Profile

Although technically part of the Roosevelt Hotel, Vander Bar is neither attached to the hotel nor does it follow the same aesthetic. The checkered floor, scattered metal tables, and TVs showing assorted sports keep the bar low key and comfortable for after-work drinks (as of now, it’s not open on weekends, or late enough for anything more). The food, supplied by the hotel’s kitchen, is a few steps above basic—vegetable pot stickers come artfully arranged and the Vander Burger is juicy and great. Floor-to-ceiling windows on Vanderbilt Avenue open up to let the breeze in the summer. — Emma Barker