Naples, Florida is a haven for foodies, and new exciting restaurant concepts are constantly popping up all over town. From casual to fine dining concepts there is something for everyone around town. As prime season 2023-2024 begins, there’s two new restaurants that we are particularly excited about, and we wanted to share these unique places with our readers: Rouge speakeasy steakhouse and Bicyclette Cookshop.
Rouge
Rouge steakhouse is the latest dining hot spot from longtime restaurateur Chef Vincenzo Betulia, a Naples staple. This small 18 seat “clandestine” steakhouse is modeled after prohibition speakeasys. Located at 365 Fifth Ave S, Rouge is only accessible through a backdoor in the block behind Betulia’s The French restaurant. Betulia has had the empty space behind the French for some time and now he’s really doing something original with it.
Decked out in rich red fabrics and creative lighting touches, diners sit around red leather banquettes. Featured entrees include prime and Wagyu cuts of filet, New York strip and ribeye. A veal chop is also featured along with two steaks for two, a porterhouse and a Wagyu tomahawk. While steak is clearly the focus, seafood and chicken are also featured. The menu changes, and you will find other special items like a seafood tower and features from The French like their French onion soup and steak tartare. On a recent visit, our party really enjoyed the French onion soup and featured bone marrow dish.
Rouge is only open four nights a week from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Reservations can only be made by calling or texting 239-315-3368. With its very limited seating and delicious menu, we recommend calling Rouge to make a reservation ahead of your visit to Naples.
Bicyclette Cookshop
Bicyclette Cookshop is an exciting new restaurant that recently opened on 819 Vanderbilt Beach Road in the Pavilion shopping center. Chef Kayla Pfeiffer, former sous chef at The French, is the restaurant’s chef and partner. Trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, Pfeiffer likes to work with complex flavors and deliver sometimes unexpected results.
Rather than leaning towards one cuisine, Bicyclette’s menu is wide ranging and pulls from various cultures. The most important thing to Chef Pfeiffer is the quality of the ingredients that she utilizes to make dishes like herb seared tuna with muffaletta braised beans and chicken schnitzel with rocket pesto sauce. For those who can’t decide, I highly recommend sharing some of the delicious snacks and shareables like the oyster po’ boy slider, harissa prawns and beef tartare. Reservations can be made online here and pickup is also available.
As season really gets busy, we recommend making your plans early and including these exciting new dining experiences in your vacation. When you stay in one of our owner-owned Naples Florida Rentals, we look forward to offering you restaurant recommendations tailored to your preferences and help you with any questions you might have. Bon Appetit!