Sometimes you have to wait until the swelling crowds dissipate before you can savor a fine dining experience. Such was the case with Del Mar, one of the newer arrivals to the Fifth Street dining scene in downtown Naples.
We were briefed on the arrival of Del Mar when we visited Ocean Prime several months ago, another member of Cameron Mitchell's successful stable of restaurants. It was an instant hit, and I knew we would have to wait.
Now that the tourist season was over, it was time to go. We decided to dine early, to avoid the crush of patrons. For us, that’s always a good decision.
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Del Mar sports an upscale, yet contemporary vibe, with three dining areas available. You can enjoy the patio, sit inside and partake in the vibrant bar scene, or dine upstairs where it's a bit more intimate. We opted for the latter.
We sat in one of their many plush booths, so we could overlook the convivial activity taking place in the restaurant. The servers were friendly, but not overbearing, as the restaurant quickly began to fill up.
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Del Mar features Mediterranean coastal cuisine fusing influences from Greece, southern Spain, Morocco, France, Italy and Turkey. Their menu rotates seasonally, showcasing a variety of seafood along with colorful produce, fresh cheeses, rich olive oil and a myriad of earthy spice blends.
As the summer has delivered us some sweltering weather, we decided to begin with the Golden Beet Salad, coupled with avocado, apple, and spiced pistachios, layered over an herbed yogurt with traces of basil. Our palates were cooled and amply satiated for the subsequent culinary arrivals.
Their Charred Octopus is a must, laced with a bell pepper vinaigrette, onion petals, cilantro pesto and espelette. The spices were subtle, making it hard to refrain from eating all of it.
Wanting to save room for dessert, we decided to split the Branzino, coupled with generous portion of house greens, a lemon caper vinaigrette, and a fist of olive crushed potatoes. Still, we couldn't finish that either, and opted to take most of it home. That was also an exercise in restraint.
It was hard to decide on dessert, but our server suggested the Olive Oil Cake, along with the Turkish Chocolate Mousse. We were the envy of our dining neighbors, who looked at us in awe.
Dining in downtown Naples is always a special treat for us. I always feel like I’m overseas, or enjoying the blush of Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles with its shopping options, and the throngs of people gracing the sidewalks.
This is a special place, and if you have yet to visit, I highly recommend making a reservation before it again becomes prohibitively crowded.
Del Mar
494 Fifth Avenue South
