MonkeyTown

First time I went to Monkey Town was for an EyeWash show presentation. It was good and the best of all was the food: Meatless Meatballs! those were the big thing there, also I tried the lamb wraps and it was really delicious.
Last week I went back to this place with new friends and have the worst experience in my life, what a bad service, the waitress was really rude and in an extremely bad attitude. She almost didn’t want to serve our table (in the back room where the show happens). Monkey Town changed the menu for a lame one and the lamb and the meatless meatballs are not there anymore. When we got the food, it was completely burnt and tasteless.
Don’t go to this place, there a thousands of better restaurants in the city and Brooklyn.

Strange
Magic
But no match
For the landlord
Rest in peace my hidden ape wonderland.

As a working live indie-​electronic/​hiphop performer and has sold out 3 intimate and exclusive sets here, I’d say it’s amazing. The service, the food, the atmosphere and originality has me curious towards why their over all rating is 3 ½ stars. Doesn’t make sense at all. It’s hidden which makes it cool and isn’t with flashing lights and banners. It hosts amazing artists and parties and would recommend anyone going on a date to take the person here. Maybe not first date, but that second date when you want to get intimate in the back, sitting low, with four screens surrounding you. Great spot to perform and a great spot to see a performance.

It seems to be a common story, people getting lost getting to Monkeytown. I asked a lot of people, and everyone was like they knew where it was, and couldn’t remember the exact location. It was a trial getting there, and yes it was worth it. My friend was playing in a show with his band, so that was my reason.
The show was in the back room where there is like a room full of sofas, for walls of projectors, and the band was in the center of the room. The drink menu is definitely bigger than the food menu.
You definitely had to spend a minimum of $ 10 to enjoy the music. I had a Baked Salmon, where the sauce was pretty interesting, kinda tarty.
One of the bathroom was definitely unique. It was a converted bathroom, with a shower facet.

I’ve been to Monkeytown a number of times now for different performances/​screenings, and I’ve always had a great experience.
The food is yummy (some dishes better than others), as are the cocktails. My only complaint is that the service can be quite slow, as people tend to sit down and order all at once in the back room. I love the ambiance though, and it’s very relaxing to be able to lounge and dine at the same time. Overall, two thumbs up.

This is not your parent’s dinner and a show. Monketown is like a mash-​up of upscale cuisine, avant guard performances, with a little visual LSD to match. I’m talking of course about the back room, an intimate venue, where revelers line the exterior of the largish room, flanked on all 4 sides by projected lights and images. A little day tripping makes the lobster ravioli go down better.
However, the front dining area is not without it’s eye candy. In typical Williamsburg style, Monkeytown manages to be both upscale, sleek, yet with a sense of whimsy and unpretentious such as the hipster bartender tending shop underneath a paper mache chandelier.
We came here to check out a performance by a friend of mine, DJ Slouch. The performers recognized that the sound system was lacking (tinny on the highs, unsubstantial on the lows), but put forth an excellent show. Our enjoyment was piqued by a tempting offering of lobster bisque, kobe sliders, and other fusion creations.
Even though the performance was in full effect, the service impressively never skipped a beat. Any service confusion was had on my part… I aggressively flagged down who I thought was our waitress, and was corrected by my friend. «She’s not our waitress»
I sat confused for a minute, and tried to visually piece together what our server looked like. Hmm, let’s see: skinny jeans, ironic/​hipster t-​shirt, arm tat’s, and librarian haircut. I then realized that all three waitresses were dressed like that.
Oh Williamsburg.

I came out here to catch DJ Slouch and a couple of his friends play a tag-​team set. The set lacked a little because of the sound system, but I really appreciated the intimacy of the venue. There couldn’t have been more than 50 people sitting along the walls with the DJs in the middle. The VJs were playing video displayed on each of the four walls.
The lobster bisque was good with a little bit of spice. It wasn’t amazing, but it had good presentation. My martini was good and not hesitant. I really expected that our server would abandon us after the set began, but she was sufficiently attentive without getting in the way.
I wouldn’t mind seeing another set here if they can improve the sound system.

HUGE MISS! The theme was fresh harvest from local and regional farmers. I was on the fence about this one, but they had me at 3 meat dishes. All the way from Brussels, Christina Vantzou (The Dead Texan) from Brussels provided the video and was there to introduce herself and present her work. The coolest part was when you saw a cake with pink icing being made, then played in reverse in slow motion. Else I could’ve fallen asleep. We went to grab a crab pie at Artichoke after this meal. Nuff said.
FARM TO TABLE DINNER ($ ⁴⁰⁄₆ courses, $ 65 w/​wine pairing)
PART 1
bbq’d goat shoulder (johnnycake, fava bean leaves) — imagine pulled pork, except it’s goat and tastes a bit gamey, OD on the bbq sauce, johnnycake was super dry and tasted like dehydrated corn, fava bean leaves were fresh and earthy
PART 2
baby spring greens (crumbled goat cheese, blackberry vinaigrette) — generic, tastes like what you would expect
PART 3
seared black bass (sunchoke purée, grilled ramps, oyster mushrooms) — fish was tasty, the long ramp tasted like a scallion to me, don’t see what the hype is about surrounding this much coveted veggie amongst the chef community, very safe dish here, expected more creativity
PART 4
roasted pork loin (rosemary potatoes, crisp apples, cider jus) — alternating layers of meat and fat, tough to cut with a knife, potatoes were herby and roasted, anything apple goes well with pork, disappointed with the meat though
PART 5
consider bardwell cheeses with local honey (pawlet, manchester and dorset) — the first one was way too gamey, the second did nothing for me, and the third was passable, I barely touched this
PART 6
fresh strawberries (sugared biscuit, ginger sabayon, sesame gelato) — I didn’t touch the biscuit since I am going low carb, but the rest of it was okay
Total came out to $ 52/​pp after everything
I took my food meetup here:
Pics to follow…

Attended a wedding reception at Monkeytown and Loved every minute of it: this place is Fantastic! Great décor, atmosphere and the food is almost surprisingly good. Front area by the bar was fun, but the space in the back was unbelievable. Judging by other reviews, this is a locale for many functions and underground events, so I am sure I’ll come back soon.

Came here to take someone out for his birthday. The food was good, atmosphere chill and the service attentive. We went to the backroom and were pleasantly surprised by the open space and unusual setup. You pay your five bucks to walk to the back through this narrow neon pink hallway and the other side of the door leads you to this huge room with tall ceilings. Their are slouchy couches around the edge of the room with the band set up in the middle of the room. I can’t remember what I had exactly but everything was good. The duck was memorable and I highly recommend it. The meat seared perfectly and it had the right balance between meat, collard greens and sauce. The only drawback was I didn’t think the mixed drinks were very good. I had the ginger drink and thought it was slightly watered down.

when MoMA opened Modern next door, it was suggesting the relevance of contemporary cuisine to modern art. Monkeytown exemplifies the complementarity and interchangability of the two. you watch art – you digest it; food is art – you eat it. you lose yourself among 4 walls of edible forms (and low low low chairs).
food was a delectable 3.5 stars with countless ensembles of fun ingredients – didn’t taste as interesting, but after all that was only half the show – the one we saw was a projected collection of work by local video artists. i heard there was one on porn not long ago (that HAD to be good. had better be good) and sometimes there were performance artists.
creatively electric, funky, Monkeytown encapsulates the soul of williamsburg. no boundaries, and still pushing!

I went to one of Monkeytown’s themed prix-​fix dinners recently and was impressed but not blown away. The theme was «forest,» which meant that the six courses collectively incorporated venison, elk, quail, rabbit, and wild boar (dessert was Black Forest cake) and the restaurant had «curated» a selection of music videos that were projected on huge screens for accompanying entertainment.
The back room at Monkeytown (in contrast to the front room, which is typical restaurant fare) consists of low tables in front of rows of couches. You’re definitely squeezed together. It’s cozy. Good for dates.
The food is not entirely terrific — the braised rabbit in ginger and carrot (ha!) sauce was great, for example, but the wild boar was nothing to write home about. Experience-​wise, however, it was really pleasant, and the price was not bad. I’d go back, but if they asked me for feedback I’d suggest paying some extra attention to the stuff that actually gets eaten.

The door closed and the cabbie was gone. Were we in the right place? Leah glanced suspiciously at me then took my arm. It was freezing and we were on the outskirts of Williamsburg on a street with a bunch of warehouses and not much else. I saw the address 58 and we walked up to a plain door with no sign and not a soul to be seen or heard. The door was open. We walked in and the bartender welcomed us, said this was indeed Monkey Town and that we were just in time for the show. Very Kubrick-​esque.
We walked down the hall and into a square, white room with projection screens on all four sides and the walls were lined with immaculate white couches. Girls dressed in 80s workout gear passed around candy and chocolates. I think Leah and I both, simultaneously, wondered just what the hell we had gotten ourselves into. Very exclusive… but I was INVITED.
Luckily, I saw my new friend/​filmmaker Sarah Stuve, said hello through the crowd gathered around her and managed to find a couple of seats next to a very drunk but charming gay man. We started to mingle and after being offered some M&Ms by an extra from the movie Perfect (I said, «no, I was on a diet» not realizing how appropriate that comment would later prove to be) the lights dimmed and some nature footage cranked to life.
Two dancers began to perform a rather passionate chase or be chased love affair of a dance and it was so sudden and seemingly out of place that I almost giggled. They turned out to be very impressive exhibiting a cool control for the few minutes they were on the floor and Im still amazed that they managed not to hit anything or anyone as the waitresses had to perfectly time their movements as they engaged in their own kind of dance with the performers and patrons. Then, Sarah came out, introduced her film and just as quickly she vanished.
After the short (which was Brilliant with a capitol «Wow I didn’t know she was so talented») a live and in your face aerobics workout busted out from behind the screen! Then, a 7’5″ high-​booted gentlemen looking like a funhouse fabulous Tommy Gnosis came waltzing out to join the festivities. Leah looked to me and said she wanted to leave with the film still fresh in her memory. Plus, she was convinced this scene had the makings of transforming into an out of control gay orgy.
Compliments and good tidings to the woman of the night, a nightcap at the bar and off we went back into the cold nothing of N.3^rd street.
That night just might have been the first time I really felt like a New Yorker.
Stats:
People: Intimidating, flirtatious, dressed to the nines
Drinks: Strong and downright delicious
Scene: Exclusive but inviting
Upcoming Events: I swear I have the calendar around here somewhere.

I was here this past weekend for a minimal house music party in the back room. The projections, open space for dancing, and the loungey sofas that outlined the room were perfect for this type of party & I had a great time dancing/​lounging here. The bar in the front was very cool as well — dimly lit, old school hip hop playing softly, inventive cocktails, and a good wine list. I found the prices pretty reasonably considering the fancy, flavor infused cocktails. I will definitely be hitting up this hidden gem again.
Note: Haven’t tried the food — I’ll update my review after I get a chance to dine here.

I was really excited to go to this place based on some reviews, their unique-​but-​homey menu, and their «notable cocktail menu.»
Don’t go. The atmosphere is more bar than restaurant, the food tries to be something unique, but falls quite short of achieving that.
I had the fois gras with lavender caramel and apple coleslaw. The dish –granted it was a huge piece of fois gras – just felt like eating a plain piece of fois gras, with caramel. And, you may think that sounds funny or retarded since it was the dish’s name, but there was no elegance to the combination. The flavors didn’t dance together or combine, they were just there.
We also had the shrimp sausage. Stay away. They are awkward in texture, bland in taste, and not worth it.
I had the burger, which was a pretty good burger. My girlfriend had the pheasant stew, which came highly recommended. It was ok. It was better at home, heated up, on a roll, than as an actual stew with rosemary grits.
The notable cocktail menu is not notable. They have no rye, no bourbon other than well, and the «notable» probably only comes from the fact that they do some basic infusions. The drink I had – a manhattan modication, which is one of my favorite drinks – was just a basic manhattan with some extra flavors that didn’t improve it.
The place also gets super loud later in the night as they turn the music up, the bar fills, and dining is unpleasant.

Came here for a friend’s birthday. It was pretty quiet that night, which was surprising. The place has a really cool vibe — they have great décor/​art and it’s just a nice place to sit at the bar or sit in the room and chill out. The back room was sweet, and I believe they use it for random events and screenings (I briefly glimpsed at their calendar). It’s a spacious room with long comfy couches lining the walls. Each wall has a huge projector screen on it. We popped in some DVDs and watched it on all 4 screens. It was awesome.
The food was yum too and the bartender made some of the craziest, most inventive shots I’ve ever had. I’ve done my fair share of drinking, but this was quite the experience… I never thought cilantro (among other things) would work in a shot, but somehow it did. Hell yes to Monkeytown.

Loved our Monkeytown adventure…
Very different from the norm of Bright Lights, Big City of Manhattan.
(I once lived in Williamsburg long ago when the only restaurant was: gasp –Diner)
After finishing dinner @ PT we wanted to con’t the evening with drinks.
Along the walk, we stumbled into a bar on Berry caught the last part of the Obama speech on wide screen projection & afterwards bolted to Monkeytown.
Restaurant:
For some reason once inside the A/​C and ceiling fans where at full speed. I think it was 67 degrees out and the smoking bans still exists, right?
High ceilings, great b&w mural and inviting banquettes.
Drinks $ 9
Me: Cloves B’s Knees –on the sweet side but equally strong.
Pyrat XO aged rum, lemon juice, chamomile honey, clove twist
MM: Raul Quincy: «Feel the burn!» «Feel the Heat!»
jalepeño gin, cider, quince syrup
BFF: Monkey Town Manhattan –not the best concoction.
whiskey, sweet vermouth, stones ginger, bitters
But, we were waiting for the
Video/​performance art show room to open.
Four gigantic walls of the same video –clips from Vietnam and what-​not.
White futon-​like sofas, pillows to match and table service.
11pm (NYC/​Warsaw/​Tehran –electro/​pop) Free
Three women micros in hand, outfitted in thrift shop finds with neon hose that blared once they circumed to the floor –ending each song that way –humm.
Since our dinner @ PT was miniscule…
Me: organic mixed green salad (7) «Excellent flavors»
spiced cashews, pickled mango, coconut curry vinaigrette.
MM: artisanal cheese board (12) «Perfect»
from Saxelby Cheesemongers.
BFF had: hamburger (11) «Good One»
rustic bun, cheddar fries (future –light on the cheese), chipotle catsup.
Let me just say I was the Happiest here!

Anchovies…
This place is like anchovies, you love it or you hate it, but there seems to be no tepid response…
I personally thought it was a great place to have drinks (in the front room) i can see how eating while watching horrible «Ichi the Killer» styled movies would not be pleasant, but i just had drinks and loved it.
The décor was great, the roving art installations, the individually personalized bathrooms (with a different artist’s vision in each) and the fact that there is a separate dance/​movie area from the general bar… all make this a pretty cool place

I sat at the bar in the beautiful front room (so Dia de los Muertos) and picked the very knowledgeable bartender’s brain about all the awesome (interesting!) cocktails. Then I tried most of them, got pretty trashed, and hightailed it to Union Pool down the street.
The screening room is pretty cool too. I really wanted to lie down in the middle of the room, but I chickened out. Lame.

I“m happy it didn’t shut down! visit, people! and support people who are attempting to do intellectual cool shit. An ideal place to chill with friends for a drink, snacks/​suppa and movie… awesome screening room and THE BEST couches as well as music and bathrooms with weird ass music in each… acid trip? and the decorations in the front are really awesome… gigantic yarn thingamobs and oversized paper chandelier. My goodness. The best thing I saw here was a historic film/​doc of when the Dutch colonized Indonesia… unreal. Always interesting events being done did here, so check it out at least once. You’ll probably go back.
Hmm an update:
I have been back to monkey t 2 or 3x since my review (2 years ago). Gotta say that the food+drinks are overpriced and both food and movies are hit or miss. The first time was total hit for me. 2^nd and 3^rd closer to misses. They are usually empty (crowds make things more exciting), which probably accounts for the prices.
AND OMG? Did I just read they got rid of the futons?! Are they crazy? They granted 2 stars alone!