Celebrity Eyal Shani is opening his first-ever Italian restaurant Bella in Miami

Known for his take on Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food, celebrity Israeli chef Eyal Shani is venturing into all things Italian later this week, when he will officially open his new restaurant Bella at the Liberty Park Hotel (formerly, the South Beach Hotel) in Miami.

The new eatery is inspired by an imaginary Italian woman called—you guessed it!—Bella. "[Bella's] energy comes to life through a menu that marries Italian tradition with Shani’s singular, ingredient-driven culinary philosophy," reads an official press release.

Officially opening this Thursday, January 29, the indoor-outdoor restaurant features a menu created in collaboration with Victor Gothelf, the executive chef of Port Sa'id, another Shani concept with locations in New York City and Tel Aviv. 

Food-wise, expect antipasti served from a table in the middle of the dining room, followed by a whole range of handmade pasta dishes (think ragú, pomodoro, black pepper and more), salads, vegetable mezze, seafood, schnitzel (after all, Shani is the king of schnitzels on this side of the Atlantic), steak and more. 

Folks familiar with Shani's other restaurants will not be surprised to learn that menu items will be accompanied by whimsical descriptions. According to National Restaurant News, features note include "the marrow of a dinosaur bone," "a truly giant schnitzel (trust me)" and "homemade tagliatelle with a painful Madagascan black pepper that burns your mouth."

But as attention-worthy as the food at Bella is going to be, we'd be remiss not to also mention the stunning space designed by Veronica Mishaan. Made to feel like an Italian piazza, the restaurant features a courtyard in the middle of the space and a fountain reminiscent of the Fontana del Carciofo in Florence. Basically, a visit to Bella will remind you that it's time to book a ticket to Italy.