The St. Regis New York: History, the King Cole Bar and What Is Nearby
The St. Regis New York is a Fifth Avenue classic with a famous bar. Here is where it is, where its history comes from and what you can walk to.
Quick answer
The St. Regis New York is on East 55th Street, just off Fifth Avenue. John Jacob Astor IV built it, and it opened in 1904. It is best known for the King Cole Bar and the Maxfield Parrish mural above it. It sits in the middle of Midtown, close to Fifth Avenue shopping and Rockefeller Center.
Where it is
East 55th Street, at Fifth Avenue. Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the big Fifth Avenue stores are all a few blocks away.
See our guides to hotels for Fifth Avenue shopping and hotels near Rockefeller Center for the wider area, or our Midtown and Fifth Avenue neighborhood guide.
The history of The St. Regis New York
John Jacob Astor IV built The St. Regis. Doors opened in 1904, and it has been a landmark address ever since. Astor also built one of the original Waldorf-Astoria hotels, so this guide pairs well with our Waldorf Astoria New York guide.
The King Cole Bar
The King Cole Bar gets its name from the Old King Cole mural by Maxfield Parrish, which hangs above it. Parrish painted the mural for another Astor hotel, the Knickerbocker. It moved to The St. Regis later. Sources differ on the exact dates.
The hotel also says the Bloody Mary was created here in 1934 by the bartender Fernand Petiot. Other bars tell their own version, so enjoy it as the hotel’s story. For more bars like this one, read the famous hotel bars of NYC.
What is nearby
- Fifth Avenue shopping, right outside.
- Rockefeller Center and its observation deck, a few blocks south.
- St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Fifth Avenue.
- Central Park, a short walk north.
Compare other classic addresses in our guides to The Plaza Hotel and luxury hotels in NYC, and see where to stay in NYC before you book.
Is it the right hotel for you?
Want a classic Midtown address and like to walk? A hotel with this much history fits. You can walk to Fifth Avenue, Rockefeller Center and Central Park, and the subway handles everything else.
If you want a quieter neighborhood or lower prices, compare it with the options in our cheap hotels in NYC and best hotels in NYC guides. Check current rates and room types before you decide, because prices change with the season and with big events in the city.
Inside the King Cole Bar at The St. Regis Hotel in New York
Stepping into the King Cole Bar at the historic St. Regis Hotel on Fifth Avenue and 55th Street is one of the defining New York cocktail lounge experiences. Famous for the monumental Old King Cole mural painted by Maxfield Parrish in 1906, the intimate King Cole room draws guests and locals looking for timeless elegance in Midtown Manhattan. Whether you browse historic King Cole Bar photos before arriving or walk in after an afternoon along Central Park, the room balances Gilded Age grandeur with warm, attentive table service.
The Old King Cole Mural, Drawing Room, and Classic Cocktails
In 1934, bartender Fernand Petiot perfected the spiced tomato juice and vodka recipe here, christening this signature cocktail the Red Snapper—the original New York Bloody Mary. Today, ordering a Red Snapper or classic cocktails beside the Maxfield Parrish mural remains a rite of passage among St. Regis hotels worldwide. Beyond the bar itself, the adjacent Drawing Room and Astor Court offer quiet seating for afternoon tea, light dining, and evening champagne.
Ordering the Red Snapper Bloody Mary at This Midtown Manhattan Luxury Hotel
For travelers comparing luxury hotel stays near Fifth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, and corporate office building corridors in Midtown, the St. Regis New York pairs white-glove butler service with two rooms and suite layouts that feel like a private Manhattan residence. Full disclosure for evening visitors: the King Cole Bar operates on a first-come, first-served basis with a smart evening dress code, so arriving right as doors open ensures the best table view of Old King Cole.
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. Comparing weekday and.
Common questions
Where is The St. Regis New York?
East 55th Street, just off Fifth Avenue, in Midtown Manhattan.
When did The St. Regis New York open?
It opened in 1904. It was built by John Jacob Astor IV.
What is the King Cole Bar?
It is the hotel bar named for the Old King Cole mural by Maxfield Parrish that hangs above it.
Who invented the Bloody Mary at The St. Regis?
The hotel says bartender Fernand Petiot made the first Bloody Mary there, in 1934. Other places make their own claims, so treat it as the hotel’s story.
Keep reading
Waldorf Astoria New York guide · Famous NYC hotel bars · The Plaza Hotel guide · Luxury hotels in NYC · Midtown and Fifth Avenue