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Best Bar for a Rendezvous

THE PEN-TOP BAR AND TERRACE AT THE PENINSULA HOTEL
700 Fifth Ave.
212-956-2888

A midtown rooftop bar that recently transformed itself into a glass-encased, flashing-neon palace might not seem like the best place to keep an affair secret. But sometimes it’s best to hide in plain sight. The Pen-Top is small enough that you can keep your eye on the door, and no one can just walk by and spy you without taking the elevator 23 flights up. And in the unlikely event you do get spotted by a local among the bankers and rich foreigners, there are numerous legitimate excuses for being there. You’re in midtown! It’s a work thing! Maybe your unfamiliar “friend” is a business acquaintance staying in the luxurious hotel. Or you’re treating your “niece” to a spa treatment? Rooms, of course, are just a short walk away.