Lafayette Bar & Grill

The Bakakos family (George, Dino and Billy ) opened the Lafayette Grill and Bar in 1996 and besides serving traditional Mediterranean fare for breakfast,, lunch and dinner and special events, the brothers soon made the downtown landmark ( formerly Peggy Doyle's, a popular Irish pub) a cultural institution, as well. It now offers a performance space, art gallery and special occasion venue all in one. It hosts a monthly art show, live jazz, Middle Eastern, Latin and Arabic musicians, tango, dance nights, plus book signings, government retirement parties, professional networking events and, of course, belly dancing on Friday nights. The art gallery has seen a changing monthly exhibition since 1996. Visual artists exhibit their work on the 14ft' white walls and exposed brick walls of the long and wide restaurant. Artwork normally changes mid-month and artists frequently host gallery openings at the restaurant to commence the new showing. Past exhibitions at Lafayette's gallery have included well-known and celebrated artists Dennis Oppenheimer and Chuck Connolly ( Artists should contact Dino Bakakos for information at lafgrill@yahoo.com . On Friday nights, from 10 to 2:30am, the restaurant features live music with a Middle East melange of songs, instruments, and influences from the Greek, Israeli, Armenian, Arabic, Turkish, Balkan cultures. Friday nights also features belly dancers from around the world, with additional belly dancing held on the 2nd Tuesday and the 2nd Wednesday of every month. Saturday nights at the restaurant are for tango. The dining area of The Lafayette Grill & Bar becomes a dance floor for traditional Argentinean tango. It's the only Milonga south of Canal Street. A class for beginners is included in admission: $10 cover-free parking available-from 7:30pm-5:00am.