Bottega Named Best Pizza in China Mainland, 2nd Best in Asia-Pacific in Top 50 List

Bottega, one of Beijing’s few purveyors of Neapolitan style pizza, was recently awarded the title of Best Pizza in the Chinese mainland and 2nd best in the Asia-Pacific region by the 50 Top Pizza list, along with a few other honors. While it might seem like a step down from their 1st place Asia region win last year, for the team this year’s placing means even more.

“Asia wasn’t all in the same category last year: it was split between Greater Asia, which included East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia, while Japan and Australasia were their own separate categories” explains David Connolly during a recent interview with the Bottega co-founder and the restaurant’s general manager Daniele Salvo.

This change of categories isn’t surprising for the 50 Top Pizza list, which, like the Top 50 Restaurants is also sponsored by Aqua Panna and San Pellegrino but run by a different group. Previously the list only focused on Neapolitan style pizza in Italy, however three years ago it expanded its search to around the world.

“This year they decided to group everything into one category, and when we heard that we thought ‘oh this is gonna be interesting!’” But in the end it was a well-earned, if not reaffirming, 2nd place win considering who Bottega was facing up against, especially the likes of Japan and Australia.

“Japan has the highest concentration of Neapolitan pizzerias in the world outside of Naples” Connolly continues. “It’s crazy, there’s something like 70 legit Neapolitan pizzerias.” And it’s not just people trying to make Neapolitan pizza, but people actually accredited by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana – the Naples-based organization that says what is, and what isn’t, true Neapolitan pizza.

As for Australia, Salvo tells me, it’s because of the big Italian community there. That and Australia’s solid F&B scene, adds Connolly.

Along with taking second in the Asia-Pacific, Bottega also was named Best in China, the first year the Top 50 Pizza has included the honor; and Best Fried Food award, which Connolly tells me is quite important. “Apart from pizza, the second most important thing in Naples is fried food.”

Bottega took the prize for their fried calzone, arancini, and frittatini, something that Salvo had been adamant about including on the menu from the very beginning. “I was pushing them,” laughs Salvo “saying ‘we must have this, we must have this!’”

These awards can be added to a long list of accolades for the pizzeria. Bottega also boasts three pizza slices from Gambero Rosso, which Connolly tells me is essentially the Michelin Guide of Italy, as well as accreditation from the Associazione Verace Pizza Neapolitana. Their fame isn’t a secret to Beijing either, having won our Pizza Cup in 2016 and again in 2020.

Plus, they’ve shown no signs of slowing down following the new awards, with Salvo set to attend an event with the top 15 winners of the list in the Palace of Naples this September, which will essentially be an official awards ceremony and an opportunity to eat pizza every day, Salvo jokes. Bottega is also set to open their first branch outside of the capital, with a Shanghai location currently under construction and slated for a grand opening later this year.

This victory seems to have given Salvo, Connolly and the team behind Bottega a new sense of vigor. “It almost feels better than it was last year,” says Connolly “I was a bit concerned going up against Australia and Japan, but the result is a huge honor, regardless of what it looks like compared to number one.”

READ: Pizza Cup 2021 Recap: Beijing's Best Pizzas, as Voted by You

Images courtesy of Bottega