I've been a massive fan of Jean-Georges ever since my days hitting up ABC Kitchen near Union Square. Whenever I had meetings at our NYC office, I'd grab a seat at the bar there just to see what was new on the seasonal menu. So, when I heard he was bringing his culinary brilliance to Greenwich Avenue, I was ecstatic. Happy Monkey definitely lives up to the hype, but with a totally different energy. It's a "fun-loving Latin restaurant," and the vibe is spot on--bright, laid-back, and stylish without being stuffy. The black and white tiled floors and all the lanterns and plants hanging from the ceiling give it a really cool, relaxed atmosphere that makes you want to settle in and stay a while. The bar program is solid. They have a full selection, but the margaritas and sangria seemed to be the move for most tables. As for the food, it was incredible. Here's the breakdown: * Arroz con Pollo: This is the absolute "must-have" dish. Just a heads up: it takes about 30 minutes to cook, so give yourself at least an hour for the full experience. It is well worth the wait. * Sizzling Shrimp with Garlic: Exactly what you want it to be--fragrant, buttery, and delicious. * Organic Chipotle Chicken Tacos: Super fresh and had that signature Jean-Georges "pop" of flavor. * Crispy Calamari: Perfectly fried and a great way to kick off the meal. You can really feel the JG influence here--everything feels lighter and more vibrant than your typical heavy Latin fare. It's great to finally have this level of cooking right here in Greenwich. Whether you're a longtime fan of his NYC spots or just looking for a great new dinner hang, this place is a win. read more

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The mixed reviews here are a little confusing, if I'm being honest. It's a Jean Georges restaurant through and through, and I'm not sure I'm aligned with where some of the disappointment lies. I suppose it's a pro that it's never been hard to get into, but maybe this spot hasn't quite found its groove yet. As a frequenter of Matador Room in Miami, I see a lot of similarities on the menu (and some of the same dishes, and the overall vibe) which make it that much easier to get food that brings me to Miami without actually having to go there. Namely -- the hot sauce on every table (not a "food" but integral to the JG experience), the ginger margarita (liquids are food), the maitake mushroom, the sweet pea guac, and the always amazing Arroz con Pollo. I'm sure there is more, but this is what stands out to me. So for starters, any of those are fantastic choices. We recently went for brunch and added the tuna tartare, a few salads, a burger, and the baked eggs to the list. My only caution, and I say this with deep regret, is that the baked eggs are VERY baked. I was imaging something more like a loose bake, shakshouka style, but I clearly did not read the menu very hard. We capped it all off with the tres leches (YES) and the Mexican chocolate pudding. Drink the drinks, eat the rice, and put the bright orange hot sauce on everything. Yes, it's not cheap, but what else did you expect in Greenwich? read more

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A friend recommended this place said it's Jean-George so why not. The bar is beautiful, the staff are friendly. I ordered the Arroz con pollo and it was fine and interesting but not spectacular. Needs more flavor. Probably give it another go but it's not my first pick read more

Happy Monkey - Dining room decor - Latin American Near Me - Greenwich, Connecticut

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Long day in Greenwich.. no reservation so we waited by the bar for the restaurant to open (at 5). of course we had to partake in happy hour. The happy hour prices cut the regular menu prices in half so definitely would recommend. The restaurant is beautiful. Everyone at the bar was raving about the espresso martini's! Got to our table around 5:20 - ordered the seafood rice and arroz con pollo. Very simple dishes but were very good and fresh. Would recommend this restaurant in you're in Greenwich for the day! read more

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Food is so bad it's like frozen food section quality. Their tacos are so mid and the grilled chicken was rubbery and disgusting. I felt sick after eating there. Service definitely needs work too. read more

For a Jean-Georges restaurant, I find this spot just...meh. Nothing incredibly great about the menu, overpriced for whatever "vibe" they're going for and what's with the name? I will say that the service is very good and the bartenders are excellent. read more

Sad Monkey. Expectations were high given the Jean-Georges name but ultimately this place was disappointing. We came for brunch on a Saturday. The good: decor was nice and the service was pleasant, although a bit inattentive (we had to flag down a server multiple times throughout the service). We started with the sweet pea guacamole and manchego cheese & smoked ham fritters. These were the best parts of the meal. I especially enjoyed the fritters' light, airy texture and creamy inside. For entrees we all ordered the cuban sandwich, which at $24 for a sandwich and fries, were by far the most expensive cubans we ever ordered. These sandwiches were BAD...they were the worst cuban sandwiches I've ever had. Although they looked like cubans, the bread was not crisp and the flavor was overwhelmingly SALTY. I am someone who has a salty palette to begin with but these sandwiches were almost inedibly salty. A typical cuban has a great balance of flavors - cheesiness, richness/salt from the ham, tartness from mustard and sweetness from the pickles. These sandwiches only tasted of salt. We requested extra pickles from the server which helped a bit, but again, for $24 you expect an excellent cuban. I would have been unhappy paying $5 for a cuban like this. The fries were decent though. Perhaps other dishes at Happy Monkey are better, but the cuban was awful. Hopefully they can improve upon it. read more

Very Disappointing . I started with the Edamame which had little or now flavor. Followed by the burger with was ordered medium rare and showed up well done and tough. read more

Brunch at Happy Monkey did not disappoint. The Crunchy Mexican Spiced French Toast is a must! We ordered it as dessert and it was the perfect ending to the meal Such a cute trendy spot in downtown Greenwich and I'm still thinking about those Tuna Tartare Lettuce Cups. Also our service was great Crunchy Mexican Spiced French Toast Tuna Tartare Lettuce Cups Braised Brisket Tacos Crispy Gulf Flounder Tacos Market Caesar Salad read more

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This place is amazing. Their drinks are fresh and made by friendly and attentive bartenders. I had the ginger marg and basil marg. The food is tooo good. I need to eat the arroz con pollo every day. The crispy chicken and flavorful rice is my guilty pleasure. Bonus points for their chocolate pudding that's VEGAN! Love it here read more

Happy Monkey - Latin American Near Me - Greenwich, Connecticut

Had heard about this place and was so happy to finally check it out! We made a reservation for brunch. We got seated right away in a very comfortable booth. To start we had the tortillas with the three salsas. For my entree I had the eggs Benedict. My friends ordered the warm mushroom salad and the burger. We all enjoyed our meals! Two of us were too full for dessert but the other ordered the chocolate mousse. Bonus points: it's vegan! The service was great and would definitely be back. One thing to note: not sure if it was a special day for them or not but they had a photographer snapping photos of random tables. Greenwich elites? read more

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Happy Monkey: Where the tequila list is longer than our attention span. We didn't make it to dinner, (plans with friends) but the bannana/peanut ceviche was so fresh and creative, soft claps. The cocktails? Dangerous--in the best way. Come for the drinks and apps, stay for the jungle-chic vibes. Would we go back? Absolutely. read more

Sleek, sexy & Tropical channeling Indochine not what you'd expect in Greenwich. Jean George has created a great dining destination in Connecticut where local bounty abounds. Ate: Corn focaccia Grilled mitakes in a Chile vinaigrette Flounder tacos Spanish wine Total: $72/ with tip Everything was tip top from decor to food to wine & service m. A delightful lunch in downtown Greenwich. read more

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Great atmosphere, great service. Subpar food. Very bland tacos. Brisket taco was very tough. Better food at bartaco

I went with a group of 6 people last night. Everything was excellent! Great ambiance, fantastic cocktails & delicious food! We shared a bunch of items off the menu and everything was 5 stars. We loved the shrimp ceviche, the ham and cheese fritters, the short rib & so much more. I also highly recommend the basil jalapeño margarita. Overall the service and attention to detail by the staff was superb. We'll definitely be back! Hats off to Chef Brian and the whole team read more

We came here for a drink and dessert - it was amazing! The churros and sundae were so so good, perfectly sweet and exactly what I needed. The bar tender was also great! read more

Happy Monkey - Churros and the Caramel sundae! - Latin American Near Me - Greenwich, Connecticut

You will be a Happy Monkey when you come to this place. This place gives off really fun vibes and does not disappoint. As my followers know, I am a huge fan of Espresso Martinis and have very high standards. This place does not disappoint. I was a very happy monkey after sipping on that espresso martini. Hands down ONE OF THE BEST ESPRESSO MARTINIS (without bailey's) I have ever had. Javier makes them really well. The food here looks exceptional. I could see myself coming here for dinner. The food looks spectacular and everyone around me seemed to be enjoying their food. Their strawberry ice cream dessert looked incredible. The service here is very good. Amenities: Full bar (cocktails, wine, and canned beers) Free wifi Table service Happy monkeys (or maybe that's just the people next to you hyped up on caffeine from too many espresso martinis) Overall experience: A+ Atmosphere A+ Drinks A+ Service A+ Probability of returning: High Chance of leaving to bar hop: Low read more

Happy Monkey - Espresso Martini - Latin American Near Me - Greenwich, Connecticut

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Fun vibes (we actually prefer dinner at the bar), great drinks, and great food. From the same owner/chef as ABC Kitchen and ABC Cocina in Manhattan. A number of dishes are carried over from ABC Cocina. That said, I'd grab the arroz con pollo over this pictured chicken taco dish which was just too, well, fried. Just keep in mind you're paying Jean Georges prices in Greenwich, so it's going to cost you. read more

Happy Monkey - Chicken tacos - Latin American Near Me - Greenwich, Connecticut

Very nice place lively atmosphere food is excellent from appetizers to main course prepared very well Favorites was tuna tartar appetizer and fish for main dish It's expesive for what it is but very nice place read more

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We were shopping on the Avenue, had this bookmarked so we went in. It was a Monday afternoon and neither one of us felt like a drink..... a very rare occasion. Our server was on point. She went over the menu with us. We ordered the trio of salsa with chips. I ordered the fried flounder tacos, and my husband ordered the crispy chicken tacos. Everything we had was delicious. It all came out in a timely fashion. Would definitely visit again. read more

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What a beautiful restaurant on Greenwich Ave! So far I think this restaurant has the best vibe out of the ones I've visited so far on the Avenue. They have a great menu and really professional servers. Favorites included the Cuban and the croquette appetizer. The pear and cranberry crumble was such a cozy dessert! I'll definitely be keeping this spot in mind for future Greenwich visits! read more

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The food, service and ambiance were great. My food was delicious. The portion size was perfect. It is great for a date night

We are basing this on drinks alone. We sat at the bar. It was a happening and busy Friday night. We loved the vibe. Service was good, but we felt the FOH was coasting on the restaurant's namesake and reputation. Which, ironically enough, is why we went. The drinks were delicious, and our bartender was very friendly. We would definitely go back to check out the food and have a proper meal. read more

Happy Monkey - Bar menu - Latin American Near Me - Greenwich, Connecticut

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This is a nice and fancy place in the Greenwich area. We were here visiting the Apple Store for some service and stopped by at this place for a drink while I wait my turn at the store. I ordered a beer, guacamole with chips and a sangria for my wife. The staff were very friendly and helped us understand what we order very clearly. The food menu was crafted not to just look like any American menu. They had 3 flavors in the guac and I ordered the one topped with pistachios. Splendid in the mouth! The place is a bit pricey, as I suppose all the other restaurants in the area might charge the same too. I'd definitely stop by if I'm visiting Greenwich again. read more

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Every year as a gift to our parents, my brothers and I take them out to dinner for their anniversary. Even though they got married in early August, we usually celebrate in mid September after the rush of the summer is over. We try to pick a different spot every year, and after they expressed interest in dining at Happy Monkey, we thought it would be a great place to mark the occasion. The fact that it was a Jean-Georges restaurant only made me more excited to try this place out, so off we went. Happy Monkey is the newest restaurant Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The only other restaurant of his I've been to is The Inn at Pound Ridge, which is one of my favorite special occasion restaurants. Even though I was tempted to compare the two, I did my best not to since judging by me scoping out the website beforehand, Happy Monkey served a different experience. The cuisine here is mainly Latin American, and the decor has an overall more casual aesthetic with bright colors, murals on the walls (including monkeys!), and plants spread throughout the space. It was classy without being standoffish - I can see myself coming here for both a casual weeknight meal or a special occasion. The majority of the menu is made up of tapas, separated by size of the dish (starting with snacks and making its way up to larger format dishes). But first, some drinks - the blueberry pisco punch and the pina colada were quite good, and really complemented the food well. We decided to get a bunch of dishes from every section of the menu to share: chips with three salsas, patatas bravas, sizzling shrimp with garlic, smoked ham and manchego cheese fritters, crispy calamari, squash blossom quesadilla, arroz con pollo, and a few tacos: bbq pork, fish, shrimp, and chicken. All of the food was tasty, my favorites were definitely the tacos and the squash blossom quesadilla - they were familiar but also elevated and somewhat unique. The calamari was kind of run-of-the mill, and the arroz left something to be desired (for the price it was underwhelming in presentation). Overall though, the food good. For dessert we shared three: churros, strawberry pineapple crisp, and the coco tres leches. My favorite of these was the crisp - it was a little too liquidy, but had a lot of flavor and was complemented well with vanilla ice cream. Service was great - everyone was super friendly, and the food came out at a good pace. Overall, I had a good experience at Happy Monkey - I thought they had a really good variety of tapas in a warm and comfortable environment. I feel the prices are a little steep for the overall experience they provide, but I definitely think it's worth checking out if you're in the Greenwich area - and I wouldn't hesitate returning if given the opportunity. read more

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Great ambience. The bar is fun. I have been there several times. I Love their tacos. It is not a small place but reservations are needed for dinner read more

Definitely not a budget friendly eatery. However, the food hits most of your sensory needs. Furthermore, the decor and bar area is fun and different for Greenwich. Cocktails are thoughtfully prepared and slides smoothly down. Definitely a fun spot for brunch or afternoon drinks. read more

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Service Fair, Waiter stated signature dish was outstanding. Both people in a party of six ordered it (rice and chicken) just a couple pieces of chicken and a handful of rice? Could of been a side not a main course, would not recommend this restaurant... read more

Food is delicious and beautiful. I've had two of the best Thanksgiving meals at happy monkey. The presentation of JG's turkey dinner blew us away. read more

We started with the fennel mescalita, a delightful take on a margarita made with mezcal, and that was just to start as the meal just kept getting better. We were three women, foodies all , and the entire dinner was terrific. The spicy salad was sublime, made with sweet peas and fava beans and a lime vinaigrette with some heat. The garlic shrimp was wonderful especially when their bread ( very much worth the carbs) oil was dunked. A bigger plate if arroz con pollo rounded out the meal. That dish had chunks of chicken breast tossed with the skin crackle. This dish is a must. And make sure you try the habanero dressing on the table - it's soooo good Service okay not great hence 4 stars but I'd run back in a NY minute. Book ahead it's a trendy place with outdoor seating. read more

The food was pretty good! We liked everything we ordered. It's a bit pricy but the food was delicious. Service was just okay. A waitress took my friend's plate and utensils and then didn't get any fresh ones. We were so confused. The restaurant was pretty trendy and modern but it could get loud when it was busy. Overall a good spot in Greenwich. read more

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Had a great time with my friend. The staff were really attentive and friendly, the food was great, but the passion fruit dessert was AMAZING! I loved the ambiance as well. Will be coming back. read more

Happy Monkey - Latin American Near Me - Greenwich, Connecticut

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Finally came back... this place really sucks. I have lived in Greenwich for 20 years and there are so many fantastic restaurants. If you want mediocre food, drinks, and service come here. If you want great food and service, go literally anywhere else. So disappointed. read more

Food is very creative and good. Great vibe and drinks as well. Crispy seafood rice was fantastic.

Have heard so many great things about Happy Monkey in Greenwich, CT. My husband and I decided to stop on our way home from NYC. We sat at the bar and met the nicest bartender, David. I wasn't sure of what I wanted to drink and had a few questions. David was not only knowledgeable but really kind. We had such a great time, not to mention the lovely decor and ambiance! read more

Unique fusion restaurant on Greenwich Ave. Loved the cocktail menu and found it to be very creative. The Concord grape margarita was tasty and a flavor I've never seen on menus before. The smaller plates were more seafood forward so I didn't try a ton, but the manchego bites were pretty good and the eggplant fritters were decent. We tried several tacos, which were definitely my favorite part. The steak was so juicy, and the pork taco had this spicy salsa that gave it some heat. The tres leches cake and churros were also a hit, though the apple crisp had an off flavor to me. Service was attentive and helpful. Restaurant was well decorated and pretty lively for a Wednesday evening. A nice stop if you're looking for something different read more

Good alternative in Greenwich. Small dishes do share and solid food. Service was great. read more

Happy Monkey - Happy Money - Latin American Near Me - Greenwich, Connecticut

Our experience at Happy Monkey was mediocre at best. We started with tuna tartare, which had a strange flavor to it. I couldn't quite place the seasoning, it almost tasted curry-like. It wasn't necessarily bad, but seemed out of place at a restaurant with more of a Latin-feel. Additionally, this was served with no chip, crostini, etc. It is pretty unusual to serve a dish like this with no sort of vessel to eat it with. Again, not bad but not great either. Fortunately we also ordered chips and salsa, so we used the chips with the tuna. I will note however after eating quite a bit we found a weird almost rock like object in our chip bowl. Pretty off putting. Next we had the squash blossom quesadilla. The cheese was really good but this was underwhelming as well. There was nothing special about this quesadilla and we found it to be a bit greasy. The sauce it came with also came with the salsa trio, and was very good. This dish was again not bad, but also not something we would ever order again. Lastly we got the arroz con pollo. This was the biggest letdown of the night. The rice had a very ricearoni/artificial flavor to it. The chicken was a very strange texture, almost mushy/slimy. The crispy skin on top was a smart concept, but the execution didn't deliver as it needed some sort of flavor or seasoning. We got two drinks, my husband got a grapefruit margarita and I got vodka strawberry basil lemonade. I was served a strawberry margarita instead. I am not a tequila lover, so I knew it was wrong from the first sip. I asked the server if it was the wrong drink, he said it wasn't but then I think he realized in seeing the salted rim that it was in fact wrong. He quickly brought me the correct drink which was very very good. The waiter also took the drink off our bill which was unnecessary but appreciated. It worked out, as my husband really did not like his margarita so he wound up drinking the strawberry one instead. I will also note that while we had to make this reservation months in advance, the restaurant was never at more than half capacity or so, even on a weekend. I understand they may still be short staffed and working out service for larger numbers, but we did also overhear someone saying they make it hard to get a reservation intentionally to build hype. This strategy certainly worked for us, however lead to higher expectations. We also have heard great things about Jean Jorge restaurants and having been our first, we aren't sure we would try others. I've truly had better meals at much lower-end Mexican restaurants like Bartaco. If you are looking for an elevated Latin American meal I would recommend La Casa in Bronxville. Nothing about our food or experience at Happy Monkey would prompt us to return. read more

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Food was genuinely just okay. A nice-ish place to take your parents or friends who are not foodies and just want to try some Mexican(ish) food. Service is quite lacking but understandable as they just opened. Drinks were bad. Decor is very nice but it's quite loud so I didn't enjoy the ambiance that much. Food: The four of us ordered almost 50% of the menu so I'd say we got a good sample. Everything was pretty average except the garlic shrimp appetizer and the main dish arroz con pollo, which were very flavorful. The tacos were very average which was a letdown, since they seem to be a highlight on the menu. Here's what we ordered: - Fritters (meh, skip) - fluke crudo (it's okay) - garlic shrimp (good!) - mushroom with goat cheese (meh) - focaccia (good) - olives (okay) - heirloom tomato salad (could be great but overly spicy) - crispy fish tacos (meh, too much sour cabbage) - crispy pork tacos (meh) - shaved beef tacos (meh) - arroz con pollo (good!) - 3 desserts whose names I forgot (decent!) Drinks: the cocktails are bad. We ordered 4 of them and they are very heavily alcoholic and the flavor profile was not there. For this reason alone I wouldn't return because what's a nice Mexican meal without a good margarita? Service: When we first sat down, no one brought us any water or menus for a long time... I knew right then that service would be bad for the evening. This was proven true later when it took them 40 minutes to bring out the second batch of appetizers. Ambiance: very cute and trendy decor, but wayyy too loud. read more

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The food here was great - however, the service experience was laughably terrible. There was a point where we'd been sitting for 15 minutes unacknowledged after getting our water and watched about 8 servers walking all around us and talking at the edges of the restaurant, none of them giving any acknowledgement to our table. Eventually, we had to take matters into our own hands and continuously ask a waiter who was not assigned to our table for help getting our orders in. The service was so slow we were at the restaurant for over 2.5 hours. Additionally, we had left a note that we were celebrating an engagement. Our waiter (the actual one assigned to our table) asked if there was an occasion and brought out a single small scoop of vanilla ice cream with a candle, which was nice. Then we got the bill and saw that we'd been charged $12.00 for that scoop of ice cream. All in all, I'd recommend the food here for sure, but would advise that anyone going should go with a tremendous amount of patience and very low service expectations. Also maybe block out 3 hours for the meal. read more