NYC’s best hotel bars

It wasn’t too long ago that hotel bars were, at best, nostalgic remnants from the early 20th-century heyday. Thankfully, that’s all changed with the craft cocktail revolution of the early 2000s, which eventually bled over to hotel bars. Now, New York City hotels are awash with excellent hideaways to have a pre-theatre tipple or before-bed nightcap. Some of the city’s historic faces have recently refreshed their bars, whilst others are entirely new spots to explore – and you’ll find both in our list of the best hotel bars in New York City. 

The Portrait Bar at The Fifth Avenue Hotel 

Tucked away inside NoMad’s newish Fifth Avenue Hotel, the elegant Portrait Bar oozes style. The library-like setting is inspired by Italian villas and features more than 50 diverse portraits hanging on the dark-panelled walls, lending the bar its name. Cocktails are inspired by global travels, like the Torino (Italy) with Campari, Cardamaro, Antica Torino, Saba, and fig leaf soda, and the Kochi (Japan) with Suntory Toki, Cynar, yuzu, star anise, and sarsaparilla.

Insider’s tip: don’t skimp on the snacks by celebrated chef Andrew Carmellini. Try the Royal Ossetra caviar with warm potato croquettes or the foie gras tartine.

Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel 

Whilst hotel bars are often boring, unoriginal affairs, Bemelmans is a piece of history that has aged well. As you sip, take in the whimsical Central Park illustrations, which were painted on the walls in 1947 by Ludwig Bemelmans, creator of the classic Madeline children’s books. You’ll feel cosy in the intimate Art Deco room with chocolate-brown leather banquettes, a dramatic black granite bar, and a 24-carat gold leaf-covered ceiling. Many drinks, including several martinis, pay tribute to famous people connected to the hotel – like frequent guest Jackie Kennedy Onassis, and Dorothy Draper, who designed the original hotel lobby. 

Insider’s tip: arrive by 5:30 pm to hear the nightly pianist or come later for the jazz trio – but be sure to adhere to the dress code. 

King Cole Bar at The St. Regis New York 

Just in time for the hotel’s 120th anniversary this year, the St. Regis New York unveiled a redesign of its public spaces – including its famous King Cole Bar. The intimate spot has been refreshed with moody, dark wood panelling and a deep green ceiling, softened by scalloped banquettes and mauve tasselled velvet chairs – but, of course, the famed Maxfield Parrish ‘Old King Cole’ mural remains the centrepiece. As you sip a classic cocktail, picture famous guests like Salvador Dalí, John Lennon, and Marilyn Monroe perched around you. 

Insider’s tip: order the Red Snapper. A take on a Bloody Mary, it’s celebrating its 90th anniversary this year as the hotel’s signature drink – and was one of the first of its kind to be served in the US.  

The Lounge by Casa Tua at The Surrey, a Corinthia Hotel  

When the Upper East Side finally welcomed back the iconic Surrey hotel this fall after a multi-year closure (and now under the Corinthia Hotels flag), it also gained an outpost of a Miami favourite: restaurant Casa Tua. And for the first time ever, on the opposite side of the lobby from the restaurant, is a bar open to the public. The cosy Lounge by Casa Tua showcases custom Italian furnishings, shelves filled with curated books, and an art collection personally selected by founders Miky and Leticia Grendene. 

Insider’s tip: The Lounge doubles as a coffee bar during the day, but every night at 6pm the lights are dimmed for an intimate cocktail hour. 

The Bar at Baccarat Hotel New York 

The legendary crystal brand’s flagship hotel in Manhattan is home to an extravagant bar inspired by glamorous ballrooms, the royal stables at Versailles, and American long bars of decades past. Clocking in at 60 feet, the bar is surrounded by red velvet walls hung with fine art, black-and-white checked marble floors, and dazzling chandeliers dripping with Baccarat crystals that hang from the barrel-vaulted ceiling. Naturally, all drinks are poured into sparkling Baccarat goblets and glasses – we recommend filling one with a glass of 2014 Cristal.

Insider’s tip: the luxurious nibbles come from two-Michelin-starred chef Gabriel Kreuther. Order the Baccarat signature three tier to get a plush grilled cheese, spicy lobster roll, and tuna tartare with haricot verts, cucumber, jalapeño, and olives.  

Swan Room at Nine Orchard 

The Nine Orchard hotel is inside a former bank built in 1912, and cocktail bar Swan Room is inside the showstopping former bank teller room. It has a grand, double-height coffered ceiling with original mouldings, hexagonal tables along a plush banquette, pink Tennessee marble walls, and soaring windows with wrought iron details. Bartenders are dressed formally, serving the in-the-know clientele who managed to find downtown’s escape from the trend-seekers of nearby Dimes Square. The food menu is also excellent – the shrimp cocktail and burger are particularly good.

Insider’s tip: if you order the martini service for three to five people, a server will bring over a giant golden swan bowl filled with crushed ice and bowls of garnishes and pour your martinis tableside.  

Chez Zou at Pendry Manhattan West 

The rooftop Chez Zou is a stunning, plant-filled spot with both indoor and outdoor seating. Snag a table surrounded by curvy pink velvet couches or perch at the alcove bar backed by lush greenery – in winter, order a Papa Mele cocktail, made with warming mezcal, mango, cardamom, clove, lemon, and chilli. This is a bar where you can easily make a meal out of the food options, which come from the same chef as Middle Eastern restaurant Zou Zou’s downstairs. On our order list: Moroccan fried chicken bites, malawach pizza, and roasted garlic hummus with pitta chips. 

Insider’s tip: in warmer weather, grab a seat outside under a fringed umbrella and sip a refreshing drink like the Maverick Daiquiri with vodka, passionfruit, vanilla, lemon, and Champagne. 

Bar Blondeau at the Wythe Hotel 

From the team behind beloved restaurants Le Crocodile and Chez Ma Tante, Bar Blondeau has a great wine list, classic cocktails with a twist, frozen drinks in summer, and excellent zero-proof beverages – as well as panoramic Manhattan views. The French-inflected food includes a variety of toasts, a duck hot dog on a pretzel bun, and trout almondine. Craft cocktails include the New Square, with Brooklyn Bourbon, sweet vermouth, Maillard, and bitters, and the Zephyr, with Upstate Vodka & Gin, Bergamato, vermouth, and sage. 

Insider’s tip: between 5–8pm nightly, there’s a two-course pre-fixe menu for $45.