The best hotel restaurants in NYC

Daniel Humm and Will Guidara's (of Eleven Madison Park) dark, sexy restaurant is all about the drinks, which is not to say the casualish bar food is not superb. It better be, because you’ll probably have to wait for a coveted seat—and definitely have to pay a pretty penny—in which to dig into chicken potpie with morels and seared foie gras, or a hot dog wrapped tight in bacon and topped with plenty of truffled aïoli. The Philadelphia Fish House Punch, a concoction of apple brandy, Jamaican and Guyanese rums, creme de peche, ginger and angostura bitters will leave you happy and wobbly.

The Boro Hotel in Queens has serious taste: The wood-fired oven at its year-old restaurant Beebe’s is manned by Lou Tomczak, formerly of Paulie Gee’s and Emmy’s Squared. The pizzaiolo moved away from the rectangular Detroit-style pies that Tomczak helped make famous in the city and is slinging classic New York–inspired pies. Order the Rooftop, which has mozzarella, house-made ricotta, Parmesan, arugula, lemon and olive oil.

On the ground floor of the Bowery Hotel, Gemma serves Italian-by-way-of-New York fare to the downtown chic masses. Cozy up to the copper bar and sip a glass of fizzy Lambrusco under thatched wine bottles hanging from rafters. The fritto misto is addictively crispy and generously dusted with lemon zest, and veal cutlet topped with prosciutto di Parma and sage is comfort food at its finest.