[Photo: Kathy YL Chan]

Dig in—there's a bowl full of warmth awaiting you at Café Sabarsky. This Viennese restaurant is tucked inside Neue Galerie's museum, and the best seats are those cushioned booths with windows overlooking Central Park. Gorgeous especially in the winter, with dark walls and high ceilings, the snow falling outside.

But as a party of one, you won't be getting a booth. Hang your coat and settle for a small two-top; just make sure your seat faces the windows. In this weather, you'll want to cozy up to an order of the house Spätzle ($15).

The creamed spätzle is seasoned primarily with tarragon, each cozy forkful rounded with juicy wild mushrooms and little sweet peas and diced carrots. A light shake of black pepper keeps the dish from becoming monotonous, as often happens with creamy pastas. Cooked just past al dente, the spätzle remains tender, and is bound to warm your belly. Wash down with coffee luxuriously served on a silver tray, or even better, the Sabarsky Heiße Schokolade ($6.50), steamy and silky Viennese hot chocolate with equal parts drink and fresh whipped cream. The hot chocolate is presented in a double wall glass, one tiny, potent portion, dark though sweet enough to deem dessert.

Café Sabarsky

1048 5th Avenue, New York NY 10028 (map)
212-288-0665
cafesabarsky.com

About the author: Originally from Honolulu, Kathy YL Chan writes A Passion For Food, where she chronicles her eats and travels adventures between Hawai'i, New York and beyond. She firmly believes that there is always room for dessert.