Ce Soir’s quiet debut in Naples promises an upscale presentation of modern French and coastal Mediterranean cuisine in a large, renovated space at Bayfront.
Although the restaurant’s May 2 launch comes at least six months later than anticipated, Aidan Hospitality is pleased with its first dining concept to venture out of Canada. The Ontario-based company extensively renovated a more than 7,000-square-foot space that most recently was home to Southern Style Kitchen & Raw Bar near the intersection of Goodlette-Frank Road and U.S. 41 East.
“It’s beautiful. The place came out really beautiful,” said CEO John Pirathap, who lives in North Naples with his family.
The new restaurant, which seats 165 inside and 50 on its covered patio, was designed to emanate coastal elegance with a modern, moody edge.
“Naples is appreciated for its beauty, lifestyle and sophisticated taste. Ce Soir was designed to complement that energy,” said George Gill, partner and marketing director at Aidan Hospitality, which also has operated Ce Soir Brasserie + Bar for three years in Oakville, Ontario, an affluent lakeshore suburb of Toronto.
Guests dine inside Ce Soir, which features a 24-seat bar, a large wine display and a modern, moody design in a renovated Bayfront Naples space.
Tim Aten
Ce Soir, a French phrase pronounced “suh SWAH” and meaning “this evening” or “tonight,” features a variety of seafood and meat dishes accompanied by a global wine selection and signature cocktails. The new Ce Soir in Naples is in a soft opening phase to master challenges before its grand opening, targeted for the last week in June.
Early guests are especially enjoying Ce Soir’s steak program, which uses a charcoal-fired oven and grill to impart a flavorful taste and richness that’s both rustic and refined, Pirathap said. “The Josper grill is amazing,” he said. “It gives everything a nice, smoky flavor.”
A porcini-crusted rack of lamb, cooked over a charcoal-fired grill, is among the signature dishes at Ce Soir.
Pink Shark Media
Ce Soir’s Au Feu de Charbon (Over a Coal Fire) dishes include a Black Diamond dry-aged porterhouse steak, a porcini-crusted rack of lamb, roasted chicken with truffle jus and duck confit with bean cassoulet, pancetta, sausage and pangrattato. Seafood selections include Chilean sea bass, whole Dover sole, crispy skin salmon, roasted branzino and bouillabaisse with scallops, shrimp, sea bass and clams.
Chilean sea bass is plated with seasonal ingredients as part of Ce Soir’s seafood selection at Bayfront Naples.
Pink Shark Media
A 14-foot raw bar at the northeastern corner of the restaurant features fresh seafood, such as oysters, prawns, lobster and caviar. The Plateau de Fruits de Mer seafood platter includes ceviche, tuna tartare, oysters, large prawns and whole lobster.
Pirathap has noticed that the seared scallops appetizer also has been popular with guests. Other appetizers include lobster bisque, beef tartare, Hamachi crudo, foie gras terrine and red shrimp carpaccio.
Pirathap’s personal favorite menu item is Lobster Spaghetti, which features a whole Northeast Atlantic lobster with cherry tomatoes, Calabrian chili peppers and lobster bisque
“I’ve always loved the pasta. My son loves it and my wife loves it,” he said. “We do a 1½-pound lobster, beautifully done with fresh pasta.”
The raw bar at Ce Soir offers oysters, prawns, lobster and caviar as part of the restaurant’s seafood-focused menu.
Pink Shark Media
On its western edge, Ce Soir sports a 24-seat U-shaped natural stone bar with a striking 560-bottle wine display. A semi-private wine cellar elevates the experience with floor-to-ceiling glass-front cabinets. To complement the cuisine, the full bar’s elevated cocktails merge classic techniques with innovative flair.
A mille-feuille dessert layered with cream and topped with powdered sugar is served at Ce Soir in Naples.
Pink Shark Media
Ce Soir, 492 Bayfront Place, is open 3 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Happy hour specials are 3 to 5 p.m. daily.
In addition to Southern Style, Ce Soir’s large space at the southwest corner of Bayfront has hosted many other local restaurants during a span of more than 20 years. It previously was home to Il Bellagio, The Grill Club, Bianchi’s at Bayfront, Alto Jazz Kitchen, Mereday’s Brasserie and Stoney’s Stone Crab.
A chocolate genoise topped with berries and chocolate garnish highlights the dessert offerings at Ce Soir.
Pink Shark Media
Just before Ce Soir opened, another fine-dining restaurant on the opposite end of Bayfront permanently closed this spring. Soluna shuttered in April after operating for about 1½ years in the longtime space of Stoney’s Steakhouse.
Dining and Cooking