Monkey Bar

The main dining room at Monkey Bar is wrapped in a massive mural by Ed Sorel, a tribute to the Jazz Age icons who once frequented the place – from Frank Sinatra to Dorothy Parker. It’s a striking piece of art that sets the tone for the entire back room, which is pure old New York with its deep red banquettes, moody lighting, and classic Art Deco details. The whole space is a nod to the restaurant's history, which dates back to its opening inside the Hotel Elysée in 1936. Walk toward the front and you enter the barroom, a smaller space with its own distinct character. Here, the decor lives up to the name, with restored wallpaper covered in primates and small, monkey-shaped lamps casting a warm glow. This area is a popular spot for solo diners grabbing a seat at the bar for a martini and a meal. The menu is a straightforward list of high-end American comfort food. Steaks, a well-regarded cheeseburger, and a French dip sandwich are staples, alongside seafood like king crab Rangoons and crab cakes. Even the Caesar salad comes with a unique touch – salt-and-vinegar chips stand in for the usual croutons. For dessert, the chocolate cream pie is the one that gets mentioned most often. Over the decades, the bar became a gathering place for literary figures like Tennessee Williams and was famously restored in 2009 by Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, who commissioned the Sorel mural. That legacy means the place gets busy the moment the doors open, and reservations are notoriously difficult to secure. Portions are generous across the board.