One of the joys of eating is sharing a delicious meal with family and friends. But for those dining with little ones in tow, ramen shops can pose a challenge. There are the cramped spaces, the counter seats and the fast-paced atmosphere to contend with. And then there’s the question of where you can park your stroller.
But don’t let the seeming inaccessibility of ramen culture keep you from introducing one of Japan’s most loved cuisines to your family. Everyone, no matter their age, deserves to slurp happily, and Tokyo has you covered with a host of family-friendly ramen shops that welcome customers of all ages. Some offer a kids menu complete with a drink and a toy; others have customized baby chairs that clip onto the counter. What they all have in common is an affable atmosphere — and a bit of extra elbow room.
Kosyu Ichiba (Various)
For wonton lovers, Kosyu Ichiba is a must-visit. This inviting ramen shop specializes in delicate, homemade wontons, served in generous portions alongside a variety of tempting sides. For less than ¥500 each, you can indulge in platters of fried wontons, steamed wontons or wontons drenched in chili oil.
The ramen itself comes in classic shio (salt) or shoyu varieties, while the spicy tantanmen with wontons is a favorite. For smaller appetites, ramen can be ordered in a half-size portion — perfect for younger diners. Whatever you choose, don’t miss out on the array of condiments at your table, including house-made chili paste, freshly chopped ginger and rich garlic sauce.
With a kids menu featuring a small bowl of ramen with wontons, a drink and a toy, Kosyu Ichiba is a great pick for families. Each of its eight locations across Tokyo — including Gotanda, Shinjuku and Nakameguro — boasts spacious tables and a relaxed atmosphere, so you can take your time and enjoy the meal at your own pace.
Find location info and hours for Kosyu Ichiba on its website.
Takekawa (Shibuya)
You’d never expect to find a family-friendly ramen shop in the heart of Shibuya’s Dogenzaka district. Nestled between nightclubs, its humble entrance is easy to overlook — but Takekawa is a hidden gem. Not only is it ideal for dining with younger eaters, but it also serves healthy, well-balanced ramen packed with locally sourced vegetables. And during the day, Dogenzaka is surprisingly calm, offering a quiet escape from the chaos of the nearby Shibuya Scramble.
Takekawa’s ramen features a comforting chicken-based broth, making it an approachable choice for diners of all ages. The vegetables, organically produced in Yamaguchi Prefecture, add a vibrant rainbow of color to the bowl, making it as visually stunning as it is delicious.
What truly sets Takekawa apart as a family-friendly destination is its private dining setup. Each table is in its own private room — some with traditional tables, others with tatami floor seating, all accessed through elegant sliding paper doors. The interiors are accented with vibrant Japanese wallpaper and upholstery, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Many rooms even feature electrical outlets, so you can recharge your phone while enjoying a peaceful lunch break.
Find location info and hours for Takekawa on Instagram.
ABC Ramen (Nakameguro)
ABC Ramen has a rich history dating back to 1977, when it first opened as a basement ramen shop in Ginza. Over the years, it has built a devoted following, leading to its recent relocation to the banks of the Meguro River, inside Nakameguro’s lively and family-friendly Atlas Tower.
The shop specializes in sesame paste-infused ramen broth — a hearty, warming soup that manages to be satisfyingly rich without feeling too heavy. The shop’s wavy yellow noodles are perfectly chewy and absolutely irresistible, especially when paired with the optional fried pork cutlet topping.
Families will feel right at home with the plentiful table seating, and the diverse menu ensures there’s something for everyone. The bite-sized gyoza are almost too cute to eat and make an excellent companion to your ramen. ABC Ramen also offers a full izakaya menu, with the garlic fries coming highly recommended. No matter what you order, the combination of a convenient location, a spacious interior and a storied history makes ABC Ramen a top family-friendly choice in Nakameguro.
Find location info and hours for ABC Ramen on Instagram.
Ramen Thank (Daimon)
For healthy, family-friendly ramen bursting with chicken and vegetables, head to Ramen Thank. Its chicken-focused ramen comes in mini sizes, and its rice bowls are sure to please the little ones.
In addition to chicken, the soup uses 10 types of vegetables — like carrots, Welsh onions and daikon, for example — that change depending on the season. Upon ordering, customers can even choose the thickness of the soup, with the thickest option being more vegetable-forward and the light option having chicken soup as the main ingredient.
The noodles are thin and boast a pleasant texture, and it’s always recommended to order additional grilled chicken wing meat as a topping, which the shop marinates in a sweet soy sauce. For a unique bowl of noodles, choose the Tori-Potana, a fusion of ramen and classic carbonara. Instead of a soup, the noodles arrive in a thick sauce and are topped with parmesan cheese, egg yolk and a garnish of lemon.
Each Ramen Thank location is spacious, with space for strollers and tables that comfortably fit a family. The menu is vast and the staff is welcoming. It’s truly the ideal spot to savor a delicious bowl of ramen in a comfortable atmosphere.
Find location info and hours for Ramen Thank on its website.
Tadokoro Shoten (Ikegami)
Miso ramen lovers will be spoiled for choice at Tadokoro Shoten. The menu offers different types of miso sourced from all over Japan. Each variety has a distinctive flavor profile, and on the wall is a map of Japan with the locations of each miso region highlighted in red. Choosing between the Ise miso from Mie Prefecture, barley miso from Kyushu, Shinshu miso from Nagano and the famous Hokkaido miso can be a delightful challenge.
Each bowl of ramen comes with unique toppings related to the chosen miso’s region of origin. Hokkaido miso arrives with wedges of fried potato in recognition of Hokkaido’s status as Japan’s top potato producer, whereas Kyushu miso has a thick slice of satsuma-age, a fried fish cake popular in Kyushu’s prefecture of Kumamoto. The restaurant offers a children’s menu and zashiki (tatami floor) seating, providing a comfortable, family-friendly dining experience.
Even the shop’s interior was conceived to differentiate it from conventional ramen restaurants, a design choice that’s palpable the moment you step through the door. The warm lighting, spacious tables and engraved wood paneling evoke time spent at a relative’s home instead of a bustling ramen restaurant. Lingering over appetizers of gyoza and karaage fried chicken is encouraged, and the menu even has coffee and dessert options.
Find location info and hours for Tadokoro Shoten on its website.
Afuri (Various)
Afuri is beloved by tourists for its signature yuzu ramen, but many locals may not realize it’s also family-friendly. Though counter-style dining may seem unsuitable for young children, many Afuri locations provide attachable high chairs, ensuring little ones can enjoy their meal alongside their parents.
It goes without saying that Afuri’s signature yuzu shio (citrus and salt) ramen is delicious; the golden soup of chicken and dashi is utterly refreshing. Many repeat customers enjoy Afuri’s yuzu ratan ramen, which combines yuzu and fresh chile peppers to add a spicy element. Some Afuri branches even offer a “rainbow” vegan ramen, which arrives with a selection of vivid seasonal vegetables.
The noodles are equally diverse, and range from an extra thin and firm variety to a thicker, hand-kneaded flat noodle. Those looking to fit more fiber into their diets would be wise to try the shop’s konnyaku noodles, made from konjac and white dashi. Like the rest of the family-friendly menus on this list, Afuri also has rice bowls, which make use of the shop’s marinated pork belly. The bowls are a delicious add-on to your serving of ramen and the perfect main meal for your little ones.
You don’t have to look far for an Afuri, as there are 10 branches scattered throughout Tokyo. The atmosphere at each location is chic while still being welcoming to families. The Harajuku and Azabu-Juban branches offer high chairs, and the Roppongi Hills location even has tables. Afuri has created the trifecta of a healthy, family-friendly and fashionable ramen restaurant that should definitely be on your list.
Find location info and hours for Afuri on its website.
Ramen Ginza Onodera (Omotesando)
You may be familiar with Sushi Ginza Onodera, the Michelin-starred sushi restaurant chain. That reputation might make Ginza Onodera seem like an unlikely contender for a family-welcoming ramen joint — but you’re in luck. The company’s latest venture, Ramen Ginza Onodera (sometimes called Noodles Ginza Onodera or Men Ginza Onodera), delivers high-quality ramen in a welcoming and accessible atmosphere.
The noodles, made from a blend of Hokkaido wheat flour, are paired with a rich, aromatic broth crafted from chicken and duck. A signature touch is the herb butter topping, which slowly melts into the soup, deepening the flavors with each bite. The menu also features mazesoba (ramen sans broth), tsukemen (dipping ramen) and a roast duck rice bowl. Whatever you choose, consider adding the special truffle wonton topping — it is highly recommended.
The shop boasts tables as well as a private room that can fit up to four people. The staff are known to welcome families with strollers as well as tourists with luggage in tow. On one occasion, the chef even lent this author a hair tie to facilitate her face-first dive into her bowl of ramen! And that’s what makes Onodera such a magical spot; on the surface, it seems like an upscale café reserved for discerning foodies, but a closer look reveals a family-friendly experience and the chance to share fantastic ramen with your loved ones.
Find location info and hours for Ramen Ginza Onodera on its website.
Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai (Various)
Originating from Kitakata in Fukushima Prefecture, Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai is renowned for its clear tonkotsu soup and delightfully wavy noodles. Ban Nai Shokudo began as a family restaurant and grew in such popularity that it began to branch out in the mid-80s. At present, there are 28 branches throughout Tokyo, and it remains a delicious ramen style with a loyal fan base.
First-time visitors should order the classic Kitakata ramen, which arrives with the shop’s quintessential hand-kneaded noodles and clear tonkotsu pork soup. The squares of roasted pork are so tender they practically melt in your mouth. The regular bowl has five pieces of this thinly sliced perfection, but pork lovers can order the yakibuta (roast pork) ramen for over double that; the bowl is topped with so much pork that the surface of the broth is completely covered. That might sound like an insurmountable amount of pork, but the pieces are sliced so thinly, devouring the entire serving is easy.
Each Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai location has table seating as well as a children’s menu. The children’s ramen set is reasonably priced and comes with a mini ramen, dessert, juice and a toy. It’s a bargain for such a gentle, high-quality ramen. And for adults with smaller appetites, there are portions of half ramen available. Ban Nai is a reliable, family-friendly ramen chain that stands the test of time.
Find location info and hours for Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai on its website.
Menba Hamatora (Yokohama)
Yokohama’s Menba Hamatora is a renowned, family-friendly ramen restaurant just a 25-minute trip from downtown Shibuya. It’s well worth the journey, especially for the complimentary cotton candy machine. The welcoming atmosphere begins outside the shop, on the spacious, stroller-accessible street along which it stands. Music lovers will appreciate the restaurant’s claim to have the best sound system of any ramen shop in Japan.
The house ramen offers customers a choice between a gentle seafood ramen or a rich chicken ramen, both served with a juicy cut of roast chicken. The noodles are medium-thick and curly. One of the most distinctive dishes here is the natto ramen, featuring premium black bean natto, known for its health benefits. There’s also a moroheiya ramen, which uses the leaves of the jute mallow plant to further enhance the nutritional value of your meal.
Menba Hamatora’s hours cater to all, with morning ramen starting at 8 a.m. and late-night service until 3 a.m. The ordering machine offers English translations and accepts Suica or Pasmo. There are 39 seats available, and each table is equipped with benches that open to store your belongings, providing plenty of space for families.
Find location info and hours for Menba Hamatora on its website.
