Hiroshima is a beautiful city that I have had the pleasure of visiting twice. However planning my visit, I wasn’t too sure about the vegan food scene here and had to do a bit of research.
Caffé Ponte is an Italian restaurant by the river in Hiroshima and minutes away from Peace Memorial Park. Their vegetarian menu has a small selection of vegan-friendly items and the central location means you can carry on your exploring afterwards.
If you’re wondering if there is anywhere vegan-friendly by the gorgeous river, you’re in luck! Keep reading to find out what you can eat at Caffé Ponte!
At a glance:
V/VO: Vegan Options
How to order: A server will take your order at the table
Payment: Card and cash accepted- payment at the end
Reservation required?: No
The restaurant
Walking by, one of the first things you’ll notice is the display of bright oranges in wooden baskets that draw you in. Caffé Ponte has a stereotypical European vibe with plenty of outdoor seating and an outdoor bar which can be enjoyed on a warm day.
Inside it’s bright, simple. On a warm day, they’ll have the large windows open, which brings the outdoors in. A few of the friendly servers speak English and are more than happy to help you with any queries.
Just next to the river, not only is it a great relaxing spot but the location is perfect for people who come to visit Hiroshima’s more popular attractions which are just minutes away.
Vegetarian menu at Caffé Ponte
At Caffé Ponte they have Japanese and English menus which makes ordering super easy. They also have a separate vegetarian menu which is admittedly full of cheese and dairy but they have a couple of things on it that are okay for vegans to eat.
Before ordering anything I made sure to ask which items on the vegetarian menu didn’t contain any dairy or eggs and double-checked that the pizza dough itself was suitable which it happened to be.
Pizza
The pizza on the vegetarian menu came with cheese so we just asked for it without. To be quite honest, we didn’t feel like we were missing out as it was just as nice! The sauce was marinated well and it was a great pizza that was cooked in a pizza oven!
Are you a crust lover or a crust leaver? I personally LOVE pizza crusts and this pizza had some tasty and crunchy ones!
Not sure why but both times we visited this city, we ended up eating pizza, check out Parco della Pace for another vegan option in Hiroshima!
Price: ¥1590 (£8.76/ $10.63)
Minestrone soup
As I wasn’t very hungry I ended up going for this minestrone soup. It had small chunks of vegetables and it was just what I needed! You can’t go wrong with a bowl of tasty and warm soup.
Price: ¥700 (£3.86/ $4.68)
Focaccia
I ordered this focaccia bread to enjoy with the soup which ended up being a great pairing. It gets freshly warmed so it was extra delicious, soft yet crispy in all the right places.
The one thing I did forget to ask about was pesto (which traditionally contains parmesan or rennet which isn’t vegetarian, let alone vegan) so I avoided the pesto dip.
Price: ¥200 (£1.10/ $1.34)
Freshly squeezed orange juice
The rows of oranges in the bucket outside of the restaurant were what drew us in, so it would have been rude to not try it (hehe)! As an orange juice bits lover, I was a little disappointed that there were no bits in the drink but it was nicely fresh!
Price: S – ¥610 (£3.36/ $4.08), R- ¥720 (£3.97/ $4.81)
Things that are close by
- Atomic Bomb Dome | 2 min walk
- Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum | 6 min walk
- Peace Memorial Park | 2 min walk
- Shukkein Gaden | 26 min walk
- Hiroshima Castle | 19 min walk
Vegan options close to Caffé Ponte
V = Vegan, VO = Vegan Options
- Vegan Fruits Cafe Tamaru | V | 6 min walk
- Parco Della Pace | VO | 8 min walk
- Hassei | VO | 16 min walk
- Jirokichi | VO | 12 min walk
- Kissa Saeki | VO | 8 min walk
- Nagataya | VO | 1 min walk
How to get to Caffé Ponte
Address:
1 Chome-9-21 Otemachi, Naka Ward, Hiroshima, 730-0051
Nearest station:
14 mins tram ride from Hiroshima Station
Open:
Monday to Friday 8:00 – 22:00
Saturday & Sunday 10:00-22:00
Phone:
082-247-7471
Chances are if you’re visiting Hiroshima, having a day trip to Miyajima may have crossed your mind. If you decide to go and are in need of a recommendation, we visited a great restaurant with vegan options called Tachibana, check it out!
