The team behind Flower Cat, the plant-and-coffee cafe at 162 Noble Street, is expanding nearby with a bistro called Bistro Cat, planned for the storefront at 837 Manhattan Avenue that sat empty after Japanese restaurant Sakura 6 abruptly closed. Construction is underway, and the restaurant aims to open by the end of 2026. The new spot will serve dishes that blend Filipino flavors with French bistro technique, a departure from Flower Cat's cozy lounge format.
According to Greenpointers, the new restaurant is designed as a lively dining-room counterpart to Flower Cat's more intimate lounge atmosphere, with a menu that applies Filipino ingredients and flavor profiles to French bistro-style cooking.
Agbayani's path to opening Flower Cat in the first place was itself a career pivot. The Philippine-born founder studied at Pratt Institute and spent eight years working as an architect before shifting into floral design, according to Greenpointers' original 2023 report on the cafe's opening. Flower Cat itself was named for Agbayani's two rescue cats, Shrimp and Lilith, and operates as a hybrid floral shop, specialty coffee bar, and evening wine venue featuring vintage furniture and community events.
A Storefront With A Sudden Vacancy
The space Bistro Cat is moving into has its own recent history of upheaval. Sakura 6 had operated as a neighborhood sushi spot at 837 Manhattan Avenue. But the operation, run under the corporate entity Hua Yuan 6 Inc. according to filings reviewed by Brooklyn Community Board 1, came to an abrupt end this year.
The premises were abandoned as of April 21, 2026, and were vacant of inventory. The closure caught the neighborhood off guard; community members reportedly learned of the shutdown when the landlord posted a notice on the front door, with no advance word from the restaurant itself.
Construction Underway
Construction is underway, and Bistro Cat is aiming to open by the end of 2026.
The two storefronts sit near each other in Greenpoint.
Part Of A Broader Filipino Dining Wave
Bistro Cat's arrival also tracks with citywide demographic shifts. Between 2018 and 2023, New York City's Filipino population grew by 9.5% to roughly 94,000 residents, with Brooklyn recording a noticeable increase in its share of that population, according to data from the Asian American Federation. Queens remains home to the largest concentration of Filipino New Yorkers, while Brooklyn's share has grown.
Bistro Cat is aiming to open by the end of 2026, though open questions remain around the status of any liquor license transfer for the address and the final shape of the menu. For now, Greenpoint diners have a new name to watch for on Manhattan Avenue as construction proceeds.
