I was excited to try out the Drunken Munkey, an Anglo-Indian Bistro & Cocktail Bar a West Village that pays homage to the iconic flavors, style and ambiance reminiscent of the famous cafes, bistros and supper clubs of ‘Old Bombay’. Hailing from the team behind the famed Bar & Books Cocktail and Cigar Lounges, Bistro Le Bateau Ivre, and the original Drunken Munkey on the Upper East Side, The Drunken Munkey brings a taste of Old Raj nostalgia downtown, inspired by the owners’ ancestral Anglo-Indian dishes and the cultural heritage from that time.
As I arrived on September 17th, guests were greeted at the bar with the cocktail. As we hung out at the bar, I enjoyed spotting all the monkeys hidden around the bar. It was a perfect place to mix and mingle.
Then we sat at the table and enjoyed a lot of amazing appetizers. The group was treated to Chicken Samosas Curried ShrimpCocktail, Paani Puri Dahi Puri crispy flour puffs, aloo & chick-pea chaat, cold tamarind-mint water and Chili CheeseToast — a glorified Indian grilled cheese. It was so delicious. I paired this with a scrumptious bramble.
For dinner, I had a Malabar Coastal shrimp curry along with naan. What I love about this is that there are side dishes in the middle of the table to move the curry off of your plate to share with your friends. We also split Amritsari Whole Fish a branzino, that’s not something I gravitate towards to but enjoyed immensely.
Lastly, we had a lot of amazing desserts. Gajar Halwa 8 carrot pudding, crushed pistachio, cardamom coconut crème was to die for. We also had Cricket ‘Rum-Ball’ 9.5o* moist & warm rum-infused chocolate cake, white chocolate shavings, crème-anglaise, fresh berry reduction — amazing.
We sat with the owner of the restaurant. He highly recommended Royal Enfield Sidecar cocktail (Combier d’orange, gomme, fresh lemon, flamed orange zest, sugar rim). It was fruity yet bold enough.
I loved this place. It’s such a laid back yet fun restaurant. It’s perfect for occasions, especially birthdays. If you are considering going here, you must.
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what do you think?