Koya Soho

"We once left a party because there was a three-minute queue for the bathroom, but we’re willing to wait in line for the noodles at Koya. This little corridor of a Japanese restaurant in Soho specialises in udon. Whether you go for hot udon in cold broth or for a tempura donburi that’s as crispy as it is comforting, you’ll be set for a seriously excellent and seriously affordable meal—we’re talking under £20. And if you’re heading to the theatre or want to grab breakfast before work, Koya works for that too." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, sinead cranna, rianne shlebak

"Koya is head chef Shuko Oda’s delicious temple of noodles and soups and all manner of good things, and it legitimately can lay claim to having some of London’s best udon. The Japanese restaurant, with locations in Soho, the City, and Hackney, is a great place to eat at the bar with a friend or two or to even eat solo should you have an hour to yourself. " - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna

"A delicious temple of noodles and soups and all manner of good things, Japanese restaurant Koya can legitimately lay claim to having some of the best udon in London. And the vegetarian dishes here are genuinely the best things on the menu. We’d happily come to Soho any day to eat the walnut miso udon or the curry udon soup. There can be a wait for a table or a seat at the bar when it’s busy, but it usually moves quickly." - heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak, jake missing

"Koya is a teeny tiny Japanese restaurant on Frith Street in Soho that serves exceptional hand-pulled udon, huge donburis, and London’s best steam facial courtesy of the curry atsu-atsu. Thanks to those chewy noodles, you’ll usually find people waiting outside with a look of katsu concentration on their faces. But Koya, we thank you for being open from 10am until 10pm daily so our last-minute udon cravings are always covered. " - jake missing, heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, daisy meager

"Koya is a temple of noodles and soups and all manner of good things, and it legitimately can lay claim to having the best udon in London. It’s a great place to come for a Japanese-style breakfast, to eat at the bar with a friend or two, or even solo should you have an hour to yourself. Besides the noodles, order some of their sides like the braised pork belly which will make you very happy." - jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, daisy meager