Ludwig Bemelmans, creator of the Madeline books, painted the walls of this Carlyle Hotel bar in 1947 in exchange for a year and a half of lodging — the only surviving Bemelmans commission open to the public. Under those whimsical Central Park murals, white-jacketed waiters have served martinis to several generations of uptown society.
There's live piano nightly (with a cover once the music starts), leather banquettes, and a bar team that executes the classics flawlessly. Go on a weekday afternoon for the room at its most peaceful, or lean into the evening glamour. It's expensive, and it's worth it — few rooms in New York deliver this much atmosphere per sip.
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