MNKY HSE (pronounced Monkey House) is a Latin American restaurant that is located behind a discreet entrance at No. 10 Dover Street, Mayfair. Opening the heavy black door with door knobs adorned with metal monkey faces reveal an intimate bar and lounge area on the ground floor, with the main bar and restaurant downstairs.
About MNKY HSE
We were recently invited to try this new dining experience that blends the London funk and Latin spirit in Mayfair. Housed over two floors, the venue includes an intimate bar and lounge area upstairs for drinking and dancing. Downstairs, there is also a bar and stylish restaurant that evolve into a very different, nighttime setting. What’s more, MNKY HSE’s cheeky and playful personality is mirrored in its mysterious and eclectic design scheme. For example, the leather seats are mixed with modern art on the walls and a Murano crushed Chandelier.
Latin American cuisine re-imagined
MNKY HSE serves high quality, contemporary Latin American food and drinks. The chef, Pablo Peñalosa Nájera, revisits his indigenous roots and combines colourful Latin American cuisine with seasonal ingredients. He succeeds at creating a diverse, distinctive and flavoursome menu. In keeping with the MNKY HSE ethos of ‘eat, drink and play’, Pablo’s experimental dishes are designed to share, and destined to surprise and delight. Plus, the bar boasts a vast list of premium cocktails and increasingly popular mescals – we did try a few, all of which were delicious and colourful. One of the signature cocktails, called MNKY Business, particularly stood out in its presentation and taste. It consisted of 15-year-old rum, Ron Millonario, stirred with Jade Perique Liqueur de Tabac, Antica Formula, and Peruvian Bitters. The substance was poured into the glass while the Cherry Wood Smoke was spreading around. It was special and beautiful.
MNKY Dinning
The dining experience at MNKY HSE can be summed up by a phrase: ‘nothing is what it seems’. So when we got to our table, cute plastic monkeys were sitting expectantly on top of our napkins. We ordered a selection of signature dishes which did not fail to surprise. For example, the starter called Chu Toro Tartar was decorated with crispy quinoa, yuzu soy and flower petals. It looked like a curious plant brought from a foreign land. For meat lovers we would recommend ordering Beef Tenderloin with Chimichurri sauce – it was tender and delicious. When it came to seafood MNKY BLK COD was a winner, decorated with chillies, it looked too pretty to eat, haha. The main surprise of the night was the MNKY Mess (aka Eton Mess) dessert. It was beautifully served by melting the candy floss in a berry soup.
MNKY Party
Lively and eclectic entertainment is integral to MNKY HSE’s unique offering. Therefore, both the upstairs lounge and downstairs main restaurant have separate bars and stages with DJ booths. In addition, the venue has curated a weekly schedule of international and resident DJs who keep the night going until the early morning. At MNKY HSE the Latin American spirit will last long into the night, just make sure you can keep up!
For more information on MNKY HSE, check their website or pass by 10 Dover Street, Mayfair, W1S 4LD, London.
