Such transcendent meals happen every day at Bamboo Café in Naples, a bistro that may sound Asian but is unabashedly French, with a soupçon of northern African flair. (The bamboo appears in the form of menu covers and plants placed in strategic spots around the dining room.)

Atmospherically, there's no mistaking Bamboo Café's origins. From the tiny white lights strung across the front of its green-and-white awnings, to the heavy burgundy drapery, close-set tables and lively atmosphere, it's as authentic a French bistro as you're likely to find on this side of the pond.

The ample wine list includes many standards and an impressive array of standouts in a wide range of prices. We selected 2001 Nuits St. George from Domaine Robert Arnoux, a Burgundy with a lovely cherry hue, ripe berry and spice notes, and a good balance of fruit, tannins and acid.

From our banquette in a cozy corner, we watched the swift, confident staff maintain order amid a capacity crowd. And from the moment patrons walked in, they were made to feel welcome and pampered.

A generously stocked basket of bread was the first item to arrive at the table. Tucked inside we found traditional crusty French bread served with a smooth, creamy hummus.

Clearly management holds wine in as high esteem as food. Wine service was well executed, with the maitre d' lingering over each phase of presentation and taking obvious pleasure in customers' enjoyment.

Entrées, priced from $14.95 to $31.95, include many French comfort foods, such as boeuf bourguig­nonne, roasted duck, sole meunière, and La Bouillabaisse de Bamboo, about which we'll talk more later.

There's also Moroccan fare: slow-cooked tajines served in traditional pottery dishes with conical lids-lamb with prunes, Bell & Evans chicken with a currant-and-almond cream sauce, or grouper with preserved lemons and dates.

The meal started out on a high note with the seafood salad and la coquille. The salad held scallops, shrimp, chunks of salmon and grouper that had been gently sautéed in olive oil and shallots. They came with cool, fresh greens lightly dressed in raspberry vinaigrette, a nice pairing of contrasting tastes and textures. This dish comes in full and half-sized versions. A half was plenty for anyone planning to have an entrée, too.

La coquille married scallops and shrimp in béchamel sauce topped off by Gruyère cheese grilled lightly and served in a large scallop shell.

Chef and owner Philippe Boet's sauces are superb. The béchamel was so good we considered spooning it up once the seafood was gone. I'm not ashamed to confess that I dipped several pieces of bread into the sauce.

A special of the day, New York strip steak with blue-cheese crumbles, was pan sautéed with a port wine demi-glacé. Although the meat was succulent and richly flavored on its own, the cheese added depth, and the slightly sweet demi-glacé balanced it all out.

Then there was the bouillabaisse, a dish so perfectly rendered, all else paled in its presence. The server presented a large bowl with a lobster tail holding center court, surrounded by scallops, shrimp, clams and grouper bathed in a superbly flavored broth that was thick, smooth and expertly seasoned. Bamboo Café's bouillabaisse is among the finest I've experienced anywhere.

There was no drop in quality when it came to dessert, either. We indulged in a masterful crème brûlée and a light, you'd-swear-there's-flour-in-it flourless chocolate cake.

My companion and I spent our ride home trying to think of something that would improve the Bamboo Café. We couldn't conjure up a single thing.

Bamboo Café 755 12th Ave. S. at Crayton Cove in Old Naples; (239) 643-6177. Open nightly, 5:30-10 p.m. Reservations recommended. Street parking. Credit cards accepted. Wheelchair accessible.

Reviewed: May 2006