Macarons, croissants and more: French-themed cafe opens third Jacksonville restaurant

A new Jacksonville restaurant doesn't have the Eiffel Tower, but you don't need a passport to explore its authentic French cafe cuisine and ambiance including a small marketplace.

Le Petit Paris recently opened at 7111 Bentley Road No. 1 in Bentley Pointe restaurant and retail center off JTB near Interstate 95 in the growing Southpoint area of Jacksonville.

The restaurant is the third from owner and French native Alex Chezaud, who debuted Le Petit Paris in 2019 at 9965 San Jose Blvd. Suite 46 at Merchant Walks in Mandarin. Two years later, Chezaud opened a second location at 363 Atlantic Blvd., Suite 14 at Shoppes of Northshore in Atlantic Beach.

Le Petit Paris is known for its all-made-from-scratch quiche — Chezaud's family recipe — macarons, madeleines, fruit tarts, butter croissants, baguette sandwiches, gourmet salads, soups and more.

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Each of the three restaurants identifies with cafes in different French regions. Mandarin is "very Parisien bistro urban, Atlantic Beach is the South of France and here is more like Normandy," Chezaud told the Times-Union.

In addition to an inspired menu of classic and seasonal French fare, Le Petit Paris features coffee, espresso, teas, wine and French sodas.

Everything is served amid an atmosphere that invites guests to relax and linger. Every table has fresh flowers. A small fountain flows serenely on the outside patio, which is shielded from the traffic noise by strategically placed bushes. Reproductions of French impressionist paintings by Claude Monet and others — featuring outdoor scenes — adorn the restaurant walls.

"We wanted to have a little Garden of Eden in the midst of Philips [Highway] and Butler [Boulevard]," Chezaud said.

A taste of home

Born and raised in Paris, Chezaud worked his way up in the restaurant business since he was 18 years old. His love of food and his hospitality evolved from childhood.

"In France, at the end of the day, the place where you always gather with your family is the kitchen," Chezaud said.

He inherited his passion for cooking and welcoming guests to the table from his parents, Claude and Joy Chezaud. Almost nine years ago, at age 28, he emigrated to America to help his sister open her French cafe in St. Petersburg.

Chezaud only planned to stay six months. But then he met his wife, Yevah, who was from Jacksonville and the couple settled down here. His parents, wife and her mother all influenced the creation of Le Petit Paris, he said.

On the menu at Le Petit Paris

The Southpoint restaurant is now the hub for Le Petit Paris.

"We're looking at enlarging our menu once we're good and settled in," Chezaud said. "Now we finally have the room to do a lot of stuff that we weren't before."

Chezaud said future menu items likely will include French toast and tartines (open-face sandwiches). Specialties such as crepes, ratatouille and unique salads will be added to the current signature menu mainstays.

"The Quiche Lorraine is my mom's recipe. She insisted on putting it on the menu and it's our best-seller," Chezaud said of Le Petit Paris's top signature dish, which is $13.50.

Other quiches offered include Veggie ($13), featuring grilled vegetables, caramelized onions and cheese; and Salmon ($14.75), with smoked salmon, creamy spinach and cheese.

Sandwiches and salads also share center stage at Le Petit Paris.

French Baguette Sandwiches:

• Le Parisien ($11.50): Ham, baby swiss, salted butter

• Le Germain ($12.75): Prosciutto ham, mozzarella, green pesto, shaved Parmesan and arugula

• Le Monceau ($13.50): Prosciutto ham, turkey, Brie cheese, arugula, cranberries, mayonnaise and truffle oil

• Le Marais ($13.75): Smoked salmon, tzatziki cream, cucumber, red onion and lemon

Salads:

• La Palette ($12.75): Warm goat cheese on toast, prosciutto ham, sundried tomatoes, fig, balsamic glaze and mixed greens

• Le George ($12.75): Blue cheese, cucumber, wood-smoked bacon, apple, walnuts and mixed greens

• Le Flore ($14.75): Smoked salmon, tzatziki cream, cucumber, sundried tomatoes, dill and mixed greens

Toasted croissant sandwiches ($8.50 to $10.75) include a choice of ham or turkey with Swiss or Cheddar cheese, Brie, honey, walnuts and mixed greens or fig, blue cheese, walnuts, honey and arugula.

Cold croissant sandwiches ($10.75 to $11.75) include chicken salad, smoked salmon and goat cheese with veggies.

Breakfast egg sandwiches (starting at $9.75) include smoked salmon, ham, bacon, or prosciutto ham with seasoned, fresh scrambled eggs and a variety of cheeses.

From the dessert case, look for macarons, madeleines, a triple berry and other fruit tarts as well as almond, chocolate and chocolate hazelnut croissants and other French pastries.

Strategic location

At Bentley Pointe, the new cafe is next door to Kiko Ramen and Sushi in the space formerly used by Fresh-Mex & Co., which relocated to St. Johns Town Center.

The 115-seat Southpoint restaurant is "dead center" between its sister cafes in Mandarin and Atlantic Beach. At about 4,335 square feet, it's more than three times the size of the original Mandarin restaurant. It's also nearly double the size of the Atlantic Beach location. Both were key factors in the location decision, Chezaud said.

Chezaud said renovations included expanding the kitchen with a streamlined design and equipping it with eight ovens. In contrast, there are two ovens at the Mandarin restaurant.

Le Petit Paris now has the necessary space to cater large events. Although customer demand was high, Chezud said they'd previously been unable to handle such catering requests because of their kitchens were too small.

Opening a third restaurant, Chezaud said, also was a matter of "giving our chefs the space to really express themselves as much as they want to and me wanting to add things to the menu."

Le Petit Paris at Southpoint initially will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. on weekends. Those hours are subject to change, Chezaud said.

Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on Twitter @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Le Petit Paris opens third French cafe in Jacksonville, Florida