New York’s best bar for . . .

Professional networking

Charlie Palmer Steak IV at the Knickerbocker Hotel 

The birthplace of the dry martini (1907) is a longtime go-to for rubbing elbows with corporate regulars. The bar’s glowing, wavy-glass display of top-shelf spirits is all business. Or choose a spot at a highboy or cadet blue corduroy settee to talk trade in this calming, legendary room. 

A team happy hour

Iris

The sleek, blonde-wood bar is topped by silver-domed task lamps, helpful for studying the innovative menu of Aegean-themed booze and bites, like the mezze plate or Ouzo mussels. It anchors an expansive dining room with clean lines and a roomy lounge area with comfy gray couches perfect for after-hours mingling. 

Local flavor

Perrine at the Pierre Hotel

Slipping into a cushioned barstool at the black marble bar, which glows under silver-hooded lamps, feels like returning to the Pierre’s 1930s origins. The space, just steps from Central Park, is all class and calm. As you imbibe alongside locals and hotel guests, watching yellow taxis whiz down Fifth Avenue, you’ll complete a dreamy, classic NYC tableau.

Showing off stellar views to a client

Nubeluz at the Ritz Carlton NoMad

There’s plenty to wow you at this 50th-floor gem—sumptuous banquettes, unique craft cocktails, and a sophisticated clientele. But the killer views, in almost all directions through floor-to-ceiling windows, are the standout. Snag a velvet settee on the west-facing terrace to watch the golden sunset over the Hudson River.

Celebrating a company win

The Terrace at the Times Square Edition Hotel

This glamorous refuge offers several sanctums to toast your team’s success: the white-walled main bar with red velvet barstools and ornate spirit decanters displayed like art; the inner garden, under a canopy of hanging plants and colored lanterns; and the coveted outdoor terrace, where potted boxwoods, birch trees, and evergreens shelter you from Times Square.  

Getting inspired

Clemente Bar at Eleven Madison Park

One flight up from the fine dining destination is this cheekier low-lit retreat, an homage to Italian painter Francesco Clemente, whose paintings hang on the walls. As you sip cocktails infused with green curry and acidified papaya, the artwork and whimsical mushroom lamps by Carsten Höller will get your creative juices flowing.

IYKYK experiences

Bar Calico at the Freehand Hotel

This cozy ochre-lit hideaway tucked above the hotel’s lobby is an homage to 1920s neighbor Georgia O’Keeffe. The Southwest vibes—tribal motif rugs, steer skull on the wall—are on point. And the cocktails are delectable and clever, like the Muse, served with half a passionfruit to slurp between sips.  

A nightcap after a business event

Pen Top at the Peninsula Hotel

Crown your evening in this rooftop oasis, where a small, glass-enclosed bar area emanates airy greenhouse vibes. An outdoor patio has potted plants, cream banquettes (some reserved for groups), tables for bottle service, a louvred rooftop that snaps shut when it rains, and views of architectural gems, from the Beaux-Art St. Regis to Billionaire’s Row skyscrapers.

Photography by Liz Clayman