Bemelmans Bar inside The Carlyle hotel is the kind of place that makes you sit up straighter. The walls are covered in murals by Ludwig Bemelmans — the guy who created Madeline — and they've been there since 1947. There's live jazz most nights, the lighting is the color of honey, and the bartenders wear white jackets. It's old New York in the best possible way.
Yes, a martini here costs $28. But you're paying for an experience that hasn't changed in seventy years, and honestly it's worth it once. The crowd skews older and well-dressed, which is part of the charm. Slip in on a Tuesday and you might get a booth. This is the bar you bring someone to when you want to impress them without trying too hard.
What locals are saying
“Wore a blazer on a Tuesday night, had the whole banquette to myself. Felt like 1955 in the best way.”
— Marcus, Harlem