Lakay Bistro brings flavors of Haiti to Bed Stuy

As a new addition to Bed Stuy’s thriving food scene, Lakay Bistro has opened its doors on the corner of Ralph Avenue and Monroe Street, serving Haitian and Caribbean fusion cuisine.

Owners and Bed Stuy residents Alifax Mentor and Steve Osias, both Haitian, opened the restaurant at 55 Ralph Avenue on Oct. 10 with a menu that includes Cajun-Creole shrimp in epis butter and fried mac and cheese with oxtails, both for $12, and tamarind rum chicken for $11. Sides start at $3 and plates go up to $15, while diners can order a plate of three for $25 can order dishes. Cocktails range from $12 to $18, and wine, beer and non-alcoholic options are also available.

Bistro Lakaywhich highlights Haitian flavors with Caribbean and American influences, is currently open for dinner only. A breakfast and lunch menu is expected to launch soon, followed by a more extensive dinner menu in the coming weeks.

Osias said Mentor brings restaurant experience to the partnership, having previously worked at Beso on Lewis Avenue, which is owned by his girlfriend. Osias, who still works full-time in health care, said he had been praying about what to do next in retirement when Mentor approached him about going into business together.

“He made me the proposal and I was all in, it’s as simple as that,” Osias said. “For me, it’s something to do after I retire. It still gives me purpose. And I love food, I like to think I have good taste buds.”

Osias said they chose the location because of its diversity and mix of cultures. “What we want to offer is a taste of our culture, which is Haitian cuisine, which to me is amazing,” he said. “It’s a taste of Haiti, a place where you can come and experience a little bit of our culture and have a conversation about the culture.”

He said he was also inspired by the environment and homeliness of the restaurant featured on the show Cheers, which he grew up watching, and wanted to recreate that same atmosphere in the restaurant.

“That’s what we’re hoping to achieve here, that people from the neighborhood, just like everyone else who comes here now, our favorite thing is that this is your home away from home, you can relax, the TV is on, play a game,” he said.

Lakay Bistro is located on the ground floor of the three-story corner building and replaces the King Kutz Barber Shop, which moved a block up. The restaurant is currently open Tuesday to Sunday from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM

While the old Bed Stuy Haitian restaurant Grandchamps closed in 2024, Lakay Bistro joins a growing wave of new eateries opening in Bed Stuy and Ocean Hill, including Olmo and Badaboom.

[Photos by Anna Bradley-Smith unless noted otherwise]

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