Golden Monkey

Great staff and atmosphere! The cocktails list is superb and I really enjoy the ambience when there’s a live band. They also have delicious finger food to accompany your drink. This is definitely a go to place for after work drinks or downtime on the weekend :)

Amazing ambience the service worth to pay the extra dollar for! If anyone is after a relaxed drinks in melbourne city without the current trend of a fast paced club/​bar the. This is definitely a must go to place!

This place makes really tasty cocktails. If you’re having a night out with your girlfriends then this is the place to hit up. I loveeee the cocktails here as they’re so fruity and it’s presented so pretty that you don’t even want to drink it. Interior design is asian themed and very nice and cosy. Very dim inside to give it the classy atmosphere.

Of the Asian themed bars I have happened upon, Golden Monkey is the sexiest. Cordoned areas, dark corners and dimly lit to the newly dating hopefuls that if you thought you were getting mixed signals before, this place clears it up.
The themed cocktails are delicious and bar service is friendly, providing helpful suggestions based on your preferences.
Unfortunately the second time I checked in here, the place smelled musty but the great cocktails and ambience dulled this sense. Ha!

Golden Monkey is a really cool cocktail bar located on Lonsdale Street. Drinks can be rather expensive, but the atmosphere is great. They usually have a band on Thursday night, which compliments the great ambiance. I have been to this venue many times and always received great service from the bartenders. A must go if you are in Melb.

Somewhere to get a late night drink — the door staff were friendly (which is a start) and the bar staff quick and knowledgeable. The entertainment was a soul/R&B band who weren’t the worst I’ve seen, however it was a tad loud for conversation (geez I’m showing my age). Had a fair night out here but it wouldn’t be my number 1 choice around this part of town, but the 30’s something crew may disapprove of my priorities.

I’m surprised nobody has reviewed this place yet. Especially as their website says they are regularly nominated for Bar of the Year.
I chanced upon Golden Monkey in true Melbourne-​laneway fashion, late on a Tuesday night. You’ll file down a small flight of stairs to find a sultry, richly decorated Oriental influence bar, with plenty of sectioned of areas and sprawl out seating. The layout of Golden Monkey is a style I relish in a late night bar. It provides a bit of privacy and a cosy ambience.
The vibe is sensual (late on a Tuesday night, anyway), cocktails are divine, staff will come to you and the design of the lounge is made for canoodling. All the ingredients for a hot third date!

I HATE leaving bad reviews — but I am just concerned that other people are going to have the same experience I had and it will ruin their special night.
I booked the venue with a minimum bar spend for my 30^th Birthday. I had never eaten or drunk there before as I live interstate.
When I arrived with the staff were incredibly rude to my family and I — having a go at me for being late — but they had a different start time to what I had booked. (But it was only 45 minutes difference!)
They then told me that I had a limit on the number of guests — which was also different to what I was told when I booked. They ended up stopping my family and friends getting in — when there were tables all around the venue that were free. This was very upsetting as they knew I had come from interstate as had many of my guests.
They didn’t have many of the wines /​champagnes that were stated on their list. Only really cheap, or really expensive ones.
PLUS they were charging $ 10 for the cheapest stubby of beer. Super expensive for a Tsing-​Tao.
There were two particular staff who were really nice and made up for how badly we were all being treated but all in all the party was so so stressful, the venue was so disappointing. Not what you need on a special night.
(Mind you — at least they told me when I had reached my bar tab, my girlfriend had her engagement party there and at the end of the night they told her she still owed them thousands of dollars!)
Its a great looking venue — and the food was good. But it’s not worth the attitude you get from the staff and the price you pay for drinks.
Don’t do it!