Bemelmans Bar (The Carlyle)

Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle is one of the most legendary hotel bars in the world — an intimate, jewel-box room on the Upper East Side adorned with charming murals by Ludwig Bemelmans, creator of the Madeline children’s books. Live piano music plays nightly, and the atmosphere is one of timeless New York elegance. The champagne list is predictably superb, and a glass of champagne at Bemelmans surrounded by those murals is one of the great New York experiences — pure, unhurried sophistication.