Colive

Colive is a small and friendly, family-run restaurant-bar staffed by the co-owners themselves. When I visited we sat at the counter in full view of the kitchen. The chef-owner reminded me a bit of action star Nicolas Cage (he actually resembles him) as he quickly whipped up pasta and other fantastic western dishes to order in a spotless kitchen. The lovely co-owner meanwhile serves up the food and drinks with a friendly smile. Both of the staff keep a good eye on the customers, so you can count on great service here.

The food menu is a selection of appetizers including cheeses, breads, salads and small servings of meat and fish dishes in light vinaigrette and cheese sauces among others. We tried the ratatouille which was served cold with bread and had a great tomato flavor with just a hint of spice. The Bruschetta was also wonderful, you could taste the sweetness and tang of the cherry tomatoes on the mini-toast. The warm “Wordsworth salad” was served with pieces of pan-fried seafood on cold lettuce, covered with a drizzling of creamy dressing.

The main dishes on the menu feature fish or meat. The meats are served in a variety of styles and with varied cheese, tomato or spicy sauces. Grilled beef and chicken dishes are very popular. Specifically, the meat section includes selections such as a popular chicken in balsamic vinegar sauce, Chinese-style spare ribs and hamburg steak. The third main dish section of the menu features pasta dishes which are made with spaghetti or fettuccine noodles in cream sauces, pepper/oil or tomato base sauces.

The Kinoko mushroom spaghetti I had, which was made with a tomato base sauce, was outstanding. I would rank it among the best Italian restaurants’ dishes in the city. It was impressive to watch how he cooked it up fresh in front of us so quickly. The cream sauce pastas are also very good.

The drink menu includes the usual range of cocktails as well as quite good selection of Japanese sake and shochu spirits- most customers order these on the rocks or with hot or cold water. They also have whiskey, sherry, grappa and other spirits at the bar. draft beer is 500 yen and bottled beer, Guinness and other beers a bit more.

There is counter seating for around 6 people and seating at 4 tables in the dining area. This is a great little place worth seeking out if you are looking for a nice western style meal with drinks in the area near the Peace Park. There is no English menu at the moment, but there should be one available soon. They accept reservations, but do not accept credit cards and there is no car parking available. Families are welcome here, however, there is no designated non-smoking area so it can get a bit smoky sometimes.

Opening hours: 17:00-23:00
Closed Tuesdays

Address:  2-9-2 Tokaichi-machi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-shi 
Tel: 082-292-5610

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