St. Pete's Marcel is good to the last drop (of sauce)
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The sea bass with butternut squash ravioli and the hanger steak frites. Photo: Kathryn Varn/Axios
I was bummed when Left Bank Bistro closed in 2024, but we've got a great replacement with Marcel.
Dig in: On a recent visit to the European-inspired restaurant that opened last month in the Left Bank spot, the service was excellent, the atmosphere was immaculate and the food was superb.
- It was also easy to grab a reasonably timed Friday night reservation with a day's notice, which can be tough with St. Pete's other elevated concepts.
The backstory: This is Marcel's second location. The first opened in 2023 in Sarasota.
- Chef Jeremy Duclut also owns The Wooden Rooster downtown and was previously the executive chef at Cassis on Beach Drive.
Best bites: I saw some Google reviews praising the sea bass with butternut squash ravioli ($40.95), and they were on it.
- The bass was buttery, the ravioli was tender, and the sauce… the sauce! My only criticism is that it should come with bread to sop it all up, but you can at least order some for $2.95.
- The restaurant also offered a unique take on escargot with a pesto also made for sopping. This dish ($17.95), thankfully, came with bread.
One more rec: The L'eau de la Siene, or "A dirty martini as dirty as the Seine River" ($15.95).
- The olive-oil-washed vodka made it one of the best dirty martinis I've ever had (although, grain of salt: I'm more of a beer than a cocktail gal).
The vibes: The interior was cozy and tasteful, with a dreamy playlist of tunes by Tame Impala, Beach House and Clairo.
The bottom line: It's definitely on the pricier side, but it's well worth it for a date night or special occasion.