New Restaurant Lakay Bistro Brings Flavors of Haiti to Bed Stuy’s Ralph Avenue

In 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, who are both Haitian, opened the restaurant at 55 Ralph Avenue on October 10 with a menu that includes Cajun-Creole shrimp in epis butter and baked 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 dishes for $25. Cocktails range from $12 to $18, with wine, beer, and non-alcoholic options also available.

Lakay Bistro, which 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 fuller 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 healthcare, said he had been praying on what to do next as he plans for retirement when Mentor approached him about going into business together.

“He made me the proposition 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 to eat, I like to think I have good taste buds.”

Osias said they chose the location for its diversity and mix of cultures. “As far as what we want to offer, it’s a taste of our culture, which is Haitian cuisine, which is, to me, awesome,” he said. “It’s a little taste of Haiti, a place where you can come and experience a little bit of our culture and engage in conversation about the culture.”

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

“That’s what we hope to attain here, that people from the neighborhood, like everybody that comes here right now, our favorite thing is that this is your home away from home, you can relax, the TV’s on, a game,” he said.

Lakay Bistro is on the ground floor of the three-story corner building and replaces King Kutz Barber Shop, which has relocated up the block. The restaurant is currently open Tuesday through Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m.

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

[Photos by Anna Bradley-Smith unless noted otherwise]

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