How to Get a Reservation at Monkey Bar in NYC
By Claire from the TablePass Team
I'll admit something: Monkey Bar wasn't on my radar until a friend dragged me there for a birthday dinner last year. Walking into that dining room at 60 East 54th Street — the murals, the cocktails, the whole Midtown-power-lunch energy — I immediately understood why people lose their minds trying to book this place.
Then I tried to go back on my own and realized: oh. That's why.
When Do Tables Actually Drop?
Monkey Bar releases new reservations on Resy exactly 20 days in advance at 9:00 AM ET. That's a shorter window than Carbone (30 days) or Torrisi (30 days), which means the available inventory on any given morning is more concentrated. Everyone who wants a table three weeks from Friday is all hitting refresh at the same moment.
Prime evening slots for parties of two? Typically gone within 15-30 seconds. I wish I were exaggerating.
How to Actually Grab a Table at 9 AM
Open the Resy app at 8:59. Navigate to Monkey Bar, select your party size, choose the date exactly 20 days out. The second the clock hits 9:00, refresh and grab the first slot you see. Have your payment info saved already — fumbling with credit card numbers is how you lose a reservation.
Your best bet is weeknights. Monday through Wednesday evenings have noticeably less competition than Thursday through Saturday. Early seatings around 5:30-6:00 PM and late seatings past 9:15 PM are also way more gettable.
Missed It? You've Still Got Options
Cancellations happen more than you'd think. People reschedule trips, double-book, change plans. The problem is that these openings appear at completely random times and get claimed within seconds.
TablePass monitors Monkey Bar's availability around the clock and books the moment a cancellation opens up. You set your preferred date and time window, and it handles everything. I've gotten two reservations this way — both times the slot popped up in the middle of a workday when I never would have been checking.
Set up monitoring for Monkey Bar on TablePass here.
Bringing a Group? Brace Yourself
Booking for 4-6 people is significantly harder than a table for two. Monkey Bar has limited large-format seating, and those configurations sell out first. If you're planning a group dinner, flexibility on the date is your biggest weapon — try midweek when the competition thins out.
Monkey Bar is a 20-day window, 9 AM drop. Be there early, move fast, and if you miss it, set up cancellation monitoring. The dining room is worth the effort — it's one of those rare Midtown spots that actually lives up to the legend.