Inside Miami’s Donna Mare, a Soulful Italian Chophouse Rooted in Nature
From a showstopping central olive tree to a house-made pasta workshop, the Italian dining room fuses tradition, performance, and design in a striking homage to the Mediterranean
The most memorable moment inside Miami’s Donna Mare Italian Chophouse isn’t a towering plate of pasta or an artfully presented cocktail—it’s a living olive tree. Planted at the center of the dining room, the arboreal beacon’s gnarled branches and regional symbolism provide a quiet anchor. “It represents longevity, rootedness, and the deep connection between land and sea that inspired our menu and the entire design,” Melissa Bowers, the New York designer behind the restaurant’s lush interiors, tells Galerie. “I wanted guests to feel a sense of calm and groundedness the moment they walk in, as if they’ve entered a timeless Mediterranean grove.”
That atmosphere permeates every corner of Donna Mare, which recently opened near the Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club in Miami Beach. The 182-seat restaurant pays homage to Italian culinary traditions and seaside indulgence with creative sensibilities. Chef Luigi Iannuario, a Milan native who trained under the late Michelin-starred Chef Gualtiero Marchesi and at the prestigious Albereta Relais & Chateaux and Ristorante Dal Pescatore Santini, leads the kitchen with reverence for the classics and an embrace of bold, shareable dishes. Take his menu: wood-fired pizzas made from a 50-year-old mother yeast, a 45-ounce Fiorentina steak for the table, and house-made pastas crafted daily by in-house sfoglina Elena Montanari.
For Bowers, the interiors needed to reflect the cuisine’s emotional resonance and venturesome appeal. “Every design choice was about bringing nature indoors in an intentional, immersive way,” she says. Leather banquettes in deep green hues, for example, wash the dining room in verdant splendor while golden velvet drapes and brass fixtures nod to Miami Beach decadence, especially the building’s Art Deco architecture dating to the 1940s. “I softened that geometry with organic textures, warm light, and earthy materials to invite a more grounded, soulful energy,” Bowers says. “The blend of textures—brass, leather, wood, velvet—adds sensuality and timeless refinement. It’s a quiet harmony where heritage isn’t imitated, but felt.”
The open-kitchen layout reinforces a communal sense of theatre and craft. Guests can witness Montanari work her magic to transform flour and eggs into silken strands of pasta, a centuries-old skill the culinary artisan brought from her family’s home base in Italy to her new workshop overlooking Collins Avenue. (Even passersby can marvel at the magic.) That detail certainly speaks to Donna Mare’s emphasis on heritage and the simple act of breaking bread together, but also signals a decidedly contemporary embrace of hospitality as performance. “The kitchen and dining table have always been sanctuaries of connection,” Iannuario notes. “Our goal is to offer guests an unforgettable experience where the ultimate luxury is tasting the passion infused into every dish.”
To that end, menu highlights include lobster chitarra with a velvety 12-hour sauce, mortadella pizza with pistachio pesto and fragrant basil atop a crisp wood-fired crust, and veal cotoletta alla Milanese accompanied with arugula and tomato. Classics like chicken parm are elevated with organic ingredients and a rich five-cheese blend. Desserts continue the indulgence: a molten Belgian chocolate cake, a classic tiramisu, and a strawberry cheesecake crostata finished with a luscious limoncello crème. The drink menu is just as considered. Playful yet refined cocktails like the Velvet Sgroppino (sparkling wine, silky limoncello sorbet) and When in Roma (Rhum J.M. Agricole Blanc, Aperol, passion fruit, and pineapple) tap into the Mediterranean spirit with unexpected twists and dramatic sculptural glassware. The wine list naturally skews Italian, favoring small producers and organic labels.
“Donna Mare is about creating a space that feels as warm and inviting as a home, yet sophisticated enough to elevate every dining occasion,” Bowers says. “Every design decision was about creating a fresh experience while preserving the soul that’s always lived here.”