Sunday Sessions at Daintree LES: Why the Weekend Deserves a Proper Send-Off

It's been a while since I moved to this insane and wonderful city from Australia, and while I clearly love everything about it, I've always found myself looking for ways to sneak a bit of home in wherever I can.

There's a thing that happens in Australia on Sundays that frankly doesn't get enough of a look over here. You finish lunch somewhere, most likely enjoying a hair of the dog or three, the afternoon light does that soft golden thing, someone puts music on, and nobody leaves. It just feels wrong to go home. All of a sudden you're deep in a Sunday Session and by golly, it's a wonderful thing. The session rolls into early evening, drinks are cold while the summer air is hot, conversation is pin-balling between last night's antics and half-baked "we should absolutely do that" ideas, and Monday morning starts to feel like someone else's problem. That's a Sunday Session. Somewhere between a boozy brunch and a proper night out, and something Australians have quietly perfected over decades.

I've been thinking about that feeling a lot since opening Daintree in the Lower East Side.

Starting this month, every Sunday from 3pm we’re hosting a local DJ playing deep house and nu-disco sets on the rooftop terrace at 139 Orchard Street. Naturally, we’re calling it Daintree Sunday Sessions because the weekend shouldn't just fade out with a headache. It should be seen right through to the end.

Our new LES rooftop is as good a spot as any to make that happen. You've got open sky, Manhattan skyline views, a terrace that catches the afternoon sun, and a drinks list built around spritzes and cocktails that were basically designed for exactly this kind of afternoon. With happy hour specials from 4 to 6pm to enjoy alongside great tunes and an unbeatable sunset there’s plenty of reasons to stick around.

The music sets the tone more than anything. Deep house and nu-disco are a specific kind of good on a Sunday afternoon, kind of present but not in your face, the sort of thing that makes a three hour set feel like thirty minutes. We've been really intentional about who we're booking and what that sonic backdrop feels like because it matters a lot more than people give it credit for.

If you've ever had a proper Sunday session somewhere and spent the rest of the week thinking about it, you know what we're going for. We think the Lower East Side needs one of these. You probably do too.

Sunday Sessions run every week, 3pm to 6pm. The rooftop is open, the DJ is on, and there's a table with your name on it. Reserve it below.