Greeting the season, a flurry of dining spots launched last month in Southwest Florida.  

Topping the list of December openings are some downtown Naples venues that had been greatly anticipated.  

Le Colonial Naples brought a gorgeous gem to Fifth Avenue South when the French-Vietnamese restaurant debuted Dec. 14. The local space for the iconic brand creates a more than 6,500-square-foot dining destination in a redeveloped downtown space that formerly was the longtime home of Bellini Italian restaurant, Citrus seafood restaurant and Paddy Murphy’s Irish Pub. The more than 175-seat upscale dinner restaurant debuts its weekend lunch service Jan. 6. Lunch will be served 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday at 457 Fifth Ave. S.  

A few blocks east on Fifth, Limón Rooftop Bar opened Dec. 15 to provide a lofty spot atop the new AC Hotel Naples 5th Avenue across from Tin City. The elevated dining experience at 455 12th St. S. serves its modern take on Mediterranean favorites for lunch and dinner daily.  

Warren American Whiskey Kitchen introduced another new upscale destination to the area when it launched Dec. 6 to anchor The Collective at 111 10th St. S. in the Naples Design District. Warren Naples’ contemporary American restaurant includes a scratch kitchen with a full bar and a separate members-only cocktail club.   

Also in the Design District, The Kitchen and The Mini Bar opened Dec. 13 to add two more innovative hospitality concepts and an outdoor space connected to District, a trendy lounge that debuted in August with its Staff Only speakeasy at Victoria Square on the southwest corner of Central Avenue and Goodlette-Frank Road. The new local businesses, co-owned by Christopher Shucart, Marty Kenney and Christopher Lee, turned negative space into a positive destination.  

“I call it Lake Park Diner with a bar,” Kenney said.  

The large outdoor venue features about 120 seats and is open 3 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Brunch starts at 11 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays with a live disc jockey.  

The Kitchen menu includes starters, salads, sweets and main dishes, such as a pimento smash burger, a carnitas taco bowl, pesto chicken and a variety of sliders. The bar lineup has craft cocktails, frozen drinks, beer, wine and nonalcoholic beverages.  

Kenney said The Alley will open by the end of January with late-night bites as the fifth and final component of the unique neighborhood hangout near the future Gulfshore Playhouse under construction.  

Society Wine Bar opened the weekend before Christmas at Park Shore Plaza in Naples after converting former salon space into a modern venue with 200 wines available by the glass or bottle, 100 craft beers, ciders and meads, as well as a menu of small plates, cheese boards, salads, snacks and gourmet desserts. The new business at 4333 Tamiami Trail N. is next to the Cafe Crème de la Crème and Escargot 41 restaurants. The wine bar also offers a wine club with membership benefits and different tiers for wine lovers, aficionados, connoisseurs and snobs.  

The bar invites everyone to its grand opening celebration from 2 to 10 p.m. Jan. 12 and 13. The bar will offer wine tastings and appetizers both days from 5 to 8 p.m. Closed Mondays, Society Wine Bar is open 2 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 2 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.  

Across from Lowdermilk Park in Naples, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii christened a second Naples spot in December in Charleston Square, 1400 Gulf Shore Blvd., Suite 148. The stop offers premium coffees with a kick, branded merchandise and a food menu inspired by the Hawaiian Islands.  

The first Oar & Iron Raw Bar & Grill, upscale casual seafood and steak restaurant with a full bar, launched for dinner Dec. 27 in the Plaza at Founders Square, 8850 Founders Square Drive, on the southeast corner of Collier Boulevard and Immokalee Road. Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 9, Oar & Iron will open for its full, standard hours serving both lunch and dinner.    

Seating more than 250, Oar & Iron has nearly 6,000 square feet of indoor space with a large U-shaped bar and an 1,800-square-foot outdoor patio. Its menu includes a raw bar, appetizers, soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches and seafood and steak entrees. Prime rib cuts are available on Fridays and Saturdays.  

A Vietnamese restaurant, Pho 80 and Boba Bear Tea, opened Dec. 9 at 2091 Pine Ridge Road in the North Naples retail center that also is home to Bonjour and Chinatown restaurants. The new place replaces Hanoi Quan, which briefly operated in a space that also has been home to Patric’s, Sun Side Café and Pee Wee’s Diner. Pho 80’s menu features pho, banh mi sandwiches and other Vietnamese specialties.  

La Mesa Taqueria, a Mexican dinner restaurant co-owned by the folks behind Joey’s Pizza and Doreen’s Cup of Joe, launched Dec. 15 on the Marco Island site of the former longtime home of NeNe’s Kitchen. La Mesa, 297 N. Collier Blvd., has a full menu of tacos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas, tostadas and more Mexican cuisine.  

Lakota Creole, featuring Native American and Cajun-inspired cuisine by Chef Court Beem, debuted Dec. 15 at Flamingo Island Flea Market, 11902 Bonita Beach Road S.E., in Bonita Springs. The chef, who honed his culinary skills cooking in Naples area restaurants for more than 10 years, serves up a rotating variety of interesting fare, including wild boar chorizo biscuits and gravy, a pork tenderloin sandwich, venison cheesesteak, chicken and sausage gumbo, crawfish etouffee with rice, and Lakota frybread with barbacoa, chipotle aioli and cotija cheese.  

Fernandez the Bull Cuban Cafe also opened its latest location last month in Bonita Springs and its first in Lee County. It’s at 3250 Bonita Beach Road in The Center of Bonita Springs shopping plaza just west of U.S. 41.  

The Causeway dining hall with multiple restaurant concepts—Orzo, Roast, Smithy’s Kitchen and Dessert Lab—plus a self-serve beer tap wall and a full bar launched Dec. 7 under one roof on Old 41 Road in Bonita Springs. The large space offers table service with seating inside and outside.  

In Estero, Juice Society had its ribbon-cutting and grand opening Dec. 2 at Coconut Point after relocating from a tiny kiosk near the former movie cinema in the outdoor mall to a large cafe near Starbucks. Co-owners Kallie and Matt Isadore created the transformation of the year in a modern space at 8076 Mediterranean Drive with a menu of superfood bowl creations, organic juices, smoothies, aqua frescas and other healthy options  

San Matteo Italian Restaurant & Bar opened Dec. 4 in the previous homes of Aldos and KC American Bistro at University Village near Florida Gulf Coast University. Oak & Stone opened another regional location Dec. 12 in Estero Town Commons.  

In Fort Myers, Taberna Ole is the new name for La Trattoria Cafe Napoli, a restaurant that was converted into a modern Spanish tavern. On Dec. 19, Lost Shot Bar & Grill replaced the recently shuttered Dutch-Way Cafe.  

In Cape Coral, Thai Café 99 opened Dec. 1 in the former home of Thai Nawa, Bayside Burger & Beer opened Dec. 6 in the former Crossroads Grill & Lounge space in Merchant Plaza and Long Island Brothers New York Pizzeria launched Dec. 19.  

Among the biggest news stories of the year were the long-delayed launches of two massive regional resorts, each hosting multiple public venues inside for dining and drinking. Margaritaville Beach Resort opened Dec. 7 on Fort Myers Beach, while Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor welcomed its first guests Dec. 15.