So, it’s obviously a little bit worrying to see the words ‘viral’ and ‘restaurant’ in the same sentence, but the Noodle Inn is indeed the good kind of viral restaurant. It’s been clocking insane numbers on the algorithm circus since it opened, so we thought we’d see if it delivers on that hype.
The short version? Yes.
The slightly longer version? Well, the first thing you should know is that all that the cost of that FOMO-fuelled virality means that there’s basically a perpetual queue outside the place. We naively strolled over on a Monday lunchtime and found ourselves knee-deep in a 30min line of like-minded carb hunters.
But if you can brave the wait and step inside, you’ll find a perfectly nice space decorated in simple, traditional, and authentic Chinese decor imported from the owner’s Manchurian homeland. There’s classic Chinese crockery crowding every table and cabinets filled with platoons of terracotta warriors. But the centrepiece? Sit at the wraparound bar, and you’ll get a window straight into the kitchen with a Padella-esque view of the chefs who busily slice off fat hunks of rice dough, stretching them, pulling them, twisting them, folding them, and deftly transforming them into perfectly tender noodles.
Those noodles are what those queues are all for, and they hit the sacred trifecta of being filling, delicious, and good value. You could probably order one bowl between two people if you wanted, and the whole meal (plus sides and drinks) will likely cost about £20 a head.
The cornerstone dishes on the menu are the ‘oil spill wide noodles’, which are fat ribbons of satisfyingly glutinous dough draped in meltingly juicy beef rib and drenched in aromatic spices. There’s a slew of soups, dumplings, wontons, and cucumber salads to cut through it all too, and some sugarcane sodas to wash them down. It’s all very traditional Chinese, with the exception of the opening part, which is deeply British…
…you know, the queue.
NOTE: The Noodle Inn is open now, for lunch & dinner every day. There are no bookings. You can find out more at their Instagram page.
The Noodle Inn | 4-6 Old Compton St, W1D 4TA
Want a drink with that? Here are the best bars in Soho…