An Old Restaurant Gets New Digs Halfway Across the World
La Salière has finally landed in Naples, Florida on 12th Avenue South. This is the first U.S. outpost of a storied Italian restaurant born in Monte-Carlo back in 1982. The new venue is the brainchild of Stefano Frittella (the same restaurateur behind Naples favorites like Bice, Caffè Milano and La Trattoria). He’s taken the open, indoor-outdoor footprint of the old Bevy bar and given it a full Mediterranean-style revamp.
Walking in, the vibe feels like a Mediterranean villa by the sea, complete with ambient candles on the patio and a striking blue-tiled bar lined with velvet stools. It feels elegant but not too stuffy. The space seats roughly 120 people, but there’s room to breathe for date nights or group dinners.
La Salière’s roots go deep. The Frittella family culinary legacy stretches right back to 1720 with La Sibilla in Tivoli, Italy, and the name La Salière refers to Benvenuto Cellini’s iconic golden salt-cellar: a symbol of harmony between land and sea. The menu is a celebration of traditional Italian cooking, crafted under the influence of Executive Chef Sabato Toscano from the Monte-Carlo branch, but filtered through the coastally fresh ingredients of Southwest Florida.
The menu leans into antipasti and a handful of family-style plates, as well as handmade pasta, pinsa (Roman-style pizza), and hearty meat and seafood mains. Signature dishes include meatballs, artichoke with guanciale (Cuore di Carciofo), grilled octopus, pappardelle with veal ragù, ossobuco alla Milanese, a Tuscan-style T-bone steak, and salt-crusted branzino. Drinks match the mood, with a well-curated Italian wine list and cocktails that nod to Mediterranean flavours.
Early reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, praising not just the food but the attention to detail — from welcome cocktails to warm, attentive service. Reviewers also call out the lasagna, branzino, and veal ragù as standout dishes.
You might be thinking that Naples doesn’t need a new Italian restaurant, but La Salière is on a different level than most others. The history of the restaurant and the thought behind the menu, as well as the Italian hospitality, will make this a new favorite among our Italian-cuisine-loving populace.
Originally published in The Naples Florida Review. Read the full edition here.