Blue Bar at The Algonquin

Some bars earn their reputation through innovation. The Blue Bar at The Algonquin earned its through a century of remarkable guests. Dorothy Parker held court here. Harold Ross plotted the New Yorker in the lobby. The Round Table — that group of writers, critics, and wits who gathered for lunch and stayed for hours — made The Algonquin their headquarters, and the Blue Bar was where the serious drinking happened after the notebooks closed. Walking in feels like stepping into a particular kind of New York that still exists if you know where to look.

The room itself is intimate — dark blue walls, low lighting, booths that encourage conversation, and an atmosphere that discourages phone use simply by making everything else more interesting. The cocktail list leans toward classics executed with care: Negronis built properly, Martinis stirred until properly cold, and a short list of signature drinks that reference the bar's literary past. The Parker Sidecar is named with the appropriate amount of reverence. For anyone building a date-night itinerary in Midtown, the Blue Bar pairs perfectly with dinner at one of the Bryant Park restaurants and a walk through the park afterward. See our full guide to the best date night bars in New York for the complete picture.

This is also one of the most underrated pre-theatre bars in the city. The Theatre District is within walking distance of The Algonquin, which makes the Blue Bar an elegant staging point before a show at one of the nearby Broadway venues. A dry Martini at 6pm, a 7:30 curtain — this is New York at its best. For more on the hotel bar tradition and how it compares to the standalone bar scene, our guide to the best hotel bars in New York places the Blue Bar in proper context. Those interested in the fuller New York bar guide will find plenty of companions for a night that starts here.

The resident cat, Matilda, wanders the lobby and occasionally visits the bar. This is not a gimmick. It is one of the more charming details of the entire New York hotel scene.