A chef puts a rustica pizza into a wood-fired oven.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Tavola's rustica pizza is among its most popular, but it's not Portaluppi's favorite because he doesn't care for the taste of truffle.

"When you go to a pizza place," he says, "you should always try the margherita to understand what they are doing."

If you go

Tavola

Grand Summit (Section B) at the Liangmaqiao diplomatic compound, 19 Dongfang East Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-8532-5068.