CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED LE COLONIAL TO OPEN ON NAPLES’ FIFTH AVENUE ON DECEMBER 14

Iconic French Vietnamese Restaurant and Lounge to Unveil Just the Right Level of Sultry Playfulness, Sumptuous Fare and Dazzling Interiors

NAPLES, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES, November 30, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED LE COLONIAL TO OPEN ON NAPLES’ FIFTH AVENUE ON DECEMBER 14

Iconic French Vietnamese Restaurant and Lounge to Unveil Just the Right Level of Sultry Playfulness, Sumptuous Fare and Dazzling Interiors

Acclaimed restaurateurs Rick Wahlstedt and Joe King are bringing Le Colonial, their timeless French-Vietnamese restaurant, to Naples, celebrating 30 years of success in the dining world with exquisite and beloved restaurants. The restaurant will open on Thursday, December 14 at 4 p.m. Known for its celebration of the flavors and spirit of Saigon in the 1920s, Le Colonial Naples will make its home along the dynamic, pedestrian-oriented thoroughfare at 457 Fifth Avenue South.

Le Colonial, which will span over 6,500 square feet, is a collaboration between renowned architectural and design firm Knauer Inc. of Chicago, artist and painter Jonas Wickman of Stockholm, Sweden, and DF Creative Designs of Connecticut, has resulted in another elegant and sophisticated atmosphere.

The exquisite restaurant and lounge seamlessly blend its dramatic appointed indoor and outdoor spaces, evoking 1920s Saigon. Guests will be transported to a romantic and timeless world, greeted with a black steel door entrance with oversized custom brass handles, gold leaf painted entry.

The 74-seat dining room features muted cream wall panels, antique baked mirrors, slow moving fans, hand painted periodic photographs, pewter bar top and lush plants, silk and brass custom made hanging light fixtures from Paris, and elegant leather banquettes.

The 64-seat al-fresco patio dining serves as a garden hideaway for guests to luxuriate among lush tropical foliage, and gorgeous blooms. Both the dining room and the patio dining areas feature subtle background music.

Adjacent to the dining room is a luxurious and inviting cocktail lounge reminiscent of a buzzy hotel bar, designed to be an intimate and exclusive retreat for up to 40 guests with seductive mahogany wall paneling, herring bone wood floor, gold leaf screens, and cream Venetian plaster walls, with plush seating of sofas and fauteuils, enhanced with vibrant and timeless music. Guests will enjoy an array of hand-crafted cocktails from Le Colonial’s new cocktail program, which was curated in collaboration with globally acclaimed mixologist Danilo Bozovic of Employees Only, voted the number one cocktail bar in the world.

A Jonas Wickman mural of Magnolia flowers will adorn the back wall of an intimate private dining room- The Magnolia Room- which overlooks the bar and lounge area and seats 14 at a black resin chefs table. Other finishing touches at Le Colonial include French cement tiles, black French doors, plum mahogany shutters, grey planters with jasmine trees.

The menu has been developed under the leadership of acclaimed Vietnamese chef and cookbook author Nicole Routhier and National Culinary Director Hassan Obaye, with input and execution by Chef Moosah Reaume, who will serve as Naples Executive Chef. Prior to joining Le Colonial, Reaume was Directory of Food and Beverage at the Mandarin Oriental Boca Raton, Executive Chef at Public Chicago Hotel and Pump Room Restaurant by Jean Georges Vongerichten. He also worked for Vongerichten in New York City at The Mark restaurant and other concepts.

Le Colonial’s menu will focus on bringing the freshest, locally sourced vegetables and premium seafood and meats to life utilizing all that the Floridia Gulf Coast has to offer. Meant for sharing, the traditional recipes play easily into today’s health-conscious preferences with ingredients like lemongrass, clams, swordfish, Gulf shrimp, rau ram and mung bean sprouts.

Featured items include Banh Cuon chicken and mushroom ravioli (Small Plates, $16); and Ca Song, spicy yellowfin tuna tartare and Hass avocado (Raw Bar $24). Large Plate dishes include Ca Chim: Halibut with “La Vong” scent ($42); and Bo Luc Lac: shaking beef (which has been on Le Colonial’s menu since 1993) with caramelized heritage Angus beef ($42).

The Soups and Salads section of the menu features Cari Tom: green shrimp curry with gulf shrimp, bamboo shoots, lime leaf, snap peas, zucchini, and a spicy coconut curry green curry broth ($34).

A few of the desserts include a raspberry soufflé with Caribbean coconut ice cream ($15) and a chocolate bento box with warn chocolate decadent cake, flambé of orange rum liquor and matcha ice cream ($15).

The Lounge will feature “Saigon Social Hour” Monday – Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. with a special menu including Cha Gio, crispy shrimp and pork roll ($15); Banh Uot, sesame beef ravioli ($18); Goi Cu Cai Do, beet salad ($16); and Com Chien Dac Biet, signature fried rice ($19) and more.

Wahlstedt made waves in 1993 in Manhattan with the opening of the first Le Colonial. That restaurant’s success eventually led to Joe King joining Wahlstedt as a partner and the two of them opening Le Colonial in Chicago’s Gold Coast in 1996. The Houston location opened in the exclusive River Oaks area in 2016; and Atlanta opened in 2019 in luxurious Buckhead. Most recently, Le Colonial opened to much fanfare in the affluent enclave Lake Forest, outside of Chicago in 2022 and in Delray Beach, Florida in 2023.

Now the successful duo is bringing Le Colonial to Naples with a location that will put the restaurant among the high-end retail and restaurants in the heart of the coastal town.

“We are delighted to be opening on one of the most beautiful streets in Florida and believe Le Colonial will be an exciting addition to the dining scene,” Rick Wahlstedt said. “We look forward to meeting everyone in Naples and having them experience the romantic interiors and Vietnamese cuisine.”

“Considering that Le Colonial has been in Chicago for 25 years and Naples has a large number of second-home residents from Chicago and the Midwest in general, it’s a natural for Le Colonial,” said Joe King. “We’ve long been fans of the area and have been waiting patiently to line up the perfect spot to share our renowned style of elevated Vietnamese cuisine, paired with unparalleled service and ambience. We feel the bustling and beautiful community in Naples is ideally suited to appreciate the unique vibe and vibrant tastes of Le Colonial.”

Le Colonial’s loyal following has not only been attracted to its fresh, authentic dishes and beautiful presentations, but also to its one-of-a-kind ambience. Named as one of the most beautiful restaurant interiors in world by Veranda magazine, each location is uniquely designed to transport guests to another era within the main dining rooms, verandas, terraces, private dining areas and lounges.

Le Colonial is going through an exciting expansion plan that reflects the success of its previous locations. Lake Forest was the first restaurant to open during what will result in a five-location expansion.

Dinner is served in the main dining room Sunday through Wednesday from 4-10 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 4-11 p.m. The lounge will be open Sunday-Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Thursday-Saturday from 3 p.m. to midnight. The lounge is walk-in only, offering a full lounge menu until an hour before it closes. Saigon Social will be offered in the lounge 3-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Lunch will launch on January 6 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and will be available Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, visit naples.lecolonial.com or call (239) 372-9700.

About Le Colonial
Le Colonial is a celebration of the seductive spirit and vivid flavors reminiscent of Saigon in the 1920s. With locations in Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Delray Beach and Lake Forest, IL, the famed Vietnamese restaurant launched over three decades ago by celebrated restaurateurs Rick Wahlstedt and Joe King to raves by countless American critics, celebrities, and tastemakers in New York. Under the direction of acclaimed Vietnamese chef and cookbook author, Nicole Routhier, along with culinary director Hassan Obaye, the culinary team balances classic Vietnamese recipes and today’s health-conscious preferences, bringing the freshest, locally sourced vegetables and premium seafood and meats to life though an artful use of herbs and spices.

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Elizabeth Grace
The Buzz Agency
+1 561-702-7471
Elizabeth@thebuzzagency.net
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