This Mediterranean spot is closing in Miami Beach. Guess what’s replacing it?

After five years on Lincoln Road, Issabella, the Mediterranean restaurant that took over the former space of Balan’s, is closing its doors.

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And now, almost 30 years after the first Balan’s opened on Lincoln Road, Balan’s is returning to fill the Issabella space at 1022 Lincoln Rd.

Issabella, which opened in 2021 and was created by Balan’s founders Jonathan and Keva Balan, will complete its final service on Aug. 30. The new Balan’s plans to reopen on Sept. 17.

The founders call the return a homecoming.

“As we get closer to 30 years of Balan’s in Miami, we started thinking more and more about that history and ultimately felt that bringing Balan’s back to the place where it all started was an opportunity that was simply too special to pass up,” they said in a statement. “For our family, though, the biggest thing is simply that it feels like Balan’s is coming home. There aren’t many independent Miami restaurants that have the opportunity to return to the exact place where their story began nearly 30 years later, and we’re really excited to have the chance to do it.”

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The plan for the new Balan’s is not to mimic the original, which first opened in 1997, in every respect. There will be new menu items, many of them Mediterranean in style, and new programming.

But customers will also find familiar favorites on the menu, like the eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles, the Balan’s burger and fish and chips. The restaurant will also revive its popular brunch daily service — yes, daily — until 4 p.m.

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The Balan’s at Mary Brickell Village in Brickell remains open as well.

This story was originally published August 20, 2026 at 2:15 PM.