Pimiento

The name Pimiento means garden pepper, a good description of the fresh type of dishes and pasta you can expect here. This little restaurant-bar is a cozy little tapas and drinks venue a couple of blocks north of the main streetcar road in the center of Hiroshima.

There is counter seating along the kitchen on the right as you enter and a few tables on the left. In the back of the restaurant there is a room for smokers or for group reservations, for private seating up to 10 people.

Segregated smoking areas are still unique in Japan, so this is a welcome difference. If the smoking area is full, customers are asked to smoke outside on the rather pleasant park view terrace. There is only seating for around 20 people total, so give them a call to check table availability before you go, or make a reservation in advance.

The owner, Taka, has been working in restaurants in Japan and even worked as a chef in a popular Japanese restaurant in the UK for a few years. Pimiento's main chef has worked at some high class Italian restaurants in Hiroshima and has a real talent for producing quality European fare.

Pimiento is a perfect place to enjoy a few small dishes of tapas to enjoy with your drinks, or fill up on some of the more substantial pasta dishes. A lot of the tapas dishes are served either in boiling hot oil or with rich sauces. Make sure you order enough bread to soak up these lovely flavors.

The tapas dishes and pastas on the menu range in price from around 500 yen to 1,500 yen each. There is no seating charge or added service charges.The drinks menu includes a good selection of wines, beers (draft and bottle) as well as cocktails and Sangria. The wine selection is mostly European and there are over 25 different bottles on offer ranging in price from 2,400 yen to around 7,000 yen per bottle.

To find Pimiento, head across the main intersection in Hiroshima where Chuo-dori and Aoi-dori meet. If you cross over at LABI and turn right, take a left at the fountain on the next block, turn right down the street in front of Mister Donut and head diagonally across the park. At the back end of the park, along a quiet street, you will find Pimiento like a glowing beacon at night.