Forget that this is essentially a museum bar in the Met Breuer; Flora is a sophisticated drinking lounge that shows off the building's architectural extravagance. Park yourself at the marble bar or curl into a deep modernist armchair to marvel at the double-story concrete cathedral and gigantic glass wall that leads to a sunken garden: an oasis beneath Madison Ave.

It's also a restaurant where arty types come to dine on plates of jamón ibérico de Bellota, stracciatella with lemon and fennel, and dishes such as lamb ribs with yogurt and mojo verde.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Met Breuer

The newest branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art opened in the landmark former Whitney Museum building (designed by Marcel Breuer; there's an…

2. Asia Society & Museum

0.25 MILES

Founded in 1956 by John D Rockefeller III (an avid collector of Asian art), this cultural center hosts fascinating exhibits (Buddhist art of Myanmar,…

3. Frick Collection

0.25 MILES

This spectacular art collection sits in a mansion built by steel magnate Henry Clay Frick, one of the many such residences lining the section of Fifth Ave…

4. Bethesda Fountain

0.37 MILES

This neoclassical fountain is one of New York’s largest. It’s capped by the Angel of the Waters, who is supported by four cherubim. The fountain, created…

5. Bethesda Terrace

0.37 MILES

The arched and frescoed walkways of Bethesda Terrace, crowned by the magnificent Bethesda Fountain, have long been a gathering area for New Yorkers of all…

6. Metropolitan Museum of Art

0.4 MILES

What started with a handful of paintings brought over from Europe or donated by a coterie of philanthropically minded robber barons in the 19th century…

7. Ramble

0.4 MILES

In Central Park, between 73rd and 78th Sts, the leafy 38-acre Ramble is a wooded thicket that’s popular with bird-watchers. It's easy to lose your way in…

8. Temple Emanu-El

0.49 MILES

Founded in 1845 as the first Reform synagogue in New York, this temple, completed in 1929, is now one of the largest Jewish houses of worship in the world…