Best remembered as the creator of the classic Madeline books for children, Ludwig Bemelmans once joked he'd like his tombstone to read: "Tell Them It Was Wonderful." Well, wonderful it was, and still is, at Bemelmans Bar. Named in honor of the legendary artist, Bemelmans is a timeless New York watering hole that has drawn socialites, politicians, movie stars and moguls for more than five decades.
Restored in 2002 by designer Thierry Despont, the bar maintains its Art Deco legacy with chocolate-brown leather banquettes, nickel-trimmed black glass tabletops, a dramatic black granite bar and a 24-karat gold leaf-covered ceiling. Featuring the only surviving Bemelmans' commission open to the public, the 75-seat bar combines wit and coziness in unique New York style.
Long-time Bemelmans bartender Tommy Rowles recalls when a weary Harry S. Truman stopped in and ordered Old Grand-Dad bourbon on the rocks. When Rowles, a dedicated beer drinker, remarked that he could never drink an Old Grand-Dad, President Truman suggested he take a look out the window at the mob of reporters waiting and remarked, "If you had to walk 15 blocks with these guys following you, you'd drink this too."