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Come for the view, stay for the…view. Floor-to-ceiling windows embellish the restaurant bar at the Renaissance Hotel chain’s hotspot in Times Square, so the neon and bustle, vendors and cheap pizza are a welcome step away. Request a booth right at the glass to get the best panorama—it’s worth the wait. Cutesy comfortable in its faux-exotica and eclectic clutter, the R Lounge is textbook trendy read a little bit wrong; an upscale interpretation of that homely-but-not-quite ambience hotels shoot for, but all too often miss. It’s a venue that works best for passing through and gawking, be it for a business lunch or pre/post-show cocktails, with smart snacks from the Blue Ribbon-designed bar menu (order a selection, because portions are small). — Alex Rees