Bar Bella Brings Spanish-Inspired Barbecue to South Miami

The family behind Cebada Rooftop, Abi Maria, and Vice City Pizza just opened its latest restaurant in South Miami — and it's unlike anything the neighborhood has seen before.

Meet Bar Bella, a restaurant and bar that blends Midwestern barbecue flavors and techniques with classic Spanish tapas.

Founded by Miami restaurant veteran Jorgie Ramos, the restaurant is an ode to his family in every sense. The restaurant's name honors his five-year-old daughter, Annabella. At the same time, the menu includes creative dishes based on Basque and Valencian cooking techniques, representing his family's ancestry, while the Midwestern barbecue flare is a nod to his wife's roots.

The menu offers a variety of starters covering a range of cultures, including East and West Coast oysters, crudos, caviar bumps, and caviar cannolis. Tapas range from the sopa de ajo croquetas made with garlic aioli and "Chow Chow Relish" to an oyster mushroom pintxo (a small, skewered snack that originates from northern Spain, particularly in the Basque Country) made with truffle, onion sabayon, and Manchego cheese. Also on the tapas menu is a popular Barcelona sandwich, the "Bikini," which is a grilled cheese made with jamon serrano, Havarti cheese, fig, and truffle aioli, and a pork belly, jam-topped smash burger with piquillo aioli and Havarti cheese.

"Bar Bella is ideal for sharing small plates, porrón pitchers, and stories with friends and family," says Ramos. "The vibe is unmatched, and we're delighted to be a part of this South Miami neighborhood's revival."
Another menu highlight that is hard to come by in Miami is a rotating smoked paella socarrat special made with crisp bomba rice, smoked onion stock, black garlic aioli, and shallot relish. (Socarrat is the crisp, charred layer of rice at the bottom of a paella pan. The word "Socarrat" comes from the Spanish word socarrada, which means "charred" or "scorched.")

As for desserts, the menu offers a few specials, including his father's housemade bread pudding with pumpkin cheesecake. (Apparently, it's a hit.)

Dinner can be paired with a variety of Spanish wines, as well as funky-named cocktails paying homage to local South Miami spots, such as the "Banned from Bougies" frozen cocktail, which pays tribute to Bougainvillea's down the street, and the "Meet Me at the Tree." The latter recalls the massive tree situated at the entrance of Sunset Place Mall when it first opened 25 years ago.

Guests can choose to dine indoors or outdoors or take a seat at one of the two bar spaces.

Bar Bella. 5829 SW 73rd St., South Miami; bellastapas.com. Open Tuesday through Thursday from 5 to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11:30 p.m.