After 26 years as Vergina, the restaurant at 700 Fifth Avenue South in downtown Naples has a new name, a new menu and a new look — but the same team running the show. Medi, a St. Tropez-inspired Mediterranean restaurant and entertainment venue, debuted October 26 on the stretch of Fifth Avenue South that Vergina called home for more than two decades.
Vergina’s management and staff remain in place under the Medi name, according to The Adventurist. Eric Tancredi described the change as a response to guest feedback and a way to keep evolving with the Naples community. Medi pairs a new culinary direction and refreshed interiors with live music and entertainment, according to Markets of Tomorrow.
A Venezuelan Chef Brings Coastal Flavors to the Kitchen
Medi’s executive chef is Víctor Villanueva, whose experience spans more than a decade. Originally from Venezuela, he studied at the Instituto San Ignacio de Loyola in Peru and earned a culinary arts certificate from the Mariano Moreno Culinary Institute, according to Markets of Tomorrow. His approach at Medi emphasizes fresh ingredients and attention to flavor, technique, texture and presentation.
Villanueva said the menu is intended to bring Mediterranean flavors and warmth to Naples, with vibrant produce, seafood and dishes meant for sharing, according to Markets of Tomorrow. Among the offerings are a platter of Mediterranean dips with pita, labneh with tomato chutney, artichoke branzino and seafood paella.
Cocktails Built Around the Mediterranean Coast
The cocktail menu includes a peach rosé spritz and a passionfruit martini, alongside drinks such as the cantaloupe-based Coupe de Cantaloupe and the floral Hibiscus 75, according to Markets of Tomorrow.
The redesigned venue has about 300 guest spaces across a 110-seat dining room, a 52-seat bar and a courtyard with roughly 45 seats. The dining room opens onto a front patio and courtyard, according to The Adventurist.
Live Music Shifts From Dinner Backdrop to Late-Night Draw
Live music is scheduled daily from the late afternoon, with an upgraded audio system, according to Markets of Tomorrow. The programming begins as a dinner backdrop and shifts toward a bar-focused, after-dinner atmosphere later in the evening.
Medi serves lunch, dinner, brunch and daily happy hour. It opens at 11:30 am and closes at 2 am; lunch runs until 4 pm, happy hour from 3 pm to 4:45 pm, and dinner from 4 pm to 11:30 pm, with bar service continuing until closing. The restaurant has also scheduled seasonal dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Part of a Broader Season of Restaurant Reinvention
Medi's arrival fits into what Gulfshore Life described as a 2026–27 season defined by reinvention and expansion across Southwest Florida's dining scene, including businesses moving out of pop-ups and food trucks into permanent locations. Gulfshore Life’s November 2, 2026, report came after Medi’s October 26 debut; it described the change after 26 years as channeling the Côte d'Azur with refreshed design, a new menu and a deeper bench of live entertainment.
The Medi rebrand follows an earlier, distinct change at Vergina. The restaurant reopened in 2020 after shutting down during the coronavirus pandemic, a transition that Business Observer reported involved removing large marble columns to create a more open dining room. The refresh also included kitchen upgrades and pandemic-era safety measures, including sanitizer stations, employee temperature checks, masks and shields, and Plexiglas at customer touch points.
Fifth Avenue South’s Changing Restaurant Scene
The Fifth Avenue South Business Improvement District, established in December 2010, represents local property owners and businesses, according to the district’s website. Other local concept changes preceded Medi: Naples Press reported that in fall 2025 The French Rustique Brasserie became Tulia Italian Steak on Fifth Avenue South, while The Bevy became La Salière in downtown Naples. These changes reflect a shifting restaurant scene in the region.
