Lobby Bar

Lobby Bar in Hotel Chelsea looks like the elaborate foyer of a chateau that was last renovated in the 1970s. There are rugs, couches, and cheetah print chairs, and you’ll see a big chandelier hanging above the long marble bar. It feels like the kind of place where your boss’s boss would grab a drink with their art advisor, and it’s a nice escape where you won’t hear any music, only bits of conversation from people wearing thick-rimmed glasses. Claim a barstool or a couch in the fern-lined garden room, and drink a house martini made with minimal vermouth and a to-the-brim pour of ice-cold gin or vodka. It’ll hit you fast, so get some fries to eat on the side, or plan an after-drinks dinner at El Quijote next door.