Campbell Apartment
This superbly atmospheric cocktail bar at Grand Central Station was once the residence of a big-time railroad magnate, fully evidenced by the old-school ambience of velvet, mahogany and vintage murals. Supping a martini here is an excellent way to enjoy the station's opulence, but note there's a dress code to match the atmosphere: jeans and sneakers are right out. To get here, take the lift beside the Oyster Bar, or the stairs to the West Balcony, then choose the doors on the left.
Employees Only
This Deco bar in the West Village is another relaxed drinking establishment with ye-olde-worlde charm, replete with a big fireplace and mustachioed barmen. The cocktails are just about perfect, complementing the fine menu, and are a huge draw for late-week and weekend crowds – time your visit for earlier if you want to avoid the crush.
Flatiron Lounge
Mmmmm, lovely. This classical nook in the Flatiron district, with its lowlit archway, dates from 1927 and retains a timeless sense: the interior boasts lots of mahogany, red leather and stained-glass lamps, and there's an expert cocktail menu drawing on the freshest ingredients. Old favourites like the Cosmopolitan or Mojito are superbly prepared.
Glass
Although the interior design of this popular Chelsea bar may be sleek and slick – transparent tiles, stools and tables, hence the name – it's the varied, bold cocktails that are the main attraction: blue martinis and deep-green caipirinhas for example. There's sometimes a cover charge to get in.
Little Branch
Warm and welcoming, Little Branch in the West Village serves up cocktails with panache and expertise. The barmen are courteous and polite (matching the suspenders they wear as part of their uniform) and you should be, too: apparently, house rules forbid 'loud talking' and 'misbehaviour'.
Magician
With its ambience amplified by a jukebox with vintage tunes, the set and setting at this Lower East Side place is perfect for a low-key, unpretentious night out. The changing cocktail menu insists on specialty concoctions, and if that begins to pall, then sample the list of microbrewed beers also on offer.
Nurse Bettie
This is a small-sized bar in the Lower East Side that mixes modern-style booths with 50s-style ice-cream-shop stools and assorted pinup-girl paraphernalia on the brick walls. The cocktails also mix it up, like the 'bubble-gum' martini – no, it won't get stuck in your throat. Nurse Bettie is doubly popular with in-the-know New Yorkers for the pleasing fact that you can order food from the nearby Schillers brasserie to be delivered to your table.
Pegu Club
Up on the 2nd floor, this naval-themed bar (it's named after a 19-century drinking establishment for British seamen in Burma) in SoHo takes great pride in delivering stellar cocktails with a classic bent, like the Pisco Sour, or a wonderful variety of manhattans, martinis and vodka-based specialties.