Bugles & Caviar: The Story of Bicyclette with Chef Kayla Pfeiffer

Bugles & Caviar: The Story of Bicyclette with Chef Kayla Pfeiffer

Tucked just off the beach in Naples, Bicyclette Cookshop doesn’t follow a script. And that’s precisely the point. Executive Chef Kayla Pfeiffer describes the restaurant as “internationally-inspired smaller plates,” a place where “everything is with a purpose.” And though it’s only been open a year and a half, Bicyclette has already made its mark—both as a restaurant and as a reflection of Pfeiffer herself.

Naples, on Her Terms

Pfeiffer spent eight years getting to know the Naples dining scene before opening Bicyclette. She saw potential in the neighborhood near the beach, calling it “more of a neighborhood vibe” and noting that “parking was always accessible.” It felt like the right place to plant something different.

“When I decided that I was going to stay here and embrace Naples and Southwest Florida, I had my eye set on this area,” she says. “I thought it had so much potential.”

Now she’s shaping what that potential looks like—first with Bicyclette, and next with The Residency, a chef-driven project launching this winter. “It will be more of a collaborative effort, where chefs will come in for an extended period of time and have a residency, where it’s their interpretation of what Southwest Florida has to offer.”

A Menu That’s More Like a Diary

Ask Pfeiffer to describe the menu, and she won’t point to any one influence. “It’s honestly like my diary,” she says. “It all tells a story one way or another—based on travel, a childhood memory, a conversation.”

Some dishes are built on nostalgia, like her now-signature Bugles and Caviar. “I was doing a caviar tasting, and I was able to keep all the samples. I was meeting friends at the beach to watch the sunset, and they only had Bugles to eat the caviar with. That’s when I said, ‘When I own a restaurant, I’m going to put this on the menu.’”

Others are more technical, like the roasted chicken. “We get the birds in fresh, break them down, brine them in kombu brine. That gets brined for three days, and then we let those air dry for about 10 days.” Once dried, she finishes them with a house-made shawarma butter.

Then there’s the Branzino with aji amarillo beurre blanc, which she describes as “marrying two cultures to get this rich, tangy flavor that leaves you wanting more." And, of course, we can’t forget the fan favorite tuna crudo, made with local tomatoes and tomato whey vinaigrette, served with potato mille-feuille, which Pfeiffer calls the “bougie hash browns.”

The menu changes often—sometimes on a whim. “Some days I’m feeling it in the kitchen, and the menu could change like that. Once again, it’s a mood ring kind of thing with the menu.”

Kayla Pfeiffer’s Signature Imprint

Every element of the restaurant reflects Pfeiffer’s point of view—from the rotating menu to the in-house playlist. “The restaurant represents me…there’s a lot of my quirkiness throughout it,” she says. “It’s taken me a while to curate the playlist.”

Even the name is rooted in the team. “The name comes from one of our business partners who owns the bike shop next door,” she says. “Bicyclette is French, and a lot of my cooking techniques are French-driven, yet there’s that international flair to them.”

Born into the restaurant world—her father owned restaurants in Manhattan and West Palm—Pfeiffer knew early on that she belonged in the kitchen. “I could be the most stressed out, but the second I’m in the kitchen with a pair of tongs, it all goes away,” she says. “I’m there open to close every day.”

When her father dined at Bicyclette for the first time a few months ago, Pfeiffer says, “I genuinely think it was the proudest moment of his life.”

Investing in the Future

Pfeiffer is fully invested in helping the Naples culinary scene evolve, and in helping future chefs, too. “Bicyclette is a Culinary Institute of America-approved extern site for both savory and pastry,” she explains. “We take students for a 15-week term, where they get to stage in our kitchen. It’s helping the next generation of chefs.”

That commitment extends to local sourcing, too. “We try to source as locally as possible,” she says, citing relationships with Dilly’s Seafood and Farmer Mike’s. “The chicken is a really great example. The foot is still attached. It’s not there for the gimmicky part of it, but we want to pay respect to the farmer, the people that get it here, the delivery drivers, and the whole ethos that happens before it even comes onto the dinner plate.”

Pfeiffer describes Bicyclette as “one of one,” a restaurant that reflects both her culinary perspective and personality. “I’m really proud we were able to open it here in Naples,” she says.

For a restaurant where the menu is more like a diary, ONLY Paradise will do.