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With its Art Deco towers and irreproachable doormen, Central Park
West can be daunting to the visitor. There’s a sort of hauteur about
the avenue which keeps standards high, which is exactly what you
happily find at Nougatine. Located at Trump International Tower,
Nougatine is the quieter sister to Jean-Georges, its more sumptuous
sibling located right next door. In fact, following on the heels of
the chic and/or impeccably dressed maitre d’, it’s possible to pass
right through Nougatine and mistake the room for little more than a
pleasing lobby. And yet, to sit at the bar at Nougatine, and
specifically after an evening at the Met or the ballet, is to feel
as if you’ve penetrated one of the more elegant speakeasies still
operating in Manhattan. So secluded and yet right there for all to
see, and so private even in its openness, and filled with similar
individuals seeking a classic cocktail, updated, and everyone on
their best behavior and wearing something suitably luxe and
comfortable. Why not, then, have a bite to eat at the bar? The
barman, the very model of discretion, sets a lovely table, and the
barwoman knows how to shake a perfect ginger margarita. The bread is
fresh and chewy, with butter that has obviously been flown in from
France just this very morning. S’il vous plait, plus de beurre. Who
can resist? And a winter root vegetable salad, with a side of
grilled polenta, leaving just enough room for a praline bread
pudding with poached cranberries and caramel gelato. And now there
are three other couples eating at the bar, and all around us, the
murmur of civilized conversation. With the Park just outside and
such a calming setting, Nougatine is indeed a sanctuary in the
center of Manhattan.
Best always,
Mark and Robert
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