One minute, you are in the center of Beijing, immersed in the populous city's hustle and bustle-car horns honk, and crowds of people choke the sidewalks.

The next, you enter a mazy hutong (alleyway) and it's suddenly like you're a million miles away.

You may even think you're lost, because it seems implausible that there would actually be a fine dining restaurant nestled among the tightly packed, and in some cases, ramshackle buildings.

There is.

At the end of the hutong, in a yard shared with a 600-year-old temple, TRB Hutong is an oasis of quiet epicurean sophistication in the heart of the seething capital with its stylish modern decor blending seamlessly with the surrounding historical Chinese culture.

Sitting inside with the sunshine streaming in, you may forget for a moment that you are in a crowded urban metropolis that's home to more than 20 million people.

It's this experience that is just part of the reason why the restaurant is so popular among tourists from around the world. The main draw, of course, is the artful combination of fine modern European cuisine with ancient Chinese culture.

On Oct 22, TripAdvisor, one of the world's largest travel review sites, announced the winners of its annual Travelers' Choice Awards for Restaurants, and TRB Hutong was crowned the Best Fine Dining Restaurant in the world-the first time a restaurant from Asia has received that honor.

"This award goes to my talented and dedicated team who have done everything in their power to leave a powerful lasting impression with every guest that walks through our door," says Ignace Lecleir, founder and owner of TRB Group.

TRB Hutong is crowned the Best Fine Dining Restaurant in the world on Oct 22 by TripAdvisor in its annual Travelers' Choice Awards for Restaurants.

Lecleir, who had spent his career opening restaurants for others, moved to Beijing in 2007 to open his own. In 2011, while jogging in a hutong in Beijing, he discovered the temple by accident and immediately knew it was the perfect place to open his restaurant.

He was a little concerned by the secluded location deep inside the labyrinthine hutong, but he was taking the risk that diners would be willing to walk a long way to eat.

TRB Hutong is located in Beijing's Dongcheng district, just east of the Forbidden City in the heart of the capital. Opening in 2012, it serves contemporary European cuisine featuring local ingredients and offers a wine list that boasts nearly 1,000 options.

"I wanted to make a place with a strong focus on hospitality, a place for good food, but most importantly, a place where people could come quite often and feel comfortable," he says.

"We are a restaurant that has an international standing, but it's also been really well received by the local market, which I think is one of the most important elements," he says.

When Lecleir first opened TRB Hutong, only 30 percent of the customers were Chinese, but that figure has now grown to around 85 percent.

Last year was the first time TRB Hutong broke into TripAdvisor's Top 10 Fine Dining Restaurants, listed as No 7 worldwide-the only restaurant in China to do so.

With this year's rise to the number one spot, TRB Hutong remains China's only representative in the Top 10.

"Last year was a real milestone for China and the Chinese hospitality industry. It has always been a dream of mine when I first opened TRB to make sure that we leave a legacy," he says.

He thinks in many ways, the award is also a dangerous thing to receive. "Our team at TRB had an audacious goal and believed that we were good enough to achieve it. However, in my time in the industry, I have seen many restaurants fade quickly, as the reality of maintaining a standard hits home."

For that reason, this year's award will be an incentive for Lecleir and his team to maintain their motivation and dedication to providing the best possible service and ensuring that the dining experience at TRB Hutong remains strong and memorable.

Pricing, like its standards, will not change at TRB Hutong. The average price for a meal is around $120, and Lecleir says that prices won't rise because of the award.

According to Tian Yuqian, senior PR manager of TripAdvisor, the ranking is based on the millions of reviews and ratings left by its users over the past year.

A traveler from Pennsylvania, the United States, commented on the platform that TRB Hutong is "possibly the greatest restaurant experience of your lifetime".

"There are two reasons we keep coming back to Beijing three times a year as leisure travelers. Temple Restaurant Beijing is one of them. It's worth the 8,500-mile trip," he wrote. "Having lunch at TRB is a vacation in itself."