It’s not a hotel, however, that likes to rest on its historic laurels. Today, their new restaurant, Dowling’s, opens. The interior features over 180 works of art, some by Bemelmans himself. The black and white walls are balanced out by red, as well as cream-and forest-green booths that are engrained with artful geometric doodles. In the center of the room hangs a grand chandelier, and decorative fireplaces are dotted throughout. Interior designer William Paley, of Tonychi studio, was inspired by the rooms of Dorothy Draper (who also, once upon a time, worked with the Carlyle).
Helmed by the former chef of the 21 Club, Sylvain Delpique, Dowling’s serves up timeless American and French classics—there’s smoked salmon, spiced Colorado Lamb shack, and Steak Diane, flambéed tableside with cognac, as well as a scrumptious ice-cream sundae for two. The Wild Burgundy escargot is a must order. Brunch offerings include a croque monsieur, eggs benedict, and a short stack of lemon ricotta pancakes.
The restaurant’s moniker is a nod to one of the property’s most famous owners, William Dowling. The eccentric developer was the first man to swim around the island of Manhattan—a feat that he claimed was a result of his beef and chocolate diet. Fittingly, his namesake “Mr. Dowling” cocktail is made with beef bitters.
The white-jacketed waiters are knowledgeable, cheery, and convivial. Many have worked at The Carlyle for years, if not decades. (If your server is Charles—trust us, you are in for a delightful night.)
This sort of warmth is why, in a city full of five-star hotels, so many keep coming back to the Upper East Side hotel. “It’s been a home away from home for so many of us for, oh God, me at least the last 30 or 40 years,” Anjelica Huston says in The Carlyle. “It’s the grandest place to stay in New York, not because it’s the biggest or the shiniest or the newest—it has to do with comfort.”
For all the latest fasion News Click Here
