Le Specialità opened in Milan, Italy, in 1977. Now, almost 50 years later, the restaurant known for its pizza and authentic Italian cooking has come to Miami. It debuted in the Design District on Nov. 10.
The expansion to the United States was led by Spicy Hospitality Group, the Miami-based operation behind The Joyce and several forthcoming restaurants.
“Miami’s European influence is undeniable, and many locals and visitors already appreciate the brand and this style of cooking,” said Andre Sakhai, principal and founder of Spicy Hospitality Group. “Le Specialità has thrived for nearly five decades by staying true to the fundamentals: simplicity, quality, and authenticity.”
Sakhai believes that Miami has been missing a restaurant focused on pizza of this caliber, so bringing this concept to town felt like the right fit.
The dining room features original artwork and has a “Milan meets Miami” vibe. | Jason Varney
The 100-seat space was created by architecture and design firm Rockwell Group and is meant to embrace a “Milan meets Miami” sensibility. It draws from Milan’s design movement of the 1960s and 1970s and Miami’s colorful culture. The dining room has striped leather booths inspired by vintage Ferraris. There’s a green lava stone bar with red leather stools, and a black-and-white mosaic tiled pizza oven is visible to diners.
Art plays a large role at the restaurant, with a collection curated by Sakhai and featuring vintage Italian photography alongside works from his personal archives, including pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kaws, Rashid Johnson, and Takashi Murakami.
“The art sets the tone for the whole space,” Sakhai said. “It’s what brings personality and depth to the design. We wanted pieces that felt authentic to Milan but still made sense in Miami — something timeless, bold, and unexpected. The collection helps tell the story of two cultures that share a love for creativity, color, and expression.”
The Miami menu features more than a dozen pizzas, plus antipasti, salads, house-made pastas, seafood, and meats. A few standout dishes include the fettuccine wagyu Bolognese, branzino alla Siciliana, Dover sole meunière, and veal Milanese.
The menu is anchored by the thin, crispy pizzas that Le Specialità has been serving in Milan for nearly 50 years. | Spicy Hospitality
The bar is anchored by a 260-label wine list, including lots of Italian bottles and others hailing from Burgundy and Bordeaux.
Spicy Hospitality Group has more restaurants in the works. Sakhai said the team is actively exploring opportunities to expand the Le Specialità brand beyond Miami in the coming year, focusing on markets where the concept’s heritage and style will resonate.
Later this month, they’re bringing Tokyo’s Oniku Karyu — a Michelin one-star restaurant known for its wagyu beef kaiseki — to the Miami Design District, where it will make its U.S. debut as Karyu. The group is also opening an omakase sushi spot called Yasu, which will be led by chef Yasu Tanaka, who currently runs a more casual concept at MIA Market in the Design District.
Additional plans are still being finalized, but Sakhai shared that the company’s pipeline of projects also includes big-name chefs and international partners in New York and California.
