Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park
Like a 39-story phoenix rising from the ashes, the multi-million-dollar Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park gives dramatic new life to a subdued lower Manhattan -- not to mention butler-drawn baths, a water sommelier, and multiple dining options. On the lobby level, there's the main restaurant, 2 West, serving Spanish- and Italian-themed bento boxes and multicultural noodles at lunch, and a dinner menu full of local ingredients like sake-braised Hudson Valley foie gras with smoked eel and apples. The adjacent Lobby Lounge breaks British convention with a "power tea" of steak tartare, foie gras, a Stilton soufflé, and vodka-infused tea. And the fourteenth-floor Rise bar and lounge, with its smashing harbor views, outdoor deck, signature martinis, and tiered tasting racks of appetizers (pictured), has inherited something of the awe-inspiring spirit of the late Windows on the World.
2 West Street
212-344-0800
· Cuisine: Eclectic