Bemelmans Bar

Sophistication and whimsy converge at this iconic New York bar at the Carlyle Hotel. Taking its name from the children's author and muralist who once resided there, Bemelmans shows the restrained excess expected in an Upper East Side address. White-jacketed waiters serve Gin-Gin Mule and Whiskey Smash cocktails to the black glass tables, while live piano music plays beneath the 24-karat, gold-leaf ceiling. Seasonal cocktails are also available, as is a short food menu with items like mini burgers, twice-cooked giant fries, and Maryland crab cakes. Colorful murals of animals gallivanting about Central Park inject an element of playfulness into the otherwise ritzy venue.