Park Blue (CLOSED)

This slim, dark lounge dies down on the weekend due to its midtown location (across the street from Alain Ducasse at the Essex House). Midweek, however, it’s a great spot for after-work nibbling and sipping fine wines (the all-half-bottle list, with more than 100 globe-trotting selections, is impressive). For what is essentially a below-the-radar hotel bar inside the Park Savoy Hotel, the small plates choices are remarkable. Beef tenderloin with crisp fried onions is simple and succulent; duck skewers with ginger–blueberry sauce are strange but delicious. The very small portions make constructing a meal a considerable challenge. Instead, drop by before dinner for a warm-up, or better yet, close out the night with the special late-night menu (available after 11pm), which includes miniature burgers on brioche and lobster Benedict.