Words By Peter Roos
Photos by Janet Nummi
La Croisette reopened in early June 2021 at 7401 Gulf Blvd. on the corner of Corey Ave. in St Pete Beach, after a year of rebuilding, almost from the ground up. The new owners, Mickael, Nathalie and their two children are recent arrivals from France. It was Beverly’s La Croisette for the past 20 years, but before that, a photo hanging in the building proves it was a breakfast and lunch place with a French bakery called La Croisette in 1986. Nathalie is the curator of La Croisette Museum.
She got history photos of the building and the family over the years from both Beverly and her mother-in-law. If you have questions or kind comments, by all means, ask for Nathalie.
La Croisette serves both French and American breakfast and lunch daily from 6:30am-1:30pm. The brand-new venue features both indoor and outdoor service. Breakfast is served all day, including real French Croissants and pastries, a variety of eggs any way you like, from a dozen omelets to a dozen benedicts, plus toast, French or conventional, Belgian waffles, frittatas, biscuits and gravy, hash and eggs and what many reviewers describe as “home fries to die for.” The “star” of the breakfast menu, according to Nathalie, “are the croissant sandwiches.”
Real French croissants are baked each morning by Mickael in a special oven. These fresh-baked flaky pastries are offered a dozen ways including a veggie, a meat lover, with fried chicken or with cream cheese, capers and lox and served with a side of those home fries. Lunch is served weekdays from 11:30am-1:30pm.
There are a dozen wraps and sandwiches and a half dozen salads $10 -12. There is also a French bakery that sells out daily by 2pm and a list of sides you could make a meal out of. While seating ends daily at 1:30pm, pastries are sometimes available until 2pm. If posts online are reasonable measures of La Croisette’s success so far, I’d say they are SUPERSTARS! Hundreds of recent 5-star reviews on TripAdvisor and Yelp, along with some delicious looking food photos are evidence that La Croisette’s menu is a hit with customers from everywhere.
Now that the craziness of the height of season is behind us for a little while, plan to check out this new gem. Many of the reviews mention the great food, but also the friendly staff, some of whom you will recognize from Beverly’s if you dined there in the past.
Next time you are thinking of going to the Corey area for breakfast, aim for La Croisette. You will not be disappointed.
La Croisette Restaurant and Bakery
7401 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, FL 33706
727- 851-9845