Israeli chef known for HaSalon opens new Italian restaurant at Miami Beach hotel

If you glance at its website, you may assume the new restaurant at the Liberty Park Hotel serves pasta made by Bella, an Italian cook who virtually lives in the kitchen and recreates time-honored Italian cuisine.

Bella, however, is fictional. The real forces behind the restaurant named for her character may be more familiar: Jerusalem-born chef Eyal Shani of HaSalon, who has restaurants around the world in cities like New York, Vienna, London, Paris, Dubai, Melbourne, Tel Aviv and Singapore including Miznon, Malka and North Abraxas.

Shani, who’s considered one of the top figures in Israel’s culinary scene, has collaborated with Israeli native Victor Gothelf, executive chef of Port Sa’id Mediterranean restaurant in New York’s Hudson Square for the menu.

Helming the kitchen is chef Neil Strauber, who counts Shani as his mentor and also worked at Port Sa’id before taking on his new role at Bella.

Near Collins Park on South Beach, the new Bella at the Liberty Park (formerly known as the South Beach Hotel) aims to embody the cuisine of the southern coast of Italy.

The menu kicks off with light bites from a central antipasti table and moves on to salads, mezze and seafood. There are also homemade pastas on the menu, including black pepper pasta with Madagascan spice, lamb ragu and baby artichoke all’olio, as well as heartier dishes like fritto misto (fried seafood), melanzana (eggplant), branzino and steak.

Created by Colombian designer Veronica Mishaan, the restaurant’s look aims to reflect the spirit of the Mediterranean. You can dine indoors or outside, but the restaurant’s central focus is the courtyard, surrounded marked by bougainvillea, begonias and jasmine, offering a decidedly romantic vibe at night. Terrracotta floors, limestone accents and wrought iron work to recreate the atmosphere of an Italian palazzo.

We hope Bella gets out of the kitchen long enough to see it.

Bella

Where: Liberty Park Hotel, 236 21st St., Miami Beach

Hours: 5-11 p.m. Thursday-Monday; closed Tuesday-Wednesday

Reservations: OpenTable

More information: bellamiamibeach.com