What gives. This restaurant is not even listed among the top 90 restaurants in Naples. It's a good thing I ignored the list and went with my intuition. I stumbled across Bleu Provence while web surfing for a Naples restaurant. I was only going to be in town two nights and wanted to ensure that I dined at one of Naples' best. I couldn't have been more pleased with Bleu Provence. Having been to Provence (the real one) several times, I was anxious to try this Florida/Caribbean version. I read where the owners were transplants from the South of France. It shows. I stopped by the restaurant earlier in the day and met the owners as they were preparing for that night's dinner. They were extremely helpful in handling our reservations since we weren't sure of the number in our party. It was going to range anywhere from two to six. Even though fully booked for the evening, they were flexible for our table. We ended up with just two--the two lucky ones.

I really felt like I was back in France. Food, Service, Wine were all outstanding. The wine list had to be one of the best I've ever seen for having a broad selection of wines in the $30 to $50 range. I've seen bigger lists at Tour D'Argent and Taillevent, but for affordable offerings, this was the best I've seen. After a Kir Royale apperif, we debated whether to have both white and red wines to accompany the entree and main courses. We decided to just order a bottle of red. When I had a question about the wine list, the waiter promptly motioned for the owner. He not only thoroughly answered my question, but spent five minutes talking about the area of France we were planning to visit this summer. He then left only to return shortly with a complimentary glass of white wine. When he came by a few minutes later to ask about the wine (I had a minor criticism), he brought a different bottle over--a Corsican white and poured a second complimentary glass.

The food was as outstanding as the wine. I don't know how these city popularity lists are developed. It's a shame that Bleu Provence is not on the Naples list. Judging by the packed restaurant on this Saturday night, we were not the only one to find this gem.