THE ASTOR ROOM
6/24/2014
34-12 36th Street
Astoria, NY 11106
(718) 255-1947
Located right at the foot of Kaufman Astoria Studios is The Astor Room, a throwback to the silver age of cinema. Walking in is like walking into the 1920s or 30s and that's the point. While countless restaurants these days have begun to merge fine food with fine cocktails (Venturo, Schapiro's, The Wayland, No. 7... and those are just the ones I've been to this year), it's probably the only restaurant I can think of that manages to completely take on the speakeasy experience in it's glitzy entirety.
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The Astor Room is divided into two sections: the dining room and the bar. When Myna and I arrived on a Friday night the dining room was surprisingly empty with maybe a half dozen tables occupied. The bar, on the other hand, at least seemed a bit more full, even if it wasn't exactly crowded. Since she and I have taken a liking to sitting at the bar of a restaurant almost more than sitting at a table, the bar was where we chose to go and I'm glad we did. A live jazz singer was on break and when she started singing, Myna, a professional singer herself, complimented her. The bartenders knew exactly what drinks we were talking about even when we intentionally ordered off-menu cocktails, the food was excellent, and the vibe was so chill and relaxed that the only thing it was missing was either a pot-smoke haze or an absinthe drip. If I lived within walking distance of a place like the Astor Room, I'd be a regular (especially since the drinks cost about a third less that they do in Manhattan. Score!)
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As I mentioned, The Astor Room never filled up despite being a Friday. I asked a bartender "is it always this calm here?" He replied "not for brunch." So maybe that's their big thing. Brunch. And really, it should be late night because in my opinion, it's late night when a true speakeasy's soul comes out. So I think you should go. We had a great time. Great drinks, great food, a great atmosphere, with great singing. Yeah the bartenders could have been more on the ball and bullshitted with the customers on the end a little less, but I'd still return in a heartbeat.
A half dozen oysters, four small plates, two glasses of prosecco, and three cocktails came to $108 plus tax and tip.
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