Chef Eyal Shani has opened Naked Tomato in Miami, with Brooklyn to follow
The restaurant serves Israeli-style skewers and dips and channels the spirit of roadside grills
June 8, 2026
Prolific restaurateur Eyal Shani opened Bella, an Italian restaurant in Miami, earlier this year, and now he’s back with another new concept. Naked Tomato opened May 14 at Moxy Miami South Beach hotel.
Shani has a deep portfolio of restaurants, including the fast-casual Miznon and the Michelin-starred Shmoné. With Naked Tomato, he’s stripping back his culinary philosophy to its most elemental form.
“Naked Tomato is an exciting new beginning for me and the team,” Shani said. “It is very personal. The ingredients come first. Everything else disappears.”
He said that creating “naked” food is more than just simplicity — it’s courage.
The space channels the spirit of a modern diner. | Think Hospitality
“You choose the very best tomato, or fish, or any ingredient, and you stand behind it completely, letting its pure essence come through.”
Naked Tomato is 4,600 square feet, including the front and back of house. The design is meant to blur the boundary between kitchen, market, and dining room, and everyday items like produce, bread, and wine are displayed openly. There are chalkboard menus and visible prep areas, and seating includes long communal tables and smaller, more intimate round tables.
Market elements like produce and bread are visible to diners. | Think Hospitality
The restaurant channels the spirit of a modern diner and is inspired by the casual food found at Israeli gas stations and roadside grills. The menu is anchored by Israeli-style skewers, called shipudim. Guests can choose from options like rib-eye, shrimp, harissa chicken thigh, lamb kebab, and wild mushrooms, served alongside an assortment of mezze, including pickles, Middle Eastern slaw, baba ghanoush, and charred corn.
Much of the menu is meant for tearing, dipping, and sharing, like hummus, charred beets, eggplant carpaccio, and freshly baked laffa, a Middle Eastern flatbread. There are also a few larger plates, like roasted branzino and a New York strip.
Naked Tomato is the latest F&B concept at Moxy Miami South Beach. The 202-room property opened in 2021 and also features Serena, an open-air Mexican restaurant; Tiendita, a lobby café; and a rooftop bar called the Upside.
Israeli skewers, dips, and flatbreads feature heavily on the menu. | Max Flatow
A second Naked Tomato location is slated to open in late-2026 at the Williamsburg Wharf in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Shani has several more Miznon locations in the works, and he’s bringing Malka to Los Angeles. The restaurant already has locations in Tel Aviv in Israel, the Upper West Side of Manhattan, DUMBO in Brooklyn, and West Palm Beach, Fla..
Malka will be Shani’s first full-service concept in L.A. — the city also has three Miznon locations. Its menu focuses on seasonal ingredients sourced from small-scale, local purveyors, and everything fully adheres to kosher dietary laws.
About the Author
Kevin Gray
Kevin Gray is a Dallas-based writer covering independent restaurants for NRN. He also writes for publications including Food & Wine, The Infatuation, and Wine Enthusiast, and he previously served as a correspondent for Restaurant Hospitality. Follow Kevin on Instagram.
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