Love waterfront dining? This new Italian restaurant just opened on the Miami River

There’s a new place to dine (and lounge) on the Miami River.

Elia from Aden Hospitality Group opened July 12 at the River Landing Shops & Residences, the 2.2 million square feet mixed-used complex with restaurants and retail. The upscale restaurant is 3,557 square feet, with space for indoor seating for 160 diners including a lounge and outdoor dining by the water for 100.

The menu is Southern Italian, with small plates including bruschetta, lamb meatballs and eggplant caponata, in addition to other snacks that make good bar food (charcuterie plates, hummus and marinated olives among the choices.)

The dinner menu includes pasta like pappardelle Bolognese, lobster linguine, vodka rigatoni and gnocchi in a butternut squash sauce with green bean pesto.

There are also pizzas baked in a brick oven and salads, plus entrees from the land and the sea: Tuscan ribeye and Italian pork chops as well as pan-seared salmon, red snapper two ways and acqua pazza (baked filet served with artichoke and tomato stew).

The raw bar focuses on Southern Italian seafood: scorpion fish, squid, swordfish, amber jack and grouper.

And if you’re hoping to impress someone, order Jamon Iberico, and the servers will prepare it tableside.

Engin Akdemir of Aden Hospitality, who also owns Salt Cafe in Miami Beach and opened Elia with business partner Adnan Jafarov, said that he knew River Landing was the “perfect location” for the restaurant.

“Being on the Miami River allows us to incorporate such a beautiful resource into our design to create a truly memorable dining experience,” he said in a statement. “We’ve meticulously designed our space to take advantage of the sunset, with our bar chandelier illuminated in its golden glow, casting a mesmerizing ambiance.”

Saladino Design Studios, which also designed Red Rooster Overtown, is responsible for the restaurant design, which is inspired by the story of a man who fell in love with a woman named Elia, who loved freedom. Led by principal designer Sean Saladino, the designers took the story and weaved its narrative throughout the restaurant, from the terrazzo floors to a mural.

It’s also a tribute to the beauty of coastal living.

“The outcome is an elegant space where guests can sit back and enjoy a sense of tranquility and indulgence,” Saladino said in a statement.

Akdemir agreed that the look of Elia makes dining there “a truly unforgettable experience.”

“It’s these thoughtful touches that set us apart,” he said.

Elia is the latest addition to River Landing’s budding “restaurant row,” which also includes the pan-Asian restaurant Tanuki, which opened in 2023.

Elia

Where: River Landing, 1440 NW North River Dr., #195

Hours: 11:30 a.m-4 p.m., 4-6 p.m. lounge and outdoor only, 6 p.m.-midnight Sunday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m., 4-6 p.m. lounge and outdoor, 5p.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday

Parking: Free for two hours in River Landing Garage

More information and reservations: www.eliaontheriver.com or 305-904-4045

Sign Up for the 5-Minute Herald