The Royal Treatment
38 MARCH 2 0 1 9
FOOD + DRINK
BY DANIEL GROGAN
Located at 36-10 30th Ave. in Astoria,
The Royal Underground
opened just after Thanksgiving
2018 in the old William Hallet location,
and the owners said that
the neighborhood has been welcoming.
“The response has been very humbling
and kind,” said Craig Davis, one of the
restaurant’s owners. “As owners, you sit
for months on end, literally in the dark,
wondering if what you have in mind will
resonate with people. It has been truly
gratifying to see people smiling on the
way out, and to read some of the reviews
that guests have taken time to publish
online.”
Alongside Davis is a team of talented
and enthusiastic individuals.
“The creative force behind the restaurant
is chef Gary Anza,” Davis said. “Gary
is a Michelin-rated chef with a French culinary
background. Working with Gary are
retired FDNY force of nature Jimmy Georgilis
and kitchen wild thing Luan Giang.”
From the beginning, the team hoped
to provide an experience that Astorians
didn’t realize they were missing: exotic
dishes in a unique environment.
“Like any restaurant, the concepts grew
out of a long series of discussions about
what we wanted to be, and what we
thought the neighborhood would enjoy,”
Davis said. “The whiskey bar concept was
The first thing that struck me
when I walked into The Royal
Underground was the large
mural on the far wall of the
restaurant. A monochrome
Brigitte Bardot-like figure
wearing a CBGB shirt sits on a
messy bed, smoking a cigarette
and staring out the window of
her New York City apartment.
The painting, done by local
artist Mario Saviñon (who also
happens to be a bartender
at The Royal Underground) is
strikingly alluring and provides
a smoky romance to the
restaurant. Add in the eatery’s
plush seating, dim lighting,
elegant but accessible menu
and diverse whiskey selection,
and it’s the perfect spot for a
date night or solo session of
pensive bourbon drinking.