Bottega Nali Patio: The Same Great Pizza Comes Above Ground for a Breath of Fresh Air

A trip to Bottega fills me with both glee and apprehension in equal amounts. Glee because since their opening, tucked away in central Sanlitun a mere two and a half years ago, I’ve gorged on their unmatched Neapolitan pizzas to the point of dough-clogged arteries more times than I’d like to admit, but to which my gut is living, wobbling proof. Apprehension because, well, reread that sentence. Since that time, Bottega has honed their craft, swiftly building a loyal customer base who returns for friendly service, an upbeat atmosphere, and a robust menu brimming with the rustic flavors of Italy, a continuation of the fratelli Salvo’s patriline back in their home city of Naples.

This year has so far seen massive growth for the brothers, who closed their original subterranean haunt to open two new venues: their flagship Jinshang branch and this smaller restaurant on the second floor of Nali Patio. At the latter location, the improvements are subtle but efficacious. The black and white tiles and finished concrete walls remain but gone are the bare metal chairs whose slightly tacky feel were at odds to ordering a RMB 100 pizza. The move above ground has opened up the space immensely, replacing the once claustrophobic dining hall vibe with retractable doors and terrace chatter while retaining the enlivening semi-open kitchen. Now sandwiched between other hotbeds of drink and dining, Bottega can capitalize on cultivating their bar, their previous wine and Negroni joint Vesuvio also falling victim to the change in venue. Instead, the drinks here are a condensed selection of the top options from that menu, as well as gin and tonics and spritzes, to be supplemented with a range of late-night food in the coming weeks.

For now, the regular menu remains largely unchanged and the three-ton oven imported from Italy ensures that their staple wood-fire pizzas remain the big draw. The capricciosa came beautifully charred and generously topped with shreds of Italian baked ham, mushrooms, artichoke, Neapolitan tomato sauce, and a thick and stringy layer of mozzarella cheese. As for the crust, well, let’s say that if you fall into the “non-eating crust population,” this entire thing will have been wasted on you, each bite full of chewy glory. The eggplant rollatini make for a fine lighter appetizer or side, with five thinly sliced pieces of grilled eggplant wrapped around balls of bouncy mozzarella, doused with a garlicky alla pizzaiola tomato sauce, and sprinkled with Parmesan. Other items that will have you coming back are the hulking and oozing burrata, the delicate pesto ravioli, the baci “kisses” pizza bites, and an extensive variety of pasta (but seriously, the pizza).

Once Bottega’s evening routine settles into place, the restaurant looks to provide Nali Patio with a new vibrancy. Coupled with the massive Xinyuanli venue, the Salvo heritage and revamped arsenal looks to retain a fine tradition of pizza making in Beijing, physically far removed from where it all began in 1928, but methodically indistinguishable. For those reasons, it’ll certainly take a fine contender to wrestle away their title of Beijing’s Best Pizza come the end of our 2017 Pizza Cup.

Bottega
Daily noon-2am. 2/F, Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District (6416 1752)
朝阳区三里屯路81号那里花园2层

Photos: Uni You