By Jennifer Shanteau

Sek’end Sun Review

Living just outside of Manhattan in Astoria, Queens, there is no shortage of fabulous places in which to drink and dine. The real challenge is weeding through the thousands of options to find the one that best fits your preferences. Even reading through popular magazines devoted to this particular quest can be daunting, with still an overwhelming amount of places to choose from, so when I find a spot that’s perfect, it’s a good day.

Cue, Sek’end Sun…..a truly cool, chill, unpretentious Astoria bar and restaurant…..emphasis on bar. It’s the kind of place you want to be the one to introduce your friends to. You want it to be your find. The inside is cozy and casual, but hip…..the kind of place you want to dodge into on a rainy evening and pleasantly wait for the rain to subside…or wish it wouldn’t, so you have an extra excuse to stay.

Not that you need an excuse to stay, the inventive cocktail menu alone will suffice, and if you get hungry, there is no reason to look beyond the menu right here.

I started with the Remember Dead River Cocktail. I admit, the name got me, as did the addition of absinthe. I cannot not think of Vincent Van Gogh whenever I come across it, (a little reference for the art historians). Even though rye is not my drink of choice, it was still good, a little sweet, but very strong. If you want to save money by only purchasing one or two cocktails the whole evening, this is your “go to”. The only negative thing I can say about it is that it lacked and needed a garnish. It looked naked.

From there I moved onto the Chelsea Physics. The black pepper simple syrup and the celery soda intrigued me. However, when I found out it was typically served in a highball glass, I almost changed my mind, being a fan of strong liquor filled drinks, and not so much a fan of them being watered down to the point where I can no longer appreciate all the ingredients. Not to worry, the eager to please bartender customized it for me, (See? Not pretentious), serving it in a rocks glass with less of the soda. I assure you, the drink did not suffer. It was definitely my favorite drink of the evening….refreshing, unique, not too sweet, not too strong….basically as close to perfection as one can get, and this one came fully accessorized.

After partaking in these delectable cocktails, I was in need of some sustenance. They have just about the most interesting and eclectic appetizer menu around, from the German pretzel with beer cheese to the Japanese Shishito Peppers. Atkins friendly, vegan friendly, gluten-free friendly, and decadent as hell…..they’ve got you all covered. There is something for everyone here. Its difficult to choose a favorite. Clearly, the crowd favorites of the night were the pretzels and the buffalo fried oysters with corn pudding, as they were sold out when I got there.

Not to worry, I was dying to try the shishito peppers that I read were a Japanese izakaya staple. I’m not much of a pepper person, just curious like the cat, and was both beyond thrilled and shocked that I absolutely loved them! They are even healthy! Next, I went to an oldie but goody, the grilled wings with cilantro, lime and soy. OMG! Just OMG! Eat them…like now. I kind of felt like a cave woman the way I was devouring them, but they were so good, I didn’t care. If someone had tried to ply one out of my clenched hands, I would’ve bitten them.

In conclusion, Sek’end Sun is an amazing place to be, good vibe, good drinks, good food, and they even have live music on certain nights. Oh, and did I mention they have a late night happy hour Monday through Wednesday from 11:00 pm until close?

Sek’end Sun

32-11 Broadway
Astoria, NY 11106
917-832-6414

Hours: Monday- Thursday 5:00 pm – 2:00 am,
Friday 5:00 pm – 4:00 am,
Saturday 11:00 am – 4:00 am,
Sunday 11:00 am – 2:00 am

Late Night Happy Hour: Monday – Wednesday 11:00 pm – Close