Compared to its neighboring addresses, St. Tropez Bakery & Bistro has been a Rock of Gibraltar along this quaint stretch of Fifth Avenue, nestled between University and Robinson. At more than five years old, the colorful bistro has outlived recent ventures such as Rannoosh and Cilantro Live, plus a collection of burger, sandwich, seafood and ice-cream joints that also went poof on the block over the past 20 years.

Victims of scant parking in the area? Quite likely. Although in an age when we’ve become terminally attracted to restaurants boasting sleeker designs and trendy PR-crafted reputations, the kitchens in villages like Hillcrest get sadly lost in the flash.

St. Tropez may not fulfill your fantasy of eating in a Left Bank brasserie, but it earnestly tries with kitschy, non-snotty décor that lends itself to bright wall murals, wrought-iron partitions and a streetlamp in the center of the dining room. Meals are modestly priced and aspire to casual French cooking, sans the fettuccini and meatballs. In the face of such classics as crêpes, coq au vin, ratatouille and the like, why confuse the psyche with Italian?

A round of French onion gratinée soup and creamy Kroneberg lager from France’s Alsace region proved a good beginning – the soup filling a void within our trio that’s existed since Liaison in Bankers Hill closed several years ago. St. Tropez’s version is almost on target, boasting a beefy and herby essence that is more sweet than salty. Yet instead of the prized mantle of Emmental and Gruyère cheeses sealing the broth, this recipe uses only basic Swiss to clench the deal.

Of the two mussel dishes on the menu, moules poulette in white wine sauce and moules au curry, we chose the latter and delighted over their sneaky heat from yellow curry. Combined with white wine, cream and glimmers of shallots, it’s a fantastic liquid that demands bread dipping. The bivalves were also impressive, originating from northwestern Canada. In a rare surprise to the teeth, they were as tender as chicken.

Another starter, Marseille pizza, provided us with a sampling of the kitchen’s sweet and tomato-y ratatouille, which carries over to a gratinée-style entrée recently introduced by the latest owners, Othman Janati and Amar Harrag. The men became friends in Antibes, France, came to San Diego to attend college and ended up staying. Since taking over St. Tropez in Hillcrest (and two downtown locations) they’ve added about 10 new dishes to the menu in collaboration with the restaurant’s corporate heads. (St. Tropez California is the parent company, a bakery and wholesaler.)

The “pizza” featured several medallions of crostini topped with the ratatouille, a thick mixture of stewed peppers, onions, eggplant and zucchini. Crowned with a bit of mozzarella cheese, it makes for a fine shareable plate but might lack excitement if you make it your only dish.

A new “berry & savory” salad left us ambivalent despite its prettiness. Strawberries and tomatoes seemed an unusual coexistence of two red organics. The pairing was convoluted by candied pecans, extra-mild blue cheese crumbles and lettuces that vacillated between crisp and wilted. The concept is refreshing, although we each expressed ideas on how to tweak it: lose the tomatoes; change the nuts from candied to roasted; use a stronger blue cheese; and keep the sweet, expertly emulsified balsamic vinaigrette.

Our feast progressed to a couple of other recent arrivals, such as coq au vin and pork in apple-brandy sauce. A chicken breast and leg comprised the former, but the poultry failed to fully soak in the traditional deep flavors from its bath of red wine, root vegetables and bacon fat. The pork dish involved two thin filets accompanied by excellent rosemary potatoes. The sauce, however, tasted neither of apples nor brandy, but more like basic brown gravy. It was pleasing, but uneventful.

Carried over from the previous ownership is penne au poulet, a generously portioned mound of pasta dressed in light cream sauce with chicken, mushrooms and bacon. Rich flavors and perfectly cooked pasta leaning toward al dante earned a unanimous thumbs up.

We had no complaints about the crêpes either, which the restaurant has nailed down to a French science, along with assorted pastries that wink at you from an illuminated display case. (But get ’em early in the day while they’re still bakery fresh.) A Swiss cheese crêpe was expectedly plain, but airy and enjoyable, while the chicken-mushroom serves as the savory heavyweight in a lineup that also includes classic dessert crêpes.

Most of St. Tropez’s wait staff speak French, should you need a quick brushup before venturing overseas. The new ownership has also ushered in a much friendlier vibe compared to the former franchisee who reportedly scared off customers with his arrogance. And if you’re counting dining dollars these days, the bistro offers specials on crêpes and champagne to help you rediscover the coziness and affordability of Fifth Avenue.