Is Monkey Bar in NYC Worth the Effort to Reserve?

Monkey Bar is a restaurant in NYC and is in the same group as 4 Charles and Au Cheval. Au Cheval started in Chicago I believe and they are known for their burger which I tried about 10 years ago. It was before this blog started, but I do remember it being very good and also tough to get in. They now have an Au Cheval in NYC which I also tried on this trip and will post about shortly. Back to Monkey Bar.

First, getting in. The restaurant uses RESY and all slots will be booked, but if you set an alert, s slot will usually come up. So its hard to get, but not impossible. Their other restaurant though, 4 Charles, seems impossible as I set alerts for there also, but never got one. For Monkey Bar, I got a few, especially closer to my preferred date. Also, note that I went for lunch. Dinner is probably harder.

You should note that there is a bar area and main dining room. I wasn’t aware of this until the day I dined there. I was seated in the bar area and thought it was some sort of downgrade, but then I checked RESY and saw that bar seating was booked. Anyway, the actual bar is first come first serve but according to our server, it is usually a battle to get, especially in the evening. I observed people walking in a waiting for a bar seat, and they eventually got one. However, I would go with RESY.

As for the actual place, its gorgeous. This is what come to my mind when I think of classic New York. The wall has some original art and the whole place is very cozy and classy.

Foodwise, the great thing about this place is that they serve popular dishes from both 4 Charles (prime rib) and Au Cheval (the burger), so you can try both, even if you can’t get an RSVP at one. Here is the menu:

After some discussion with our server, we decided to start with the Monkey Bread:

It kind of reminded me of a Filipino ensaymada. It was a bit sweet from sugar or honey and then umami from cheese and truffles. It has tons of potential but could be better if it was a bit more salty, and if the bread was more brioche on the inside – warm and fluffy. I would not order it again.

Next, for pastas we ordered the vodka pasta and truffle mafaldine.

The vodka pasta was good but I still prefer Carbone’s. I think Carbone has the perfect balance of sweetness, spiciness, and umami. This one could of been a bit spicier. I was glad to see the pasta was not overcooked, but it was not perfectly al dente either. Still a delicious interpretation I would re-order. Vodka pasta is like pizza, almost any type is good. The truffle pasta was other story. It was out of this world good. Tons of rich butter, perfect incorporation of the truffle, umami from the pecorino, and the perfect noodle pairing. It was heavenly. Very rich, but heavenly.

After this, there was a SUPER LONG gap in the service and for whatever reason, our server stopped coming around. Yes, it was very buys, but not to the point where he could of stopped for a few seconds to update us on the food order. Don’t know why the service deteriorated, but it did.

Anyway, when the food finally came, we were presented with the fries, prime rib and thick bacon. Lets start with the bacon:

I think its the same one they put on the burger and its very well done. The bacon is sweet, salty and smokey. Next the fries, also amazing.

Very crispy and well seasoned. It hard to stop eating them. Lastly, the prime rib, the “star of the show”:

We got it thick cut and medium rare, as our server recommended. The gorgonzola aging definitely came through and was extremely well done. If you like a good aging funk on your meat, this is definitely for you. Texture wise, its more like a steak. If you are used to a place like Lawry’s where the meat is softer, this will be a different experience. I like Lawry’s and am used to a thinner, softer cut, so that’s what I would try on a future visit. The jus was flavorful, but I thought it could be a bit thicker to “stick” on each piece. I also like a stronger horseradish. Lastly, there was a lot of untrimmed fat (some is good, but there was a lot of it as you can see in the pic), and gristle which made about 1/6 of the piece inedible.

I heard they had good desserts, but due to the long slow service, I didn’t want to risk a longer stay.

Overall, service started ok then declined. Food was wow for the most part and I can see why this place is so popular. The venue is incredible. Overall, happy I went. If the service didn’t slip, I’d be eager to go back right away. I’d still go back, and recommend you try it at least once, its definitely an experience.

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