Sanlitun | The Tree

The Tree rules the pizza category in City Weekend’s annual Reader’s Choice Awards, having pulled the top slot three years running. No wonder it’s a scrum to get a table on weekends. The Belgian-themed establishment has been whipping up European-style pizzas in a wood-fired oven for over a decade. Crusts are thin, the cheese is imported and eating one won’t make you feel like you’ve eaten Kro himself. Our favorite is the quattro formaggi (¥65). The hint of bleu cheese and tomato sauce base may not be autentico, but it makes for one of the best pies in town.

Find it: 43 Bei Sanlitun Nan, 北三里屯南43号, Tel: 6415-1954

Chaoyang Park | La Pizza

How does award-winning pizza chef Giuseppe de Stefano ensure that the unassuming 12 inch pie delivered to your table is unbeatable in the pizza ring? The secret’s in imported ingredients and a generation of pizza-making experience back in Naples where pizza was invented. Our favorite is the quattro stagioni (¥88), topped with incredibly tasty salami. We also recommend the quattro formaggi (¥88), where Giuseppe piles on the four best cheeses of the day. Pair it with a Birra Moretti, a steal at ¥25. Kids love watching Giuseppe at work in the open kitchen, one of the reasons La Pizza is so popular with families.

Find it: SA-48, 1/F, Bldg 3, Solana, 6 Chaoyang Park Road, 蓝色港湾国际商区, 朝阳公园路6号 Tel: 5905-6106

Sanlitun | Sureño

In Beijing, pizza is all about the quality of the cheese, and Sureño doesn’t skimp on their version of the quattro formaggi (¥88 plus surcharge). This pie is the biggest of the three reviewed here and features four types of cheese separated on the pizza. The assiago is the best of the four; it really brings out the tangy tomato base. The scamolza, a kind of smoked cheese, is unique, almost meaty. Aside from the mozzarella, there’s also the gorgonzola—a good bet, but only if you’re feeling bleu.

Find it: The Opposite House, The Village Bldg 1, 11 Sanlitun Beilu 三里屯路11号三里屯Village 1号楼, Tel: 6410-5240

Lee Mack