Bar location
April 11, 2016 By Michael Florio
A cocktail lounge will open this summer at the former Caffé Bene spot on Ditmars Boulevard.
Co-owner Padraig O’Brien said the “speakeasy style” lounge, called The Last Word, will open at 31-30 Ditmars Blvd. this July.
The Last Word will offer a variety of cocktails, although O’Brien said he is still working on the exact menu.
“We will focus on offering quality and delicious flavor combinations of cocktails,” he said.
The bar will also feature wine and beer, with up to four options on tap.
The food menu will offer small dishes for patrons to enjoy with their cocktails.
“We will have high-quality, flavorful bites and pairings,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien could not describe specific items, as he is still putting together the food menu. Full meals will not be offered.
The lounge is named after a cocktail called the last word, a prohibition-era drink that contains equal parts gin, green chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime juice.
“I tried this cocktail 10 years ago and it got me excited and passionate about bartending,” he said. “It really changed my life.”
The lounge will seat up to 60 people. There will be no seats at the bar.
“It will be more of a table-service cocktail lounge,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien and his partners decided to open on Ditmars Boulevard after searching for space around Manhattan, Brooklyn and different parts of Queens.
“We saw this location and fell in love with it,” he said.
“We want to bring a high quality speakeasy style cocktail bar to Astoria,” he added. “Residents shouldn’t have to travel to Manhattan for this.”
O’Brien has high expectations for his lounge.
“I have worked in cocktail lounges all around the City,” he said. “I am very excited to open maybe the best one in Astoria.”
This location was previously a Caffé Bene, which left in December.
2 Comments
Gee, I guess they didn’t know that uncle jacks down the block is also going to have a speakeasy
So many pubs and bars opening up in every nook and cranny of Astoria. They want everyone to spend money on liquor and become alcoholics! AA chapters all over are adding more and more weekly! Shame they are peddling so much booze Astoria is alike a frat town now.