Japanese noodle eaterie Wagamama is preparing a £200m-plus flotation. The Sunday Times

Wagamama has more than 50 British restaurants, and a further 26 overseas, including its first two sites in America, which opened this year in Boston.

The company, which is led by chief executive Steve Hill, is owned by Lion Capital, the private-equity firm behind Weetabix and Kettle Crisps.

It is in talks with advisers, but the timetable for the share offering is not clear.

Analysts believe the business was likely to be worth more than £200m — double its value when Lion acquired the chain in 2005.