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New York

Bemelmans Bar

Flawless cocktails in a flawless Upper East Side room
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Yana Paskova/The New York Times/Redux

Sure, every guidebook will tell you to go to Bemelmans. But really, it is that perfect. The Art Deco room in the Carlyle Hotel, with its discreet lighting, gold-leaf ceiling, and joyful Ludwig Bemelmans murals, just makes you feel like you’re in a charmed, timeless city. The bartenders shake both classics and house twists with flair. And then you look at the menu, with its $23 cocktails and $18 pickles, and you realize exactly where you are and what year it is: The way Upper East Side in 2016. Still. Such a lovely bubble. Come. Sit awhile.

PRO TIP: If you’ve never had a Champagne cocktail before, start your habit here. Speaking of habits: Those potato chips!

THE DETAILS: If you don’t want to pay a cover charge for the jazz band, make sure you’re out by 9 o’clock; 9:30 Saturdays.