Dali at the St. Regis

The St. Regis Hotel is the most opulent and grand hotel in New York — and it has the history to back that up. The Beaux-Arts landmark was opened in 1904 by John Jacob Astor IV, who died eight years later aboard the Titanic. Every fall and winter through the 1960s and 70s, Salvador Dalí, his wife Gala, and their pet ocelot (a dwarf leopard, naturally) took up residence here, hosting legendary parties for New York’s art world elite.

The building still feels like a step back in time — every inch packed with paintings, decorative moldings, and an almost aggressive commitment to glamour. And then there’s this: in 1934, St. Regis bartender Fernand Petiot invented the Bloody Mary here. Management found the name too provocative for their clientele, so it was briefly and delightfully renamed The Red Snapper.

Location: 2 E 55th St, New York, NY 10022