A Closer Look at the Restaurant Awards: The Best Casual Italian Restaurant in Beijing?

The Beijinger 2016 Reader Restaurant Awards may be a vague memory as we enter into Burger Cup territory, but we've still got plenty of results to share with you.

Winner of Best Italian (Casual) went to Annie's, perhaps unsurprisingly given that they're Beijing's longtime casual Italian dining stalwart. We're pretty sure we're getting closer to uncovering their super speedy delivery secret too: Annie's must install tunnels under the homes of regular orderers, ready to appear out of thin air and fulfill orders in 10 minutes flat. Especially on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. There's no other way.

We, just as you, are huge fans of Annie's, given their great prices, consistent quality, and top-notch free delivery services. In fact, Annie's came second in our revered 2015 Pizza Cup, demonstrating their popularity across the board. To learn more about head honcho Annie Lee, check out this interview we conducted with her at the beginning of the year, in which she dispels a number of myths about her name and her restaurants.

As for the winners of the Outstanding awards, you, our loyal readers, selected Bottega and Mercante, both of which are a little more upscale than Annie's, and make for lovely evenings out, whether it be a special occasion or a dinner to treat yourself. Mercante is a great destination if you want to experience relaxed and contemporary dining deep in the hutongs, while Bottega is conveniently located inside the alley opposite Page One in Sanlitun and is spacious enough for big parties.

A particular favorite at Bottega is their wood-fired pizza (pictured at top). We can never get enough of the Bufalina (RMB 118), a thin and perfectly-charred pizza crust topped off with juicy bufala mozzarella, special DOP Pomodorini del Piennolo (cherry tomatoes imported directly from Italy, to you and me), and whole-leaf fresh basil. One pizza per person is excessive but you'll somehow always manage to polish it off.

More stories by this author here.
Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
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Photos: Margaux Schreurs, courtesy of Annie's