Just like Little Italy? New pizzeria and Italian restaurant opens in Miami Beach
There’s a new Italian restaurant and pizzeria in Miami Beach.
Little Niko, now open in the heart of Española Way in the former space of Calista Taverna, is the creation of hospitality entrepreneur and Sugar Factory founder Charissa Davidovici, who calls it “a home away from home.”
“Our goal was to find a spot for Little Niko that mirrors the charm of Little Italy,” she said. Where better than the historic, Mediterranean-influenced Española Way?
Little Niko may look slightly more glamorous than your typical neighborhood pizzeria, but it aims to be a family-friendly spot, with seating indoors and outdoors.
The restaurant serves classic Italian dishes and pasta like pappardelle Bolognese, bucatini carbonara, rigatoni alla vodka, and a range of salads and sandwiches.
New York-style pizzas are the main draw, of course, including the hot honey pepperoni pie with cherry peppers; the vodka pizza with vodka sauce, mozzarella, pecorino and basil; and the Nikos, with Italian sausage, mozzarella, ricotta and Calabrian peppers.
On Saturdays and Sundays, the restaurant offers what it calls artisan focaccia sandwiches, like the open-face focaccia meatball sandwich.
Dessert options include the usual suspects like tiramisu and a gelato bar, but the highlight is the highly Instagrammable Citrus Tree, which costs $30 and is served tableside, made of lemon confit, vanilla bean mousse and vanilla cream, with lemon, orange and lime shells.
Little Niko
Where: 1444 Drexel Ave., Miami Beach
Hours: Noon-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, noon-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Reservations: OpenTable
More information: littlenikopizzeria.com or 786-353-2677
