There are a lot of choices for Italian food on Bali and, at least according to former US President Obama, the best pizza can be found at Colosseum in Seminyak, Bali. I tend to agree, the pizza is very good – add friendly service and reasonable prices and you have the makings of a star worthy of presidential praise!
Colosseum is located on the ground floor of the building shared with the ibis Budget in Seminyak along Jl Camplung Tanduk. It has a nice outdoor seating area with a view of the busy street and good people watching. The decor is almost stereotypically Italian, with white chairs and red pillows and a not-to-be missed Sophia Loren photograph! It actually looks a lot better than it might sound and the tables are spread out nicely, so you have plenty of space.
The menu features quintessential Italian specialties, from pizza and pasta do meat and fish dishes. The service was very professional and friendly, we had our menus as soon as we sat down and our orders were taken quickly.
We ordered a caprese salad to start with and, of course, a large pizza. The caprese was served with good mozzarella and fresh tomatoes. The pizza has a thin bottom and a thick crust and – thanks to the oven – just a tad of burn for the perfect taste. The cheese, tomato and meat on our pizza tasted great, much better than what you often find on pizza on Bali and made for a much more authentic taste than usual! I’m sure some people might argue whether this is indeed THE BEST pizza on Bali, but it’s certainly very good and worth trying!
We had a bottle of red wine with our meal – it was ok and reasonably priced for Bali. We finished our meal with chocolate mousse and vanilla ice cream, a classic combination done well.
The prices for food on Bali are generally inexpensive and don’t vary that much. Colosseum was in that reasonable range and offered much better food than other restaurants, making it great value. If you craving for something other than rice on Bali, give Colosseum a try and see what you think of Obama’s assessment – and mine!