Thirty-five years after starting as a dishwasher, Kingsley John has come full circle.
John, a St. Lucian native, has returned to the same Upper West Side address where his culinary journey began, this time as the owner and executive chef of Bar Manje. This new dinner destination aims to broaden the understanding of Caribbean food and its origins in New York City.
Photo by Tracey KhanPhoto by Tracey Khan
Recently opened at 520 Columbus Ave., Bar Manje occupies the former Good Enough to Eat space. By night, it becomes an intimate restaurant blending Caribbean flavors with contemporary techniques.
“Manje,” which means “eat” in French Creole, is both an invitation and a philosophy. For John, food is a language of memory, movement, and connection.
“It’s a little bit surreal,” John said of returning to space. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been away. I know what my feelings are. I hope the community embraces it. Without the community, I’m nothing.”
Opening a Caribbean restaurant on the Upper West Side presents a different challenge than in neighborhoods such as Brooklyn or the Bronx, where Caribbean culture is more deeply rooted.
“I want to write a different path for Caribbean food,” he said. “This is just the beginning…I hope people are open to different flavors.”
The menu is designed to invite that openness. Drawing on street food traditions and fine-dining training, John offers shareable plates such as jerk octopus, ackee and saltfish spring rolls, five-spice beef lo mein, and a signature oxtail lasagna.
“Caribbean people think oxtail belongs to us, but it doesn’t,” he said. “It’s cooked all over the world. I didn’t want to do it traditionally. I wanted to tell a different story.”
The dish takes cues from shepherd’s pie, a Sunday staple in Caribbean homes, and reimagines it in an Italian form, layered with Caribbean seasoning. It reflects John’s mission to push Caribbean cuisine beyond what he considers a narrow public image.
“When you go to Caribbean restaurants, we cook the same food,” he said. “But we don’t talk about the rest of the Caribbean. We don’t appreciate all the dishes we have.”
John’s culinary worldview was shaped by his upbringing in St. Lucia, his travels, and the region’s complex colonial history.
“So many countries came to the Caribbean for a short time but had a big impact on the food,” he said. “We talk about the French and the English, but not everyone else who shaped what we eat.”
His career includes time working under chefs Charlie Trotter, Daniel Boulud, and Marcus Samuelsson, as well as Jean-Georges alumnus Gerry Hayden, experiences that refined both his technique and leadership style.
“Those kitchens taught me humility,” John said. “You don’t lead with fear. You lead by example.”
That philosophy carries into Bar Manje’s kitchen and dining room, where John emphasizes teamwork and respect across roles.
“Without the team, there is no food,” he said. “The dishwashers, the bartenders, the servers, everyone gives 100 %. That’s what people feel when they come here.”
The restaurant’s atmosphere mirrors that approach, pairing polished execution with what John describes simply as “love.”
Bar Manje is evolving. John plans to add dishes from across the Caribbean, like Guyanese balanjay choka and Haitian griot, and won’t apologize for his reinterpretations.
“They’re not going to be traditional,” he said. “People might get mad. But I’m going to cook what my talent and technique allow me to cook.”
Ultimately, John hopes the restaurant helps shift perceptions of Caribbean food in the city.
Bar Manje is open daily from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
