Bahia Restaurant & Bar Latin Food opens in Brightwaters

Colombian and Ecuadorian fare come together at Brightwaters newest restaurant, Bahia Restaurant & Bar Latin Food.

The new eatery opened last month in the space that was previously home to Lulu’s and then JTI’s American Kitchen and Bar.

Although owner Hernan Hernandez is Colombian, he has 11 years of experience with Ecuadorian food through his deli, Ecua Deli on Brook Avenue in Bay Shore.

“We fortunately have a lot of guests on the weekends [at Ecua Deli] so we wanted to provide better services to the community and our clients,” Hernandez said in Spanish.

To ensure authenticity to the dishes, Hernandez hired two chefs: Edgar Hernandez, who has worked in Colombian restaurants for more than 15 years, and Emma Criollo, who specializes in Ecuadorian fare.

“We have the most important dishes from both gastronomies,” Hernandez said.

The menu boasts Colombian classics such as the picada bahia ($36.40) which includes beef, chicken, pork, sausage french fries and twice-fried green plantain slices. Ecuadorian dishes include the chaulafan ($20.80) also known as the Ecuadorian chicken fried rice made with a combination of meats, sauces and seasonings.

Treats include pastries like pan de bono or Colombian cheese bread ($2.10 each).

Hernandez said it took three months to prepare the property for the reopening, from retouching paint, replacing the floors and refreshing the bar with tasteful marble countertops and colorful backlighting. The two-floor facility has space to seat 140 guests.

Singers Daniel Orozco and Janann Velasco are among Latin American artists who play live music and there are karaoke nights. “Bahia” directly translates to “bay” in English, but Hernandez chose the name for the restaurant because it means much more to him.

“Bahia is something beautiful that expresses freedom, peace, tranquility,” he said.

Bahia Restaurant & Bar Latin Food, 91 Howells Rd, Brightwaters, 631-647-3939, Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday, 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday. 

Melissa Azofeifa is a restaurants reporter with Newsday’s FeedMe team. Having grown up on Long Island, she loves talking about food and its impact on culture. A graduate of Stony Brook University, she joined Newsday in the fall of 2024.