Friends and Neighbors,

Today is both Cinco de Mayo and Taco Tuesday, which means there is more than one excuse to eat tacos today. I’ve rounded up my favorites, focusing on authentic Mexican-style tacos this time around with a few Tex-Mex options mixed in. 

And Ce Soir, a modern French-Mediterranean restaurant, finally opened this past weekend. I’ve given you the scoop on the menu and why people are already making repeat reservations. OpenTable still shows plenty of availability, but don’t expect it to last! 

Sometimes the weeks seem to bleed together without fanfare, so I’ll share a thought I read the other day - you get to experience a week you’ve never had before. I hope this serves as inspiration to savor the sun, the food, and cherish the rituals of the mundane. 

Cheers,

Look, if there’s something I appreciate, it’s any ritual around food. My childhood is marked by food on specific days, like Friday pizza nights, pancake Saturdays, and waffle Sundays. 

Perhaps this penchant makes me a devotee of Taco Tuesdays, an excuse to make what’s otherwise any other day into a ritual celebration. When Taco Tuesday happens to also be Cinco de Mayo, it’s practically an imperative to eat tacos. Here are my favorites around town:  

Taqueria San Julian
Address: 3575 Bayshore Dr, Naples, FL 34112
Website: http://taqueriasanjulian.restaurantwebexpert.com
Hours: Daily 10 AM – 10 PM

Just past Celebration Park, it’s easy to drive right by if you do not know it is there. Inside is tight, a little chaotic, usually packed. You order, wait your turn, and figure out where to stand or sit after.

If someone asks where to get tacos, this is the answer. Al pastor is the default, and it is very good. But if you are already here, go further. Lengua is soft, cabeza is richer and heavier. Tacos come with traditional onion and cilantro toppings. A favorite weeknight dinner and a hidden gem locals would rather keep to themselves. 

Taco Lindo
Address: 4003 Santa Barbara Blvd, Naples, FL 34104
Website:https://tacolindo-naples.com/ 
Hours: Daily 11 AM – 9 PM

This is where Taco Tuesday turns into a sit-down dinner with a margarita, even if you did not intend to. Chips and salsa show up immediately.

People call it authentic, though the menu is definitely Tex-Mex. That is not a bad thing. Carnitas are crisp, carne asada is reliable, and the non-taco menu items are just as loved. You can even order your tacos “American” or “Mexican” style. 

La Oaxaqueña Taqueria
Address: 2795 Davis Blvd, Naples, FL 34104
Website: https://www.laoaxaquenanaples.com/
Hours: Daily 8 AM – 8:30 PM (10 PM weekends) 

This crowd favorite focuses on authentic Oaxacan menu, and is sometimes lauded as the most authentic tacos around. The reason? The tortillas are made in-house, and you can tell right away. 

Birria gets most of the attention and deserves it. But the menu goes deeper. Tlayudas are big and layered, mole is rich, and pozole is the kind of thing you order when tacos are not enough. The space is charming and colorful without frills. 

Taqueria Jalisco
Address: 4075 Pine Ridge Rd #3, Naples, FL 34119
Website: https://taqueriajalisconaples.cloveronline.com/menu/all 
Hours: Tue–Sun 12 PM – 9–10 PM | Mon Closed

This unassuming spot in a shopping center is secretly holding some of Naples’ best tacos. Go for the chorizo, carne asada or al pastor on their corn tortillas. Fresh, full of meat and flavor, this is another great family dinner option. Many also come back for their tortas - toasted Mexican sandwiches. 

Mi Ranchito
Address: 710 W Main St A, Immokalee, FL
Website: https://www.facebook.com/mi.ranchito.31/ 
Hours: 11 AM–9 PM

This hidden gem is just outside Naples in Immokalee, which does seafood tacos really well, in addition to the meat classics. 

Barbacoa and tripe tacos are the move if you want something more traditional. Shrimp diablo if you want heat on your choice of corn or flour, your choice. People also love lemonade, and there’s ice cream too. A true secret waiting to be discovered. 

After months of shifting timelines, Ce Soir opened this past weekend with a soft launch. It takes over the former Southern Style Kitchen and Raw Bar, but the transformation is significant. The 7,000 square foot space has been fully reworked and now marks the U.S. debut of Aiden Hospitality, a Canadian group making its first move into this market. 

Naples does not lack for waterfront dining, but it does skew predictable. A French-leaning concept, especially one positioned as “semi-casual fine dining,” stands out, even if that label undersells how polished the experience actually feels.

The space is large and open, with floor-to-ceiling windows bringing in light off the water and a central bar lined with hundreds of bottles. There is patio seating overlooking the Naples Bay and Gordon River and inviting lamps setting the ambiance at each table. It feels a bit more dressed-up for a night out than a casual drop-in.

The kitchen is led by Alex Malinowski, whose background includes time at The Ritz-Carlton and Café Boulud. The menu sits somewhere between modern French and Mediterranean, with a clear emphasis on seafood and live-fire cooking. A charcoal oven anchors the kitchen, giving a bit more depth to dishes that could otherwise feel standard. 

Early standouts include red snapper ceviche with passion fruit, seared scallops, and a lobster spaghetti that leans rich with butter, Calabrian chili, and generous portions of lobster. The French influences show up in select menu items like a bouillabaisse, bone marrow and escargots, and moules frites. The grill section includes various ribeyes, Chilean sea bass, and more, which keeps predictable favorites for a broader crowd. 

Their cocktail program is ambitious and is already becoming a draw on its own. Having hired a nationally recognised mixologist, they’ve imbued creativity into each selection. The toasted coconut espresso martini, in particular, is likely to become a repeat order. 

Ce Soir is still in its early days, and it shows in small ways, but the foundation is there. It lands somewhere between special occasion and regular rotation, which is not an easy balance to hit in Naples. 

Ce Soir

492 Bayfront Pl, Naples
Hours: Mon–Thu, Sun 3:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 3:00 pm–2:00 am 
Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–5:00 pm at the Bar & Raw Bar
https://cesoirnaples.com/

Last week we asked: For holidays like Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, are you making reservations or cooking at home?

Here’s where you landed:

Cooking a nice meal at home eked out making reservations with 55.31% of votes. Here’s what some of our readers had to say: 

Thank you for sharing! Personally, I’ll make reservations to celebrate special occasions, but not necessarily on the day itself. Valentine’s Day dinner… a week before. Saturday dinner for a Sunday holiday. It’s the best of both worlds!

Naples is full of small rituals that make the week feel a little more memorable, whether it’s tacos on a Tuesday, a new restaurant to try, or an old favorite saved for a special occasion.

This week is a good reminder to make the plan, book the table, and give an ordinary day a little more fanfare.

Elizabeth Bellotti
Editor-In-Chief
Naples, Florida
The Naples Florida Review

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