A plateful of kebabs on the lawns of The Astor in the 1960s. A ‘lit’ night too many at good ol’ Plush in the millennium. If The Astor is where you made memories and thought of them each time you drove down Shakespeare Sarani, here’s some good news! The hotel has flung open its newest chill spot — Deck 88, adding to the list of pretty open-air zones in Calcutta. Deck what? “If you were to stand on the deck with a compass, you will see that you are standing at 88° E longitude, so we thought of keeping the name Deck 88. I also have Deck 78 in my hotel (DoubleTree by Hilton) in Agra that overlooks Taj Mahal... so yes I have a thing with numbers,” said Vikram Puri, director of The Astor. Spread across 1,368sq ft and located right on top of the banquet hall of the 34-key hotel, Deck 88 is simple and clutter-free. The 68-seater hangout houses an 8ft-long bar with a temporary liquor licence.