Original CityPlace restaurant to close, reopen in West Palm Beach plaza
There’s good and not-so-good news for fans of the Italian restaurant with splendid fountain views at The Square plaza in downtown West Palm Beach.
First, the not-so-good: Il Bellagio, which enjoyed a prime location at the plaza for 23 years, will close its doors at the end of dinner service on Valentine’s Wednesday, Feb. 14.
The good news: The classic Italian spot, which has graced the plaza’s most iconic views since its first days as CityPlace, will move into roomier, more stylish digs at The Square.
Il Bellagio will take over the space where the Anthropologie home and fashion store most recently operated. The new location is further from the fountain but just steps away from the restaurant’s original space. The move is part of a massive renovation project to give the plaza a more mixed-use appeal.
An opening date for the new Il Bellagio has not been announced, but the debut is expected to happen within days of the closing. On Friday, the restaurant issued a brief statement via its social media pages, saying: “We are in the final, finishing touches at our new location.”
Il Bellagio is one of the first anchor tenants at the plaza, which opened in October 2000 as CityPlace and was renamed twice. The restaurant debuted with a rustic Italian look at the shopping/dining/entertainment plaza in early 2001.
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In December 2013, the restaurant unveiled the results of a 6-month, $1.5-million renovation: a more contemporary dining room with sunflower-yellow walls, red hanging light fixtures and an onyx bar with LED glow.
Architectural renderings for the restaurant’s new, soon-to-open location show a dramatically updated, more refined look with modern, clean lines accented with light woods, greenery and various indoor and al fresco dining spaces.
Good bites at Il Bellagio
If you haven’t been to Il Bellagio, a good way to get a taste of its offerings is to stop by for antipasti and drinks. Here are some favorites:
Polenta Bolognese — Polenta crowned with smoked mozzarella and house-made meat sauce ($16 dinner, $13.95 lunch).
Calamari fritti e zucchini — Crispy squid and zucchini fries served with a side of marinara sauce ($18 dinner, $16.95 lunch).
Carciofi al forno — One of the dishes introduced after the 2013 makeover, this dish features fresh artichoke stuffed with breadcrumbs and Parmesan, baked in lemon-wine sauce ($19 dinner, $17.95 lunch).
Il Bellagio: Current location is at 600 S. Rosemary Ave., 561-659-6160; upcoming location is at 700 S. Rosemary Ave., IlBellagio.com
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Il Bellagio Italian restaurant to close, move in downtown West Palm Beach
