This site is closed to new comments and posts.

Notice: This site uses cookies to function.
If you are not comfortable with cookies then please don't browse this website.

Well Lounge (FKA Chocolate Monkey) — Brooklynian

Well Lounge (FKA Chocolate Monkey)

carnivore
carnivore
edited November -1 in Prospect Heights
So I just found this description of Well Lounge, the new place where Chocolate Monkey used to be, linked from my airline miles spam mail as a place where my credit card could earn me frequent flier miles. I don't know whether the new spot is also a project of the owner of Muddy Waters, as Chocolate Monkey was, or whether there's a new owner. However, it sounds worth checking out, and I'm intrigued by the fact that they've added some food items. They even have escargot on the menu, which is pretty ambitious for a bar on Flatbush. That alone deserves at least one visit. Maybe a spot for a future happy hour?
The American Airlines frequent flier site wrote: Well Lounge
Location: Brooklyn
Cuisine Served: Bar/Club/Lounge
Street Address: 329 Flatbush
Brooklyn, NY 11217 US
Phone: (718) 314-4494
Description:
The well-designed interior and well-dressed crowd make Well a neighborhood bar with style to spare. Located in the gentrified Park Slope/Prospect Heights section of town - near Brooklyn's Museum of Art, Botanical Gardens, and Academy of Music - this is one of the area's most sizzling "in" spots for meeting old friends or making new ones. The place has plenty of atmosphere without any of the snobbery of clubs where the lines are long and guests are selectively allowed inside. On the contrary, Well welcomes everyone to come in and join the congeniality. Here, you can be yourself, unwind over a cocktail, and comfortably jump head first into the conversation. Music, dancing, billiards and karaoke keep the atmosphere sociable. And should you work up an appetite, Well features an interesting menu of tapas, salads, appetizers and desserts that will keep you at the top of your game until they announce last call.
Interestingly, I checked out the Well Lounge website, and they have almost the same text, except that "gentrified" is replaced by "eclectic" in the description of the neighborhood (and it is kind of weird how the quote above uses the word "gentrified" as if it were a positive feature).

Anyway, I think the place sounds interesting and will probably scout it out sometime over the next week or so and will report back.
«1

Comments

  • medusa
    medusa
    I saw something about this place in the Brooklyn Paper the other week. It's the same old owner (the article did not address why she decided to change the name of the place). Apparently, she's trying to bring bottle service and its huge mark-up to Brooklyn.

    Edit: Here's the link
    http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/30/14/30_14mixyourown.html
  • carnivore
    carnivore
    Ah. Suddenly this sounds much less appealing.
  • doublediamond
    doublediamond
    1,000-percent markup. Wow.

    And, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the owner of Muddy Waters/Chocolate Monkey not like all the new faces in town? Now she wants to cash in on them?
  • sweet tea
    sweet tea
    "You’re paying Manhattan prices for everything else [in the neighborhood], why not this?”

    Not that the neighborhood surrounding Well is hurting for bars, but the local watering holes that dot it and are, to many, part of its charm, aren’t exactly what Lundy had in mind.

    “It annoys me that in the past to get quality anything you had to go into the city,” she said, adding that she hopes to attract a crowd like the one at the Soho boite Balthazar or in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. “I created this space with my own friends in mind. The Well is a place my girlfriends, who spend all week grinding in the city to make six figures, can come to get their heads together.”
    VOMIT.
  • joshua
    joshua
    DOUBLEVOMIT
  • splunge
    splunge
    joshua wrote: DOUBLEVOMIT
    doublesecreteprobationvomit.

    ah, for the days when bottle service meant you didn't get a glass with your beer.
  • pitu
    pitu
    that is one tone deaf business plan/media stategy

    “It annoys me that in the past to get quality anything you had to go into the city,” she said, adding that she hopes to attract a crowd like the one at the Soho boite Balthazar or in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. “I created this space with my own friends in mind. The Well is a place my girlfriends, who spend all week grinding in the city to make six figures, can come to get their heads together.”
    :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
    I have an utterly perverse desire to meet her girlfriends.
  • drabrabbit
    drabrabbit
    I have an utterly perverse desire to meet her girlfriends.

    ....and VOMIT (doublevomit!!) on them.
  • meganlibrarian
    meganlibrarian
    sweet tea wrote:
    "You’re paying Manhattan prices for everything else [in the neighborhood], why not this?”

    Not that the neighborhood surrounding Well is hurting for bars, but the local watering holes that dot it and are, to many, part of its charm, aren’t exactly what Lundy had in mind.

    “It annoys me that in the past to get quality anything you had to go into the city,” she said, adding that she hopes to attract a crowd like the one at the Soho boite Balthazar or in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. “I created this space with my own friends in mind. The Well is a place my girlfriends, who spend all week grinding in the city to make six figures, can come to get their heads together.”
    VOMIT.
    Agreed. How appalling. Blecch.
  • prohoho
    prohoho
    I will *N*E*V*E*R step foot in this establishment. That woman is horrible.
  • izisharp
    izisharp
    Any bar-owner who aims to thrive on bottle service can eat a d*ck. Sounds horrible. Will there be a "tucked-in shirt" dress code for guys too?
  • alafairnadia
    alafairnadia
    I've never seen any of these folks in the nabe:

    http://www.wellloungebrooklyn.com/photos/content/index.html

    also, the text from the site has changed, making it sound vaguely appealing:


    WELL is the perfect place for those who like a little style in their neighborhood bar, yet seek an atmosphere that is relaxed and attitude free. Bring a date, bring your friends... if you are looking for some good conversation, great drinks and a comfortable environment, this is the place for you.


    “Brooklyn's newest bar & lounge is located within the eclectic Park Slope/Prospect Heights area, home to Prospect Park, The Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Public Library,The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, The Brooklyn Academy of Music as well as Wollman Ice Skating Rink. ”


    WELL will be serving up an interesting tapas menu. Signature salads as well as escargot & mussels and other exotic seafood dishes. Our small kitchen focuses on healthy clean food that's procured from local farmers and fish mongers. You will also be wowed by our Cheese Board selection as well as our extensive wine list.
  • izisharp
    izisharp
    i thought all those vomit comments were a bit much. Until I saw those photos. Where's the caterer and the punch bowl? And that deejay!! wtf!?!
  • meganlibrarian
    meganlibrarian
    izisharp wrote: i thought all those vomit comments were a bit much. Until I saw those photos. Where's the caterer and the punch bowl? And that deejay!! wtf!?!
    The front door itself drives me nuts. It's this solid metal fortress-looking thing, and feels very uninviting. It's also quite silly, given the full-length plate glass windows right next to it!
  • boogieknight
    boogieknight
    Oh come now, people. You know damn well most of the posters on this forum never set foot inside the joint back when it was Chocolate Monkey.

    They served their house cocktails in pint glasses, y'all! Pint glasses! The Latin Lover was my favorite. They were 10bucks, but 1 would knock you silly, and 2 or more was just asking for trouble.

    If bougie swells want to drop a mint close to home, let'em. Enough room for everyone I sez.
  • erikka
    erikka
    Soon to be the Northern Slopepacking district?
  • moosa
    moosa

    Subject: Nice Place

    I have been to Well on several occasions and i have never been treated poorly nor have i gone and not had a good time. Its a cute place, with good food and pretty regular service. Its not wonderful service but its not bad either. I think you should try it for your self if you haven't.
  • blkaddr
    blkaddr
    Puhleeze... Gimme Joyce's or that nice, friendly new place on Flatbush
    any day.

    There's a reason so many people hate her businesses... and she is it.
    I bet if you interviewed people who've lived here more than 3 years,
    you'll find they avoid *all* of her establishments like the plague.

    Her royal fakeness 'Zai' (sp?) usually does a good job to hide her
    resentment of 'the white people' and interracial couples who moved here
    in the past 6 years, but once in a while she fails, which is usually the last
    time people visit(*).

    For a while it looked like MW was going to close (rejoice!). Alas, uppity
    'Banana Bar' failed to attract the much-desired Shark Bar/Black Diamonds
    crowd, which made her renew her lease to milk the people she so resents
    a little longer... (we were so hoping Pieces would be able to expand)

    Just out of curiosity, someone mentioned THREE places.

    What else should we avoid?!?

    BA

    (*) Our story: Our last time at "Moldy Waters" (that filthy couch was there close to 3 years!) was the day we dared ask for TWO napkins in addition to the single one we'd received to to eat our "$16 two coffees and two cucumber-tomato bagels" breakfast. We had the pleasure of receiving a screaming lecture how 'people like us made it impossible for small black business owners to survive by always asking for extra napkins or take-away cups...'. Mind you that we came there EVERY weekend and I often visited during the week as well.
  • whatchuwant
    whatchuwant
    OMG- BlkAddr, I woulda walked right then and there. Unbelievable- SHE"S the reason why her biz won't survive, not customers asking for napkins or to go cups. Wow- well, like I said- this WILL catch up with her.
  • alafairnadia
    alafairnadia
    that lady is batshit insane. I recall that she flipped her shit on the half owners (who are a bi-racial couple) because they were competing with her.
  • emily
    emily
    BoogieKnight wrote: Oh come now, people. You know damn well most of the posters on this forum never set foot inside the joint back when it was Chocolate Monkey.
    Actually, at one of our happy hours, a long time ago, someone suggested that we give it a try, and in a late-night mood of "Do it! DO IT!" we actually went. I don't remember much about it except that they had a weird drink selection (the goal seemed to be to set a certain mood, as opposed to, you know, just give people drinks they like) and there were these weird guys in the back who seemed to be about to get into a fight or something. It was basically awkward and unfun, as I recall.
  • jack krohn
    jack krohn
    I have a theory that the only reason Muddy Waters survives is the overflow business from Joyce. I was waiting in line at Joyce the other day (probably about 5-6 minutes) and during that brief time saw two people exit, walk across the street, and buy coffee from MW.
  • qtrain
    qtrain
    BoogieKnight wrote: They served their house cocktails in pint glasses, y'all! Pint glasses! The Latin Lover was my favorite. They were 10bucks, but 1 would knock you silly, and 2 or more was just asking for trouble.
    What I remember fondly was ordering a dirty martini and getting ground olive instead of juice. classy.

    And people are too hard on Muddy Waters... other than Peter Luger's, where else in Brooklyn can you find an $8 tomato?
  • boogieknight
    boogieknight
    qtrain wrote: [quote=BoogieKnight]They served their house cocktails in pint glasses, y'all! Pint glasses! The Latin Lover was my favorite. They were 10bucks, but 1 would knock you silly, and 2 or more was just asking for trouble.
    What I remember fondly was ordering a dirty martini and getting ground olive instead of juice. classy.

    Sounds yukky, but I will miss that Latin Lover (the drink, people!)

    Last time there there was karaoke, didn't sing but I always enjoy watching others do their thang. There were a couple of hot female bartenders, just spilling out of the their tops in the most awesome yet distracting way.

    Their bar stools were scewed down, so you couldn't move them, and that's a major no-no in my book. I should swing by some weekend, see what they've done to the place.
  • alafairnadia
    alafairnadia
    BoogieKnight wrote: [quote=qtrain][quote=BoogieKnight]They served their house cocktails in pint glasses, y'all! Pint glasses! The Latin Lover was my favorite. They were 10bucks, but 1 would knock you silly, and 2 or more was just asking for trouble.
    What I remember fondly was ordering a dirty martini and getting ground olive instead of juice. classy.

    Sounds yukky, but I will miss that Latin Lover (the drink, people!)

    Last time there there was karaoke, didn't sing but I always enjoy watching others do their thang. There were a couple of hot female bartenders, just spilling out of the their tops in the most awesome yet distracting way.

    I was there once for karaoke - yes, that was me doing a stunning ( :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: ) rendition of goldfinger by shirley bassey - I had a good time. I remember the drinks, though, being outrageous sweet.

    the bartenders were really nice and were heavily promoting their lesbian night on mondays. I tried to get some DH groups together to check it out but no dice.
  • pensodyssey
    pensodyssey
    Jack Krohn wrote: I have a theory that the only reason Muddy Waters survives is the overflow business from Joyce. I was waiting in line at Joyce the other day (probably about 5-6 minutes) and during that brief time saw two people exit, walk across the street, and buy coffee from MW.
    Muddy Waters has been around alot longer than Joyce.
  • restless native
    restless native
    I second the notion that none of these people were brave enough to enter the place when it was The CM.. since I used to live there on the corner of Carlton, the Monkey was my DL spot for those quiet nights. . cool crowd and some VERY friendly ladies. O:)

    Then again it wasn't the most yuppie-friendly spot in "the nabe :roll: " so I can see where you're all coming from. :lol: :-({|=
  • jack krohn
    jack krohn
    Pen,

    I know that MW preceded Joyce's. But given the MW owner's lack of social skills and being the only game in town for years, many suspected that MW would fold due to heavy competition from newcomer Joyce, where the service is courteous and prompt. However, now I think that the overflow from Joyce actually helps MW to stay in business.
  • alafairnadia
    alafairnadia
    Restless Native wrote: I second the notion that none of these people were brave enough to enter the place when it was The CM.. since I used to live there on the corner of Carlton, the Monkey was my DL spot for those quiet nights. . cool crowd and some VERY friendly ladies. O:)

    Then again it wasn't the most yuppie-friendly spot in "the nabe :roll: " so I can see where you're all coming from. :lol: :-({|=
    not sure what you mean by that. my only beef with chocolate monkey was the owner - I hate the idea of giving that crazy-ass money. yuppie friendly? what, precisely, does that mean?
  • carnivore
    carnivore
    alafairnadia wrote: [quote=Restless Native]I second the notion that none of these people were brave enough to enter the place when it was The CM.. since I used to live there on the corner of Carlton, the Monkey was my DL spot for those quiet nights. . cool crowd and some VERY friendly ladies. O:)

    Then again it wasn't the most yuppie-friendly spot in "the nabe :roll: " so I can see where you're all coming from. :lol: :-({|=
    not sure what you mean by that. my only beef with chocolate monkey was the owner - I hate the idea of giving that crazy-ass money. yuppie friendly? what, precisely, does that mean?
    I actually have no problem with the owner from personal experience, although the stories give me pause. However, I did have issue with no beers on tap. That's why I never went back to CM after my first venture there.
Sign In or Register to comment.

Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In

Categories