Need a break from Portuguese food? A comforting meal of ramen may be the right choice for you.
Fortunately, as so many places have recently opened, you’ll now be able to find a great ramen restaurant in Lisbon.
Here is a list of ramen places to try in the city.
Ajitama Ramen Bistro
After living in Asia and spending a great deal of time in Japan, two Portuguese friends returned to Portugal and what they missed the most was the comforting ramen. They set out to learn all about the food, and for a while ramen was served in their Supper Club at home every Saturday night, gathering an immense waiting list. This instant success in 2019 led the two friends to open their first ramen restaurant in Saldanha and four years later a second one in Chiado.
Ajitama Chiado, Rua do Alecrim 47A | Ajitama Saldanha, Avenida Duque de Loulé 36 | everyday from noon to midnight, www.ajitama.pt
Afuri
Direct from Tokyo, Afuri offers the real ramen in Lisbon without flying to Japan. It is a Tokyo reference with several restaurants in the Japanese capital, and two in the Portuguese capital – Afuri Izakaya opened in 2018 and Afuri Ramen+Dumpling opened in 2022.
Afuri aims to serve the most unique and authentic ramen. To this end, the chefs employ yuzu, a small yellow fruit of Asian origin, to make a lighter, fresher and more delicate ramen, as well as homemade noodles with fresh pasta made on site.
Afuri Izakaya, Rua Paiva de Andrade 7 – 13 (Chiado) | Afuri Ramen+Dumpling, Av. D.João II, Lote 45 (Parque das Nações) | Mon-Fri noon-2pm & 6pm-11pm, Sat-Sun noon-11pm, afuri.pt
Ramen Joe
Ramen Joe founder Yakubo Joe is Japanese and ramen is his specialty. Serving the most Japanese ramen in Portugal has become the aim of Ramen Joe, which is popular among Japanese residents in the area. There are now two restaurants in Lisbon: one in Rato with an interior room and another in Campo Pequeno which offers an outside terrace.
Ramen Joe Rato, Rua do Sol ao Rato 3 | Ramen Joe Campo Pequeno, Av. Júlio Dinis | Mon-Sat noon-3pm & 6pm-11pm, www.ramenjoelisboa.com
Sugoi!
Serving probably the most Portuguese ramen, Sugoi! combines it with raws. The restaurant serves a broth full of flavour best described as sugoi, the Japanese word that translates to “amazing” usually used in response to something impressive or surprising.
Praça David Leandro da Silva 8 | Thu-Fri 12.30pm-4pm, 7.30pm-11pm, Sat noon-11pm, Sun 12.30pm-7pm
Hachiko Ramen by Honda
Honda set out to serve the perfect bowl of ramen in Lisbon, after learning the art of ramen in Japan. The broth is simmered for 16 hours, and the noodles are homemade. The menu features a variety of ramen styles, including shio and shoyu, chicken and pork varieties, as well as vegetarian options.
Rua de São Lázaro 51, everyday noon-11.30pm, hachikoramen.pt
Panda Cantina
With several locations in Lisbon, the Chinese ramen of Panda Cantina is definitely popular. Serving ramen exclusively, the menu is simple with only a few varieties of ramen – pork, cow and tofu – and a choice of the amount of spicy from 1 to 5. A Giant Panda bowl combining all the varieties is also available, being one of the most popular choices.
Rua da Prata 252 | Rua de São Marçal 86| Rua Joaquim António de Aguiar 73D | Rua de Entrecampos 14A | Rua do Duque 6 | Amoreiras Shopping Center| Alameda dos Oceanos 3 14.02 (Parque das Nações)
