The Portrait Bar
Cocktail bar · Midtown West ·
Sophisticated cocktails, elevated bar fare, art collection
Sophisticated cocktails, elevated bar fare, art collection
"If we’re going by looks alone, The Portrait Bar easily finishes top-three. The study-like room in the bottom of the unfathomably pricey Fifth Avenue Hotel is lined with glossy wood and stuffed with rugs, lamps, and plush furniture. There are, of course, many portraits, and there are also intricate cocktails in ornate glassware. Try the tropical-leaning one with rum, scotch, and calamansi, and always order the burger with a thick patty dripping melted cheddar. $22, except the $65 Vieux Carré XOXO" - willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, will hartman, tiffany yannetta
"If you want to sit in a small room inspired by Italian villas and have a drink brought to you by a server in a velvet tux, the only appropriate choice is The Portrait Bar. Hidden behind the lobby of a luxury hotel on 28th Street, the place is filled with couches, armchairs, mirrors, and wood-paneling. You’re going to pay over $20 for your cocktail, but it’ll be inventive and well-balanced, and you can pair it with some very good bar food. Try the dry-aged burger, and don’t forget to make a reservation." - bryan kim, matt tervooren
"The Portrait Bar burger is a sleeper hit, on a retro American menu in a cocktail bar in the Fifth Avenue Hotel. Assembled in the same kitchen as Andrew Carmellini’s namesake restaurant, it’s served on brioche with a dry-aged beef patty dressed with clothbound cheddar and a house sauce. At $26 it’s a splurge, worth pairing with the malt-vinegar fries or the French dip with salmon roe as a starter." - Robert Sietsema, Eater Staff
"The menu at the Portrait Bar in the Fifth Avenue Hotel is deceptive: what’s listed as “parlor snacks” can feel like substantive appetizer- or entree-sized retro American classics upscaled for the moment and location. Prepared in the same kitchen as Andrew Carmellini’s namesake restaurant, highlights include a terrific hot dog au poivre on brioche ($20), a dry-aged burger draped in clothbound cheddar, fries with a malt-vinegar aioli, shrimp cocktail, and crispy oysters with a celery root remoulade. My most satisfying bite was the French onion dip garnished with salmon roe and crispy onion bits ($18), served with homemade chips; paired with a super-savory martini it makes an ideal bar snack." - Eater Staff
"An intimate, moodily-lit library bar in Manhattan with a creative cocktail menu inspired by destinations around the world."