15 best udon restaurants in Tokyo – including a unique 'carbonara udon'

Though the classy interior and plummy riverside perch might suggest otherwise, this Ebisu noodle shop can fill you up for around ¥1,000 a head. Yamacho's udon noodles, available either 'thin' or 'fat', are cooked al dente and served with dashi stock courtesy of the restaurant's namesake in Osaka, a local institution with a more than century-long history.

Try the prawn tempura set or kujo negi (spring onions) udon, with some fluffy tamago-maki egg roll on the side (if you've got space for it). Yamacho is twinned with Ebisu's Kaoriya soba shop, and its interior follows the same format: subtle lighting, sparse décor and a communal, solid-wood table in the centre of the room.

This little shop, with six seats at the counter and just two tables, serves freshly made noodles that go down nice and smooth, plus great side dishes like tempura and deep-fried tofu. You should really try its signature 'carbonara udon', where the noodles are topped with grated cheese, a runny soft-boiled egg and a thick slice of bacon tempura, much like its namesake Italian counterpart.

It's also worth noting that the restaurant now operates on a ticketing system rather than having you queue, so stop by early (from 9am) to grab a ticket to secure a spot.

This unique udon restaurant specialises in extra-wide noodles, otherwise known as Himokawa udon. This style of noodles originated from the Kiryu area of Gunma prefecture, which is revered for its quality wheat production. The wide udon ribbons here are on the soft side but they still have a good bite. More importantly, they are so slippery smooth it's joy to eat. 

At this super popular Ginza eatery, you can sample the exceptionally wide udon noodles in a range of styles such as zaru dipping style, or bukkake style with a simple sauce poured over chilled noodles and served with toppings. Our favourite however, is the assorted tempura zaru set. The tempura, which consists of two prawns and several seasonal vegetables, are exceptionally good for a noodle restaurant. As for the dipping udon, you get to choose two out of five sauce: soy sauce, sesame, black sesame with pepper, roasted sake, and curry. 

The queue at this Ginza restaurant is legendary. So you might want to consider going to its Nihonbashi or Haneda Airport Garden outlet instead, both have relatively shorter queues.

This standing udon joint under Kichijoji Station’s train tracks is perfect for a quick and satisfying meal. If you do want to sit down, there are a couple small tables with seats at the far end of the restaurant. But we recommend joining the locals for a quick standing meal while watching the chefs prepare the noodles behind the counter.

Udon can be ordered either as kake in a hot or cold soup, or bukakke with noodles topped in a concentrated hot or cold broth. For an order that packs a punch, the shop’s curry udon (only available in winter) is a must-try. 

After ordering from the touch screen machines at the front of the shop, you’ll pass through an assembly line where you hand the chef your order tickets, receive your bowl of udon and then top your noodles with a choice of tempura bits, grated ginger, green onions and dried iriko (small dried anchovies).  

Don’t forget to add a side of freshly deep-fried tempura to your bowl of udon, such as fried shrimp, chicken, chikuwa fish cake and maitake mushrooms. If you want to double up on the carbs, you can even order a mini donburi rice bowl, including a gyudon (beef bowl) or fried chicken bowl. 

Having a meal at this friendly neighbourhood udon spot feels like stopping off at a friend’s house for lunch or dinner. The space is warm and simple, featuring a handful of tables and a long counter bar accented with various books and bottles of sake. As for the noodles, the bowls of udon are comforting and heartwarming, all carefully crafted by chef and owner Katsuaki Sato. 

The udon noodles here are unlike any other we've come across in Tokyo. They're a bit more on the flat side compared to your typical square noodle and are tapered off at the edges, giving them a rustic feel.

One of the most popular dishes is the Buzjenbo, a bowl of warm udon topped with deep-fried tofu, satsuma-age fish cakes and thinly shredded seaweed that melts into the thick broth. We also can’t get enough of the housei udon, a plate of chilled noodles topped with fresh lettuce, cucumber, thin pork slices and a refreshing sesame dressing. 

There's practically always a queue in front of this Ochanomizu restaurant serving traditional Kagawa-style noodles. The chewy, firm udon are complemented by a light, well-balanced broth that's as good as any we’ve had in Tokyo, while the egg covering the kama-tama is super-fresh and deliciously moreish. Don’t forget the side dishes as well, particularly the juicy kashiwaten (chicken tempura).

Hailing from the 'udon prefecture' of Kagawa, the friendly Mr Tani operates this small but consistently excellent noodle shop in Ningyocho. Upon entering, you won't be able to miss the glass-encased udon-making area, where chefs can be seen pounding the noodles and carefully cutting them up, all by hand of course. The finished product is firm and starchy, going nicely with the additive-free broth and fried-on-order tempura.

Employing skills honed in Kagawa prefecture, the staff at this Takadonababa noodle joint use two kinds of domestic wheat for their dough and form the thick, firm noodles by hand every day. Both warm and cold broth are available, the two made separately from dried Kagawa sardines and mixed with soy sauce for a strongly aromatic but fresh taste.

To start off, go for the simple bukkake udon, served only with spices and broth, before moving on to the sanuki tempura, which comes with deep-fried egg, chikuwa fish cake and chicken, or the always popular curry udon. You'll also want to look out for the seasonal specials.

Get your udon fix early in the morning, really late at night or any time in between at Gotanda's standing-only shrine to noodles. Found right outside the station, this rough-and-ready joint serves up bowls from as low as ¥350, and attracts queues every single day at lunchtime.

Once you get in, it might take a while before you feel comfy hovering around the narrow counter, but any tension is quickly swept away once you get a taste of the firm udon and light, fresh broth. The tempura here is always freshly fried, so make sure to order some of the popular chicken variety (toriten) to go with your noodles.

Open only four days a week for lunch, this udon joint close to Gakugei-Daigaku Station in Meguro can be real hard to get into. Paying little heed to the listed business hours, the shop often runs out of noodles and closes before its stipulated time of 2pm.

Prepare to queue up for a seat inside the small space, but once you get in, you'll be glad you did. The soft, aromatic noodles are served in a powerfully flavoured, sardine-based broth, making for a heavenly combination. The tempura, fried on order, also maintains excellent quality; we recommend the mochi and soft-boiled egg varieties.

Serving up Kagawa-style sanuki udon in Nakano since 1962, Shikokuya remains a strong presence on the local noodle scene. Updating its flavours to go with the times, the shop continues to attract patrons with a diverse menu of udon and tempura. First-timers will want to check out the niku-kizami udon, a unique creation served with green onion, meat and aburaage (fried tofu) slices over an ample portion of noodles in a sweet broth.

Hot, cold or both, whatever way you like it – Jujo's 'udon central' boasts Kagawa-trained chefs and a menu packed with options, including the hiya-atsu mixture with chilled, smooth noodles and piping hot sardine- and seaweed-based broth.

Make sure to explore the tempura list, with everything fried to order. The treats range from plus-sized chikuwa (fish cake) to seasonal vegetables and chicken, all of which go nicely with the flavourful broth. Udon always makes for a cheap meal, but Iwai's prices go beyond the standard – we'll take a small-sized bowl for ¥400 every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Specialising in the sanuki udon of Kagawa, this Kinshicho shop is nothing if not particular about its noodles. The dough is made with the same mountain water used by sake breweries out in western Tokyo, while the udon is of the stiff, square type that keeps its shape and texture even when submerged into piping hot broth.

You can choose to have your noodles either cold or warm, and the same choice can be made for the broth as well. Indecisive diners may want to go for the shoyu udon set, which lets you savour both varieties together with a soy sauce-based dashi. The tempura starts at ¥150 apiece – try the chicken, chikuwa (fish cake) or konbu (seaweed).

Hiding out on a residential street a brisk walk from Akabane Station, this udon joint regularly attracts queues before opening time, as patrons converge on the shop to savour Sumita's signature kashiwa oroshi bukkake. This tongue-twister of a dish consists of slippery noodles topped with lightly flavoured pieces of chicken tempura, plus grated daikon, sesame seeds, nori seaweed and green onion, and makes for a satisfyingly hearty one-bowl meal.