Skip to main content

Monkey Bar NYC Review: Is Midtown's Hyped Retro Icon Worth It? | USA East Coast Series

Some restaurants you visit for the food. Some you visit for the room. 

🐒 Monkey Bar is firmly in the second camp, and it has the pedigree to back it up.

Monkey Bar NYC
nice decor and cosy vibe

A Little History 📜

Monkey Bar opened in the 1930s inside Midtown's Hotel ElysĂŠe and spent decades as a celebrity haunt, all monkey murals and martinis. It's changed hands several times since and has now been revived by the group behind 4 Charles Prime Rib and Au Cheval. In other words: the crew responsible for some of the hardest tables in New York.

Monkey Bar NYC
Tables are very close to each other

✨ Decor & Ambience 

Retro and grand, and genuinely lovely. We arrived for an early weekday dinner before a Broadway show and the bar was already packed, while the dining room was quiet — for about ten minutes, until it filled around us.

My one gripe: the room is spacious, but the tables are crammed right up against each other. Monkey Bar isn't pretending to be Michelin-level, but it isn't budget either, and at these prices I'd expect more elbow room.

👋 Service 

Helpful, efficient and friendly across the board. No notes.

🍽️ Food & Drinks 

Monkey truffle bread: a bit pricey for a bread course. Fluffy and decent, though it could be better. The truffle butter is lovely and the truffle on top genuinely lifts it. Generous portion, good opener.

Monkey Bar NYC
A signature bread, good quality overall

Crab cake: the star. One of the best I've had — packed with crab meat, crispy crust, flavourful, with a tartare sauce that pulls its weight.

Monkey Bar NYC
Love this crab cake, the best so far in this USA holiday

French dip: just OK. The bread is quality, warm and crisp, but the beef is over-seasoned and short on actual beefy flavour, and the jus is far too peppery.

Monkey Bar NYC
Generous portion french dip but I prefer a better beef

Thick-cut bacon: a winner. Honey glaze and pepper bring out the meatiness. I'd take this over a standard bacon starter any day.

Monkey Bar NYC
Good thick cut bacon

💰 Value 

A bit pricey for what it is. But here's the good news: unlike its famously impossible sister 4 Charles Prime Rib, Monkey Bar is bookable — log on sharp at 9am and a table is realistically yours.

Verdict 🏁 A handsome room, warm service and a stellar crab cake. Not worth the full hype, but a solid, bookable Midtown option.

Ratings ⭐

  • Food: 3.75/5 – Excellent crab cake and bacon, but an over-seasoned French dip drags the score down.
  • Service: 4/5 – Friendly, efficient and attentive all evening.
  • Decor: 4/5 – Gorgeous retro-grand room, spoiled slightly by tables packed too close together.
  • Value: 3.75/5 – Pricey for the cooking, though easier to book than its sister restaurants.
  • Overall: 3.75/5 – A solid choice for classic American food if you don't expect miracles.

💰 Estimated cost per person: £70–£100

📍 Monkey Bar 

Address: 60 East 54th Street, New York, NY 10022, USA


Labels:
Location: New York, NY, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2026 Ultimate Food Guide for Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND)

I make every single calorie count before I head to the gate. Haneda Airport has leveled up significantly in the last couple of years—it’s no longer just a place to grab a sad sandwich. Between the new Haneda Airport Garden and the classic Edo Koji upper deck, you can actually have one last world-class meal. The Lay of the Land: Where to Eat? There are two main "foodie" zones before you hit security: Haneda Airport Garden: The shiny new wing connected to Terminal 3. Edo Koji (4F Departure Hall): The classic "Old Tokyo" themed street right above the check-in counters. 1. Edo Koji (4F Departure Lobby) This is where the energy is. It’s styled like an Edo-period street and has some of the most famous airport branches in Japan. Yakitori Soba Nishaku-gosun is a solid choice for those looking for a reliable meal at a decent price. Located on the 4th floor of the Terminal 3 departure hall, it offers a straightforward dining experience that won't break the bank before you...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Joy -Taipei's Highest (and Priciest) All-You-Can-Eat Truly Worth the Sky-High Bill?

When someone mentions "buffet," your mind probably conjures up images of lukewarm, vaguely-Chinese food trays and a general sense of regret. But hold onto your chopsticks, because East Asia’s buffet game is a completely different. We’re talking next-level quality, and prices to match. This time, Honest Bao scaled the ultimate peak in Taipei to review what might be the city's highest and most expensive buffet... and I'm here to tell you if it's the absolute best. Great view on Taipei city This place is seriously popular, so ditch your spontaneous dinner plans. You must book in advance, and here's a cheeky little catch for you international travellers: they tend to charge foreigners a tad more since you typically have to use a booking agent like Klook to snag a spot. Once you're in, though, prepare to be impressed. The restaurant sprawls across the entire floor, and the variety of food is absolutely monumental—it easily dwarfs any buffet spread I've enco...
1 comment
Read more

The Farmer’s Dog Review: Is Jeremy Clarkson’s Pub Actually Worth the Hype?

Alright, foodies, grab your wellies. Remind you Jeremy Clarkson is the owner Today we are going for a journey deep into the Cotswolds - checking out The Farmer’s Dog, the highly anticipated country pub opened by Jeremy Clarkson. With thousands of glowing reviews plastered all over TikTok and Instagram, I rolled up expecting a literal culinary miracle. The reality? It’s a cracking good feed, but it might just be a tiny bit of a victim of its own massive internet hype. Nice character building Let's start with the positives: the food here is genuinely lovely. We are talking proper British comfort food, served up in absolutely massive portions that guarantee you won't leave hungry. Best of all, for a place attached to a major celebrity name, it actually won't break the bank. Nicely cooked and tender pork rib Let's start with the positives: the food here is genuinely lovely. We are talking proper British comfort food, served up in absolutely massive portions that guarantee y...
Post a Comment
Read more