Chef Vincenzo Betulia has “raised the steaks” of The French Brasserie on Naples’ 5th Avenue South with menu and décor changes inspired by his wildly successful Rouge speakeasy, which he opened in August of 2023 in a secluded dining area of The French. Rouge has also contributed to the achievement of The French’s new, prestigious wine award from Wine Spectator magazine.
“When I conceived of Rouge, I envisioned an intimate, clandestine speakeasy focused on the finest quality steaks and rare wines in a lush, romantic setting,” said chef-owner Vincenzo Betulia. Rouge was an instant hit and won the “Best New Restaurant” award in Naples Illustrated magazine’s January 2024 dining issue.
Aspects of the Rouge experience can now be enjoyed at The French. Chef Vincenzo says he has “raised the steaks” at The French with menu additions such as a 12-ounce Australian Wagyu New York Strip #5 with Bearnaise sauce; eight-ounce Carrera Farms prime filet mignon (Australia) with pommes mousseline, crispy fried shallots and Sauce au Poivre, and a 12-ounce Bavette steak that Chef Vincenzo describes as “a butcher-cut steak with flavor that will blow your mind,” served with green beans, shallots and roasted potato. The steaks are grilled over Floridian white oak coals.
The French’s current menu favorites include traditional starters ranging from escargot de Bourgogne to beef tartare to Le Mac Cheese with gruyere cheese, chives and duck leg confit, and many other beloved brasserie classics such as lamb loin persillade; prized ora king salmon; Mediterranean Dover sole; poulet roti forestiere; soup l’oignon, and steak frites. The popular Sunday brunch, with jazz entertainment October thru June, serves the restaurant’s signature avocado toast with smoked salmon, buckwheat crepe with ham and gruyere, and omelettes of diners’ choices.
“The wine at The French is as seductive as the food,” said Chef Vincenzo, who emphasized that Rouge helped drive the success of The French’s wine program. “When we introduced the rich steaks at Rouge, we offered rare Bordeaux, Burgundy, and other French, Italian, and domestic wines such as Lafite, Romanee Conti, Solaia, and Opus One, all now available at The French.”
Rouge-inspired interior design elements added to The French include elegant red velvet draperies framing arched indoor and outdoor dining room windows, garlands of flowers and greenery, and crisp white linen tablecloths at dinner.
Simultaneous to The French’s Rouge-inspired expansion of menu and décor is winning Wine Spectator’s coveted “Best of Award of Excellence,” earned by restaurants that “are destinations for serious wine lovers, showing a deep commitment to wine, both in the cellar and through their service team,” according to Wine Spectator. There are only 993 “Best of Award of Excellence” winners in the United States.
Upon winning the award, the seven-year-old French Brasserie was singled out as one of “13 Rising Star Wine Restaurants for 2024” in a July 2024 article in the Wine Spectator, written by editor Collin Dreizen.
“My team and I are honored to receive this national recognition,” comments Chef Vincenzo. “Marcello Palazzi, our director of operations and beverage director, and Alain Rabault, our general manager and sommelier, deserve accolades for growing the wine list with older, vertical vintages, strong Bordeaux selections and more than 375 labels."