The weekend arrives.
What would I like to eat? Something that makes me travel without leaving Phnom Penh. Something familiar, comforting, but still worthy of my appetite’s respect. My mind wanders past street stalls and trendy newcomers until it lands on a name I’ve known for years, a name that doesn’t shake hands with risk but embraces the art of repetition. Pizza Luigi.
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Etablishment
Name:
Luigi's Italian Restaurant
Location:
Street 167, Russian Market (Toul Tompong ll) Phnom Penh.
Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ivY5bwrQQ8vCDgpM6
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First Impression
Two floors, each telling a different story. Downstairs, a low hum of chatter, plates sliding from counter to table; upstairs, air-conditioning and a quieter, more deliberate pace. The staff veterans of the place, don’t hurry, yet there’s an unspoken choreography. At the entrance, a charcuterie display stands like a promise, its reds and marbled whites whispering of Parma and Modena, though our passports stay stamped Phnom Penh.
Note (Ambiance / Service) :
🍴
What Was Tasted
- Main:
Al Crudo Pizza $11— (7/10):A generous sheet of prosciutto laid over bubbling cheese. The tomato sauce veers into sweetness, the mozzarella rich, while the base in the centre surrenders slightly to moisture. Edges crisp, middle a touch weary.
Ravioli Al Crudo E Porcini Gratinati $13 — (6.5/10): A molten cheese blanket over plump ravioli. The filling, dense with pork and dairy, feels indulgent yet becomes heavy halfway through. A sharper counterpoint, lemon zest, a bitter green could have saved it from monotony.
- Dessert:
Blackberry Panna Cotta $5 — (6.5/10): Silky and softly set, topped with a thin veil of blackberry coulis. Pleasant but lacking the aromatic depth that fresh vanilla could bring; the fruit topping doing the heavy lifting.
Note (Food Overall) :
💸
Value for Money
$29 for two main and one dessert in Phnom Penh is not a scandal,you’ll leave fed, perhaps even content. But the return on flavour investment is modest. It’s fair value for a quiet lunch, less so if you’re chasing culinary fireworks.
Note (Value):
🎯
Would I Return?
Perhaps. For the comfort of the familiar and the civility of the room, yes. For the thrill of the palate, I’d keep looking.
Note (Likelihood to Return):
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Verdict
Pizza Luigi is a well-rehearsed score, played by a team who haven’t missed a beat in over eight years. Rarely a mistake, but rarely a surprise — the performance is polished, almost memorised. I longed for more ambition: perhaps a “pizza of the month” on the board, a dish where the chef’s joy and pursuit of perfection take centre stage. Still, it remains one of Phnom Penh’s most reliable pizzerias: good, generous, and built to sell you a trip to Italy with no regrets. Don’t come expecting a culinary climax; come because you want a civilised table, a place where you simply pay for a good pizza. Well, ciao bello.