Andrew Carmellini’s American bar, restaurant and oyster room occupies the old Cub Room space in Soho. It’s been attractively renovated; the venue is light and bright with an oyster bar in front and a handsome back room with a working fireplace. The place is particularly popular on weekends and it’s easy to see why even if the acoustics can be unforgiving…

The Royalton has upped their game. In the space that used to be known as Brasserie 44, the stylish new offering utilises the services of star bartenders Richard Boccato (whose impressive CV includes Dutch Kills and Pain Killer), as well as Willy Shine (another face from Painkiller), Misty Kalkofen, and Eric Alperin…

This Little Italy drinking den is very on trend. It’s got the unmarked door and more importantly it’s got the custom-made cocktails. What this means in practice is that instead of a plump drinks menu for you to thumb through there’s just a chalkboard which lists the fresh fruits they have in stock (this changes regularly)…

What joy! A luxury hotel on the Upper East Side with a top-draw bar to boot. A hop skip and a jump from Central Park, there's no mistaking its entrance with its black canopy and its pair of cornucopias atop the window above. Once inside, ignore the glories of the atrium and head for Bar Pleiades, passing Cafe Boulud as you do so…

Tenpenny, the Gotham Hotel’s American bar and restaurant, has a classic quality. It’s a handsome space, all dark wood and brick walls, clean and masculine in appearance – stylish but unfussy with it. There’s a granite bar for perching with a cocktail and a smart dining area for lingering over dinner…

Dating back to 1855, The Vault at Pfaff’s is proud of its history. The bohemian basement space was frequented by Walt Whitman, Mark Twain and other literary notables, something which the new owners are keen to celebrate. The subterranean venue is decorated with era-appropriate photos and the large wooden bar, which dominates the space, is over a century…

Located a few blocks east of the buzz of Time Square, the Lantern’s Keep is the name of the elegant new bar at the Iroquois, a hip boutique hotel. It’s easy to miss this place, as there’s no indication of its existence at street level, but once you’ve found it, you’ll encounter a cozy cocktail ‘salon’ (their term), a haven from the outside grind…