For those of us who will never attend a polo match and the dinner with the upper crust afterwards, there's now Ralph Lauren's Polo Bar at the designer's flagship shop just south of Central Park. The equestrian-inspired space feels like it was stolen from a club for well-bred gentlemen in the early 20th century and plopped down on Fifth Avenue. Dark and highly varnished wood lines the ceilings, while rich mahogany leather is stretched across banquettes, horse paintings cover the walls, and riding hats hang from hooks in what looks like a very fancy mud room but is more likely the space outside of the restrooms.
The menu of Lauren's favorites is straightforward American with the prices one would expect given the location. There is "Ralph's" roast beef sandwich, a burger, a kale caesar, crab cakes, and the like. Upstairs, a bar offers shrimp cocktail, caviar, and because Lauren is an Americana king, pigs in blankets. Dining in the spaces doesn't start until the afternoon, so for a daytime pick-me-up in between trying on sweaters, there's also Ralph's Coffee upstairs.
At the Bar:
