Chaoyang Park Restaurant Alio Olio Reopens as La Rucola
By Noelle Mateer
New look, same great taste. Longtime Chaoyang Park restaurant Alio Olio has reopened as La Rucola. Sure, they’re now named after the Italian word for ‘arugula,’ and there have been a few style updates, but much of the food has stayed the same. And that’s a very good thing.
The base concept remains untouched: trattoria-style Italian food at reasonable prices. On our latest visit, we tuck into hearty lasagna (RMB88), cheesy calzones (RMB98) and traditional wood-fired pizza (from RMB88).
The new menus are more complex than, well, arugula. They offer an astounding variety, from salads and starters to pastas and mains. A warm egg runs all over La Rucola’s charming rustic salad (RMB58). A fearsome crab sits atop a not-so-fearsome spaghetti (RMB98). And our garlic mushrooms come stuffed with Italian ham (RMB46).
There are even, believe it or not, cocktails – La Rucola’s charming wooden bar has had a face-lift as well. (Although real Italians, we hear, prefer wine – La Rucola’s got that too.)
The venue’s charm has remained intact. Enter via a set of stairs to its homey loft space, creaky wood lending it all a welcome dose of old-world charm. Crucially, the upstairs dining room still has a beautiful view over Chaoyang Park. If you look out the window and squint a little (OK, a lot), it almost feels like Italy.
Daily, 11am-11pm, West Gate, Chaoyang Park, Chaoyang 朝阳区朝阳公园西一门北侧(6594 0938)
For more Beijing restaurant and bar news, click "Read more" below.