The Famous Hotel Bars of NYC: Bemelmans, King Cole and The Plaza
Some of New York’s famous hotel bars are not on a street corner. They are off a hotel lobby, and a few of them have been drawing people in for decades.
Quick answer
Start with Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle and the King Cole Bar at The St. Regis. At The Plaza, the famous Oak Bar is closed, but The Palm Court and The Champagne Bar are open. Arrive early, check the dress code and expect hotel prices.
Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle
Bemelmans Bar is The Carlyle’s famous piano bar, with a hand-painted mural on the walls. The hotel itself is a classic on the Upper East Side, at 35 E 76th St, and it is known for exactly this room.
If you are choosing a hotel around the bar, The Carlyle is one of our picks for classic romance. See the romantic hotels in NYC guide.
King Cole Bar at The St. Regis
The St. Regis New York sits at 2 E 55th St, a block from the Fifth Avenue flagships. Its King Cole Bar is known for its mural and for the Red Snapper cocktail. The hotel as a whole is known for butler service.
The Palm Court and The Champagne Bar at The Plaza
The Plaza opened in 1907 at Fifth Avenue and Central Park South. The hotel is at 768 Fifth Ave. Its famous Oak Bar is closed for good. It shut in 2005, and the Oak Room followed in 2011.
Go to The Palm Court instead, for afternoon tea or an evening cocktail. The Champagne Bar looks out over Fifth Avenue and the Pulitzer Fountain. More on the area in our hotels near Central Park guide.
How to visit famous hotel bars in NYC
- Arrive early. Hotel bars can be pricey, but they are famous for their settings, and the best seats go first.
- Check the dress code. Some rooms have dress codes and minimums, so look before you go.
- Go for the room. You are paying for the mural, the piano and the atmosphere as much as the drink.
Beyond the hotels
Want a different feel? A few other classics are worth knowing. The Dead Rabbit, in the Financial District, is a celebrated Irish pub and cocktail bar. McSorley’s Old Ale House, in the East Village, is among the city’s oldest saloons. White Horse Tavern in the West Village is a historic tavern. Check the seating and hours before you go.
Prefer a view with your drink? The Knickerbocker, The Peninsula and The William Vale all have rooftop options. See our classic NYC bars guide and hotels with a view.
The Best Hotel Bars in New York City: From the Baccarat Hotel to the Bowery Hotel
New York City is home to some of the most storied hotel bars in the world, where non-staying visitors and overnight hotel guests mingle over classic cocktails, live music, and landmark architecture. Uptown on the Upper East Side, Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle enchants guests with Ludwig Bemelmans murals and nightly piano jazz, while the Plaza’s Champagne Bar and the St. Regis King Cole Bar—birthplace of the Red Snapper Bloody Mary—define Fifth Avenue glamour.
Classic Cocktails at Bemelmans Bar, the Champagne Bar, and the Bar Room at the Beekman
In Midtown, the Baccarat Hotel sets a dramatic standard with crystal chandeliers and vaulted ceilings above its grand salon and bar, while the wood-paneled Portrait Bar at The Fifth Avenue Hotel serves inventive signature drinks beside a crackling fireplace. Further south, the eight-story atrium above the Bar Room at The Beekman, the restored Spanish-marble El Quijote lobby bar at Hotel Chelsea, and the velvet-draped lounge at the Bowery Hotel rank among locals’ favorite hotel bars in New York.
Exploring Hotel Chelsea, Portrait Bar, and Downtown Brooklyn Lobby Bar Gems
Whether you prefer a quiet marble bar for a pre-dinner martini, a hidden room upstairs with craft spirits, or a lively lobby bar in SoHo or Downtown Brooklyn, the best hotel bars in New York reward arriving before 6:00 p.m. when walk-in tables are easiest to claim.
Travelers who compare weekday corporate rates against weekend leisure pricing across Midtown Manhattan, Chelsea, SoHo, and the Upper West Side routinely save fifteen to twenty-five percent on comparable four-star rooms.
If your flight or train arrives hours before standard three o-clock check-in, nearly every full-service New York hotel bell desk will store your bags free of charge so you can start exploring Central Park, Fifth Avenue, or the High Line right away.
For families and small groups sharing a room, requesting a higher floor away from street-facing elevators and confirming whether two queen beds or a sofa sleeper are guaranteed in writing prevents surprises at the front desk.
Using contactless OMNY tap-to-pay at subway turnstiles and crosstown buses also caps your weekly transit spend automatically, making it simple to ride between Uptown museums, Broadway theaters, and Brooklyn waterfront parks without buying paper farecards.
Whether you are visiting New York City for a quick forty-eight-hour weekend getaway or a full week of sightseeing, balancing iconic observation decks and Broadway shows with unhurried neighborhood walks through Greenwich Village, the West Village, and DUMBO creates a memorable trip.
During peak autumn foliage weeks in October and the December holiday season around Rockefeller Center, reserving.
Common questions
What is Bemelmans Bar known for?
Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle is a famous piano bar with a hand-painted mural.
Where can I get a Red Snapper cocktail in NYC?
King Cole Bar at The St. Regis in Midtown is known for the Red Snapper cocktail.
Is the Oak Bar at The Plaza still open?
No. The Oak Bar closed in 2005 and the Oak Room closed in 2011. For a drink at The Plaza, go to The Palm Court or The Champagne Bar.
Are NYC hotel bars expensive?
They can be pricey, but they are famous for their settings. Arrive early for a seat and check dress codes and minimums.
Which NYC bars are among the oldest?
McSorley’s Old Ale House, in the East Village, is among the city’s oldest saloons.
Keep reading
Classic NYC bars · Luxury hotels in NYC · Romantic hotels in NYC · NYC hotels with a view · Hotels for Fifth Avenue shopping · Hotels near Central Park