Via Emilia

Location Canggu, Bali
Date June 2024

Margherita at Via Emilia, Canggu — a crisp Roman-style base with generous cheese and sweet sauce, though the flavour could use more depth.

Top-down view of pizza at Via Emilia
Angle view of pizza at Via Emilia
Crust close-up of pizza at Via Emilia

At Via Emilia in Canggu, the Margherita is advertised as Roman style, so you’re not getting the usual Neapolitan puffy crust. Instead, it has a thin, crisp base that looks neat on the plate. The presentation is clean, with a scattering of basil on top.

The crust has a good crunch, but there’s a lot of coarse polenta underneath, and I wish it didn’t take centre stage in every bite. The dough itself doesn’t bring much flavour, leaving the base a little plain.

The cheese is generously applied, stretching across the whole top. It melts nicely but doesn’t carry much flavour of its own. The sauce is sweet and acidic, but I wish it had more richness and depth to balance the rest of the pizza.

Overall, it’s a pretty pizza to look at and enjoyable enough, but I found myself wishing for more flavour and a lighter touch with the polenta. It felt closer to something you’d be proud of making at home rather than a memorable pizzeria experience.