Bottega Xinyuanli Soft Opening: A Huge Space to Fill With Hungry Patrons Hankering for Some of Beijing's Best Pizza
Bottega is back! And we are really, really relieved, because we missed the pizza more than we'd like to admit ... during their two-week closure.
After boxing up their original Sanlitun location, and the team's accompanying Aperol spritz bar Vesuvio, we will soon have two new locations and double the excuse for a reason to drop by one of the city's most popular Italian restaurants. The smaller and three-or-so-weeks-till-opening in Nali Patio spot is still in development, but that barely matters given that it may have already been overshadowed by the new (and massive) branch next to Raffles Medical (previously International SOS) in Xinyuanli.
Currently in soft opening (every dining editor's worst nightmare, no opening times, no phone number, no final menu, but it's Bottega, so we don't even care!), we're happy to report that the food remains amazing. The menu still consists of the same elements which made the original venue one of the best suitable-for-every-occasion options in Beijing, including appetizers to share, pizzas, pastas, meat and fish, and desserts.
The offerings have also expanded with some new items added specifically for the soft opening menu.
The first new dish that we gobbled up was the crocche di pencetta e patate (RMB 42). These warm potato croquettes with smoked pancetta and parmigiano-reggiano melt in your mouth, the creamy center nicely juxtaposed with the fried outer shell.
Another new dish was scallops wrapped in bacon and doused in a roasted red pepper sauce (RMB 88), officially known as involtini di capesante (picture at top). While the two textures made for an interesting combination, the rich sauce and slices of baked apple pulled the dish together.
Other new items include a new carciofina pizza (pictured above) topped with grilled artichokes flown in fresh from Rome, as well as Napoli salami and mozzarella. I wouldn't usually opt for a pizza without a tomato base, but this one was well-balanced, and its flavorful artichokes, salty salami, and mozzarella will be fresh in my mind for days.
What we're particularly excited about, however, are the two new terrace spaces that the new space allows for, at both the front and back. As soon as the furniture is set up, the team aim to seat approximately 200 people al fresco in total. That's a massive jump from their previous four-table courtyard/alleyway seating.
While we can't yet tell you the exact operating times during Bottega's soft opening, all you need to know is that they're currently open during meal times, and ready to stuff you with their pizza and pasta excellence.
Bottega
01, 1/F, 20 Xinyuanli Xi, Chaoyang District (phone TBC)
朝阳区新源里西20号1层01
More stories by this author here.
Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
Instagram: s.xuagram
Images: Margaux Schreurs
