Monkey Bar

It was almost impossible to snag a reservation for dinner, so I decided to check out the famed Monkey Bar for brunch. First off, the VIBES-- I'm in love! Even though we visited Monkey Bar for lunch, the vibes were still immaculate. Perfect for date night or for a special occasion! The tables were situated a bit too close to each other though so it was really hard to move / noise levels were pretty high.Second, our waiter was amazing-- super friendly! Some of the best service I've had in the city so far.Third, the food was fantastic! - Caesar salad: 100/10 (easily THE best Caesar salad I've had in a looong time. Almost beats my fav salad of all time-- the Lou Malnati salad in Chicago. The salad was perfectly tossed so that the dressing was evenly distributed.) - Wagyu burger: 9/10 (a very classic but good burger. It was on the drier side)- French dip: 10/10 (the sourdough bread was perfectly chewy and the meat + sauce = chefs kiss)- French fries: 10/10 (perfect fries)Overall, loved everything we got and the vibes were killer. I'll definitely be back!

Old school New York in every way. The jazz music being played throughout the dining room makes you feel like you're back in the day. We were able to secure a reservation via email and were seated only a few minutes after our scheduled time. Everyone from the hostess, waiter and other team members were fantastic. The meal started out with the amazing monkey truffle bread. It's soft, salted, sweet and throw in the truffles for a great beginning to your meal. I looked around and practically every table had some monkey bread on their tables, that's how good it is. The wedge salad was average and my wife's filet was over cooked. She regretted not saying something. The prime rib sandwich is very good, the shaved prime rib is very tender. I would recommend the sandwich. To finish the night off we split the chocolate cream pie. Wow, it is rich and the whipped cream on top is nice and light. The pie is a must have but we couldn't finish it. Definitely give the Monkey Bar a visit if you can get a reservation it makes for a fun night out with old school vibes.

Fairly disappointed by our dinner here.Big fan of Hogsalt restaurants, love going to any of the Chicago locations around me, but my experience didn't really live up to my past ones. The restaurant vibe was nice, a little dim, intimate, and they have a coat check. Our waiter was kind, and knew the menu well. We had the shrimp cocktail, the caesar and the bib salad to start. Loved those, I wished Id just gotten another salad as my main in fact. I have to eat gluten free, so was charmed by how much of their menu was able to work for me. Even the wagyu burger had a little symbol, though upon asking, our waiter let me know they don't have a gluten free bun, but would rather do a lettuce wrap. Super lazy. That's acceptable at In-n-out at best. Did you know even the fast food chain Chick-fil-a makes a gluten free bun? It's just not that difficult if you wish to maintain you accommodate allergies well. But they also had GF pasta, so I got that with clams. The tables food arrived super late. We must've been waiting for over 20 minutes after our starters were cleared. When my pasta did arrive, it was criminally underdone. Had my partner try it as well, he agreed. The noodles were stuck together as well.. Not really sure who made them, but it couldn't have been a chef. They definitely hadn't tasted it. I had to send it back, the first time I've ever done that. They brought me another, noticeably less pasta this time?, and stood and watched while I tried it again. I gave the waiter the okay, but as I continued to eat it, I discovered it was half done pasta, and half underdone pasta. My table was nearing the end of their own mains of course, and we had a show we had to get to soon, so I choked it down. Just think it's so unacceptable to serve underdone pasta, twice, when you're charging at least $100/head. And this has little to do with being gluten free pasta either, it cooks exactly the same, and should taste exactly the same. I'll stick to Chicago.

One of the few old school restaurants left! The inside is really pretty and the food is pretty good too! I asked the waitress whether she recommended the spicy pasta or the caesar salad and she said both and said they could make me half portions of both (but the cost was more than half for each). The dessert looked good too but we didn't have room.

Monkey bar is one of NYC's hyped up spots, and after seeing all the truffle on their menu, it was my goal to get a reservation here. Out of everywhere we were going on our trip to New York, Monkey Bar was at the top of my list. I love the atmosphere here, the ambiance gives old school New York. The monkeys everywhere, even as lamps, were really cute too.The food was good but maybe a bit overhyped. We loved the truffle monkey bread, RigaToni alla vodka, and the burger, but I can't say anything was super special. I was pretty surprised by this. While everything was certainly good, it wasn't blowing my mind. Service was the same. Overall, it's a cool spot to go to but not sure I'd be dying to get reservations the way I was. We still had a great time and dinner though!

Great Dry aged burger! Similar to au cheval.Also had the French dip and the Carrot cake. All items were solid but our favorite was the burger.Really solid spot for a nicer night out, business dinner or date night. Would go back if we can get a rez!

Finally checked Monkey Bar off my Resy list last Friday, Dec. 27. Originally planned for my birthday last October, I had a couple of international work travels that conflicted with the challenge of getting a table here. Was really looking forward to a nice year-ender date here. As a Resy Global Dining Access member, I didn't feel the benefits at all despite my request for a nicer booth table for the occassion. It took almost 30 mins to be seated despite our reservation and the table assignment wasn't really thoughtful, so I guess they either don't read email requests or how you specify it on Resy. I will say that the ambiance is on point and most of the food was good. As for the food, everyone recommended the King Crab rangoon but honestly it tasted flat and all cream cheese. I was surprised they even called it King Crab. I've had much better at simpler Thai restos. This was a letdown for us. The thick maple bacon was good on the other hand. For our entrees, my husband had the Double Cheeseburger which was better than Au Cheval and we enjoyed the fries that we ordered separately, the garlic aioli dip that went with it was good. I enjoyed the Lobster Spaghetti. Simple yet delicious. At $75, it could be more generous in terms of portion. Enjoyed our drinks, love that they carry Avinyo Cava and I had 2 glasses while my husband enjoyed his Chianti. We strategically skipped dessert because we had a whole burnt basque cheesecake from Little Grace waiting for us at home and also wished they had more offerings.Savannah attended to us and while she was nice, we didn't get a 'See you again soon' like the couple next to us because I guess we're not white people and presumed not living in the same city. It's 2025 and this is the most diverse city in the world, let's treat everyone equally & not by what you think people might tip you based on their skin color. ;)

One of my favorites in NYC. Recently had a business lunch and had a fabulous salad with a size of truffle fries. The ambience is always awesome and service is on point. Best all around.

Definitely not an easy reservation to get but this place exceeded my expectations! The ambiance and classy NYC vintage monkey lamp decor was on point. You MUST start with the monkey bread no exceptions! It's the starter star of the show. The shaved truffle on top is spectacular. The salad is also solid but the starter that blew me away from this place specifically was..... drumroll please...... CRAB RANGOON! I would have never in a million years thought to order that here but I wish I ordered 2! Best crab Rangoon in the city by far. French dip was good but there are better French dips out there - next time I'd opt for the burger over the French dip. The Mac n cheese was crispy and creamy delicious. Truffle pasta was above average but might not order again. Service was average but Would deff come back!

The team behind 4 charles has 3 excellent restaurants in NYC, and this is one of them.A true american classic, from the superb service to the quintessentially american dining ambiance to one of the best burgers in town.This place will make its way as part of my regular midtown east rotation.Monkey bread was prob a bit overrated but you should still try.