Loud flavours, late-night energy, and serving up the city’s best ramen is what Bone Daddies has always been about – and its latest limited-edition launch in collaboration with Soho tattoo studio Sixty Ink is proving exactly why the cult London ramen bar is still attracting block-long queues, almost a decade and a half after its inception.
Created to celebrate the opening of its Old Compton Street bar, the new Black Betty ramen has thrilled fans and first-timers with its indulgently rich flavours, deep black colour, and its abundance of black garlic swagger that has dominated dinner plans and social feeds alike.
The inky bowl is built around black squid ink noodles in Bone Daddies’ signature chicken broth, sharpened with confit black garlic, dark soy, and tamari, and filled with thick char siu pork slices coated in glossy garlic butter. Topped with pickled red chilli, onion, and a jammy soy egg half, it ticks the boxes of rich, smoky, salty, spicy, and deeply umami all at once, delivering an irresistible taste profile that you really can’t get enough of.
While the camera may need to eat first with a dish as striking as this, it’s the flavour that really carries it, delivering punches of evolving notes with enough heat and acidity to keep every bite sharp right to the bottom of the bowl.
Of course, there is far more to Bone Daddies than the Black Betty – although while this special remains on the menu, we would strongly suggest keeping it your priority order. Since launching its first Soho site back in 2012, the now-iconic Tonkotsu pork belly ramen has remained the OG. But alongside the new dish comes the reintroduction of the group’s now-famous Kinako Matcha Ice-Cream French Toast dessert, serving thick fried slices with a soft centre and crisp caramelised coating with a vivid green swirl of delicious matcha soft serve. Mastering the balance of sweet and earthy bitterness, it forms one of the most exciting pairings – and delivers a showstopping way to close the meal.
Don’t forget to add a Frozen Yuzu Margarita or two to your order, alongside a couple of the must-try sides – the Bao Bun trio and Korean Sticky Wings would be our top recommendations here. But whichever way your choices take you, the one thing we can say for sure about a visit to Bone Daddies is that there is no danger of leaving hungry – only with the immediate urge to plan your next visit and conquer the rest of the menu.
Since its opening, Bone Daddies has been the go-to ramen eatery in London, with loud music, lively chatter, and an atmosphere closer to that of a Tokyo rock bar than a typical London noodle spot. Inspired by Japanese rockabilly culture, the restaurants trade polished minimalism for buzzing dining rooms, cold beers, and classic rock playlists so central to the experience, that it even has its own Spotify playlist which you can tune into here. It’s always more than just a meal here – it’s the unmistakable Bone Daddies experience and we can’t get enough.
The Black Betty ramen special and Kinako Matcha French Toast are now available across all Bone Daddies ramen bars, and via Deliveroo throughout May and June. You can browse the menu, find out more about the limited-edition Black Betty ramen, and locate your nearest restaurant right here.
