Forty Four at Royalton

This glam lobby lounge is one of midtown’s finest spots to bend an elbow. The luxe interior is matched by a smartly curated drink menu, tended to by the Cocktail Collective—an all-star squad of booze slingers, plucked from the country’s best bars. Choose from “Classics” inspired by the grand hotels of yesteryear—like the superbly balanced rye-and-cognac–based Vieux Carre, served with a hulking rock of ice—and “Originals” that showcase riffs on traditional quaffs. Among the latter, we liked the Stone Place, a twist on the Ward 8 featuring rich aged Jamaican rum shaken with house-made grenadine and freshly squeezed lemon and orange juices. Once you sink into a leather armchair and sip one near the blazing fireplace, it’s dangerously easy to forget about the bill waiting for you when you’re done.