Bistro Le Steak Closing After 24 Years On Upper East Side

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Bistro Le Steak will become the latest neighborhood fixture to close its doors permanently, as the French restaurant announced last week it would shut down at the start of the new year.

"It is with great difficulty and sadness that we announce the closing of Bistro Le Steak," reads a message from owner Nicki Jakupi on the bistro's website. The restaurant will close on Jan. 1, Jakupi said.

Since 1996, Bistro Le Steak has served up French cuisine on the corner of East 75th Street and Third Avenue. Jakupi thanked customers who have celebrated "a birthday, first date, or simply [enjoyed] a late-night meal" at the restaurant over the years.

The message did not state whether the closing was related to the coronavirus pandemic, which has shuttered dozens of beloved New York City businesses amid a steep drop in customer traffic and a lack of government aid.

"We are saying farewell to our neighborhood French bistro, but not to a lifetime of relationships it has discovered and built," Jakupi's note concluded. "We are sorry to say goodbye and remain hopeful that soon we may find a new place to call home."

Related:

• 'Save Our Stores': Upper East Siders Start Campaign To Shop Local
• Vacancy Crisis: Empty Storefronts Blanket Upper East Side