Just recently discovered what a special place Cafe Carlyle is when one of my uptown friends suggested we catch Bettye LaVette’s performance there. If you go, you’re in for an amazing experience.  It’s a very “old school elegant” kind of place but very accessible – not stuffy or old-fashioned.  A nite at the Cafe Carlyle will always be “special occasion”, but the friendly and extremely attentive staff make everyone feel welcome.  For me, it’s a bit on the pricey side – the tickets were $93 a piece and most things on the menu were in the $40 range (minimally).  We each also paid $120 for drinks and appetizers.  BUT I definitely want to come back. Debbie Harry is playing here in March/April and I am currently wait-listed – so trying to remain optimistic that we can get in! The Cafe Carlyle is also where Woody Allen has a standing gig, where Elaine Stritch performed frequently and where Eartha Kitt performed many times including at the re-opening after it’s major remodel a few years ago.

Also at the Carlyle Hotel, I love Bemelman’s Bar (across the hallway from the Cafe Carlyle).  Bemelman’s is the epitome of Classic New York – for a fraction of the cost of a nite at the Cafe Carlyle.  You have to be there by 5ish to get a table but it is so charming and you just feel so well-taken care of – I would come here all the time if I lived close by.