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.