Bemelmans Bar

Martinis taste best with white tablecloths and someone playing the piano. You’ll get both at Bemelmans Bar, inside the Carlyle Hotel on the Upper East Side. Despite the outrageously high drink prices, you should go out of your way for a martini here, because Bemelmans is an iconic NYC experience. And because if you’re lucky, Bill Murray might also be having a martini in the corner while someone plays the piano. You could eat a full meal if you wanted to, but that’s not necessary when the best edible thing here is the free snack mix that’s on every table.