Happy Monkey by Jean-Georges — Restaurant in Greenwich

My rating is based on my expectations of Jean-Gorges, and not against any other standard. While the food ingredient quality was high, the flavors were not exceptional, and truthfully he can do so much better.

We entered at 9 to a cacauphaony of noisy guests. We were seated at once in a large plush booth with plenty of privacy and a host of attentive staff who were 100% on point. Ambiance was warm and cozy once it died down around 10pm, and the decor was upscale1920's Havanna with lots of plants, which I loved. The fully mirrored bar is a great touch, making the whole place feel much bigger while maintaining its cozy size.

Cardstock menus arrived promptly, and were bent and slightly dirty. The menu selection matches what I had seen online, and no specials were offered. Our waiter came over very quickly to take our order, maybe five minutes after we arrived and a minute after we put down our menus.

I ordered a grapefruit margarita and asked for them to make it strong as another reviewer said they couldn't taste the tequila in the margaritas, and I wanted to see how the bar handled the request. It was very refreshing and thankfully not too sweet, it had just the right balance of fruity and sour, but was a weak drink. The jalapeno basil mocktail was spicy and delicious.

We ordered a vegetarian spread to share of toasted tortilla (chips) with 3 salsas, olives, corn focaccia, grilled maitaki mushrooms with goat cheese, a squash blossom quesadilla, and the arugula and avocado corn salad. The chips were perfect with a green chili and cilantro salsa, a red salsa with onion, and a green creamy salsa with a fresh flavor I couldn't place, possibly watercress.

Staff refilled the small chip bowl once it was empty, which was a nice touch. The olives were a nice mix of large and small greens and browns but had an overwhelming taste of fennel, which was not a favorite at the table, and we left most of them in the bowl. The focaccia was a deep brown, two thick slabs of bread, toasty and crunchy on the outside and soft and savory inside, edges drizzled in olive oil and topped with chopped savory crunchy corn pieces (think grown up corn-nuts but better). Served with it was the most delicious fruity olive oil for dipping.

The grilled maitaki mushrooms were a big disappointment, they reminded me of badly cooked, bland, lukewarm chicken, and somehow lacked flavor even with the sauce and very sour goat cheese. The spicy smoky sauce it sat in was nice, but was the highlight of the dish.

The squash blossom quesadilla arrived deep fried, with the same creamy green salsa as the chips, and the blossoms had lost any of the character they started with. It was cheesy and satisfying, but needed salt, which I added, at which point the whole thing tasted like buttery movie popcorn. The oil and the cheese made it surprisingly heavy, given how light the rest of the meal had been.

Finally our arugula and avocado salad came with fresh sweet corn, baby cherry tomatoes, microgreens and radishes in a light vinaigrette. It was covered in what tasted like fresh oregano and we were both overwhelmed by it. It felt very Italian and so out of place with everything else.

For dessert we ordered the cocoa tres leches cake with coffee ice cream and bruleed bananas, and lattes. The bananas and ice cream were perfection, but the cake was very eggy, the chocolate sauce had no soul, and the chocolate cookie/crust crumbles tasted like protein powder. I left most of it on the plate. The coffee was perfect.

When visiting the restrooms they were spacious and had scented candles burning, but there was no toilet paper. Major fail there.

The only things I would return for as unique to this establishment are the corn focaccia with fruity olive oil, which was a revelation,...

Tldr: Staff are rude and unprofessional. Management nor Jean-Georges team have not responded to my concerns for many months. I would recommend Eastend or trying another of the many restaurant options on the street.

I was looking forward to my reservation at Happy Monkey for a mom-daughter date I planned for my mom, as their drinks/atmosphere seemed promising. I traveled from NYC to dine here. I made a reservation a week in advance, and confirmed it by phone. We dressed well for the atmosphere and came on time to honor my reservation. We were seated appropriately by a hostess.

However, while waiting for our server, a male staff member came up to my seat. I smiled and greeted him assuming he was our server (he was not), but he instead asked me to confirm that someone helped us to this table. Assuming there was a service issue, I eagerly confirmed the hostess did well and kindly sat us here. He asked me to confirm that it was a hostess, which I did, but he then asked if I had a reservation. I replied yes, and he asked me to please confirm my name. I happily stated my full name, still assuming there was a glitch/issue and wanting to make things easier for them quickly. He then left to have a longer conversation with a large group of staff at the front.

It took me some time to realize what this interaction was about. Among the other 2 small tables occupied, those at the bar, and those walking in after us (who seemed to not need a reservation), we were the only non-White - and the only ones repetitively questioned about a reservation, after being seated by a hostess who had confirmed my name/reservation.

How this was handled is embarrassing, frustrating and disappointing. Please trust that your own host staff are doing their jobs competently, or if there are questions/concerns you cannot internally resolve in your mind, please address them with staff or check your computer system first. Trainings may be helpful in how to navigate these situations, or hiring different management. Prematurely asking inappropriate questions to patrons who have already been seated for their reserved time, especially while the restaurant is relatively empty, is jarring, disrespectful and concerning.

We considered getting the man’s name and immediately leaving for other places I reserved on the block. However, because our actual server caught us before we got up and seemed to be genuine and kind, we resolved to stay for one drink, and then leave. We happily had dinner elsewhere (Eastend) and the service was thankfully more professional, on top of being more lively, upbeat and welcoming.

Before we left, we shared our concerns about the man’s behavior with the young hostesses at the front (we could not find the specific man to talk to him, nor could they, from what they told us). Once outside, another host told us to leave a Resy review and that they’d be sure to discuss the issue and get back to me. I reached out to this restaurant many months ago (Resy, Google, and Jean-Georges website) in the hopes of an explanation, or any attempt from them to rectify my experience. I have not received any response or acknowledgement from them. That is incredibly...

A Disappointing and Unsettling Experience

I’ve debated writing this review, but I couldn’t stop thinking about our experience—it goes beyond just food or ambiance. It’s about the practices and protocols of this establishment.

We were visiting Greenwich from Williamsburg, Brooklyn, looking to try something new, and Happy Monkey looked promising. I was with my wife, who is seven and a half months pregnant (she's white), and our friend, who is mixed Hispanic and Black. I’m Indian. We arrived around 10 PM. The restaurant had many open tables and booths, and when we asked the hostess for a table for three without a reservation, she said it wouldn’t be a problem.

But suddenly, a manager quickly intervened, looked us over, and stared at the reservation screen for a few minutes before instructing us to wait at the bar. It was strange, as we were already being led to our table. Regardless, we complied, ordered drinks, and waited.

During our wait, we noticed a second manager being called over. The staff seemed confused and kept glancing at us. Finally, after 20 minutes, the hostess came to seat us—at a table tucked all the way in the back, past numerous empty booths, completely isolated from the rest of the diners.

When our server arrived, we ordered six tacos ($12 each), hoping the food might redeem the experience. Unfortunately, the tacos were small and underwhelming. More than that, we felt an uncomfortable, negative energy during our entire visit. We've dined at countless restaurants in NYC and beyond, and I’ve never felt this level of unease or exclusion before.

Some may think I’m being dramatic, but I wouldn’t have been able to sleep peacefully without sharing this. If you’re a person of color, I encourage you to visit and observe who receives the prime tables. The treatment we received reflected poorly not only on the restaurant but also on the broader community. We will not be returning.

I sincerely hope the team at Happy Monkey reflects on this. It’s disheartening to feel othered in a space that should be welcoming. Kindness and respect should transcend appearances—after all, if God doesn’t discriminate,...