Monkey Bar

Formerly a hangout for bold-faced names, where big publishing deals were sealed with a handshake and a celebratory martini, The Monkey Bar fell on hard times in recent years. The revolving-door kitchen saw chefs come and go, and the luster on this once-proud establishment had worn off.

But if anyone can resuscitate an ailing classic, it's buzzmeister Graydon Carter, the Vanity Fair publisher and owner of the celeb-magnet Waverly Inn. Carter and his team (wife Anna, hotelier Jeff Klein, and restaurateurs Jeremy King and Chris Corbin) have revamped this Midtown institution while leaving many of the signature elements intact. Former Soho House chef Elliot Ketley has put together a menu of classic American and Continental greatest hits, like lobster Newburg and clams casino, which diners can enjoy in either the dining room—under the new Ed Sorel mural featuring midcentury icons like Fred Astaire and Tennessee Williams—or among the original monkey murals which still decorate the bar.

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