
New York / New York
Bemelmans Bar
Ludwig Bemelmans' Central Park murals, gold-leaf ceilings, a piano after five, and the most civilized martini north of 59th Street.
Getting in
No reservations. Arrive early or wait in the lobby.
Order this
Dry martini with a twist
Your passport
Hotel Bar rooms like this one are catalogued across the trail — see every hotel bar bar.
Keep the night going
Nearest doors
4.5King Cole Bar
Midtown · New York, NY · 1.1 mi
Maxfield Parrish's mural presides over the room that invented the Bloody Mary's better-dressed cousin.
4.4The Campbell
Midtown East · New York, NY · 1.7 mi
A 1920s railroad executive's private office — leaded glass, hand-painted beams — hidden inside Grand Central Terminal.
4.6Birdland
Theater District · New York, NY · 1.7 mi
The jazz corner of the world, reopened and still running two sets a night with a bar rail worth claiming.
4.6Angel's Share
East Village · New York, NY · 3.4 mi
Rules on the wall, silence in the room, and the most precise stirring in Manhattan — through a restaurant door most people walk past.
The Gear Room
Drink like Bemelmans Bar at home
The Savoy Cocktail Book
Harry Craddock's 1930 compendium, written while America was dry and London was not.
Old Fashioned Cocktail Kit
Bitters, demerara syrup and a rocks glass. Nothing here is optional and nothing is extra.
Clear Ice Cube Mold
Directional freezing makes hotel-bar ice at home. Dilution slows, drink stops racing.
Links go to Amazon. We may earn a commission on purchases at no extra cost to you.