That’s Amore: Bottega Crowned 2016 Pizza Cup Champs

After six weeks of literally everything pizza, the Beijinger’s quest to find the capital’s best finally concluded Monday afternoon, as voters chose Bottega as the champion of the 2016 Pizza Cup.

Debuting at #20 in last year's tournament, Bottega leapt all the way up the rankings, defeating last year’s runners-up Annie’s in a spettacolare finale. The win cements Bottega’s standing as not just a first-rate purveyor of pizza pies, but also Italian fare in general; further giving credence to their namesake (in Italian, the word bottega means the studio of a master artist).

The road to pie supremacy was by no means an easy path to traverse. We started with a list of over 160 pizza brands in Beijing, and culled it to 88 for entry into this year’s bracket, possibly the fiercest ever. Bottega’s traditional Neapolitan fare, however, overcame challenge after challenge. Their path to the top included top polling in the first round and head-to-head victories in the knockout stages vs. Fly Pizza, Luga’s, Great Leap #45, Kro’s Nest, and then finally, Annie’s.

Serving rustic Italian fare in a contemporary environment, Bottega’s generationally-honed recipes have certainly not gone unnoticed. Their Neapolitan-style pizzas (think a thinner, chewier base, cooked quickly at a high temperature with fewer toppings), has helped the restaurant, hidden inside an otherwise derelict complex behind a Sanlitun construction site, reach the pinnacle of Beijing’s pizzascape in less than two years.

A recent visit to the smallish dining room on a Sunday afternoon found the place packed to the rafters, with diners waiting in line for a seat. Their secret ingredient appears to be the exceptional crust – thin in places, thick in others, lightly crispy, and insatiably chewy. "Beautiful chewy, charred Neapolitan-style crusts on the pizza is what made the deal for me – you can only get that kind of crust from the heat of a wood fired oven," said one reviewer.

Annie's has now has now placed second for two years in a row, testimony to their loyal following in Beijing. Last year's #1 Gung Ho! slipped to third place, a victim of tough seeding that saw them pushed aside by Annie's in the semis.

Also surging up the charts this year were Kro's Nest, who recovered from a poor showing last year to climb 29 places all the way to #4. Pizza View by Opera Bombana, newly opened as of last year's cup, was also a big mover, rising 30 places to end up at #12. Detroit-style pizza masters Pie Squared (#11), deep dish purveyors Yummy Box (#21), and Italian food maestros Tiago (#23) also made significant jumps this year. Furthermore, our highest debut this year came from newcomer Yellow Cab, a participant in this year's Pizza Fest, who ended up at #24.

As for the Beijinger’s inaugural Pizza Spinoff Tournament, Baozza (a hybrid between baozi and pizza) took home the top prize. Tied for a distant second were North Capital's jianbing pizza and Tiago Home Kitchen’s marshmallow pizza.

And with that, the curtain closes on another Pizza Cup. We’ve done our best to show you why Beijing deserves a spot on the map as one of the great pizza cities of Asia (if not the world), and what you told us via the last round of balloting seems to indicate that it’s been a pizza month to remember: 72 percent of you report that you have learned about new pizza choices in Beijing during the Pizza Cup, and 68 percent of you tried new places you had not tried before.

It’s been an orgy of consumption as well, with 59 percent of you reporting that you’ve eaten more pizza than usual over the past month or so (and 46 percent of you consumed more beer).

Finally, the Pizza Cup is testimony to the ever-evolving, and increasingly competitive pizza scene in Beijing. Almost half of you – 48 percent – report that you changed your opinion on your favorite pizza in Beijing over the course of the Pizza Cup. A shout out to the people who feed us their cheesy wares here in Beijing on average more than five times a month – you’re part of what makes Beijing great.

Finally, for posterity's sake, here are the year's final rankings of the top 64 pizzas in Beijing (and in our opinion, it's hard to go wrong with almost any of them):

1. Bottega (2015 Ranking: 20; Change: +19)
2. Annie's (2015 Ranking: 2; Change: 0)
3. Gung Ho! (2015 Ranking: 1; Change: -2)
4. Kro's Nest (2015 Ranking: 33; Change: +29)
5. La Pizza (2015 Ranking: 9; Change: +4)
6. Tube Station (2015 Ranking: 10; Change: +4)
7. Great Leap #45 (2015 Ranking: 3; Change: -4)
8. Eatalia (2015 Ranking: 8; Change: 0)
9. Pizza+ (2015 Ranking: 5; Change: -4)
10. The Tree (2015 Ranking: 19; Change: +9)

11. Pie Squared (2015 Ranking: 34; Change: +23)
12. Pizza View by Opera Bombana (2015 Ranking: 42; Change: +30)
13. Q Mex (2015 Ranking: 23; Change: +10)
14. Tavola (2015 Ranking: 7; Change: -7)
15. The Local (2015 Ranking: 46; Change: +31)
16. Luga's Villa (2015 Ranking: 24; Change: +8)
17. Hutong Pizza (2015 Ranking: 18; Change: +1)
18. Pyro Pizza (2015 Ranking: 22; Change: +4)
19. Mao Mao Chong (2015 Ranking: 11; Change: -8)
20. Pizza Express (2015 Ranking: 17; Change: -3)

21. Yummy Box (2015 Ranking: 48; Change: +27)
22. Ramo (2015 Ranking: 6; Change: -16)
23. Tiago (2015 Ranking: 55; Change: +32)
24. Yellow Cab (New)
25. Bocca Della Verita (2015 Ranking: 21; Change: -4)
26. Sureño (2015 Ranking: 4; Change: -22)
27. The Rug (2015 Ranking: 25; Change: -2)
28. Flypizza & Hoodakdak Chicken (2015 Ranking: 45; Change: +17)
29. Passby Bar (2015 Ranking: 60; Change: +31)
30. Tim's Texas BBQ (New)

31. Grandma's Kitchen (2015 Ranking: 28; Change: -3)
32. Mio, Four Seasons Hotel (2015 Ranking: 15; Change: -17)
33. Pizza by LMPlus (2015 Ranking: 38; Change: +5)
34. Vineyard Café (2015 Ranking: 12; Change: -22)
35. New York Style Pizza (2015 Ranking: 68; Change: +33)
36. Papa John's Pizza (2015 Ranking: 65; Change: +29)
37. Domino's (2015 Ranking: 71; Change: +34)
38. Mr Pizza (2015 Ranking: 67; Change: +29)
39. Pizza Buona (2015 Ranking: 49; Change: +10)
40. The Irish Volunteer (2015 Ranking: 51; Change: +11)

41. Stuff'd (2015 Ranking: 40; Change: -1)
42. Pizza Hut (2015 Ranking: 66; Change: +24)
43. Nasca Cafe (2015 Ranking: +50; Change: +7)
44. Lakers (2015 Ranking: +73; Change: +29)
45. Lily's American Diner (2015 Ranking: +47; Change: +2)
46. Xian Bar (2015 Ranking: 35; Change: -11)
47. Alio Olio (2015 Ranking: 30; Change: -17)
48. Jazz-Ya (2015 Ranking: 41; Change: -7)
49. Scott's Family Ristorante Italiano (2015 Ranking: 27; Change: -22)
50. iFresh Pizza (2015 Ranking: 29; Change: -21)

51. VSports (New)
52. Paddy O'Shea's (New)
53. Fratelli Fresh (2015 Ranking: 52; Change: -1)
54. Mrs Shanen's / Green Cow Cafe (2015 Ranking: +57; Change: +3)
55. Park 17 (2015 Ranking: 32; Change: -23)
56. Ahava Bistro + Café (New)
57. Elisa's (2015 Ranking: 53; Change: -4)
58. Via Roma, Kempinski Hotel (2015 Ranking: 31; Change: -27)
59. Nine Road Pizzeria (New)
60. Loft Eatalicious (2015 Ranking: 13; Change: -47)

61. The Veggie Table (2015 Ranking: 54; Change: -7)
62. Red House (2015 Ranking: +70; Change: +8)
63. 1st Floor (2015 Ranking: +69; Change: +6)
64. Pizza Factory (New)

Photos: Uni You