Why Bastille Day Is the Perfect Excuse to Revisit Chez Boët
Every July 14, France celebrates Bastille Day, commemorating the storming of the Bastille prison that marked the beginning of the French Revolution. It’s France’s equivalent of the Fourth of July, celebrated with fireworks, parades, and, perhaps most importantly, long meals shared with family and friends.
In Naples, there’s probably no restaurant better suited for the occasion than Chez Boët.
Philippe and Lisa Boët have owned the independent French bistro since 2003, and more than two decades later it remains one of the city’s most enduring destinations for classic French cuisine. Philippe, who grew up in northeastern France, has built a menu that stays true to traditional techniques while incorporating seasonal ingredients from local growers and purveyors.
There are dishes that regulars return for year after year. The deeply caramelized French onion soup arrives beneath a bubbling cap of Gruyère, while the escargots are baked in garlic-parsley butter with a splash of Ricard. The bouillabaisse is among the restaurant’s signatures, combining Maine lobster tail, Gulf shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, and snapper in a saffron seafood broth. Other longtime favorites include the roasted duck à l’orange, herb-crusted New Zealand lamb rack, and slow-braised Wagyu beef bourguignon. If you’re in the mood for something less traditional, the Moroccan-inspired lamb and seafood tagines have developed their own loyal following.
Dessert deserves equal consideration. The chocolate fondue for two is served with warm 56% Ecuadorian chocolate ganache, fresh berries, and mint, while the tarte Tatin and Napoleon are both made in-house.
What many diners don’t realize is that the Boëts’ connection to France extends far beyond the restaurant. Through Voyage Boët, Philippe and Lisa personally lead culinary tours through France. Their next journey, September 10–20, explores the Alsace wine region and Champagne, with stays at the five-star Maison des Têtes in Colmar and Les Crayères in Reims, plus visits to Grand Cru wineries, Michelin-starred restaurants, and villages most travelers would likely never discover on their own.
Chez Boët has always offered more than dinner. For more than twenty years, it’s been one of the closest things Naples has had to a standing invitation to France.
Chez Boët
755 12th Ave. S., Naples • Dinner Wed.–Sat. 5–10 p.m., Sun. 5–9 p.m. • (239) 643-6177 •
chezboet.com
Originally published in
The Naples Florida Review.
Read the full edition here.