If you didn’t know it was there, you might miss it. Sandwiched between two other small eateries in the Shops at Midtown Miami, lies a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.

While there are hundreds of Italian restaurants that dot the Greater Miami area, Riviera Focacceria Italiana {3252 Northeast Buena Vista Boulevard, Suite 1100, Midtown; 768.220.6251} is one of only a handful that specializes in authentic cuisine from Liguria, a crescent-shaped coastal region in northwest Italy, bordering the southeastern tip of France to the west and Tuscany to the east.

Owner Fabio Domenichini, who hails from the Ligurian capital of Genoa, greeted us warmly in his thick Italian accent and sat us on the patio out front. Unlike other restaurants in Midtown with tables spilling out onto the pedestrian-crowded sidewalks, Riviera’s patio is quaint and private.

Wine is a must at this rustic, no-frills eatery, and rows of bottles line the back wall. As we settled in with our beautifully crisp white from Sardinia, we were greeted by our friendly server who placed a tin of freshly baked focaccia bread on the table.

Focaccia al Formaggi

You’ll be tempted to fill up on the delicious focaccia—it is, after all, where Riviera Focacceria gets its name. But you haven’t really experienced this Ligurian specialty until you taste the restaurant’s signature Focaccia al Formaggi: thin sheets of delicate, flaky dough blanketing a layer of melt-in-your-mouth Stracchino cheese (air-freighted in weekly from Italy), served piping hot in the pan it’s cooked in. Trust us when we say you’ve never tried anything like it.

Pansoti al Pesto di Maggiorana

This could have easily been our full meal, but Fabio warned us to “not to eat it all,” so we could save room for what was to come: the creamy Pansoti al Pesto di Maggiorana, a ravioli-like pasta (handmade from scratch) with marjoram, pine cuts, Parmesan pesto, and a touch of butter; and the Tonna alla Ligure, a tuna fillet seared on one side and topped with capers, pine nuts, parsley, and Taggiasca olives gremolata spread over a chickpea purée. Both exquisite.

Tonna alla Ligure

As we sipped up the last of our wine, we studied the dessert menu. We learned that the Panna Cotta al Vino Rosso is a must-try, but our server also let us know that a special chocolate mousse with strawberry sorbet was available that night. If this close-your-eyes-to-savor-each-bite dessert is any indications of the others, then it’s safe to say there’s not a bad one in the bunch. And if you’re too full for dessert, you can always wrap one up to-go. All desserts, along with olive oil, cheeses, homemade pastas, sauces, and focaccias, can be purchased at the market on premises.

Specialty Chocolate Mousse Dessert

So the next time you’re at the Shops at Midtown, be on the lookout for this tiny slice of Liguria. It might not be the trendy place to see and be seen, but you may just find your new go-to Italian eatery.

—Sherri Balefsky | Miami Editor