C'est la Vie: A Taste of Paris in Sarasota

While downtown Sarasota’s Main Street has its share of charm and local color, it is a world apart from the bustling grand avenues and meandering, cobbled streets of Paris.

Those seeking an authentic dining experience in a European sidewalk café that exudes the essence of the City of Light, however, need look no further than C’est la Vie.

On mornings when the breeze is just right, the tantalizing scent of freshly baked bread and pastries wafts onto the sidewalk through the open doors of C’est la Vie.

The terracotta floors, decorative tile tables, yellow walls and sunflowers throughout the café’s interior create a pleasant sense of warmth reminiscent of a painting by Vincent Van Gogh. In fact, it is not difficult to imagine the famous painter hunched over a basket of bread and sketching at a corner table while the café’s staff and regular customers chatter in French around him.

C’est la Vie has been a staple in Sarasota’s dining community since it opened its doors 14 years ago.

“We bring a life to downtown,” said Christophe Coutelle, who opened the restaurant with his wife, Geraldine, in 1998.

“I believe we were among some of the first businesses – along with Charlie’s News (now Media on Main) – to bring the European style of outdoor dining to this area,” he added.

Coutelle and his family came directly from Paris solely with the intent of opening a Parisian style café and bakery in the United States, but before they made the move across the Atlantic, it took two years to decide where they would settle.

 “We were originally looking at the San Diego area of California, but we discovered that Florida had more opportunities at that time,” said Coutelle.

“From there, we had to decide which city was best for us. We chose Sarasota because many of the people who visit and live here travel a lot and have an open mind for different kinds of food.”

Popular menu items at C’est la Vie are quiche, crepes, croissants and sandwiches made on freshly-baked bread. Most of the recipes are Coutelle’s own creation, although some were passed down from his mother and father who ran their own restaurant in Paris when he was a child.

Coutelle said that the idea behind C’est la Vie was “authentic French — simple, fresh and tasty breakfast and lunch fare at a competitive price” — a standard the restaurant has striven to maintain throughout the highs and lows of the national and local economy over the past 14 years.

“Butter was 50 percent cheaper when we opened, but we have a quality of standard to stick to. I won’t change my recipes, and I’m not going to double the prices just because costs went up. I strive to maintain the same quality that our customers have come to expect while keeping the price down — it’s how this restaurant survives,” said Coutelle.

According to Coutelle, the café suffered a drop in business in 2008 due to the struggling economy, but has improved every year — except in 2011.

Coutelle attributes the controversial downtown parking meters and the unseasonably warm weather up north for the drop in business during the past season.

“We make a good profit from the tourists and snowbirds, but the locals are the people who really pay the bills,” he said.

In addition to their desire to keep their human patrons happy, the Coutelles have a soft spot for animals. Their daughter, fifth-grader Lola Coutelle, one of Sarasota’s youngest philanthropists, recently started a tote bag campaign – with the help of her parents – to benefit the Humane Society of Sarasota County (HSSC).

Starting in early February, the café began selling market tote bags, made from organic canvas and emblazoned with a C’est la Vie logo, with 15 percent of proceeds going directly to the HSSC. The bags were designed by San Francisco’s Joshu + Vela.

“This was a project for my little girl, and it’s working out well because lot of people were asking for C’est la Vie products like T-shirts or tote bags,” said Coutelle. “We aren’t making money off of it, but it feels nice to donate proceeds to a good cause.”

After nearly 15 years, it appears that C’est la Vie is in Sarasota to stay. The Coutelles are happily settled and plan to continue raising their family and running their popular downtown business.

“Sarasota and Paris are two completely different worlds. We lived in Paris for 30 years, and it’s great when you don’t have kids because there is so much to do,” said Coutelle.  

“But we have such a quality of life here in Sarasota, and it’s a wonderful place to raise a family. We love it here,” he added.

Next time you crave the taste, sights and sounds of an authentic Parisian café, stop in for a croissant or an espresso — and be sure to say “Bonjour!” to the Coutelles.

C’est la Vie is open Monday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.