Graydon Carter's Monkey Business

by Stanely Stuyvesant · August 7, 2008

    the monkey barIt has been revealed that Graydon Carter of Vanity Fair/Waverly Inn fame was the buyer behind The Monkey Bar and is expecting to reopen the once popular spot next summer.

    "The restaurant, located in the Elysee Hotel at 60 East 54th Street, had been owned by The Glazier Group since 1994.

    The Monkey Bar opened in 1932 and after Repeal, quickly became a popular watering hole. When the Glazier Group bought it, they restored the monkey murals in the bar and commissioned the architect David Rockwell to give the back dining room a plush, sexy 1940’s cabaret look. Over the years, a succession of chefs has come and gone, including John Schenk, Kurt Gutenbrunner, Patricia Yeo and Chris Cheung." [Diner's Blog]