Japan Guide
Western Honshū
Eating
1 Andersen 7-1 Hondōri With its ground-floor deli, top-notch bakery and café, and second-floor restaurant, this is a true gourmet foodie's paradise.
2 
Bokuden 4-20 Horikawa-chō 
082/240-1000 The glossy, post-modern decor of this insanely trendy Korean restaurant – easily Western Japan's most popular – is an interesting contrast to the sizzling barbecue meat dishes (from ¥1100) and fiery chijimi (the Japanese word for pa'jon), a kind of omelette with leeks, meat and chilli (¥790). Opening time: Daily 5pm–1am
3 Geishū 2F, Hiroshima Kokusai Hotel, 3-13 Tate-machi. Pricey but beautifully presented local seafood dishes. Le Train Blue, the revolving restaurant on the top floor of the same hotel, is worth dropping by for a romantic evening cocktail.
4 Kissui 15F, Hotel Sunroute, 3-3-1 Ōte-machi 082/249-3600 Elegant shabu shabu (beef) restaurant overlooking the Peace Park, where the waitresses wear pale-green kimono. Dinner (last orders at 8.30pm) is very pricey, but the lunch is much more affordable. Price: Lunch ¥1800
5 Lemon Grass Grill 4F, Mozart House Building, Chō-dōri Authentic Thai restaurant above the posh Mozart cake shop and café. The chef's most popular requests are Tom Yam Kung soup (¥1365) and green curry (¥1150). Daily 11am–11pm
6 Nanak 2-2 Fukuro-machi Popular Indian chain restaurant with curries to suit all tastes. Price: Lunch special for ¥880
7 New York 7-2 Fukuro-machi Industrial-style but with hints of traditional Japan; this warm izakaya has dim lighting and comfortable seats. You can find just about anything on the expansive cocktail menu, and the menu includes pastas, pizzas and fried snacks.
8 Okonomi-mura 5-13 Shin-tenchi. Behind the Parco department store in the heart of the lively entertainment district, this building has 28 small okonomiyaki stalls crammed into three floors. You're unlikely to go wrong at any of them, but Hasshō on the first floor and Itsukushima, the first stall you see on emerging from the elevator on the fourth floor, are two of the best in town. Opening time: Daily 11am–9pm
9 Pizzeria Mario Express 7-9 Fukuro-machi Lively pizzeria with outside tables overlooking a small park. A nice spot to chill out over a coffee and dessert if you don't fancy a full meal.
10 Ristorante Mario 4-11 Nakaji-machi 082/248-4956 Authentic and deservedly popular Italian restaurant in the ivy-clad mock-Tuscan villa beside the Peace Bridge. As usual, the set lunches for ¥1200 and ¥1800 offer the best deal, but it's not too expensive for dinner.
11 Spud Love 13-1 Hatchōbori Good-value filled baked potatoes, snacks and barbecue food, plus cheap beer. It's tucked away in the backstreets behind Tōkyū Hands – look for the Union Jack painted on the outside wall.
12 Suishin 6-7 Tatemachi 082/247-2331 Long-established fish restaurant that serves dishes in the local style, in particular kamameshi (rice casseroles). Opening time: Closed Wed
13 Tokugawa 2F, Tohgeki Building, Ebisu-chō Cook up your own okonomiyaki for around ¥800 at this restaurant, whose entrance is halfway down the covered arcade running behind Tenmaya department store. Has an English menu and a bright, family-orientated atmosphere. Opening time: Daily 11am–3am