Monkey Bar   

2029 Walnut St # 1F
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-557-0296
www.monkeybarphilly.com

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It's clear that a formal sit-down restaurant in the jewel-box location at 2029 Walnut is bound to fail. In the last five years, two such critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful restaurants -- Orfeo and Magazine -- have closed. But the owners of the newly renovated Monkey Bar (who also own secretive basement bar Medusa) are hoping that their bar-lounge concept will break the curse on the brownstone locale. The 600-square-foot space has been brightened up, with walls painted bright blue and a 16-foot-long bar that takes up almost the entire length of the main room. In the back of the lounge there's another, more intimate room, this one painted red, with black leather seats and small red cocktail tables. Oh, and the monkeys -- everywhere there's posters, paintings and sculptures of monkeys. Drinks are likewise monkey-inspired (think lots of banana liqueur), and there's a small menu of nosh-type food to whet even the most gorilla-like appetite. Here's hoping the well-heeled Rittenhouse crowd sees fit to climb the stairs leading up to what just might become one of the most exclusive bars in the city.