Caldo

Caldo is a lovely Italian restaurant located on a short walk from Kobe Motomachi station.

It’s a hidden gem that sits on the 5th floor of a somewhat older building in a sidestreet near ‘Nankin’ Kobe’s Chinatown. Take the elevator up to the 5th floor and right in front of the elevator you will see a glass door with ‘caldo’ written on it. If the shop is still closed it’s a weathered black metal door that has no sign, so it might be a little difficult to find.

Caldo is a sister shop of one of Kobe’s most popular cafes ‘Anthem’ and Awajishima’s Hovel.

The glass door will take you into the lovely restaurant with a counter on the left (facing the kitchen) and a counter on the right (window side). The counter on the windowside will give you a nice view over the surrounding buildings and street. The kitchen side will give you chance to talk with the staff if they are not busy and if you are lucky enough you can get a seat at the end of the counter near the window and you will be able to enjoy both as well as have a nice view of the food being prepared.

The interior is simple with a rugged concrete floor, a bare ceiling and medium brown wood counters and counter chairs which in combination with the light coming in from the windows give the interior a warm, comfortable atmosphere. The interior has a rustic feel. The kitchen counter is a beautiful hardwood counter with a rough edge. There is place for about 14 customers.

The lunch menu consists mainly of pizza (tomato&mozzarella, garlic oregano, quattro formaggi etc) but for dinner they also have lasagna, fish, risotto and steak. The pizza lunch set comes with a daily soup.

Caldo is a lovely restaurant with great food that is a must visit.