The 4 Pizzerias Battling It Out for Bracket A of Our Pizza Cup

The fight for pizza supremacy in the 2017 Pizza Cup is intensifying, as our original 100 vendors at  dropped to just 32 two weeks ago, and now those 32 vendors have been whittled down to 16. There have been some unexpected knockouts and some dark horses rising, all thanks to you, our pizza-bingeing voters. Keeping things spicy in Bracket A, we have Bottega, Hutong Pizza, Yummy Box, and La Pizza going head-to-head-to-head-to-head in the fight to reach the Elite Eight.

You can read our other detailed descriptions of this year's Sweet 16 pairings here: Bracket B, Bracket C, and Bracket D.

Bottega
Reigning Pizza Cup champions Bottega has proven itself a missing link in Beijing's burgeoning pizza scene. Having opened in 2014, the Fratelli brothers' Neapolitan-style pizzas have quickly accrued a loyal fanbase thanks to a refined mix of family-tested favorites and a wood-fired pizza base that is nothing short of addictive. Bottega's original venue, tucked away in a dusty corner of Sanlitun, was demolished earlier this week but with two new venues – in Sanlitun's Nali Patio and further north in Xinyuanli – allowing for exponentially more room for fans of friendly service and modern, upbeat Italian dining, the Bottega brothers have certainly positioned themselves to continue their winning streak.

Hutong Pizza
You don't serve pizza for 14 years in Beijing and go unnoticed, but it's not just veteran-status that continually ranks Hutong Pizza among the city's best; their square pizzas may be modest when compared to somewhere like the aforementioned Bottega but consistent quality and a Houhai-adjacent location gives hungry patrons a reason to take notice. The team has settled on a decidedly friendly and inviting atmosphere to serve their pizza and one that makes for a quiet meal throughout the year, thanks to a relaxing outdoor patio complete with a zen-inducing pond, and a main renovated hutong building that proudly bears its wooden beams and stone walls. It is these factors that keep people coming and Hutong Pizza high up in our annual rankings.

Yummy Box
If you attended this year's Pizza Festival you'll have noticed at least one vendor performing extremely well. Yummy Box had a queue that stretched from one side to the other of our Wangjing Soho venue for the majority of the event. To put that in context, Yummy Boxes' brick and mortar Wangjing restaurant was only a 10-minute walk away, meaning that word of mouth had either done them wonders or their fans literally couldn't imagine eating anything else. The fact that Yummy Box sells both Chicago deep dish and New York-style pizzas has made it a surefire favorite among the most ardent of pizza eaters as well as a good choice for locals looking to explore what American pies have to offer. Coupled with the kitchen's willingness to explore lesser-accepted recipes (tuna and kimchi, anyone?), has guaranteed that they have a strong consumer base wherever they land.

La Pizza
Now eight years old, La Pizza has maintained a strong and steady fanbase through use of imported ingredients, wood-fired pizzas, and authentic Italian toppings, some of which have been tailored towards a clientele that does not hark from the home of pizza. One example would be their Lucca Ricotta pumpkin pizza, a sweet and creamy fusion that shows La Pizza management's willingness to cater towards local tastes without completely eschewing their Italian underpinnings. Now three venues deep, La Pizza has a strong showing throughout Beijing and has struck upon a balance that could be said to be the precursor to another of Bracket A's competitors: Bottega, who they may just meet in the Final Four.

Things are heating up! 16 contestants are now fighting for the Beijinger’s 2017 Pizza Cup, click here to vote now or scan/extract the QR code below. The Elite Eight will be announced on Oct 9 at 2pm.

Photos: Uni You, Kyle Mullin, Tautvile Daugelaite

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