Ikigai Ramen in Edinburgh, City of

The food was incredible! My husband and I had dinner here for his birthday. We each got ramen and shared the sweet potato croquettes and the spicy chicken teriyaki. Delicious! Unfortunately, the service was terrible. I got there a little earlier than my husband and told the server that there would be two of us to which he said “just sit at the bar” to me very rudely. When we ordered, I asked for the wings and he cut me off before I could finish, saying shortly, “we don’t have wings tonight.” He never brought over water, and he didn’t respond to us after we complimented the starters when he brought out our ramen. He then audibly groaned when more guests came in to eat and he had to clear the open table for them. I don’t know if he was having a bad day or something but it was no excuse to treat customers like they’re a burden for wanted to have dinner at his place of work.

Really good ramen with a very rich broth, really friendly waiter and very cosy restaurant. More people should come! Nice conversations with the chef and overall great vibes

Perfectly cooked egg - but wish it was stained 🍜

진한 국물에 빠른 서비스 하지만 아쉽게도 공간이 너무 좁아서 조금 불편했다. 탄탄면은 국물이 좀 넉넉했고, 땅콩이 없는 매콤한 맛이었다.

A really nice intimate Ramen shop

The food was OK and the service was not the best, atmosphere was nice tho. Can't say I really recommend this one.

服務態度好，地方很整潔，碗內的流心蛋非常美味，但豬骨湯底有點鹹，要添加 開水 後味道非常美味，所以比四星

great food, really good spice level in the broth

Visited here on Sunday 26/11/23 and the member of staff working there was less than hospitable. We weren’t greeted and waited 20 mins at our table before i went ask politely asked if the order was taken at the table or we came to the till. I were told abruptly “I’ll get to you when i’m ready”. This was the the running theme for the evening as we could see him being blatantly rude to other patrons, who appeared to be tourists, what a shame that they could think that this is what service is like in Edinburgh. My friend and I both work in hospitality in Edi and this behaviour is frankly inexcusable, as we know what it’s like to have a bad day, but this felt like we were in one of those gimmicky rude service restaurants like Karen’s diner, we left laughing about how rude he was. I have seen other reviews that have mentioned this same member of staff, and I wasn’t going to leave a review but if I owned this restaurant I would really want to know this was going on. Its a shame as we were both really looking forward to it and to be fair the food was good, but this is by far the worst/rudest service I have ever had. Hope you guys get it sorted!

Great little place for authentic japanese noodles soup, nit much varties but do ahve vegetarian option and a few starters. It has limited seatings but broth is the best, it does have another branch down the road but i feel the broth is not as good as this one. No free parking and stree parking is so expensive.

One of the best ramen i had so far. I had tonkatsu ramen n the broth was the best.

Delicious ramen ruined by cold, condescending and outright rude service (to other customers too). Sunday 26/11/23

Had a tantanmen, yasai gyoza and takoyaki as well, all were amazing. Will be back for sure.😋

Poor management. Even though we got the table reserved we still need to wait for long time.

Used to be my fav ramen shop, unfortunately quality and service are declining…

We had two ramen vegan version with an egg on top on each and two bottles of beer for 45 pounds. Last time we went there about a year ago we had a better overall impression. Broth was not that rich as we expected to be honest. But still it’s quite okay and good quality! Service is nice and fast. Prepare to queue without a reservation

Fantastic food and fantastic service. Thank you!

UPDATE: I have found out that this man was in fact the owner of ikigai and has also acted similarly to a black woman, making comments about her size and not being able to fit into the bathroom or something along those lines…. Again, this behaviour has never been observed by her white friend who went in many times before with her white boyfriend…. Honestly don’t give your money to this place, go to noodles and dumplings instead!!! ❣️ Deeply shaken up and scared after a harrowing experience with a nasty member of staff at ikigai ramen today. I entered the restaurant with a friend around 2pm and felt instantly awkward as the male brown haired staff member completely ignored me despite it being empty. I then politely said hi and asked if we could have a table for two - to which this horrible man spoke to me in such an aggressive and rude tone ‘I don’t know, CAN YOU? You can BORROW a table for lunch but you can’t take one’. I was so taken by surprise and confused so I just said uhhh okay great thanks so much! He then said ‘just go anywhere’ as he gestured aggressively, rolling his eyes at me. He then proceeded to reach over the bar and SLAM the door behind us very loudly, causing us to jump. I straight away was about to cry from this experience and felt myself panicking from this abusive behaviour. We had no choice but to just leave without getting any food as the atmosphere was very unsettling and I was about to burst into tears. I’m not sure why this man was so unbelievably nasty to me, I’d hope not but it felt like it could have been motivated by racism/ homophobia. It just was so jarring and unexplainable as I am very softly spoken and polite - I’m not sure what else could have drawn out such aggressive behaviour from this man. I hope he receives at least a warning so he can no longer continue abusing customers 👎👎it’s a massive shame as I have been a regular customer of ikigai for some time, bringing many friends along. I have never left a google review before but this man truly ruined my week and led me to have a physical panic attack. Unfortunately I do not feel I will be able to go back to ikigai again despite enjoying the food as I am too traumatised and terrified :((

Quick and the service is great. Small place, which I figured was a green flag (I was right). The ramen is on par with some of the best I’ve had. I asked for some chili oil on the side and it was PROPERLY spicy. Delicious, no notes.

Very tiny ramen place close to the city centre. Delicious chicken ramen, friendly staff, sadly no green tea available and WC was not clean.

I used to live in Japan I can tell the Ramen might be authentic but the service is defo not - actually, one of the most awful experience I have had. I would never recommend this restaurant to anyone and even suggest Asian-face people to keep away from it unless you want to experience being ignored/discriminated in the surrounding of your own/familiar culture, as I found the staff guy being very rude specifically toward East-Asian face customers for unknown reasons🙄

Still the best (ramen) in Edinburgh, but not as good as it used to be

Best noodles I've had, and super tasty broth! Best ramen in Edinburgh for sure and the place is super cozy! It's a real chill vibe

Ramen here is so good! Good service as well!

Well this was great, tiny place that makes it a great experience but be prepared to wait as yiu get about 8 people in max. The food, the service the place was quiet something. Excellent.

Good ramen, albeit slightly tense atmosphere in the kitchen (which you are right next to) when we went at the weekend - maybe just busy.

We arrived early and politely asked if they were open. A brusque “no” was their response. On top of that, they were playing aggressive music. We walked around the corner to Maki Raman and we were attended to in a warm pleasant manner. I can only imagine their boss was not there.

Had a ramen and payed cash they did not give the change back and they were staring . It was an Asian guy who served me , the customer service has gone down very badly,the food was soo good They are not treating people if you just buy a single item , so bad that please teach your staff about customer service

Small shop serving simple ramen and a few appetizers. The tonkotsu ramen was okay. The broth was on the bland side, but remarkably not just an instant powder, and toppings were generous. Overall, decent for a quick stop on a chilly day.

It's a small and delicious ramen restaurant. I found the ramen broths surprisingly good for a resturant outside Japan. They have a student discount.

Really bad service. Waited 15 mins for water and only given to us after urging. The waiter forgot to put our order through and only after I asked for an update after 20 mins did he realise after which we waited a other 10 mins. All the service staff wouldn't make eye contact with us when I was trying to get an update. The food was pretty good but definitely not worth the wait and rude service. In the end, they still charged us full price.

Amazing ramen restaurant and fantastic service!

Wow the ramen was very good, the broth was really rich and creamy, the jammy egg and springy noodles made the dish all the more delicious, this was a perfect lunch spot that exceeded all expectations (Definitely check it out!)

The wait took longer than usual, for 2 ramens and 1 gyoza we waited 45minutes. Ramen itself was good, maybe the egg a bit under-marrinated and very little meat, but still tasty.

Muy buena comida japonesa. 100%

Food was good but wanted to give top marks to the young guy serving today at lunchtime, doing the work of 3 people on his own. Extra stars for him!

Tasty little gem! Only seats a few people but charming and delicious.

Best ramen I’ve ever had in the UK! The broth was very rich in flavour and the egg was perfectly cooked. The chef torched every single piece of pork. Love the Takoyaki too, haven’t had such a good one in so long. There are not many seats so would recommend to go early.

Ramen super bon ! On était ravis, les ingrédients sont de super qualités et nous étions bien installé même si l'endroit est assez petit.

Posto veramente veramente bello e il cibo è fantastico, prezzi ottimi (57€ in tre), non serve dire altro!

Tasty Japanese ramen in uk( so good that I forgot to take picture of my ramen, I finished after remember)

Went here on a date night, great ramen, cool little space

The tonkotsu ramen and the gyoza are so good, but the best part of this place are the waitresses! Nicest people met in Scotland

Excellents ramens, beaucoup de choix, assiettes copieuses, super service. Par contre, bancs de bois peu confortables et musique pop un peu forte et pas très « asiatique ». Parfait pour le midi ou un repas rapide, mais pas pour une soirée romantique.

Good, but not great! The seasoning was off it seems

Best Ramon in Edinburg. Amazing quality and great atmosphere

Update Apr 2023: unfortunately it's not the same anymore. I went there many times in the past 6 months and it's not so great anymore. I loved this little place. Both the ramen we tried were great and reminded us of Japan. Staff was very helpful and kind. Price on the average. There is also a 10% student discount!

The Ramen here never disappoints! We are here many times and loved it since Ikigai 1 where Gabriel always prepared our orders with a lot of passion.

Tasty. Good, but small place. Only have 10 chairs so gets full quickly.

Over priced , Food was average , payed 3 pound extra for 3 sugar snap peas , Not cool.

Delicious! Hole in a wall, some of the best ramen we’ve had so far. Well worth a visit.

Very very very very good ramen!! We loved it! And it has many great vegetarian/vegan options!

Love it! The waiters were quick and so friendly. The ramen was flavourful, you get a whole egg as well! And it was so cozy inside, it's quite small so you might not a have spot immediately. Highly recommend!

You get to check out the open kitchen on arrival which was spotlessly clean. It's a fairly small space (I believe there may be more seats downstairs) that's modern and has a convivial atmosphere as a result. Food arrived fairly quickly. Chicken ramen was delicious: broth had depth of flavour but still like with crispy chicken, tasty egg, crunchy green beans and plenty of noodles. Chicken wings were crispy and grease-free with salty and spicy flavours as promised. Pork gyoza were plump and delicious. Chicken karaage was sticky with the sweet teriyaki sauce that was well cooked and delicious. Service was very friendly, great with my allergies and fairly efficient.

Great place for amazing Ramen and great cooks who make you feel welcome and for having a laugh.

Nice little place, great atmosphere with delicious ramen, gyoza and karaage.

Malísima experiencia de ramen. Fideos sin hacer al igual que la verdura , se pide poco pincante y ni se fijan. Cocina pésima, eramos 5 personas y 3 ramen no estaban bien hechos. Protestamos y nos quisieron preparar otros de nuevo, pero ya era tarde. Nos descontaron tan sòlo un 15% cuando como mínimo tendrían que habernos descontado 1 ramen y medio. No volvería en mi vida.

超级咸这个汤，但面不咸，看起来很好看，闻起来很香，猪肉和笋不腥气。就是太咸了，要喝很多水。

I had dinner there a few days ago and the food was incredible! There were so many vegan friendly choices and they were all clearly label. The staff were super lovely and helpful too. The food was absolutely delicious and served very fast despite the restaurant being full. Thanks for this lovely dinner, I'll be back. ☺️

とんこつラーメンを頼みました。初めは美味しかったのですが、食べ進めるうちにしょっぱさが目立ち、しんどくなってきました。 一緒にいた人が同じものを頼んだので試しに交換してみると、私のだけが異常にしょっぱかったようです。結局最後まで食べることができませんでした…。 たれの量が安定してないのかなと思いました。次は適量で食べたいです。 学割があり、0.2ポンドくらい安くなりました。

Very few seats but good tasty food at reasonable prices.

Nice wee ramen shop. No frills. Had Hokata Tonkotsu Ramen with very tasty soup today. Not for staying long but recommended if one wants a quick, hot and delicious meal.

Absolutely incredible food - easily the best takoyaki and ramen I have tasted. Absolutely recommend a visit here if you are in Edinburgh (and definitely book your table, they are very busy and were fully booked the night we came)

Hands down the most authentic, flavourful and genuine ramen shop in Edinburgh. Reasonably priced (as much as it could be in Edinburgh) and offers student discount. Wouldn’t get ramen in other places since I’ve had Ikigai. Made me miss Japan

Fantastic food, nice atmosphere and service 😍🤩👍

Je voulais manger des ramen depuis le début de la semaine et c’était vraiment très bon. Prenez aussi un karaage, parce qu’il est aussi très bon. Dommage que j’ai vu les takoyaki à la carte une fois mon estomac plein !

The ramen was good with good broth. We ordered the tonkotsu and special ramen. The broth of tonkotsu was good while that of special was a bit too much for me. But overall it’s good ramen. Defo recommend it!

Excellent ramen! Ordered a tonkotsu ramen and the broth was packed with flavours however it was a tad bit salty, chashu pork was delicious and tender sort of melts in your mouth, good texture with the ramen and generous portion!

Nice little spot to have an excellent ramen!

Small tiny place with delicious food, you need to be lucky to get a seat but it is totally worth it. Everything freshly cooked on the moment by these two busy hard working guys. Totally worth it

So Japanese feeling. Taste also.

Very tasty and friendly. Quite big portions.

I went to the restaurant in June 2022. The place is tiny but welcoming and you really feel like you are in Japan. Ordered Tonkotsu ramen and it was high quality and tasty. Having tried multiple ramens around the world, this is definitely one of the best. A Japanese gem in Edinburgh. Recommended.

Food was delicious, we would return

Really great little place, owners are so friendly and you can see they cook with passion !! Food was amazing !! Would definitely go back on a cold day !

Nice ! Made a friend call : Justin

Freshly prepared ramen to order, proudly served by the proprietors. This adorable little restaurant is definitely worth a visit. They’re serving up delicious noodle bowls (vegan options included). The space only sits eight people, but it’s worth the wait for the cozy atmosphere.

This was probably the best food I've ever had in Edinburgh. The staff is super nice and they were playing some smooth tunes. Would defo recommend 🥰

Probably one of the best ramen I've ever had ! Nice little spot, good food and good prices !

Manager was lovely, good people and good food what else could you want for

One of the better ramen places in Edinburgh

After trying fo 3 times because they close at 3 pm and open again for dinner time, finally I came when it opened I ordered tantanmen ramen here, it was very delicious, staffs are friendly. It is a small restaurant and get crowded easily, but dont hesitate to wait because the dine in here will be worth it. Ps: they have student discount.

Brilliant place with brilliant people working there! 100% would reccommend

Always incredible. Got appetizers, spicy ramen, and the whole shebang. Just keep an eye on when the kitchen closes for a couple of hours.

Best Japanese food I have tasted so far

What a tasty ramen in a street kitchen vibe restaurant. It's small, very small. It can sit only 8 people and around 1 to 2 chefs cook and serve. The price is around £12.5 per ramen bowl and they have enough variety to cater for everyone. The ramen is prepared fresh in front of you and the cooks are really nice. I'm giving 4 stars because the wait can be long and the overall tidiness could be better.. If they get online delivery orders alongside customers waiting in the restaurant, things naturally slow down given how small they are. Though it's a street kitchen kind of relaxed atmosphere, sitting in the restaurant and looking around, things seemed untidy such as the cleaning / storage cabinet left open with rapeseed oil, kitchen rolls etc. Overall it's a really nice restaurant aiming to offer authentic ramen dishes. I'd recommend you visit.

Huge and delicious bowl worth every penny !

Comment on the service: the service was mostly satisfactory until the bill came. We ordered two vegantan which we asked to do a vegetarian option. Later the waitress came to tell us the vegan bacon was out and we were accommodating to accept tofu instead. The tofu were just plain chopped tofu, not fried, grilled, or seasoned. When the bill came, there was an additional charge for egg of £2.5. We were very surprised by that as a non-vegan option you get the egg and minced meat for £12.5, where we had to pay £15 for the vegan option with egg. The server didn’t mention this to us upon ordering. We went to Maki & Ramen the day before which provided egg as the vegetarian option on no additional charge. Comment on the ramen: the vegantan was bland and not creamy. We enjoyed Maki & Ramen a lot more.

The best ramen I’ve ever had. Delicious.

Delicious. Order the Takoyaki, if only to be delighted by the movement of the fish flakes!!

Best ramen ever and a perfect fresh-made gyoza. Also very kind staff.

I don’t understand the hype? It was not bad but definitely not that good… customer service is also not impressive

Love this place. Sits max 8 and it works! I think best Ramen I’ve had ever!

Snug indeed, barely 10 seats. But cozy, quick & the best ramen I've had in Edinburgh (yes, better than the now ubiquitous M&R, which I do like!). I had the spicy tonkotsu ramen special, which was indeed spicy but not excessively so.

Absolutely delicious. I got the spicy one with cha shu (grilled pork) (can’t remember the name of the overall dish now) and it was really lovely - generous portions and a great atmosphere in there too. Very cosy and authentic feelin - felt like we stumbled on a great little spot!

The noodles were undercooked and clumpy, the broth was pretty good though. The chicken was sort of dry, but still yummy. Enjoyable experience, but I’ll have to try it again to confirm my opinion. Edit: tried it again and changed it to 3 stars from 4. The chicken was way smaller than the the last time, it was basically half the amount as before, and mostly skin or dry meat. The noodles were properly cooked this time, but the overall flavour was rather bland.

Very authentic and delicious food

Exceptional food with quick service even when busy. Would thoroughly recommend.

El sitio recuerda a un restaurante tradicional de ramen. Es enano unas dos mesas y una barra. El personal fue extremadamente amable con nosotros. Tienen un menú cortito pero adecuado ya que no les hace falta más. Los precios están bien, ya que dos personas cenamos por 30 libras. Pedimos dos tonkatsu ramen y estuvieron buenos, aunque algo salado el caldo. Lo recomiendo si queréis algo fuera de lo habitual.

Wings were tasty. For ramen, I order tantanmen, its a different tantanmen flavor than the ones I had. Maybe it’s authentic to some regions in Japan? I don’t know the answer. Pork in ramen was good. Noodles were a bit overcooked. Egg was a big failed, almost a hard boiled egg. Another star lost for inattentive service.