After months of shifting timelines, Ce Soir opened this past weekend with a soft launch. It takes over the former Southern Style Kitchen and Raw Bar, but the transformation is significant. The 7,000 square foot space has been fully reworked and now marks the U.S. debut of Aiden Hospitality, a Canadian group making its first move into this market.

Naples does not lack for waterfront dining, but it does skew predictable. A French-leaning concept, especially one positioned as “semi-casual fine dining,” stands out, even if that label undersells how polished the experience actually feels.

The space is large and open, with floor-to-ceiling windows bringing in light off the water and a central bar lined with hundreds of bottles. There is patio seating overlooking the Naples Bay and Gordon River and inviting lamps setting the ambiance at each table. It feels a bit more dressed-up for a night out than a casual drop-in.

The kitchen is led by Alex Malinowski, whose background includes time at The Ritz-Carlton and Café Boulud. The menu sits somewhere between modern French and Mediterranean, with a clear emphasis on seafood and live-fire cooking. A charcoal oven anchors the kitchen, giving a bit more depth to dishes that could otherwise feel standard.

Early standouts include red snapper ceviche with passion fruit, seared scallops, and a lobster spaghetti that leans rich with butter, Calabrian chili, and generous portions of lobster. The French influences show up in select menu items like a bouillabaisse, bone marrow and escargots, and moules frites. The grill section includes various ribeyes, Chilean sea bass, and more, which keeps predictable favorites for a broader crowd.

Their cocktail program is ambitious and is already becoming a draw on its own. Having hired a nationally recognised mixologist, they’ve imbued creativity into each selection. The toasted coconut espresso martini, in particular, is likely to become a repeat order.

Ce Soir is still in its early days, and it shows in small ways, but the foundation is there. It lands somewhere between special occasion and regular rotation, which is not an easy balance to hit in Naples.

Ce Soir

492 Bayfront Pl, Naples
Hours: Mon–Thu, Sun 3:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–2:00 am
Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–5:00 pm at the Bar & Raw Bar
https://cesoirnaples.com/

Originally published in
The Naples Florida Review.
Read the full edition here.