Ramen

March 2 2025

Intimate Cat-Themed Japanese Restaurant – Nécco London

Urban Adventurer Cocktail, Experience on the go, Japan, Quirky Sweet Treats, Restaurant, Shopping, Things to Do Authentic Japanese Restaurant, Cat Lover, Cat Lovers, Cat-Themed Restaurant, Cocktail Time, Dumpling, Dumpling Making Class, Japanese Cuisine, Japanese Culture, Japanese Food, Japanese Restaurant, Japanese Restaurant London, Nécco London, Neko, Ramen, Sake, Sake Tasting, Sushi, Sushi Making Class 1

Are you a fan of Japanese cuisine and adore cats? This intimate Japanese restaurant in the heart of Exmouth Market have successfully brought the two together.

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Are you a fan of Japanese cuisine and adore cats? 😻🍣🥢 [BLOG POST IN BIO] This intimate Japanese restaurant in the heart of Exmouth Market have successfully brought the two together @necco #japanesefood #japanesecuisine #japaneseculture #ramen #sushilover #japaneserestaurant #neko #catloversoftiktok

♬ Mori no chiisana restaurant – 手嶌　葵

Nécco London

Photo: Urban Adventurer

We are confident to say, Nécco is the cutest cat-themed Japanese restaurant in London.

Located half way between Farringdon and Angel station, Nécco is serving authentic Japanese food and drink with a twist.

The word ‘neko’ means ‘cat’ in Japanese language, and if you love cats, Nécco London is definitely a place to be.

The walls are covered with the cutest cat murals, providing the perfect background for your cute selfies.

Photo: Urban Adventurer

The menus are illustrated with adorable cat drawings, and they have vegan, gluten free and Halal options available.

The food menu includes delicious starters (there’s also a separate vegan starter menu), including dumplings, spring rolls and crispy Karage chicken, a wide selection of sushi, Ramen, Donburi, curry and more.

They even have Temaki hand-roll (sushi but wrapped in seaweed in a way to make a cone shape) and vegan sushi tacos.

Photo: Urban Adventurer

We tried the Miso Ramen, Salmon Nigiri, Avocado Maki and Avocado & Cucumber Uramaki.

The Ramen was served with seaweed, broccoli, edamame, corn, carrots and peeled cherry tomatoes. It was rich and flavourful.

The sushi was beautifully presented and full of flavour.

Photo: Urban Adventurer

On their drink menu you will find a wide range of premium sake, beer, wine, Shochu, Japanese Whisky, cocktails, mocktails, hot and cold drinks and more.

We tried the ‘Namicolada’ that was served in a mini fish bowl shaped glass placed on an ice bed. ‘Namicolada’ is a sweet and satisfying blend of Malibu, Vermouth, Oat milk, Pineapple juice & Nata de coco, and it was served with a cute little parasol.

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Nécco Happy Hour is from 5pm – 7pm daily and they have all day cocktail deals, too.

Photo: Urban Adventurer

They have the cutest dessert menu, so we couldn’t resist ordering something.

We chose the ‘Sakura Mochi’ which was a cherry blossom flavoured mochi filled with sweet red bean paste, wrapped in a leaf.

Nécco London Classes and Tasting Events

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Nécco London regularly host sushi making and dumpling making classes where you have the chance to learn all the ins and outs of sushi making from Nécco’s skilled sushi chef as well as the secrets of authentic Japanese dumpling making and different folding techniques.

During the Sake tasting event, you will have the opportunity to learn more about Japanese Sake, including ingredients, production, the different styles, and serving temperatures by an experienced Sake educator, Keiko Urakawa.

Learn more about the events and make an enquiry here.

Nécco London also offer Japanese catering for parties and office catering as well as private events.

Novelty Cakes

Fully customisable Japanese-style novelty cakes are also available to order.

Whether you’re a Studio Ghibli fan, a huge cat lover, a fan of everything kawaii or just want a rich and delicious Matcha cake, Nécco is a place to go. Just tell them what shape, colour, flavour and decoration you want, and they will make the cake of your dreams.

Check out their gallery and order your cake.

Shop Nécco

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Fell in love with the plates, cute side bowls and stylish porcelain bowls during your visit?

You can order them directly from Nécco London’s official website.

Nécco London is a cute and cosy hidden gem in the heart of London combining authentic Japanese food and drink with their deep devotion to cats.

If you’re a cat lover or just looking for an intimate relaxing (and affordable) place to eat with your significant other or bestie, make sure you add Nécco London to your list.

Practical Info

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Address

Nécco London | 52-54 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE

Opening Times

Tue – Sat: 12:30pm – 10pm

Mon & Sun: CLOSED

Ready for your next adventure? If you’re a dog person, London’s first Shiba Inu café is definitely a place to visit in the heart of Fitzrovia. Meet the cutest Shiba Inu puppies, play with them and make memories.

January 3 2023

Time Travel to the 1970s Japan – Panton Yokocho

Urban Adventurer Anime/Manga, Bar, Cocktail, Instagrammable Places, Restaurant, Unique Experience Family Day Out, Friends Day Out, Japan 1970s, Japanese Food, Japanese Restaurant, Panton Yokocho, Ramen, Ramen Bowl, Retro Japan, Retro Ramen Bar, Where to Eat in London, Where to eat Ramen in London 0

Travel back in time to the neon-lit alleyways of the 1970s Japan to discover the history of Ramen. Panton Yokocho – similarly to Heddon Yokocho just off Regents Street – recreates those yatai stall dining areas under the dim light of lanterns of narrow noisy alleyways full of mouth-watering smells of different Japanese foods.

Ramen Bowls from All Over Japan

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Stepping into Panton Yokocho is like leaping back in time. The staff greets you in Japanese before guiding you through the jungle of colourful lanterns, noren curtains and vintage posters to your table.

Classic J-pop soundtracks are playing while you browse the map of Japan and discover the 11 different types or Ramen from across the country from Tokyo to Hokkaido to Sapporo.

A map of Japan helps you explore where each Ramen bowl is originated from and learn more about the place of origin, type of broth and noodles and the toppings.

Did you know that the first bowl of noodle, similar to today’s Ramen was served in 1884 in Japan? Click here to learn more interesting facts about Ramen history.

Photo: Urban Adventurer

TIP: to help you discover all Ramen from the map, every Monday and Tuesday a selected Ramen bowl is on offer for just £10.90. Ask the staff about the Ramen of the week.

TIP: There is a working retro Ramen vending machine within the restaurant that works with Japanese coins. Just ask the staff to exchange coins for you (you can either pay by cash or card) and grab your instant Ramen.

Watch video of Panton Yokocho and the retro Ramen vending machine here.

Pair Your Ramen with a Japanese Cocktail

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Why not pair your Ramen with a Japanese cocktail? Panton Yokocho introduced their cocktail menu last year. They have over a dozen different cocktails from classic Negroni with a Japanese twist to floral and light cocktails served with edible manga sticker.

TIP: HAPPY HOUR every Monday and Tuesday 4pm-6pm. All cocktails for £7 and the best part is: this offer can be used together with Ramen of the Week offer!

Itadakimasu!

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Panton Yokocho is much more than just Ramen and cocktail!

They offer a range of side dishes, such as chicken kaarage, gyoza, chicken wings (make sure you check out their Wing Wednesday offer!), sashimi, and much more.

They also have different types of noodles and delicious buns to try.

Apart from cocktails, they have Japanese wine and beer as well as sake tasting experience.

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Japanese and classic soft drinks are also available. My personal all-time favourite is Melon Cream Soda which comes in two different flavours and served with vanilla ice cream (vegan ice cream option available) and maraschino cherry on top.

For dessert, why not try one of their ice cream stacks that come with mochi donut, ice cream and pocky stick?

They also have a range of mochi ice cream in exciting flavours, such as Hong Kong Milk Tea, Vegan Miso Chocolate or Mango & Passion Fruit. Affogato and Yuzu sorbet, are also on the desserts menu.

Many of the desserts are vegan or offer vegan option.

On a family day out?

Panton Yokocho’s kids set menu contains a bowl of Ramen (classic or vegan), side dish and a choice of drink. You can add a scoop of vegan ice cream for just £1.

Practical Info

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Panton Yokocho is usually not too busy and accept walk-ins.

Address

Square, 35a Panton Street Leicester, London SW1Y 4EA

Opening Time & Table Booking

Click here.

Ready for your next adventure? Let’s see how Godzilla rumbled into Heddon Yokocho last year. Do you think he will return this year?

Heddon Yokocho – Retro Ramen Bar from the Glorious 70s

July 6 2021

Heddon Yokochō – Retro Ramen Bar from the Glorious 70s

Urban Adventurer Cocktail, Instagrammable Places, Restaurant, Unique Experience Heddon Yokocho, Japanese Food, Japanese Restaurant, Japanese Restaurant London, Ramen, Ramen Experience, Sake, Solo Dining, Where to Eat in London, where to go in London, Yokocho 0

Glowing lanterns, neon street signs, classic J-pop music, and ramen specialities from every area of Japan. This is Heddon Yokochō, a retro ramen bar that brings you back to Showa era Japan in the 1970s.

What is ‘Yokochō’

Photo: Urban Adventurer

‘Yokochō’ is a Japanese word for alleyway. Hidden from the main streets, labyrinths of narrow alleys were present in every city in Japan in the 1970s. Tucked away behind curtains, those lively alleys were jungles of restaurants and bars.

Hidden away from the buzzing Regent Street, Heddon Yokochō opened its doors last October on 8 Heddon Street, which is a lovely alley-like street, a perfect hideaway from the busy daily life for an hour or two.

Go for a mini virtual tour here.

Let the Ramen Journey Begin

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Heddon Yokochō takes ramen seriously. You can read all the interesting things about ramen and its history from the very beginning and how it’s become popular on the restaurant’s website.

Did you know that tonkotsu ramen was actually made by mistake? Or that instant noodles was invented only in 1958? This was a milestone in ramen history because from that point anyone could make their own ramen in the comfort of their own home.

However, the popularity of ramen started to increase no sooner than the 1980s. From the 1980s ramen has started its journey to global popularity, and soon became a symbol of Japan – next to sushi, matcha and sake.

Today there are 24,000 ramen shops in Japan, 5,000 of them are in Tokyo alone!

Over time every region of Japan created their own ramen speciality, each of which has exciting and sometimes astounding story behind them.

You can discover all regional types of ramen in Japan on this map.

Itadakimasu!

Hakodate Shio Ramen & Shochu Sour Berry Cocktail. Photo: Urban Adventurer

On exploring Heddon Yokochō ‘s menu, we can find tons of ramen options. Each ramen on the menu tells you which area of Japan they are originated and the year they were created.

See the map printed on the menu to know where your chosen ramen is from.

So, where would you start your ramen journey? From the snowy northern islands of Hokkaido or the sunny southern archipelagos of Kyushu?

Heddon Yokochō is not just about ramen, though. They have a good selection of sushi rolls (available from 5pm everyday), Hirata Buns and sides.

I wanted to try something really historical, so I ordered the oldest ramen available. Hakodate Shio was created in 1884 in North Japan. It comes with salt based chicken or pork broth. The pork is slow cooked for 6 hrs until it becomes so soft, it almost melts in your mouth. The ramen contains menma (bamboo shoots), nitamago egg (boiled egg with soft centre), Naruto fishcake, nori & umeboshi (pickled Japanese plum. It has an intense but pleasant sour flavour).

Ramen of the Week

Discover a new ramen bowl every week from Monday to Wednesday for £8. Make it a surprise for yourself or follow their social feed to see which ramen is coming up next.

Kids Menu

Heddon Yokochō is a kid friendly restaurant. So, if you’re planning to bring your little ones for their very first Japanese food experience, feel free to do so.

They have a kid set menu with a choice of mini ramen bowl, a choice of drink and a scoop of yummy vegan ice cream.

Drink

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Now that you had your ramen journey around Japan, it’s time to discover Japanese drinks.

There is something for everyone’s taste. Japanese draft beer, wine, whisky, Shochu and more. Alternatively, why not pair your ramen with a Japanese cocktail?

They have a great selection of sake from aromatic to woody to cloudy and crystal clear. They are in collaboration with one of the best sake producers, Gekkeikan Brewery that is now being run by the 14^th generation of the Okura family.

Can’t decide? Go for a ‘Sake Flight’ and taste 3 different sakes to compare?

Happy Hour

Happy Hour is from Monday to Thursday from 4-6pm. You’ll get a generous 20% off all cocktails and sake.

Discover other offers here.

Solo Dining in Style

Photo: Urban Adventurer

Heddon Yokochō has special Shuchu booths. These stylish booths are reserved for solo guests only, helping them grab some me-time while fully immersing into their ramen experience.

Shuchu means, ‘focus booth’ that provide minimal distraction in order for you to enjoy your ramen without being disturbed or interrupted.

If you book you private Shuchu booth for Monday – Friday, you can enjoy 10% off from 5pm until close.

Ready for your next adventure? How about trying anime style ramen next? In Uzumaki you can try ramen exactly how Naruto likes it. ‘Dattebayo!’