy vibes going post that big bowl of soulful ramen.