"By all accounts, the Darling should be a real scene. The rooftop bar at the Park Lane New York, which reopened in late 2021 after a total renovation, touts plenty of inventive cocktails and tasty bites with which to enjoy them—plus sprawling, frankly unrivaled views over Central Park. Happily, though, it feels convivial and relaxed (minus the occasional Gen Z-ers snapping selfies against a turf wall); grown-up but not too self-serious. The indoor space houses the bar and a handful of cozy banquettes, but you’re really coming here for the view—so head out to the terrace, grab a table beneath the twinkling string lights, and ask for one of the specialty cocktails. Here Comes Trouble, a potent blend of tequila, blood orange, lime, and—in a surprise-and-delight twist—spicy wasabi-lavender honey, is a total palate-tingler. The Darling Unlimited offers a tart mashup of vodka, spiced pear, ginger, lemon, and angostura. Soak up the views while you sip, then soak up the booze with something from the tight snack list; the crispy chicken sliders are a no-brainer, though if you’re down to splurge the tender Wagyu sandwich on crisped milk bread feels as decadent as a three-table banquet. —Betsy Blumenthal, features and franchise editor" - CNT Editors, Vicki Denig
