Ikigai - Southbridge in Edinburgh, City of

This ramen was amazing and I loved the karaage was well!

I love this place! I have been before for my birthday and some other occasions and this is my favourite Ramen from the whole city. I tried others and I almost surrender, but this one was a discover. I love the chicken and beef Ramen, so good! Also, Zu was lovely. He remembered me from my birthday and give us such a nice service. 100% recommended :)

Super good ramen! I had the tantanmen and oolong tea. Great portions and good quality ingredients. Service is also very friendly

super cool little restaurant in a great and accessible part of edinburgh. very polite and respectably attentive staff. 10/10 all around, this place deserves some more notice!

Hermoso local, excelente menú, excelente atención. La comida es exquisita. Aceptan diferentes medios de pago.

The ramen was extremely flavourful. I got the tantanmen which had a slight kick but I highly recommend it.

Food was very decent, albeit a bit pricier than another very famous Edinburgh ramen chain. My husband loved the chicken ramen and said it was absolutely delicious; I had the vegetarian tofu ramen, which was tasty but not the best I've had (ahem, "other Edinburgh ramen chain"). My veggie ramen was also a bit lacking in the amount of veggies... Overall, a nice experience and I'll be back, but there's room for a little improvement.

Absolutely amazing food, drinks and service. I walked in with no idea what to order. Chris took the time to offer me impeccable recommendations and everything he suggested was beyond perfect. The ramen was delicious and super filling. I order multiple cocktails and all were superb. The staff were incredibly friendly and efficient. Will 100% be coming back.

Standard ramen and liked the chopped up meat in the spicy ramen. Not the hottest in temp and the eggs could be more marinated imo. Chicken Kaarage was tasty and great portion too.

We are big fans of Asian cuisine with my partner being HongKongese. The place is simple but modern in decor, loved the stoneware crockery. Enjoyed a Tonkatsu ramen: full of rich Unami & 2 long pork slices. Seafood ramen came with 2 each of king prawn, crab sticks, squid rings. Both was creamy with a small tingle of spice. Both came with a flavourful & jammy marinated egg, seaweed, spring onions. Portions are smaller than other places but I actually prefer this as the quality was so good & allows for a side. Felt ratios of ingredients were spot on but broth could definitely been hotter. I do prefer thicker udon but seeing as the place makes its own noodles and broth, does take out then I understand keeping things streamlines. Noodles were cooked well & stayed chewy sitting in the broth. Octopus balls-4 big crispy outsides, generous toppings. Katsuryoku cocktail & beer were both tasty. Staff were pleasant enough when answering questions but mainly took order, served & only came when needed. Wanted to return for lunch the next day! Will be interesting to see how take out is packaged up.

Muy buen sitio para comer. Además, el servicio es muy bueno y tiene muy buenos precios. MUY RECOMENDABLE

他の方がポジティブな意見を書かれているのですが、その方と膝を詰めて話したいくらい、何がおいしいのか全く分かりませんでした。サービスや雰囲気は最高です。ただ、ラーメンがまずすぎる。日本人の方も絶賛されていたので、ヨーロッパ在住男3人で心躍らせて、大盛を頼みました。前菜のから揚げ、これはまだいけましたが、ラーメンを食べたとたん、表情が固まりました。まず麺がどんぐり麵？？みたいな冷麺とかに入ってるあれです。それと味が殆どしないスープが全く交じり合わず、口に合わなさ過ぎて誰も完食できませんでした。その後、行きたいと言い出した犯人探しが始まり、険悪なムードで店を出ました。友達の関係を壊すようなラーメン、そんなものでは私たちの友情は壊れない！と自信のある方は、一度食べてみるのもありかもしれません。

Popped in for lunch on my first day of visiting Edinburgh. And the ramen was superb. Really delicious and worth popping in.

Best ramen I've had in a long time! Absolutely delicious, portions are generous, team is accommodating and polite. Definitely will be coming back on our next trip to Edinburgh

Some of the best ramen I've had ... super tasty and creamy. Really innovative, flavourful side dishes. Very fresh ingredients. Staff are lovely and helpful.

Best ramen! I loved this place!!!

Came here because of the good and positive review and it turns out to be true. Best ramen, best location near the railway station especially in the cold weather. For those who came from abroad, it is highly recommended. 👍🏻👍🏻

The ramen and teriyaki chicken wings were wonderful! staffs are very nice, sure will be back again

Delicious tantanmen ramen and chicken teriyaki 🤤

The ramen was nice but not sure if it was fresh, because the middle was hot and the outside was cold. The tofu squares were ice cold some of them. Would be better fresh and not microwaved. The flavours were nice though and I still enjoyed it. The staff are very friendly. There are good Vegan options, and it's a very filling meal.

Really well done, good food, fast, tasty.

Probably the best ramen I’ve ever had. The broth was so rich, savoury, delicious, and flavourful. Each order had different toppings which we appreciated. The gyoza was ok, not special. The cucumber salad is simple and yummy if you enjoy seaweed.

Beware, this restaurant illegally charges a "discretionary" service charge of 10% at the end of the meal without ANY prior verbal or written indication or notification in the store, nor on the menu. We just received the bill at the end with 10% added without the weighter informing us at all. Only after we called this out, they hastily tried to sweep this under the rug and not charge it. They are clearly trying to scam tourists and customers not familiar with rules and regulations, even though their practice is against UK law, go read about it. Stay away from these scammers.

Pretty good tonkotsu. The karaage was good too.

The noodles in the ramen tasted fresh, absolutely loved them. Sadly the broth was a let down, and the chicken was heavily fried and greasy. I found the staff friendly and professional even though it was absolutely packed. This place would be 5* with a few tweaks to the food, and I'd like to come back another time to see if things have changed 🙂

Had to delete my five star review after a recent visit. What happened? The ramen broth was tasteless, the karage and the pork topping on the ramen seemed like they’d been cooked hours before and the gyoza were disintegrating. 10% ‘discretionary’ gratuity added (for taking my order and bringing water??) but it isn’t really discretionary when the guy is immediately there waving the card machine at you seconds after putting the bill down. You’ve changed so much 🫤 this used to be amazing ramen done by a guy in a tiny shop, now I definitely wouldn’t bring out-of-town guests here like I have in the past.

Small cozy place where you can enjoy a lovely bowl of ramen. I had the black pepper beef one. Perfect to fight the cold air of Edinburgh!!. We had to wait around 20 but it was normal since we were a group of 6. The staff was really nice and the food was served quick. Totally recommended!

Really good food, very well thought out menu, everything we had was delicious and the service was really fast despite being super busy.

My friends and I visited at lunchtime on 9 Dec 2023. The food was fair and the space was cosy. The thing is customer service. A guy and a lady were serving the customers. That guy was really mean and rude to us. We asked for napkins and chopsticks in the first place and he was not very happy with this. We asked for the tea refill and he ignored me twice. Is this how he treats customers? Are we asking too much? The lay was okay, helpful, and friendly. I really appreciate her. We liked the food but we were upset and disappointed with his service.

I went there at 9th December in the lunchtime. Food is so good, but the guy there at the drinks counter and as a waiter is very very rude for no reason. He shouldn’t be there as a service provider. Even though the food is perfect, customers won’t come again for that unacceptable behavior and the service.However the girl there is really nice to the customers and can provide the best service. I wont come again if He is still there as a waiter or whatever, really unpleasant experience.

We came around 12 pm on 9.12.23. The food is not that bad but the customer service is very bad especially the guy, he is so rude. We just ask for the refill tea and he just ignores us. He doesn’t have a good manner how to treat a customer.

Really great Ramen, as evidenced by the mess on my shirt by the end of the meal. Karagee chicken excellent.

Just been for dinner and can't fault anything about this restaurant. Food is amazing staff are so friendly and helpful and the busy atmosphere if perfect for a quick bite to eat.

Well, if I'd written this at 8:05 on Saturday night it would have been very different review indeed. I was cold, hungry, and grumpy and I'd just come to the conclusion that the 'soup' part of the chili beef & ramen noodle soup had been missed off my order. So I was totally fed up. I was in Edinburgh for the one night and I needed to take on some tasty ballast to banish the cold and bring some depleted energy for the gig later so I headed up to Ikigai. The staff at La Belle Angelle had recommended it so I was looking forward to a nice meal. Unfortunately they were fully booked so I ordered ramen to take away. When I got back to the venue, there was only a container of noodles and beef plus some pak choi. No soup. The bag had been stapled shut so the soup container could not have fallen out on the way back. So I was very disappointed. However imagine how much of an idiot I felt when I picked up the dish again and realised that the soup (which had now spilled onto my jeans) was actually underneath the noodles - the takeaway container had a false bottom which kept the noodles separate from the soup, preventing them from getting soggy on the journey home. This brilliant 'false bottom container' idea is clearly a standard thing but I'd not encountered it before. So apart from some soggy jeans - which I admit was totally my fault - the meal was absolutely delicious. I will be returning when we go back again next year. The staff were very friendly and there was quite a queue forming while I waited for my order. So I'll be booking in advance next time. Or maybe have it delivered to the venue. It really was very tasty.

We've been looking for real ramen in the area for a long time. We finally found this small and nice restaurant thanks to Google reviews. We are delighted with the speed and quality of service. We ordered beef broth which completely met our expectations. We learned on the spot that the broths are boiled for 8 hours. you can feel it and you can actually enjoy real ramen. kimchi is also delicious, although a bit too sweet for my palate, but sour and spicy as befits kimchi. I'm going on another visit, this time to try the spiciest pork ramen on the menu. Thank you, you have another regular visitor 😀

Yummy 😋 the first time I went the Ramen wasn't made to perfection, salty, dry egg yolk and not the greatest presentation. But the second time was PERFECTION and EXTREMELY YUMMY.

A new addition to my favourite restaurants in Edinburgh! What a pleasure to go out somewhere and really enjoy it. The ramen felt medicinal after a cold and rainy day. We made a complicated order, mixing and matching meaty broth with veggie contents, and omitting certain ingredients. This was met with compassion, ease and quick understanding. Such a relief, and really very appreciated to be accommodated for dietary preferences. Cocktails were pretty outstanding, our server was lovely, and atmosphere felt relatively calm. Good acoustics meant it didn't feel overwhelming as a space as restaurants often can be.

Lovely staff and a nice busy atmosphere. The food came really quickly and was so good, the best ramen we’ve had, would definitely come back and definitely recommend. The kimchi fries and the cucumber salad were top notch sides. Can’t fault the experience at all.

The ramen were great and the portion generous. On top the service was great and the people really nice. 10/10 in my books.

Cel mai bun ramen din Edinburgh! A doua zi consecutiv când vin să mănânc aici. Recomand!

Very impressed with the food and service at Ikigai Ramen. The tonkotsu ramen is a classic staple, well executed. It’s the best choice for anyone trying ramen for the first time. The pork has a little extra sear on it, which is a nice touch. The noodles are handmade, perfectly cooked and the broth is rich and flavourful. For the more adventurous eaters that like a little spice, go for the tantanmen and you won’t be disappointed. The prices are quite fair for the portion size and the overall quality. I’ve been here twice already and I will be back again soon.

Really good tonkatsu ramen!! Highly recommend

We all tried a different bowl of ramen, and all four of us were blown away. Just fantastic. Can't sing their praises enough. I'll forever dream about the broth here.

这家店就是标准的种族歧视🖕，进店时不主动迎客，看是中国人就先放你进去然后再把你拽回来，说你必须在门口等服务员，里面的座位可能有预定。东西真的是又贵又难吃。

Veggie ramen wasn't great. It had the taste of fake plastic-y meat. Staff were rude and not very welcoming. Much better ramen elsewhere in the city.

Chefs always make everything to a T! Service amazing as always - shout out Chris. Love the vibe and will be back

Love the food and the service. Even when there is a queue it's worth waiting because the quality is guaranteed

I came here with a friend and had the best experience! The food was incredible - such delicious rich broth and so warming on a wet, rainy evening. Zu was such a welcoming personality as well - he made the best personal recommendations and set such a fantastic atmosphere for us. Will definitely be back on future trips! Love love love!!! If you’re over trying to find “Scottish” food near a tourist spot and want to eat something that will feed your soul … come here!

Lovely atmosphere, great food, and wonderful staff. I totally recommend it!

Solid Ramen with laid back and friendly staff. Thanks, Zu and crew!

Ramen was very tasty and you could feel the flavours! An amazing experience. It is truly worth the visit! Chris was really cheerful and made us feel comfortable!

Great ramen, but the fried chicken was the star!

Best ramen in Edinburgh. The broth is perfection - a friend recommended it to me and now I can’t go anywhere else. Ramen is one of my favourite food and this is on my top three list. It sit only after one of the best restaurants in Manila and the ramen I had in New York at the Time Out market in Dumbo. The restaurant is not super fancy but it is nice which it makes it perfect for both lunches or for a relax/casual evening with friends or your partner. I will be back many many times.

Very nice servers, lovely restaurant. Food was nice, just not my favorite. Will come again soon! 4.5/5

Not really pleased with this place. The food was just ok, but barely. One of the chicken scewers was impossible to chew, I had to spit it out. The bao buns fell apart. The main dishes may be better, but I didnt want a big meal.

Amazing food and amazing service - the best ramen ever. The sweet potato croquettes are also divine. We were served by Zu who was so helpful and friendly.

Amazing food! Was worth waiting for since we came without a reservation. We got a table downstairs, which was very quiet and didnt feel a part of the restaurant. Overall, great experience, highly recommended.

Non vegan ramen my friend had was really good, mine vegan wasnt the best - broth was tasteless, I would prefer udon noodles and there wasn’t enough veg in to give it a taste and to be filling. I did ask for extra seaweed and mushrooms, wasnt charged for this extra and it was definitely tastier . Really nice cocktails and service. Vegan options clearly marked and plenty to pick from

What a great experience Zu was the host and server What a presence Such a great vibe Super accommodating

Hands down one of the best ramen I've ever had in Uk

Food was perfect and the guy who served us was very nice, I don’t know his name, I should’ve asked. I’d recommend this place.

After arrival, long time waiting to get the menu (1st sorry). Ordered startes (specially mentioned to be separated) and Ramen. We received first the Ramen and then step by step the 3 different starters (2nd sorry)... When we wanted to leave, we had to ask 3 different person 5 times to get the recipe. Not that the guys where in a hurry, but there were some more interesting guest to flirt with and forget about the needs of us (3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th sorry). The last time (after 15 minutes additional waiting) not asking so friendly anymore, the guy was surprised but than reacting. Due to the fact that main and starters were mixed trough, it was difficult to enjoy the food by its own separately. Anyhow the taste was ok (Ramen was slightly better than the takoyaki or gyoza as "starter") but nothing overly special. Compared with the unsatisfied service, the first and last visit here.

Very tasty ramen. Chips were good and spicy.

Hottest and busiest night of the year and the staff were one person short but the food and service were still excellent. Fresh food, great place. If you eat here and don't leave the staff a decent tip then you are a bad person. Ok, you're not bad, but you have room for improvement. X

Lovely food, just what you need for a quick meal.

Let them know we were in a bit of a hurry and they made sure they got us out on time. Thanks guys

Helpful staff and delicious soup.

Beautiful food in this restaurant and staff are very helpful, every time I visit Edinburgh I come here.

Outstanding ramen. The broth itself is deep, creamy and just tastes nourishing. The crispy chicken was exactly that, housing tender meat inside. There's stands of seaweed and well-cooked baby corn to add a veg element but the real star is the broth itself. Chicken karaage was very moreish and everything is very reasonably priced. Staff, in particular the American restaurant manager, are always super accommodating and are always on the ball with my nut allergy. Convivial atmosphere to the always busy dining space that adds to the vibe. If you like ramen, give this place a try.

Service great. Friendly staff. Food, chicken was slightly dry and tough. Wear and tear to furniture, needs a little up date. A little bit pricey, we spent @£35 on 2 mains at @ £7.40 each, 2 sides and 2 drinks.

Excepcional en todo, comida, trato y servicio. Han tenido especial atención a las alergias. Muy recomendable

Great ramen spot. The mushroom truffle ramen was an excellent veggie option.

This was highly rated so I was looking forward to trying it but it felt like an Asian version of McDonald's. It was August so I don't blame the staff for being rushed off their feet but when the food arrives before the drinks something feels off.

Very nice experience and great food, I recommend it 👌👌👌

Der Service ist gut. Das Essen war Ok. Hatte eine Tofu Rahm gewählt. Leider wurde einfach nur kalter Tofu in die Rahm gelegt, dadurch wurde es schnell kalt und das Tofu nicht wirklich warm.

Delicious food, great friendly relaxed atmosphere - highly recommended!

Nice service and good location near the uni of Edinburgh. Ramen could be better, I’ve tried many times and it gives me different tastes each time, salty or tasteless, no additional seasoning sauce provided as well. Optional service charge included.

I was craving for some Japanese Ramen when I was visiting Edinburgh festival. I found this restaurant on Google map with high rating and it didn’t disappoint me. We were waiting to be seated at the front door near the kitchen. The staff asked us whether we have any allergies. The decoration is very modern cosy and small. Traditionally, Japanese Ramen is not vegan friendly as their soup/broth is made off pig bones. This restaurant offers vegan, vegetarian friendly Ramen. However, I didn’t try. I’m not a vegetarian or vegan I order the traditional sliced pork Ramen and fried chicken Ramen. The broth tastes as good as the one I had in Japan, slightly salty. The sliced pork is also very authentic. However, the fried chicken is not very special. They have some chilli oils that is very spicy. Even I could take a very high level of spiciness. I would say this one is very spicy, in a good way. Two of us (ladies) ordered two Ramen. In addition, we had to order a portion of noodles. Original portion was just so small that I couldn’t get enough. I would have given the restaurant five stars, if the portion was big enough. The staff is very friendly and polite. I will definitely come back again if I’m in Edinburgh again.

Nice ramen and vibe. Perfect for a quick and tasty dinner. Great allergen info

Incredible ramen with a lot of great vegan and vegetarian options. Their fauxkotsu ramen is delicious with the "meat" tasting just like the real thing. The broth is delicious and they have lots of great toppings as well. I also recommend their regular Tonkotsu ramen, which has lots of flavor.

It's a small place and usually it's pack. I highly recommend it, food there is delicious and tasty!

Some quotes from my Fiancé re: Ikigai ‘This was a life changing event’ ‘Omg I love ramen’ ‘You have made my week (has spent the entire week at the Fringe watching shows, including the Tattoo)’ ‘My tummy is the Oxford dictionary definition of joy’ ‘That was one of the greatest experiences of my life, thank you’

Popped in here in search of a good vegetarian meal. Turns out they have quite a few vegetarian and vegan options on their menu. I had the vegantan bowl, which was a vegetarian version of their tonkotsu broth, and it was delicious. Had a nice chilli kick to it too. I also ordered their salt and togarashi, which was ok, but I wouldn't order again. Service was ok, just functional (take order, bring food) and felt a little rushed. But come for the ramen.

Good food with lots of veggie and vegan options. 10% service charge added automatically though. Happy to tip, not keen on it being added without asking.

Comida sabrosa y buena relación calidad-precio. En nuestra visita el servicio fue algo malo (platos incorrectos, desorden en entrantes-principal, y largos tiempos de espera). Sin embargo, el encargado fue consciente de ello y nos pidió disculpas y no incluyó el servicio en la cuenta y asumió el coste del postre para compensar por el mal servicio. Gran consideración por su parte, en otros sitios no hubieran hecho.

Terrible service. Super scattered, can't get the attention of the server to save your life. Will not be back

We found this ramen place walking down the street. At the beginning we were not very convinced to try it - we haven’t had good experiences with ramen in Edi - but luckily we did! One of the best ramen we ever had outside Japan. We had the Tonkotsu Ramen and the Tantanmen. Average prices for Edinburgh!

Amazing food and multiple very good vegan options. Highly recommend the truffel ramen!

We had a wonderful meal here although the experience was made very odd by the manager who arrived to work while we were waiting to be seated and blew through the restaurant like a tornado taking over, running about like the place was on fire, and undermining and belittling his staff, who were doing an excellent job in my view. I get that service and quality is important but when you snatch plates out of your staff's hands and shout at them in front of customers for not saying "arigato" loudly enough then you're actually making it really awkward for guests. The staff remained professional throughout which is more than I would have been able to do in that position. Would fully recommend the restaurant itself and the food was incredible but the manager needs to look at his own behaviour before criticising others. It was bizarre but we had a laugh about it. His heart is clearly in the right place and I've seen other reviews talk about him very positively so maybe he was having an off day.

On 30th July 2023, I visited there for our lunch. All staffs were kind as usual. All foods were also very good. We remembered Japanese cuisines in there. Although we didn’t have a new menu, we will try to eat it back soon. Looking forward to visiting again soon. Thank you! Today was my first visit to IkigaiRamen 2. All staffs were very kind! All ramen was so good. Also other side meals were good. Gabriel was always fine. Looking forward to visiting again soon to both IkigaiRamen 1 or 2. I can recommend this IkigaiRamen to anyone as a Japanese customer. Thank you!

Food was delicious. Vegetarian and Vegan options available. Food came quick and hot. Even though the Vegan chicken tasted form me to "real" didn't like them. Staff was friendly. Would higly reccomend to reserve.

Customer service very very good, but maybe it was a bit late through the day, and the tiredness of the chefs came out in the food. My ramen was not the right ratio of broth to dashi, the noodles were not ready for the bowl consistency-wise, the takoyaki were completely soaked in the sauce - they are meant to be just brushed with it-, saddest part no kewpie/mayo at all on top of the takoyaki :/ they were so soggy and acidic, a mushy inedible mess. The tofu was lovely tho :) I work in hospitality too, so I understand, and I am sure if i give it another shot at another time of day it will be great, especially because the ingredients were all definitely fresh. But I’d rather be refused custom and come another day, rather than being served below average food, cause eating out nowadays is an expensive treat.

Best ramen of our life, friendly staff. Overall fantastic. Would absolutely recommend to go eat there if you’re in Edinburgh

Karaage très bon Cependant ce n’est pas le meilleur ramen que j’ai mangé … et de loin

I ordered chicken ramen and it was so good. Love the broth, which is thick, creamy and savoury. I also ordered fried tofu but it was just ok, better choose the seaweed fries for the sides. The portion is quite big, 2 bowl is enough for 3 people.

Great restaurant for Ramen in Edinburgh. Quick and super-friendly service and delicious food. It is not a big place so table booking is recommended if coming to dinner time on weekends or with a bigger group.

We loved the ramen we tried and found it better than some of the places back home. In fact we came twice during our week stay!

All good but pls stop deep frying chicken. Grill it instead. Your pork (cream) broth is really nice.

Best ramen I’ve ever tried! Mine was super super good and my friend got a vegan one which was really good too, the chicken was delicious. Great service and nice lofi music 🙂

Amazing ramen. The pepper beef special one was very good. And the sweet potatoes croquettes was lovely. Great place and very friendly staff.