• John Allan’s Club

  46 East 46th Street, 212-922-0361; 95 Trinity Place, 212-406-3000

  What the John Allan’s experience amounts to—they call it Full Service ($65)—is an admirably efficient 40-minute immersion in male-centered pampering: A shoeshine. A shampoo. A haircut. A scalp massage. A hot-towel facial. A manicure. Exhibiting an acute understanding of the psychological needs of his clientele, Allan has cloaked all this indulgence in reassuringly masculine camouflage: overstuffed distressed-leather armchairs, a pool table and bar, and beer. Pony up $695 for an annual membership and you can get the Full Service treatment daily if you want; they’ll even let you stash your own personal bottle in the lounge.

From the 2003 Best of New York issue of New York Magazine