Monkey Bar - From the zoo-house theme, you might assume Monkey Bar was an ironic hipster dive, but despite the kitschy decorations, this Midtown East classic is about as far from downtown as you can get. Set in the Hotel Elysee near Park Avenue, this is the kind of old-New York swank lounge that attracts a mix of museum-hoppers, tourists and upscale barflies. Lately, they've been trying to hip it up a bit, bringing in Executive Chef Julian Clauss-Ehlers and putting together a solid menu and wine list that makes this a nice pre-midtown clubbing spot as well.
