Café Carlyle

Profile

For those captivated by romantic visions of Sammy Davis, Jr. and Joey Bishop sipping blithely from martinis and crooning old jazz standards while tuxedoed waiters light the cigarettes of starlets, the Carlyle can be a pleasant way to drift into the past. A New York institution located on the ground floor of the Carlyle Hotel, this intimate venue was where the late Bobby Short held court at the piano in front of sellout crowds for over 36 years. On Mondays, filmmaker Woody Allen shows up regularly to play the clarinet with the Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band. Banquettes line the walls and above are colorful music-themed murals created by the French artist Marcel Vertés, while in the dark center of the room a crush of tables give the best views of the performers. Perhaps the club originally attracted young Upper East Side swells, but today, songs like "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "Autumn in New York" appeal more to older out-of-towners, many of whom attend a show here in the way they would a Broadway show, causing the place to sometimes seem like an exercise in nostalgia. Still, when the singers belt out "I did it my way," the rush is still there. — David S. Hirschman

Jacket required for men; no jeans or sneakers.