Few things: 1. Yelp shows this restaurant as American. 2. I personally, have had sushi here several times...good sushi! 3. Today I went and found Italian.... 4. Make up your mind, funky monkey!!! After being fully disappointed that the FM company has changed ventures, yet again, ive decided to head to my regular sushi joint. Next time I'm in the mood for Italian, maybe I'll give FM a try again, but an Italian menu is not what a girl wants when she's got sushi on the mind....fail.
(1)
Audrey M.
First time going here since Funky Monkey re-did their menu, and it was excellent. It has become a hidden gem here! I had the stuffed avocado to start (which is highly recommended) which had fresh ahi tuna in the center. So delicious. The pork tenderloin was my entree, with a soy-ginger glaze AND bacon wrapped... need I say more? The service was very personable and the server knew the menu very well. Definitely going back for more.
(5)
Mike P.
While killing time before meeting up with some of my fellow Yelpers, my wife and I took a walk on Mills Ave and FINALLY found the Funky Monkey Wine Company that we tried to find one night on a whim after our daughter told us about her experience there with some friends. We walked in and it was completely empty at 6:15 pm which seemed a bit unusual. The place was beautifully decorated and all of the tables were perfectly set. The server was kind enough to tell us about the place, the menu and the chef. She was very polite and professional and after reading some of the other reviews, I can't say anything bad thus far. From what I saw on the menu and the way I was treated just walking in and being curious, I will be back to give them a try. Since my wife and I tend to just pick places at random, you never know when we'll pop in for dinner but rest assured, we'll be back with an appetite...
(4)
Crista D.
Email reply from business regarding my review: "Instead of complaining to the table next to you in the dining room maybe a comment to both the server and supervisor would have been appropriate.. both asked you if everything was good and you said fine... The wine prices are marked up like every other restaurant. Did you not see the price on the menu before you ordered it? Thanks for your comments Not Eddie Nickell Owner/Operator FMI Restaurant Group"
(1)
Brittani W.
Nick's Italian Kitchen- We came here tonight, for what we thought would be a nice Valentine's dinner out. My husband graciously surprised me and booked at your restaurant via the open table website. We were warmly greeted and told we were the 1st of 120 reservations. Mind you, it was 6:00 pm and that was a bit surprising to me that we were the first to arrive. It is definitely a quaint space-- which made it really warm and cozy, but too warm. As we were seated we waited at least 10 minutes for water and were told a wine list "had not been printed yet" and we would be able to look at it soon... I never saw a wine list. Upon ordering our first of four courses (which was the appetizer) we waited another 10-15 minutes for an antipasti cheese plate and small bites, while my husband waited for a simple Caesar salad. We got the cheese plate and were able to finish it, but were extremely disappointed that the salad arrived not even 2 minutes before our entrees. I ordered a shrimp scampi that was brought to me practically raw, and undesirably cold as well. I was so disappointed! :( I was however, able to send the dish back and substitute it for the lasagna, which pretty good. After finishing the meal, a line had begun to gather at the door, and since our experience was already sub par, we decided to ask for the dessert course to go. We both ordered the cheesecake and waited about 20 minutes for it to arrive in a to-go box. After we arrived at home, we opened the cheesecake to find that it was not packaged "with care" and honestly, looked like it had been thrown into the box and was broken. Very disappointing. For a relatively expensive place to dine, I expected much more. I will say, we did have a kind server, and none of this is her fault, but needless to say we will not return to your restaurant. A refund would definitely be appropriate....
(1)
Gustavo A. L.
In putting my money where my mouth is, I am a heavy YELP user; both as a contributor as well as getting my information and dining tips from. On that note, I should have followed the gut feeling I got when I read the more recent reviews before I returned to Funky Monkey. I had chucked the first time to a bad experience and was willing to give them a second chance despite the fact that it was a petty expensive proposition at over 150.oo for a dismal dinner for two. Second time around was no different than the first, place is half empty on a Saturday night, but the hostess wants to be mysterious sort of like the night clubs in South Beach where the club is empty but there is a line outside. We waited about 5 minutes until an empty table magically became available- fail number 1, this technique, simply does not work. The menu looks good, but overpromises and under delivers. Good Copywriting in the description of the dishes is not followed up by presentation, flavors, or portions. On its face, it appears like they are trying to reinvent themselves as Nouveau cuisine by going minimalistic and trying to stay interesting. Wake up Funky Monkey, it is 2014, the 90's have been over for 20 something years now. If I can sum it up in one word, I would choose: complacent - It seems like there were good at some point but somewhere down the line, someone lost the passion for excellence. Our overall feeling was disappointment because this place has promise, but they are sitting on potential. Typically, I don't write too many negative reviews, I just don't write anything, but here, I was fooled twice... so shame on me.
(2)
Brigette B.
The food did not live up to the price. I had visited this establishment only one other time before it become Italian and it was very good then. Our meal started with the fried goat cheese for an app. The cheese came with toasted sliced bread which did not work well with the breaded and fried cheese. The Chicken Milanese tasted like any deep fried chicken and the simple spring it was served with did not add any depth to the dish. It is sad to say that I will not be returning here solely because of the quality of food. Atmosphere, music, and service were all fine.
Had a very disappointing experience. Our server didn't bring water when requested, didn't take drink orders from some of the members of our table, we were missing plates and glasses and then we had a different server take over. The new server was much better. But then the food came Out and it was like warm, reheated, and/or inedible. The meatballs were tough, the lasagna tasted like meatloaf in the lasagna and the pasta vodka was underwhelming. When we made the reservation they said Nicks, and we said we thought it was Gunky Monkey and they said same thing. But it's not. They completely changed it. Very disappointed and will not be back.
(1)
elena a.
Cute place. Inside is cozy and romantic. Service was great. We were the only people there at 8pm. They said they had a busy day. Fried goat cheese was pretty amazing. Lasagna as you can tell was slightly on the overdone side covered in salty sauce. It was a mission trying to slice it. I did not complain because I usually dont. So I shouldn't be whining on here, but I felt like the public needed to be warned :-) I'm sure they would have corrected the issue if I would have said something but really it shouldn't have been put on the plate in the first place. If I have to use neck muscles to slice something up, we have a problem!
(2)
Jonathan M.
Had reservations for 8:00 pm on a Saturday night. I am glad we arrived early because there was only one other couple in the entire restaurant. After they left, my date and I were the only ones after that. The first choice of wine for us, they were convienently out of which forced us to a more expensive choice. Food was ok. Bruschetta was the highlight of the meal which is the only reason I gave 2 stars. Chicken Parm was ok. I would not recommend this place. Prices were astronomic. I will never go there again.
(2)
Rick M.
I love to eat great food....so I will NEVER EAT HERE AGAIN! I ordered 3 or 4 sushi rolls and they were all horrible! I'm a pretty easy guy and can put up with a lot but this was just terrible!! Good had no taste at all. Just bad, bad, bad. Went with a co worker and we both agreed it's worse than pre packaged sushi. Steer clear people! Plus it was over priced. Garbage!!!!!
(1)
Yi Jing L.
How they still open ? Men bathroom was down. It's smell nasty and when u open the door, the smell just hit whoever in the dinning room. Some of the food is not even available on the menu. What's available didn't taste good. My chicken Parmesan tasted way too sour. No Togo box. My food is wrap in plastic wrap on a paper plate. One server doing the bar. Serving and basically about all. Surprise he didn't went inside to cook. Well, there only one other table beside us, so yep. Maybe they are closing soon, so what else matter right.
(1)
Nyla R.
Italian not sushi.. Why?? I had dinner here several times when it was sushi/Asian inspired. First few visits here .. loved it. Great sushi and vegetarian friendly dishes. Then had dinner with a friend and suddenly it's Italian? Drastic change. Also, they ran out of Malbec and Cab by the glass .. Isn't this a wine bar? Parking was horrible too. Used to be able to park at bar next door. So disappointing.. I won't be back.
(1)
KImberly B.
Not a good value for the money food was ok portions were small and over priced. I could make most of the dishes myself
(1)
Allison T.
First of all - I love this place. Every time I go, I am treated like a queen, and the food actually surpasses the service. Last night was no exception. I brought a few friends to the monthly Taster's Guild Orlando wine pairing dinner. I've attended these dinners in the past and they keep getting better and better! You sit at communal tables, giving the chance to make new friends, and the other couple at our table was awesome, we were all friends by the end of the evening. Last night's extravaganza was "A Taste Of Italy"; a four-course meal perfectly paired with beautiful wines. I love wine. I am FAR from an expert, can't pick out the nuances of this flavor and that flavor, but I know what I like, and I appreciate anyone who can successfully combine those flavors with just the right food. Eddie Nickell and Nick Olivieri did an AMAZING job. We began the night with a beautiful Bocelli Prosecco put out by the family of Andrea Bocelli; (as a child, he apparently used to sing to the grapes in the fields that his great-grandfather planted many years ago) it was delicious - dry and crisp; a perfect palate cleanser for what was to come. The first course was a Panzanella salad with a lovely, tart champagne vinaigrette, paired with Banfi - Lerime Pinot Grigio. I'm not usually a fan of white wines, but this put together with the acid of the dressing was great; a testament to my appreciation of those who know how to pair the flavors! The second course was a Paccheri Peperoncia pasta with Mahi in a spicy garlic sauce. I don't eat seafood, they were happy to accommodate me by leaving the fish off of my dish. The tender ribbons of pasta with a generous portion of lupini beans was served with a lively, spicy red garlic sauce - just the right amount of spice and paired with another Banfi wine - my favorite of the evening - Rosso di Montalcino. A beautiful, smooth red that went down WAY too easily - it accented without overpowering the pasta; so good! Our third (main) course was a bone-in Pork Osso Buco, with little square ribbons of pasta and a light but flavorful tomato based jus, paired with Michelle Chiarlo Barberesco Reyna. This was PHENOMENAL. The meat had it's own super-rich flavor, it was fall-off-the-bone tender, no knife needed - the smooth sauce and the big red wine was, again, a heavenly pairing. I think the best part is that I have the rest of it in my refrigerator right now, and will have another amazing dinner tonight! The entree was the only thing I packed to take home, because I had to save room for dessert! Dessert was served with a Rosa Regale Brachetto; a surprisingly full-flavored rose sparkling wine, a little too sweet for me on its own. However, Eddie and Nick chose to pair it with a tart Lemon Ricotta cake - not a cheesecake, but a light sponge with a fluffy ricotta and lemon layer served with a blueberry reduction and fresh berries on top. The tart lemon and the sweet wine were so good together! All in all - I left with a very full belly and some very happy memories (not to mention the fabulous dinner that I get tonight)! Thanks, Eddie and Nick for another wonderful night!
(5)
Amy R.
I have been here many times and have always had the best experience. However, I've never come here for the sushi which is the reason for the lower rated reviews. I come here for the wine, apps, entrees, service, and playlist. Love the wine selections, apps and entrees. They are very accommodating to my food allergy, just ask and they'll work with the chef. Anoop (spelling?) is great! Very knowledgeable in wine and food pairing, he's been there forever.
(5)
Shana L.
There are 3 dishes here that are FABULOUS!!!! Must have the stuffed avocado, must have the fried goat cheese and the nutty monkey salad! half off sushi on Monday! They also have a nice wine selection. Loving mills 50 area!
(5)
James B.
The sushi was good but not great,prices were high for what you get and the menu was not explained well. The same item in starters and main menu. Wine prices for what they were serving are somewhat high.
(2)
Lisa W.
Wow! It had been awhile since we had stopped in for Sushi Monday, where sushi is 1/2 off. Why?! After being seated we were greeted and received the delicious (complimentary) edamame, flavored with salt, garlic and key lime. Addictive! The server was informative about the wines offered and we settled into a bottle and ordered the Monkey Ball appetizer. (Sushi rice, soy, cream cheese and fried scallions- formed into balls, panko crusted and fried. Served with Spicy Mayo. Delish! ) The sushi is always spectacular. Our group ordered the Spicy tuna, Eruption roll, Funky Monkey roll, Lobster roll and the Orange Blossom roll. It was my first time trying the Orange Blossom and I'll be ordering that again very soon! (Crab (not Krab), avocado, orange segments in a roll topped with salmon and seaweed salad) I'm not a big fan of Salmon or seaweed salad-- but with the orange, the flavors popped and everyone at the table agreed this was an awesome roll. Thanks to our server for the recommendation. The table ordered the bananas foster and the bread pudding for dessert. The bananas foster has raw bananas, which is not detailed in the menu nor mentioned by the server. We loved the sauce and ice cream, but the raw bananas didn't gain any fans at our table and we agreed that we'd skip it next time. The bread pudding flavors rotate and was apple flavored on our visit. Yummy, but all agreed the apples should be peeled before incorporating in the bread pudding. Noticed the table next to us commenting similarly. We arrived right after work to a quiet restaurant. Midway through our meal, the place was popping. If you plan to arrive around/after 6:30pm, I'd be sure to make a reservation.
(4)
Tim T.
Friendly staff but at lunch with no one in the restaurant, it took 45 minutes to get an overcooked bison burger and three seafood sliders. The sliders were not very fresh seafood. Don't come here for the food or the fast service if you have somewhere you need to be.
(1)
Neil P.
A group of us went here last night for a friends birthday. We had a great time. The food was a little slow coming out. However, there were ten of us and it all came out together when it did come out ... and it was the perfect temperature and absolutely fantastic. As far as the server, the service he provided was equally as exceptional. I actually came on here to right a review because we were all so impressed by the place and the service. I was a little shocked to see 1 stars from anyone because my experience was anything but disappointing. I will definitely go back.
(4)
Liz W.
Two things really enrage me about servers at good restaurants: when they see I need fresh silver and don't bring it, and when they see the table needs to be bussed and they don't bother. Funky Monkey has managed to to throw me over the edge on that latter one. The service was lazy at best and rude at worst and I likely won't be back. The food was decent but the service was lacking in some essentials. I'll sum up in case you don't feel like reading any more: You can do better (Luma, Ravenous Pig). So, I had been here before several times. All, "eh." Not bad, not great. But tonight the Orlando Weekly reminded me is the last weekend of Restaurant Month and FM had a $25 3-course fixed price menu that looked good, so why not give it another try? I made a reservation. When I called to say we were running late, they knew nothing about our reservation, but kindly made us another one. Ok, I should probably have cancelled at that point, but mistakes happen. We got there and the place was mostly empty on a Saturday night at 8pm. The hostess was friendly but unfortunately she did not wait on us. The woman who did was friendly enough until we asked for the Restaurant Month menu. Note that we had to ASK for it, which was odd. Service was downhill after that. She came back about 10 minutes later (why 10 minutes you ask? Great question. It wasn't like she was busy) for our drink order, then went ahead and took our dinner order at the same time. She clearly had decided we were THOSE PEOPLE, the cheap Restaurant Week people who don't tip, and she could barely be bothered to string together three polite words after that. Later, when we ordered a second glass of wine she perked up momentarily, but not for long. The food was pretty good. The stuffed avocado with tuna was a nice appetizer; the salad was fine. The salmon was perfectly cooked, although there was some real underperforming on the one side dish, basic green beans with no seasoning, barely warmed up much less cooked. I am a fan of a good crunchy green bean, but at least pretend you made an effort. The duck breast was ok. Not great, not bad. Same hard green beans. The dessert bread pudding and bananas foster, both fine. Nice dishes to cut down your food cost. But seriously throughout all of this: our server could not be bothered to lift a finger to bus our table. She and the hostess walked by multiple times for various reasons with nothing in their hands, looked right at our plates, and walked on by. Dessert dishes sat on our table even after we left, server had brought and taken and returned the check, stared at our dirty dishes, and just left them there. Was coffee offered? No. Basic service 101, people: bring fresh silverware, bus a table, and don't assume that people who take advantage of a special YOU decided to offer aren't good tippers. We happen to be great tippers. And also great Yelpers. Bus the damn table.
(2)
Dustin D.
After eagerly awaiting our experience here, we came in with a friend of ours for dinner. The place was dead on a Friday dinner service. Red flag? The temperature felt super cold so I said something to our server. I'm hot natured so if I'm cold in a business it's gotta be super cold! The server acted like it wasn't cold nor did she make us feel like she was going to change the temp. Both servers weren't very welcoming either. Ok, the food. We had two very salty Caesar salads and mussels that were very fishy tasting (yes, I know what a real Caesar is supposed to taste like). The wine was great though! (We would've bought a bottle if the server would have shown more interest in guiding us through the wine list). Our entrees were also just "ok". I had the rigatoni and they had two other pasta dishes. We all looked at each after one bite and immediately had buyers remorse. No dessert was offered and we felt rushed to leave. Really? No one was in the place! As always, is be open to trying this place again if a manager wants to invite us back.
(2)
Arlene A.
The service is outstanding, but this place is WAY too small. I felt as if I was going to freak out. Don't like small places, felt as if I was sitting in a box. Once we ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blac, and drank my attitude slowly changed. We decided to order the Monkey Balls, very cold did not like. Ordered some sushi it was OK. Not a good place to go have sushi at all. I asked for some Siracha sauce, and waitress, came back with a small teaspoon side. Guess they are in a "economic crisis". Conquered this place, but will not go back. Not my cup of tea!!! :)
(2)
Colleen B.
Late night dessert stop? YES PLEASE! After leaving sip last night, Alexis N and I were in the mood for yummy desserts, first though, Funky Monkey! It was right around the corner and we are very familiar with their amazing dessert selections. All made in house, they are always fresh and delicious. There are so many good options I wish they had a dessert sampler because I would house one of those each time I was within 20 miles of the place ;o) What can I say? I'm a SUCKER for sweets!!! We were juggling 3 options, Bananas Fosters, Chocolate Cake or the Banana Split. We went with the Bananas Fosters and Chocolate Cake. We asked how large the Banana Split was and our waiter said the Bananas Fosters was larger but the spilt is listed as "Family Style" on the menu and about $5 more than the Fosters so we pointed that out to him, he said oh yeah...that's right, i haven't seen that one in a while. That was disappointing, would have liked a hard sell on the Banana Split - would have made me feel better about consuming so many calories, like i HAD to have it or I was a failure at life for not giving it a run. Oh well. I was also very disappointed that they are STILL out of my favorite Riesling from Wente. Sigh...but the waiter assured me he would work on getting that back...let's hope he was telling the truth cause that would be DOPE! I am not sure of the name of the other Riesling I had but it was pretty good. Not too sweet and was great with dessert! When we arrived we mentioned we would like dessert only and were seated with dinner menus, that was odd. Also after ordering wine, my wine glass was taken away. I am writing this off as Tuesday night mishaps at the Monkey because service is usually mucho better. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive though so that made up for the other snafus.
(4)
Tiffany K.
The food here is great. The branding needs some work though, we made a reservation thinking it was Funky Monkey and when we arrived the menus said Nicks Italian. We asked the server and he gave us an even more confusing explanation of the concept. If you are going to change your concept, make it clear for the customers. The first server we had was mediocre at best. He was not warm or friendly and seemed annoyed. But Bonnie took over and she was incredible!! That girl could run the restaurant. Our food was very delicious and my girlfriend who lived in Sicily for 5 years said the pea risotto rivaled the ones she ate there. My chicken was under seasoned but perfectly crispy and cooked just right. All in all this place was not bad but someone needs to come in and make a decision. Make it clear cut. It's an Italian restaurant bearing the funky monkey name and there were Indonesian decorations. The chef, Ashley Nichols is incredible and stands on her own. But she won't shine here unless someone makes a change.
(4)
Jamie V.
We have been here multiple times before... What happened!? We loved the atmosphere, menu variety, and wine list, but now everything was awful. Our first clue should of been there was no one there. Which is concerning for a sushi place... We hope the fish turns over. The salad was a bag of lettuce and randomly chopped vegetables. The one delicious monkey balls tasted cold. The shrimp scampi was sour and even the waiter agreed. He explained that the chef tried a different type of wine... Which is probably not the best idea to try on a customer. Then we ordered sushi. The fish was oddly colored and sushi pieces were small. It's too bad that we have checked this restaurant off our list.
(1)
Buford J.
I've been to both locations in Orlando. The one on I Drive had great food about a year ago but it went to pot quickly and prices went up. They touted themselves as having the best sushi rolls in Orlando. 'm not sure where they got that from because the roll i had tasted like a summer intern at winn dixie made it, or in fact a monkey made it with gordon's fish sticks. We went back about a year later to the I Drive location with some friends and the Saturday show caught me off guard. Very obnoxious. Show aside, the food was average and expensive.
(1)
Natalie D.
Excellent sushi, it's half price on Monday. Great wine too! I can't say enough good things about this place. If I lived in Orlando, I would be a regular.
(5)
Matti J.
Not too bad but considering there's like 7 tables, could I wait any longer for my food? Stupid
(2)
Donny A.
A few things are worth going for. While this place is not perfect, a few things are very good. Instead of bread they give you Edams with key lime juice, garlic, and shaved sea salt, and they are phenominal. You also have to try the monkey purses. The sushi was good, and I recommend trying it on Mondays when sushi half price. The entrees we have ordered have been subpar. Bone in rib eye was not cooked correctly, and my wife's ravioli was simply average. Do not blink or you will pass this place.
(3)
Allison H.
My husband and I went there last night for dinner. We had one of those Groupon deals so we had $40. It's right around the coroner from us and we heard good things about the sushi, so we figured why not? Service was slow to start and our reservation was at 7:30. This didn't bother us. Our server was very nice and polite. As an appetizer we ordered the Asian short ribs. We almost sent them back. The description listed ingredients like hoisin and BBQ sauce and the plate we had was just splashed with soy sauce. They were extremely salty and I couldn't even eat them. We didn't want to send them back because we waited quite a while for them. We hoped the sushi was better. We had the stuffed avocado and three other rolls. While the stuffed avocado was good, it was very small and a hefty $13. The sushi was OK - not amazing. We had the crunchy munch roll, one that was like a rainbow roll and a spicy one - I can't remember the name. While good, it wasn't very special. At the end of the night, our dinner bill was $72 with my glass of wine and his beer. If I'm going to pay close to $100 for sushi, it better be the best sushi I've ever had. And this was nowhere near it. A spicy tuna roll was double what you'd pay elsewhere. If you're really looking for amazing sushi, go to Sushi Pop in Oviedo. Trust me, it's worth the drive.
(2)
Brad B.
Okay, i really like this place. Think of it as a boutique restaurant, always something interesting on the menu. Great wine selection, the waiter, Dennton with two n's, was great, really friendly, total chill, the tequila shrimp thing was very tasty. Always a great experience
(5)
Emily J.
I went on a Thursday night at 7:00 with 2 other Guests and we were seated and service started immediately. I saw some comments about poor service. Maybe try to get there closer to 7 than 8. It started to fill up at 8:00. Also - its a nice dinner out, I expected around a 2 hour turn time with 3 courses. We went for Orlando Magical Dining Month (3 courses for $30) and each had a glass of wine. Appetizers at the table were stuffed avocado and the crab cake, both wonderful. Dinner was the scallop and shrimp meal (AH-Mazing) and the fish of the day. Dessert was banana fosters, it wasn't bad but I wish I would have went for the bread pudding. Overall it was a wonderful experience. The waiter was very attentive and everything came out in a timely manner. Additionally, he brought a wine that matched exactly what I described and was looking for. With all that said, it's a bit pricey and I don't think I would go back without a deal. After adding the glass of wine, it was $50 per person out the door.
(4)
Stacey G.
The food, service, and wine here are pretty good. Philip (sp?) our server held the table for us even though we didn't have a reservation, and had just called in, which I really appreciated because my parents were in town and we wanted to go somewhere good. So why am I giving this 3 stars? I want a little more Je ne sais quoi for a restaraunt named 'The Funky Monkey' in my funky neighborhood that has a bit of a reputation. I like that it's small, and my sushi was different (in a good way) but I just... felt like for the money you pay and the reputation it gets, I wanted something a little bit more. We did mention to the server I was graduating, and he did write congratulations and a little graduation hat on my plate in chocolate frosting. That was nice :)
(3)
Tami J.
Made our reservation online, so didn't learn about the two private parties booked the same night. Not usually a big deal, but in our case one of the parties had an obnoxious MC that spent 45 mins crowing at top volume, to the point that we were unable to have a dinner conversation. Add to that our waitress essentially harassed us for our entree order, even before we had our drinks and apps. She came back to our table at least 3 times trying to get us to order. We just wanted to relax a moment. We went ahead and ordered to get her off our backs and the food came out pretty quickly after tat, which left us plenty of time for dessert... If they'd had any. Yes, you read that right. Not even ice cream or gelato. Nothing. No cookies. Nada. And she didn't even apologize, just brought the check and WE had to ask about dessert. At which point we were told we could have dessert drinks, but they had no desserts (kind of disappointing after reading some of the reviews here raving about the desserts). And never even offered coffee at the conclusion of our meal. We drove almost 2 hours to meet our friends for a leisurely dinner in a very nice restaurant, were hustled through the meal and left without a sweet treat at the end. The food, however, was excellent. As was the $60/bottle wine. One last thing...a single restroom (1patron at a time), with only a half roll of toilet paper and an out of order hand towel dispenser. I think a few things need to be tended to in order to move this establishment up in stars.
(2)
Sebastian T.
The service was out standing throughout the night, the beer selection was above average. I sat at the bar as I was dinning alone and the bartender Cris kept me entertained all night. She was very well versed in the local food joints and bars which was helpful since I'm a new transplant to Orlando. The only problem with my dinning experience was that the duck breast that I order was a bit under cooked at the center. The skin was crisp and the berry sauce was a pleasant surprise. I worked around the breast, the goat cheese mashed potatoes and I got to the center about six bites in and I made the conscious decision not to send it back. It wasn't unpalatable but it could have used a minute or two more of cooking time. The rest of the meal was pretty much flawless. The stuffed avocado was an interesting play on ceviche with a heavy Asian influence. And the meal was ended with a berry bread pudding that just knocked it out of the ball park!
(4)
Maggie L.
Funky Monkey, I have to say before arriving I had the preconceived idea that it will be similar to the Rainforest cafe in decor. I was pleasantly surprise to see it was a nice refined decor with a touch of Tiffany. This is an intimate restaurant less than 10 tables with deep burgundy walls and a small bar. 14 of us descended on a Monday for half price Sushi. upon seating 2 containers of Edamame was offered unfortunately our end didn't get any, for fourteen people 3 containers should have been offered one on each end and one in the middle. I started with the Monkey ball, fried goat cheese appetizer, then had the crab sushi made with real crab not the fake stuff. The sushi was smaller than what I'm accustom to more like little bite size. I also ordered the spicy tuna again on the smaller scale. Both were good not the best I've had in quality and freshness. I didn't order any wine, I was very concerned that the reds were stored so high on the wall, as we all know heat rises and not very good for wine. This is the type of place I will recommend for a date, the ambiance is great you don't need to shout to be heard, I luv the coziness of the resto. Service was great our waiter was efficient, however the portions are more inline for an elf.
(3)
Barry K.
The service here is great. The food used to be really good. Our last visit, the food quality took a huge drop. If this was a cheap place, I could understand. This place is pricey, if we are spending good money, we want great quality. The service has always been a bit slow but the staff has always been super friendly. Too bad such a fun place has cut back on quality and is taking a nose dive. Sorry, too many other places to go spend my money. You really need a total refresh and bring it back to quality or just close the doors.
(2)
Michael S.
Reasons for the low rating are as follows The food was average The service was slow (took about an hour to get our dinner) The restaurant is cramped (not in a good, cozy way) The prices are high. Average sushi roll is ~$13 and is smaller and fish quality is worse than somewhere like Amura The beer list was limited with poor selections All in all, I cannot think of one redeeming quality about this restaurant that would spur me to go back.
(2)
Sharon R.
eeeek! We heard this was a good place to eat so we had a girls night out for our x-mas gifts to ourselves. I don't know what it is about some downtown restaurants that they think they can charge up the ying yang for a hole in the wall. The prices are steep for the entrees, the sushi is a little high too, but that's what we opted for. We got 3 rolls, 2 of them had ahi tuna in it. Ahi tuna isn't supposed to taste fishy unless it is bad -- guess what -- it was fishy!!! Not a fun experience. We actually were kind of disgusted that we went to another place to eat. Think I'll go to a real sushi place where you can see what they're doing in front of you and where they only serve sushi! Funky Monkey is definitely f-u-n-k-y.
(1)
Mary B.
We had not been to Funky Monkey for 3 years, even though we remembered the food as being very good. So, with the prompt of a Groupon offer, we returned this weekend and met up with some friends. The space is comfortable but small. So, if you care about waiting be sure to call for reservations. If you care about sitting at a tall table, be sure to specify your preference. (I would not want to sit a a bar like tall table for dinner, but clearly some folks love it) The wine list is long, but a number of the wines on the list were not available which was frustrating. We settled on Cashmere from Cline Cellars, a blend, and the 4 of us drank two bottles- so I'd say that it was good! Having read prior reviews, we ordered the Monkey Balls as soon as we were seated - before our friends arrived. Worked out well, as none of us is patient in waiting for food. Since we were busy talking and drinking, the time it took to receive the first course was not an issue. Be sure to plan! I ordered the 3 course summer special of pork ribs. There were 2 wonderful surprises: the house salad was huge and very tasty. It included pickled ginger and very fresh mixed greens. It was so large that I shared with my husband and still did not finish it. The second surprise was the side of potato salad - fabulous. The small bits of crisp bacon coupled with tender potatoes and a light dressing were a perfect combination. The pork was fine as was the cornbread - but clearly out-shown by the two salads. My husband has rigatoni with Italian sausage - excellent. We shared a chocolate cake dessert that was worth the calories. All in all, a lovely night out. The place has a very comfortable neighborhood feeling and it's a luxury to have such fine food so close to home.
Went to Funky Monkey the other night and it was absolutely amazing! We had the new stuffed avocado, to die for! It looks like they added a ton of new sushi rolls so we tried the love monkey with tempura crab in the middle topped with spicy tuna, yum :) My girlfriends and I just ended up ordering a ton of appetizers and hanging out and drinking all night...mainly because our hottie server Ryan took care of us. He always gives us great recommendations and service! My girlfriends always come in for sushi mondays, I need to start coming more often!
I was really excited about going here this past Friday for a friends bachlorette party. In addition to great company, I was looking forward to seeing my first drag show and enjoying great food. The bride-to-be is a foodie like myself so I had high expectations. Let me say the food was not the problem, but there is no doubt in my mind, I will NEVER go back. Our reservation was for 7:00. At 8:00 we had drinks, appetizers and the server was finally taking our dinner orders. At 9:30 I asked for the manager. Our dinner had arrived a few minutes before, but I was still waiting on my 3rd drink. I have years of experience in the food industry and understand things happen outside the server's control, but for heavens sakes, at least keep the drinks flowing so I'm not thinking about the fact I'm starving. The waiter left our dinners without asking if everything was alright, or if we needed anything else. I had ordered the scallops with lobster mashed potatoes and really wanted a vegetable. The waiter had told me when I ordered it didn't come with one, but could bring me a squash medley. When my dinner arrived there were a few stalks of asparagus I wasn't expecting, but no squash. When he did finally come back to check on us, his response was that they must have run out of squash. Great, you couldn't get back to me with that information anytime in the hour + I waited for my food? The manager did seem receptive to my complaints and explained the table next to us getting fantastic service was in fact the owners. He did take one of my drinks off the check and brought over a bottle of tequila and poured free shots for the party to enjoy. Had this been the end of the problems, I would not be writing this post because I really do understand things happen. Two of my friends were on the same tab. When the waiter brought their check, they asked to have it split. The check came back with an entirely new entree on one of the bills. I understand how a POS system works and that it could have been a honest mistake. However after bringing it to his attention, the check was brought back again and the sushi they ordered WAS INCREASED BY $2/EACH!!! We still had the last copy of the check so there was no way to dispute it and a check of the menu price confirmed it was definitely an overcharge. At this point I was livid and asked for the manager again. The manager corrected the check without any acceptable explanation or compensation. Let me point out that despite my earlier complaints about the service, we were all charged 20% gratuity on our bills. IT GETS WORSE! I have been involved in an email chain this afternoon from people at the dinner warning us all to check our bank/credit card statements. Apparently one of my friends was charged a $141 tab in addition to the tab she should have paid, and another friend is saying her card has been charged more than the bill. Normally I would give a restaurant a second chance for bad service, especially when the food is good. But I think in this case the $70 I already paid for 1 entree, 3 drinks and 20% for absolutely crappy service and hassle was more than enough. The food was good, but not good enough to make up for one of the worst dining experiences I've ever experienced.
(1)
Dorine O.
First time here - yummy! Love the edamame they bring you - it has a touch of key lime - very good. Next was the edamame soup with some Parmesan - very delish! followed by house salad with a hint of ginger - also very good! Finished with grouper dinner that I would order again - really loved this place, ambiance & food!
(4)
Jen S.
I had been to this restaurant a few times and really enjoyed it. When my family was in town for only two days I really wanted to take them and use the groupon that I had recently purchased. It just so happened that the last day they were in town and the day we wanted to go was on Monday night. When I called to make the reservation I mentioned the groupon and was told I could not use it on 1/2 off sushi Mondays. I completely understand not combining deals with other deals, but even after telling the gentleman on the phone that we did not want to get sushi, sounding hesitant, still said we could not use it. It wasn't until I asked to talk to a manager to explain the situation that he asked another employee, who agreed and without speaking to the manager that I asked for, we abruptly ended the call. That left me very disappointed and upset with the customer service and even though I have enjoyed the food and experience in the past, will probably never go back. The employee was probably just trying to follow the rules, but should have been sure of them before turning away my business that evening and for a LONG time.
(2)
Christina R.
Great food and service. The crab cakes were flavorful and had a good balance, my deep diving monkey sushi was really good, and our waiter was great. My friends had the baked potato soup of the day, which smelled amazing, although the portion seemed kind of small. If its on the menu, definitely try it though. Intimate, quaint feel; good place for socializing with a small group.
(4)
Alex E.
Had a very nice experience tonight at Funky Monkey. We pulled in and had our car taken care of by the valet, so parking was not an issue. If the valet had not been there, it probably would have been dicey. We went in and it is definitely a small area. Luckily it wasn't crowded. On a packed night it may feel claustrophobic. As it was, it was cozy and nice. The menu has a wide range of choices, including sushi which is a bit odd given the rest of the menu choices but hey, I'm not complaining. My wife and I ordered the Bison Sliders as an appetizer, braised short ribs and beef tenderloin for our entrees, and the bread pudding as our dessert. They have plenty of choices for wines by the glass, and I settled on a very nice malbec. The Bison Sliders were very good, though I do have some constructive criticism. A coarser grind and a heavier hand with seasoning could take these to the next level. My short rib was very tender and well seasoned. The blue cheese mash was a little on the chunky side, but the taste was great. My wife's beef tenderloin was very tasty. The bread budding was great and more than enough to share between the two of us. Service was helpful, attentive, and nice. We really had no complaints and will definitely be back.
(5)
Annette G.
Because of my reviews, the owner has requested I not return to his establishment, and I'm happy to oblige. My change in star rating is due to management not responding well to criticism.
(1)
J. D.
Tonight was my third visit to Funky Monkey Wine Company and like my previous two visits, I had had great food and great service. The Orange Chili Chicken is right up there with the Pork Tenderloin and Drunken Sea Scallops as my favorites.
(5)
William K.
I was quite impressed and surprisingly so after some less than favorable reviews. First, the bad. Parking is terrible. There is only street-side parking and most of that seems to be on the opposite side of Mills. We were fortunate to not have a problem. probably because we went fairly early. Now the good: Despite the name, this small restaurant shows real class on the inside: cloth table cloths and napkins, quality silverware and glassware, tasteful wine-oriented decor, soft but sufficient lighting. It's a place where you can actually carry on a conversation without shouting. The service was excellent. Chris was prompt, professional but friendly, and very helpful. I really appreciated that. The food, while definitely not cheap without our discount voucher, would have been worth the price even without the discount. I had the rib eye steak and I can honestly say that I haven't had a better steak anywhere. It was cooked perfectly, very tender, and so delicious that even though I had planned on taking half of it home (since it was almost as big as the plate) it tasted so good that I couldn't stop eating it until it was gone. The green beans were cooked tender-crisp and not boiled to death, the mashed potatoes were made with real potatoes. My wife had the scallops and was initially disappointed to see only three, but they were large and delicious. When she finished them she said she was full and couldn't have eaten one more. We went back a few weeks later with my mother and sister. I ordered the rib-eye again and it was just as large and delicious as the previous time. My wife had salmon this time and it was fresh and cooked perfectly with a flavorful crust on the outside but not overcooked on the inside. Often I have found it difficult to have fish like this without it being overcooked and dry or undercooked but the Monkey got it just right. My mother and sister got an appetizer, salad and the ribs. Although the rib sauce was a bit too spicy for my Mom, they declared everything delicious and would definitely come again. I guess they couldn't call it the Classy Monkey since that doesn't rhyme but it is definitely a class act in my book.
(5)
Jon M.
One of my co-workers steak was on the chewy side, the manager on duty insisted on getting her the chicken free of charge, as well as a bottle of wine and desert for the table. Also, the tuna stuffed avocado is pure genious
(5)
Elizabeth B.
Half price sushi on Mondays? Ok you got me! I had some friends tell me about this deal at Funky Monkey for half price sushi on Mondays, along with other items on menu. Instead of having to order edamame, they give it to you right there at your table as a starter, like other restaurants bringing you bread, they do it with the edamame and you pay nothing. It was delicious, especially with the lemon flavor that was mixed in. Then got two sushi rolls, one had lobster in it and was dynamite. I got two rolls and it came to $13 total. They were big rolls, and I thought it was a great deal. I encourage you to go on a Monday sometime, whether it be for lunch or after work, for a glass of wine and some rolls, you will not be disappointed. I look forward to going on another Monday again!
(4)
Jamie K.
Apparently my review has be deleted, so I will gladly re-post my OVER RATED experience at The Funky Monkey Wine Company. This place is so terrible. Where should I begin? 1. Parking on the street...horrible. Cars zoom by at fast speeds. Crossing the street was approaching suicidal. As we were leaving someone mentioned valet, but we didn't see it. Maybe they were late arriving to work that day. 2. The food-I have to agree with other yelpers here. The sushi was bland and does not compare to other local establishments in Orlando. I would say grocery store quality, but I have had better sushi at Albertson's. I made the mistake of ordering the banana fosters desert, thinking monkey-banana's, its should be their specialty. Well, the dessert was a complete disaster and I LOVE dessert. It was mushy and sweet, with way too much whip cream. Nothing is worse than bad banana. 3.The atmosphere was claustrophobic. It is cramped and small. My husband and I did not enjoy our meal because we practically on top of the table next to us. To make things worse, there is a huge red couch taking up a ton of room. It seemed pointless with lack of space...even 10 people feels crowded in a 12x12 box. 4. Wine selection was good, but not spectacular. If you are going to call your self a wine company, I expect more of tasting menu...parings were NOTworth the price. I did enjoy the dessert wine, but the banana fosters killed it. Blah. UPDATE: Eddie, the owner contacted me via yelp after posting my original review. He was rude and disrespectful. I will NEVER return to his establishment. I hope everyone joins us in protest.
(1)
Vanessa G.
Heard they had a good happy hour however we went to the I Drive location and they didn't have happy hour. So went 15 miles to the Mills Ave one and it was horrible. Over one hour wait for 4 rolls and a salad food that was bland. The service was awful. Never again out of the way and slow. We waited 20 mins for the bill and was over charged by 20 dollars!
(1)
Heather R.
I went here in mid-September with my husband. Even with the Groupon ($20 off), it was still too expensive for what I had. Environment: With a name like "Funky Monkey" I would generally expect something modern...NOT the Tiffany lamp I saw when I walked in. Seriously, do away with the Tiffany lamps! Appetizer: edamame with key lime juice, salt and garlic (free). The edamame was cooked well. Otherwise, despite our preference for more flavor, we both agreed that we prefer edamame withOUT the odd, mismatched taste of the lime juice. Sushi: Crunchy Munch roll ($10). It was good, but just good. Not to die for and not nearly as crunchy as one would hope. Not worth $10, in my opinion. Entrees: I had the pine nut crusted halibut ($24) and husband had duck special ($23). Halibut: mostly good, but...strange... The fish itself was excellent, and topped with pancetta (bacon), capers, raisins and pine nuts. It was sweet, smoky, salty, succulent, and buttery. It was served with mashed sweet potatoes and snow peas. It was good but I don't think it lived up to my expectations, especially considering the price and how much the waitress raved about it. Duck: husband had this and I tried some. He enjoyed it. It was cooked medium (the first time we've ever been asked how we wanted duck cooked) and served with a sauce made with fresh berries. The blue cheese mashed potatoes were good but they were crusted over, as if they'd been siting a while. Our food took a bit longer than expected to come out... Service: overall good. It angered me that the waitress added a 20% gratuity to our check...and for just 2 people! Just because I had a coupon does not mean I am cheap and don't tip well! The Groupon did NOT specify that gratuity would be added; it merely suggested that we tip well. I really don't feel she deserved a 20% tip...I probaby would have given her a 15-18% tip at the most. The servers should not be allowed to do this because it makes customers not want to return...which, ironically, is the exact opposite intention of the Groupon in the first place. In summary, it's an ok-to-good dining experience for people with lots of money to blow. For the rest of us, I think you can get food that is just as interesting and creative for a lot less money at other establishments. And for the few times a year when you DO want to splurge, I'd recommend other places way before Funky Monkey Wine Company.
(2)
Elizabeth F.
Funky Monkey is a great little spot to go for dinner! There are a few things you should know when going here. 1) Make a reservation. Seriously. This place is super tiny & walk-ins don't usually fly. 2) Monday is half off sushi. This is a great deal & the sushi is pretty decent but prepare yourself to wait a while. We waited at least 30 minutes to get 3 rolls. 3) Order the Monkey Balls for an appetizer. They are delicious! 4) Have a glass of wine!! I mean it's Funky Monkey Wine Company! I am a fan of their pinot but they have a ton of selections. Enjoy!
(4)
Shannon T.
First time visit to Funky Monkey. My first impression was how small it was on the inside. Sat at bar with friends and enjoyed service and recommendations from the staff. Extremely helpful and friendly. Food was fantastic. Ordered mostly rolls and aptz to share and everything was unique and tasty. I was a bit set back on the price, so just a warning that good food comes with a price. If your looking for romantic small restaurant or quiet place to chat, then this place is good. Almost too quiet for my liking and 'romantic', since I like music or humm of chatting, etc.
(4)
Helen R.
I tend to think about food on my way to/from the gym. This place is located along my gym route, so I've thought about dining here often. I finally made it in recently and now wonder what took so long. The food was fantastic, they have a very eclectic menu, with many options. I opted for sushi and wasn't disappointed. Service was on point - we really enjoyed our waiter's energy and he was helpful with entree selection. He also was honest about portion size- these are not big plates so if you're very hungry, be prepared to start with an appetizer or two. The portions are reasonable for the type of dining the restaurant offers, the portion comment is just a heads up if you have a hearty appetite. I'd also recommend reservations, since seating is limited. We actually had reservations and had to wait, which was completely understandable due to the size of the restaurant. It is quite small and there is no way the staff can predict turnover rate. They were very apologetic and brought us over to their sister restaurant, Bananas, so we could sit and relax with a drink while we waited.
(4)
John C.
The Funky Monkey's name is definitely appropriate, as it's located in a somewhat "funky" part of downtown Orlando. I had dinner there last week with 3 co-workers who were in town for convention in Kissimmee. The drive there was a little far (30 minutes) from the Disney area, and the neighborhood seemed a little sketchy at first, but once we parked with the complementary valet and stepped inside...what a pleasant surprise! The host (I think one of the owners?) met us at the door. The room was warm and inviting. and there was a great "buzz" of conversation from people who were already seated at tables. It's nice whan you can hear different conversations as people enjoy their meal, but you can't really make out what peoiple are saying. The lighting was primarily from blown glass candleholders and the music was smooth and set just the right mood. There was a short (15 minute) wait for our table, but we enjoyed the small bar and actually spent an extra few minutes there, talking to a few locals, who seem to be regulars already. I have to start with the wine list, which we were all very impressed with. It's unusual to find a selection of wines this diverse in a small restaurant like the FM. Somebody knows their wines - I guess if you are going to call yourself a wine company, you have to have good wine at accessible prices. The entire staff seemed to be very familliar with the wine list and were great about making suggestions. The tables are spaced nicely, not too crowded. We started with the sushi (which was excellent, maybe the best I have had); goat cheese (very good) and tuna tetaki (fresh and very, very good). With one ecxeption, our entrees were wonderful. The snapper, the duck and the coconut crusted chicken were prefectly cooked and delicious. One of our group had the lamb, which was undercooked and not tender. This is where the experience of the staff really was appearant. When the lamb was pointed out to the server, it was immediately taken away, and the server made a few recommendations of entrees that would not take long to make. All of this was done with a smile and they didn't make a big deal out of it. No one is perfect, and I think that how a restaurant responds to a mistake by the kitchen tells a lot about how much they care about their customers. Instead of dessert, we had great coffee and a port that the server recommended, but the desserts that we saw going to other tables looked superb. Kudos to the owners of the Funky Monkey for taking a chance on a location that seems more known for Korean restaurants and consignment stores than for hip, casual fine dining!
(4)
Melissa C.
Unfortunately, we were sadly disappointed in FMWC. After reading many reviews online, both by the average diner and critics, we decided to try it out; hoping it would be added to our list of fabulous places to dine. I made the reservation for 6:15p having read how crowded it gets and I wanted to experience this place without the hustle & bustle. We ordered the goat cheese app and were greeted with (what tasted like) a previous cooked, then frozen, then thawed dish. The crust was bland, with a hint of "freezer burn taste" and the crumb stale. The fruit salsa was merely diced apples (skin on and discolored) and a single piece of finely sliced strawberry. Salsa? No, more like a fruit salad. The crostini was merely sliced baguette, no toasting, with oil drizzled over the tops. For the main dish, my partner ordered the duck and I, the scallops. The duck was nicely cooked and the accompanying potatoes with goat cheese were a nice change to the standard mashed potatoes. My scallops were nicely done, however more poached than anything - no color whatsoever. I am not sure why they are referred to as "drunken" since there was no flavor designation but they were fresh and I cannot complain about that. The potatoes were supposed to have lobster in them..not a hint. The bacon cream sauce was tasty. The most disappointing part of the meal was that nothing, not a single thing, was served hot. We were lucky to get lukewarm. Considered we were only 1 of maybe 5 tables, at the time of service, our food should have been at least on the warmer side. The wine we selected with dinner was not previously chilled and the server (one of two we encountered) informed us it would take 8 minutes to chill. The fact that FMWC boasts about it's wine leads one to believe it has it's wine vault in order. However, the server suggested another wine and we were very pleased with her ability to recommend something very similar in taste to what we originally ordered. Based on our experiences thus far we opted to skip dessert altogether.
(2)
Chris P.
Had high expectations, but didn't work out. In Orlando on Vacation and it looked like a good spot. 15 minute for a table, when they had open tables available. Should have been our first clue. Waiter was very good and informative. Service to actually receive food was very slow. Appetizers Crazy Monkey roll was very good. Tuna Poke was also very taste. Crab cake was good, but only one and it was small. Bison burgers were over cooked and not not worth it. For dinner: We ordered the sword fish and the owner(?) came to tell us the fish they had was not up to standards and recommended we change the order. Two people ordered Mahi Mahi, which was good, but not great. My son odored the Rib eye, steak was very thin and too charred on the outside. I ordered the scallops which were good, but too small a portion. Dessert Cheesecake frozen and not thawed enough. Sons had the chocolate lava cake which they liked. Overall I can think of many other places I can spend over 225 on food and get a better meal, with much faster service. I would not go back.
(2)
Mariacristina R.
My review actually hovers between three to four stars since the dessert and service were absolutely excellent! I think the biggest complaint at our table was the lighting in the restaurant. It was too dark for my two dinner guests to read the menu and the server quickly brought over a small flashlight to help them out. We ordered the orange duck, a couple of rolls of sushi and a chicken salad. I thought the chicken salad was great, didn't try the duck and the sushi was just OK. My Rainbow Roll was a little bland and although I don't mind cream cheese in the other sushi roll, I felt like they went a little overboard with it. It felt like I popped a huge dollop of cream cheese into my mouth, I had no idea there was fish in the roll. I also felt like the prices were a bit high for the rolls (in comparison to, say, Fuji Sushi in Winter Park). But I noticed they do have half-off Sushi Mondays. I thought the lime juice with the edamame starter was a nice touch - very different and unexpected. I think some diners are missing the point of Funky Monkey, after all, the dining experience is kind of implied in their name and explicitly stated in the tag line "Stylish yet Unconventional". Some of the flavors are truly unexpected and I really commend Funky Monkey for being adventurous in their cuisine and trying new things. We need more of that in Orlando! Our waiter recommended the Banana Bread Pudding since it had just been taken out of the oven but we ended up ordering the Banana Fosters. She brought over an order of Bread Pudding anyway on the house because she was so enthusiastic that we try it. We loved both the desserts! It was delicious! I agree with Colleen in saying this is a great place for a late night, indulgent dessert stop!
(3)
Emily W.
The stuffed avocado appetizer was enough to get me to 4 stars. Delicious! It's stuffed with spicy tuna, cream cheese and yummy sauces and served over rice with sesame seeds. Mix it all up and every bite is amazing. The ambience and decor was really nice in this place (only been to the downtown location). It's small and intimate. The entree selection is limited but a couple things looked good. I only had sushi- all the fresh fish was really tasty (tried tuna and salmon). I can't wait to go back and get the stuffed avocado again. Also, the service was very friendly. Unfortunately they said they stopped doing 1/2 off Sushi Monday 6 months ago, but the website still advertises it. Not cool.
(4)
Antonio M.
So far so good!! Verty cool hip place, the seating is a bit jammed in their but overall very attentive service and the food was great!! The ambience is a bit dark so it make for an excellent get your groove on mood, however you maybe sahring that move with your neighbor because the seating is tight. I am all up for trying new experiences so maybe the table next to me will be too lol. I highly recommend using the app table open table and make reservations.
(4)
Jenny R.
My husband and I used to love this place. In fact, the first time he took me here was while we were dating, and I absolutely loved it--couldn't stop talking about it. Unfortunately, we've noticed the quality slipping and the service getting slower and slower over the years. We took some family here for my birthday a few months ago, and dinner took us about two hours. Our server was very hospitable, but the kitchen seemed to take a really, really long time, especially for there not being many people in the restaurant. The last few times I've gone there, I've had the same experience. I know good food can take a little while to prepare, but two hours seems a bit excessive. Last time we ate here, the food was just so-so. I had the seared tuna with rice and veggies. There was barely any rice, a comically small piece of fish, and literally three small sauteed carrots. For the price, I was a bit diappointed. It's really unfortunate, because we used to rave about Funky Monkey to all our friends, but the last few times it just hasn't been worth it. We've also tried the I-Drive location on a slow weekday, early in the evening before the rush of tourists. It also took forever and the food was just "meh." I've always liked the smaller, more intimate Mills Ave. location, but I'm not sure we'll be going back. What a shame...
(2)
Molly M.
Funky Monkey has some darn tasty food! The monkey balls are one of the yummiest things I have had lately! The fried goat cheese was also fantastic. Yes, the service is slow, but it's really more along the lines of a nice restaurant that lets you take your time to enjoy your meal and company without trying to rush you out the door. If you are looking for a nice relaxing date night it's a great place. the food is good, the atmosphere is really charming. The only downside is that the wine list is really extensive but most of it cannot be purchased by the glass. Now I like me some vino but I don't always want to buy a whole bottle! I mean yikes, we do have to drive home.So there were only a few choices that I could make. They loose a star for that. If we went with a large group a bottle or two might work but not everyone always wants the same thing. I would definitely go back, just prepare myself to splurge on the whole bottle and take my sweet time to sober up!
(4)
Morgan C.
My husband and I celebrated our anniversary at Funky Monkey Wine Bar a couple of weeks ago ad loved it!! When we arrived we were promptly greeted, seated and offered a glass of prosecco on the house. We started with the bison sliders which were topped with goat cheese ad sun dried tomatoes. They were so flavorful and delicious!! We then split the pear salad, also great! My husband had the fillet, which was cooked to perfection. I ordered scallops in a beer/ bacon sauce, with asparagus on a bed of lobster mashed potatoes. It was divine! We finished our meal with an "on the house" glass of desert wine. Sadly, we were too full for an actual desert, but I can't wait to go back and try their much lauded bananas foster. Funky monkey is a small, intimate dining experience. The decor is lovely. Our server was knowledgable and attentive. I can't wait to go back!!
(4)
Dina N.
I recently went to Funky Monkey for the second time with some friends. I had been there previously for the 1/2 price sushi on Mondays. The food was great! I tried the stuffed avocado appetizer (minus the cream cheese) which I had heard great things about. It was made with spicy ahi tuna in an avocado over sesame sticky rice and topped with spicy mayo, sriacha, masago and eel sauce. Yum! For dinner, I had the chicken breast with cranberry glaze, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, capers, and roasted potatoes. It was amazing and plenty of food. I had a chicken breast to take home for dinner the next night. I tried a bite the Lamb Shank Osso Bucco and, that was delicious as well. I had a bite of the bread pudding and the cheesecake desserts and both were heavenly. Overall, nice and cozy atmosphere and delicious food!
(4)
David B.
I recently held a medium-sized event at the Funky Monkey, and have to say I was overall quite disappointed. If you are looking for a quick, over-priced meal in a decent location with great service, something that just kind of fills you up, then this is your place. But if you are seeking good food, honest people, and value for yor money I wouldn't suggest it. Especially if you are the kind of person who likes to support honest businesses with people at the top who have integrity and class - then avoid and look elsewhere. I was charged for 12 extra people for my dinner that night, because some people didn't show. When I talked to the manager, he made it sound like he was cutting me a deal and that he "should" have charged me what my "contract" stated - which was for 28 more people than even showed. As it was, I paid over $300 extra for my dinner, although I never signed a contract that committed our party to a certain amount of people. They were very inflexible to work with and made me feel tremendously awkward as they presented this to me in front of my guests. Not a great decision on their part if you ask me. This is just an example of a crooked business practice where an agressive and low-integrity type manager took advantage of someone. There was nobody in the restaurant, so I can understand why. The place simply needs to steal money to survive. The service here is excellent, as well as the location. The food is ok. But I can't recomend supporting people like this.
(2)
Alexis N.
The first time I went to Funky Monkey, I fell in love!! A friend and I went for Easter, and everything was spectacular! The food was so tasty, fresh, and different! And the dessert (bananas foster) could not have been more amazing!! The waiter was very friendly and helpful as well. However, each time I have been back, it seems that they are out of something, whether it is an entree or a particular wine. Additionally, the last couple times I went in for dinner, my meal was very salty, and a particular waitress we had messed up a few orders, and was not very nice. I have not had an experience here that would prevent me from going back yet, but they have been knocked down a few rungs from where they were after my first visit. It is definitely worth a try if you haven't been. It seems as though everyone has a different experience at Funky Monkey... (Also, I have yet to try any of their sushi because 90% of the rolls have cream cheese in them, which I do not enjoy in my sushi.)
(3)
Shai J.
Skip it. We went for lunch; there was only one other couple in the place. We couldn't locate the server. We awkardly wonderered around until we found the hostess. She was pleasant and allowed us to sit where we wanted. The menu is halariously overpriced and is not suited for lunch, in fact they do not have a lunch menu at all. My husband and really couldn't find anything intersting or reasonably priced. He setteled on the sliders and I, with the server's suggestion, setteled on the mussles. We waited for quite some time only to learn that they were out of mussles...of course. I opted to go safe and ordered the salom salad. The $16 salad was bald, unexciting and overcooked. The manager did come over and though he offered to change my order, he managed to offend me by stating that I'm mistaking salt for taste. I'm a pretty good cook, and simple as it sounds, I make heathy and tasty salads. The salmon was dry so I'm not sure what I could be mistaken on that end. Bottom line, food and service is lacking and the wait time for both is absurd.
(1)
T.J. S.
Reasons for rating: 1. Extremely loud due to burlesque drag queen show. Unable to have conversation. 2. Poor service....staff more interested in the show than attending to our table. We decided to leave. Not a place for children if there is a show that evening.
(1)
Corinne G.
We had a really great dinner here last night. It was my first time and i was proud of Orlando for this one. The food was diverse and creative. I highly recommend the stuffed roasted avocado. The waiter was incredibly sweet but paid attention when we were conversing not to interrupt. The lighting was good and the music was perfect and obviously chosen for the night. Not inexpensive.
(4)
Diane B.
I don't think I have ever given a restaurant lower than a 3. This was a complete and total disappointment tonight. I read over the menu last night and was really excited about tonight. The meal was so bad I literally thought about stopping at Wendy's or somewhere to get the taste out of my mouth. I could even live with the bad food and paying too much - but the sour server made the experience even worse. Davis - avoid him. Try to get Zach who had a lot of personality. The goat cheese appetizer was the only good item. The beet salad recommended by Davis was ok. The scallops my sister had were fine. I had the pork loin (another Davis recommendation) the smell really put me off and when I tasted it..disgusting...I.left the entire portion. I at least thought the entree would be saved by the lobster mash potatoes. Sounds great right? The potatoes tasted like they came out of a box. No kidding. The lobster tasted authentic but it was lost in the horrible potatoes. The asparagus was perfect. Davis also recommended a pinot noir which had to be one of the worst I ever had. Plus it wasn't what we ordered but there was confusion with that. Given his horrible disposition there was no point in telling him. He didn't even clean the table before serving the entree. Never poured a glass of wine except for the initial pour. I don't expect much but he barely did the basics and all with a very bland personality. Even when I tried to joke and nicely make the point that "some" personaltiy would be nice....he wasn't going to give it up! And to top off this lovely dinner I went to use the restroom. It malfunctioned. I immediately told one of the young men working. I went back in 45 mins. later...still not working. When I mentioned it to another serve he was like "oh yeah the women's bathroom." As if it was a frequent occurence or that he already knew about it (if so why not put an out of service on the door as it was getting gross.) I wouldn't wait to pay my $120 (for two people! after a groupon coupon) and get out of there.
(1)
Marc G.
I love going to the Funky Monkey when I have a chance. Most times I'll go by myself, sit at the bar, have some wine & of course, catch something to eat. Went a week ago with a friend & as usual the food was superb. It's not really a complaint, but I thought there should had been at least 1 or 2 more scallops on the entree. I usually don't eat desserts because I too full by then, but asked my dinner guest & we shared the Banana's Foster & is was awesome. It's always a treat to go on Monday's for the 1/2 price sushi. Can't wait for their new concept, Banana's American Dinner to open next month.
(5)
Sam S.
Nice atmosphere & good food. The server was nice, but she was never around. That was the major downfall of this meal. Well, the service and the terrible dessert. We ordered the pumpkin bread pudding & it was rubbery. Um, hellooo! Do not use the microwave to reheat an EIGHT DOLLAR bread dessert!!! Duh! Apart from that, the tempura shrimp sushi roll was delicious, the salads were yummers, and the cheese platter was lovely. All in all, way too pricey for the shoddy service.
(3)
Andrew C.
I went there and had a great time eating dinner. The stuffed avocado was fresh and fantastic. I couldn't help but order just appetizers because they all sounded so good. I have been to both this location and the International Drive location and both held up to my expectations. Great place to go for a nice bite. Oh! And the winelist has a great selection!
(4)
Shannon L.
My husband and I went to the downtown location for our anniversary dinner last night and it did not disappoint! We were seated quickly by a friendly staffer, and were promptly brought water and a bowl of edamame sprinkled with key lime juice and shaved sea salt. What a cool change from the normal basket of bread. The ambiance of the restaurant was very nice with low lighting, which made it have a romantic feel. My only wish was that I could have sat next to my husband instead of across from him because yes, we're cheesy like that ;) I see on a previous review that someone didn't like the low lighting and had a hard time reading the menu, but we didn't have any issues there. We started with a Love Monkey sushi roll and the Pan Roasted Mussels. The sushi roll was great and we ate every piece, and the mussels were just delicious. The server, who was great and very attentive, was probably surprised at how quickly we inhaled the mussels! The sauce the mussels came in was very tasty and I found myself making sure I got plenty in the shell before eating each one. For our main courses I had the Duck Breast and my husband had the Yellow Tail Snapper. The server and chef were very accommodating when I asked for the spring berry reduction, that comes on the duck, on the side and my husband requested no red pepper on his snapper. It's always a good sign when you know every meal is made to order. The duck breast was nicely seared and cooked perfectly. I ate every bite with a smile and the goat cheese mashed potatoes were a perfect compliment. The asparagus was fresh and tasty as well. My husbands snapper was just delicious. The portion was huge and I made him give me more than one bite! It was cooked and seasoned to perfection, yumm! Sadly, we were so full from the great food we didn't have room for dessert which I now regret after reading some other reviews. We will definitely be returning so I will correct that on the next visit! Other notes: the wine list is nice, if not the most extensive I have seen. That's ok by me as I don't claim to be a wine expert and the glass of pinot grigio I had was good. If you order by the glass your choices are a little more limited than if you buy a bottle. Parking wasn't an issue for us as we saw the valet sign in the adjacent lot (complimentary). To address some of the other reviews yes, the restaurant is small, but that just added to the ambiance in my opinion. Make sure you make a reservation, which is easily done online or through Open Table, and you won't have to wait to be seated.
(4)
Kim W.
As others have stated, this place is a bit pricey. Also, you need to be prepared for a leisurely meal. The food does not come out fast. We got there just before the dinner rush on a Friday and were promptly seated. The edemame starter is a delicious change and since you usually have to pay for it at most restaurants, it is always nice to get a freebie. We started out with the deviled eggs. You get 6 pieces done 3 ways, at the whim of the chef. They were most delicious. One set had capers, one had arugula, and the last one had truffle oil, I believe. I ordered the house cabernet which I enjoyed. You can judge a restaurant by the quality of their house wines. This one did not disappoint. I had the red snapped for my entree. It was panko crusted and served on mashed potatoes along with red peppers, and lots of garlic cloves. It was a delicious and hearty portion. My dinner companion had the vegetarian meal of the day. It was pasta, with mushrooms, red peppers, and a butter and white wine sauce. She loved it. We finished off with the bananas foster. There are very limited tables, so either go before the rush or make a reservation. This is definitely worth an evening out.
(4)
Kindred P.
Where do I began...Went here on Vday and the atmosphere was great very romantic. They had a VDay menu only with a very small selection for none meat eaters :( $44 per person 4 course meal. I think the best thing we had were the apps after that it was downhill. Soup was room temp, beef rib was over cooked, and the salmon was as if someone gave me the scraps. But wait it gets better I asked for a sparkling champagne, and the waiter said they have this really great Rosa off the menu. They came back with a bottle of Verdi Raspberry, and charged $28 for a $6 bottle at your local grocery store. This place will never get my money ever again, and should be ashamed of themselves for even having Verdi in the bar.
(1)
Rio E.
I friggin love this place! The bartenders and servers are well versed in the entire menu and pairing your selection with a fantastic glass (or bottle if you're with me and my tribe) of wine. The avocado / Tuna starter is THE reason for the avocado season. So well done. Bon appetit!
(5)
Megan D.
My girlfriend who made our reservation just received this email from the owner....... I am really sorry to hear one of your friends didn't enjoy the dinner show this month; she went as far as to write a horrible review on some no name review website. Her review is below. In her review she mentions several things that I would like to address with you since you made the reservation. 1. The outside wait.. Dinner theater shows usually don't seat guests into the venue until the opening time, "India was doing a sound check and final rehearsal" she failed to mention the lovely fruit punch served as your group waited. "If she was hot she could have waited in her AC car. 2. Our food was not terrible; the avocados were fresh and cut right before serving. 3. The fish was not bland "well seasoned and breaded" "she called it gross" 4. The wine was amazing 5. The show was 45 minutes long not 30 minutes 6. It was warm in here, the place was very crowded and its hard to keep it as cool as we would like. She failed to note that we made a special dish for someone in your group and she also neglected to note how your group was getting photos etc with the performers and we all thought your group had a wonderful time. I wouldn't dream of showing this review to India and Natasha as they would be extremely hurt and upset. Please let your "friend" know that words can be hurtful to people and I find her review to be ridiculous and mean spirited. We put a great deal of effort and time into these events and People always love them I am truly sorry one of your guests hated it so much to go as far as write a nasty review, If she was so unsatisfied why wouldn't she speak with me or India instead of writing a silly review on a website? **************************************************Â**************************** Eddie, First of all- This "no-name website" I understand you look at quite often, and it actually helps people in and around the Orlando area decide which restaurant they should and SHOULD NOT be eating at. Secondly, you tell me to go wait in the AC in my car- did you remember that you have valet, and when you pull up, he pulls your car away? Did we know India needed a sound check? Shouldn't she have done that before so that when the guests who are paying for this evening arrive on time- they can actually be seated? Let's see... Oh, The fish WAS VERY DRY. Everyone at the table agreed on that, and YES- I did forget to THANK YOU for making us one special dish that evening. Had you actually had a great website to go to- you would have actually listed information regarding your show on it. For example.... the cost, the seating time, and maybe even the menu!! So then- when you have a group of people arrive at your venue- they actually know what they will be eating. Especially when someone has a FOOD ALLERGY!!!!!!! The wine.... the wine was still... NOT AMAZING. You might think it was amazing, but everyone has different opinions. I go out to dinner with my husband and order over $100 bottles of wine. Very nice wines I might add. Serving a dessert wine at the end is a bad choice. Many people do not like dessert wine. In fact- I don't think anyone at our table drank our dessert wine. Like I said in my previous email- if you let your guests order their own wine- you might actually be able to make more of your patrons happier, and make yourselves some more money. This review was not mean spirited in any way shape or form. I can show you mean spirited- but that isn't what I am going for. I haven't used any foul terms. This review and this website are here to help people decide where they should be spending their hard earned money, and where they shouldn't. Maybe you as an owner need to step back not be so emotional about the reviews, and actually read them from a business stand point and decide what needs to be changed about your establishment so that it can be more successful. There are more negatives on this website than there are positives. We are in the 21st century, and EVERYONE has a computer. People write reviews, and that is something that business owners have to take into account. Had EVERYONE in my group had an amazing time we would probably be raving about it. I happen to be the one in my group that is writing the review. The other 4 girls were just as unsatisfied with the entire evening as I was. I will say this- Natasha and India are talented. The show was NOT terrible. It was just too short. The young singer from Universal was good- but it didn't have anything to do with a Drag show- and basically cut time off of why we came there. And the picture taking afterward- someone in the group wanted to do that yes. The show is cute- don't get me wrong- but for what you are paying for- the show needs to either be longer, or the food needs to be stepped up a notch.
(1)
Daisy J.
I don't mind spending a lot of money on good food, but this place might be just a little overpriced. The first time I went I got a bowl of the tortilla soup, a glass of wine & the mozzarella and tomato plate; that with tip was a little more than $30. The second time I skipped the wine, and stuck to water and an appetizer and still payed more than $20. The food wasn't bad, but t wasn't memorable and nothing I can't find somewhere else for half the price. What I do enjoy, though, is the atmosphere. It's a very small place, so that and the dim lighting makes for a very intimate/romantic meal if you're with a date.
(3)
meg v.
first time yelper. I was in O'do on business and went here based off of the website menu which looked good, something I often do on the road for work. We started with the fried goat cheese starter which was pretty good (can't really do goat cheese wrong), but the reason for the ONE star is because of the Shorvedor Subzi "vegetarian" dish I had ,(the menu had it in quotes, which should've been a sign). The carrots were under cooked, which I actually like but it didn't do anything for the dish; the cauliflower was mush and the rice was flavorless. I'm a big fan of curry and was completely underwhelmed. I appreciate that they have a "vegetarian" dish, but I would certainly not recommend. For 12 bucks I could have gone to publix and made something in the hotel microwave that was better, honestly. Strike against the ambience: There was a vent of cold air blowing down on our table which made the experience a bit uncomfortable, even for those at the table who like it ambiently chilly. Plus points: Service was pleasant, restaurant was well lit and the wine was good. I feel like I need to state why I give one star...well, it's because of my entree. Main dish = reason to go out to eat. There was no love in it, and I don't feel like a restaurant deserves a higher rating because they have decent wine. Though not rated here, I should mention those I went with were also nonplussed about their meals
(1)
Bryan F.
Good food, slow service.
(3)
Lizz M.
We dined at Funky Monkey Wine Company on a Tuesday night. We were promptly greeted at the door and seated. Our server brought us water and a bowl of edamame, which was delicious. We ordered a bottle of wine, and this is where things went downhill. It took longer than 10 minutes to get our bottle of wine, which was ridiculous considering there were only three other tables in the restaurant. We decided to order the cheese appetizer to go with our wine which took over a half an hour to get. The table next to us ordered their meal, got it and ate it before we got our cheese. I mean really, how long does it take to cut some cheese into chunks and put it on a plate with some crackers and honey? Don't get me wrong, the wine and cheese were excellent, I'm just glad we weren't under any time constraint. We would have ordered more food, but we were worried we would starve to death before it came. I'm not entirely sure if the food is good enough to get me to go back...
(2)
Karen P.
Eh. Food is good, if they actually have what you are ordering in stock. I really want to love this place as I want any local establishments to do well, and they must be doing well as they have expanded. But for the price, you could go to another local establishment -- many others actually -- and they will actually have all the menu items, your food will come out quicker (took forever, even though only one other table was in the place), and there will be more parking. The ambiance was nice, good wine list, good food. But I'm just not sold.
(3)
John S.
Unlike some other reviewers, I didn't find the dining room too small. Service was excellent from wait staff, prompt, friendly and efficient. Menu has an Asian tilt with a lot of choices for sushi. But it's Americanized sushi with lots of sauces and even cream cheese (ugh). But people in Orlando seem to like this kind of thing. The other side of the menu was a small list of plates. I ordered steamed pork dumplings, which were well made. The house salad had some red lettuce. My wife ordered the Scottish salmon and liked it a lot. I had the short ribs, which ended up being a single braised short rib for $15. The meat was pretty tasteless, but the sauce was ok, with a couple of veggies and some mashed potatoes. Wine choices were excellent, but the wine list was pretty short for a wine bar. Overall, I think the help average rating is pretty accurate. There is free valet parking, next to the Bananas diner two doors up Mills. We had a reservation for 6. By 7 the place was pretty full on a Saturday.
(3)
Barry M.
I have been here several times and it was ok. After last night, I am not sure if I will go back. First, there is no parking. Sometimes they have valet, but not on Mondays ( which is odd as it is half price sushi on Mondays and it was packed). I ordered the fish of the day, salmon. The waiter brought everyone 's diner and put down talapia for me. He said the chef didn't know that Salmon was the fish today, so he said to have the talapia while I wait for the salmon. I told him I do not want 2 dinners. So I tried the tasteless fish. After everyone finished they finally brought my salmon. It was so over cooked, horrible So the waiter said he would take it of the bill. There was 5 of us and we got separate checks. To our amazement they added 20% tip to each of our checks. On mine they put the 20% on the full amount ...,so they had the nerve to put it on the bad fish. The tip should be determined by me not an automatic 20%.
(1)
Jim M.
A friend and I ate dinner here tonight. We had a reservation and were shown to our table quickly. The host was warm and friendly. Before too long our server visited, dropped off menus and left. In a few minutes she came back to take our food order. I asked for a glass of wine, since she had never asked if we wanted drinks...Wine Company?? We ordered, then the host brought us a complimentary serving of edamame, thank God because one hour later our first appetizer arrived. This was the flatbread special of the day. It was good except that the flatbread was soggy in the middle. Shortly thereafter the Monkey Balls were delivered. We LOVED them. We also ordered two sushi rolls that, once the arrived, were very good. The host kept coming by to check on us, clean our table and box up what we wanted to bring home. We tried the Apple bread pudding for dessert, which was delicious; light and fresh, although we wanted the banana bread pudding which they were out of. Two hours after our arrival, we finished our meal and were out of there. For a bit of analysis, let me offer this. Funky Monkey would fall apart without the young man playing the role of host, water provider, table cleaner, appetizer deliverer and provider of all things that the servers are unable to provide. This is not just for our table, but for the entire restaurant. If he worked for me, I would pay him as much as I possibly could and pray to Jesus that he never found a better job. Our server did the best she could, too. It appears to me that the problems in this restaurant originate in the kitchen. I did not see it, and I would still guess that it is either inadequately staffed and/or inadequately equipped. No one, not even this wonderful host, can deliver to customers in a timely manner what has yet to be properly prepared. Finally, I was not at all upset with our bill. As a matter of fact it was quite reasonable. However, this is not the sort of environment where I am willing to spend two hours eating dinner. At this point I would have to develop a serious craving for Monkey Balls in order to go back.
(3)
Dora P.
we went here to try something new in the area. the ambiance of the place was very nice. the servers were polite and accommodating. we had reservations and they were excellent about seating us quite quickly. the server we had knew her menu well. she suggested the fried goat cheese, it was different and very rich. it was crusted with almonds and so i was not able to enjoy it fully but my friend assured me it was a good compliment to the goat cheese. we ordered sushi and even though it took a long while for the food to arrive, it was good. we ended up having to order another roll because our food had not filled us up. we did skip dessert but if we ever go back, maybe we should try something instead of that extra sushi roll.
(3)
Linda E.
Went to the Funky Monkey during Orlando's Magical Month of Dining and had the $30 menu. Wow. I checked here on yelp before we went, and I was astonished at the range of stars. Never seen so many love 'em or hate 'em ratings. However, our experience was fantastic. We were a little put off by the sour faces at a few of the tables when we walked in, but their faces might have been that way since birth. Who knows? Our waiter, Jamie, couldn't have been more pleasant and helpful. We had one appetizer from the regular menu: the goat cheese. Wonderful. Loved the mix of sun-dried tomatoes and fresh. Then from the MM menu two of us had scallops and two Osso Bucco. Huge portions. And great reheated the next day. Crab cakes were good (this from a crab cake fanatic). The dessert - we all chose bread pudding, but it had to come home because we were way full. Reheated several days later, it was (and is) fantastic. I'd make the trip into O-town again to eat there. Great spot. Nice wine by the glass and good selection, but not overwhelming.
(5)
Anonymous A.
My boyfriend and I had a terrible experience at the Funky Monkey and will never return, so no need for hate email or requesting we not return (if I do receive hate email, I will not read it - I will delete it immediately). We absolutely love going to new places and especially love eating at non-chain restaurants. To make this matter worse, the owner was a customer of my boyfriend so we were expecting a great experience. The location and ambiance being terrible aside, the food was just out right bad and extremely overpriced. Our sushi appetizer was recommended by the waiter as being the best and it was actually terrible. We each took a bite and didn't eat any more. So on top of being disappointed so far with everything, our meals took over an hour before they got to us. I ordered the Ahi and not only did I get sick from my meal, I make a better version at home. The preparation was so amateurish that I was actually pissed. The only thing decent about our experience was our server was great, he was very prompt and attentive. And he did comp us a glass of wine each for our delay in our food, but we also drank more than we would have had our food arrived on time. I personally think our entrees should have been comped. I will never ever go back and would not recommend this place to anyone. Needless to say, my boyfriend was so embarrassed by our experience that he no longer works with the owner, he passed the account off to a co-worker.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Intimate Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Carrie K.
Few things: 1. Yelp shows this restaurant as American. 2. I personally, have had sushi here several times...good sushi! 3. Today I went and found Italian.... 4. Make up your mind, funky monkey!!! After being fully disappointed that the FM company has changed ventures, yet again, ive decided to head to my regular sushi joint. Next time I'm in the mood for Italian, maybe I'll give FM a try again, but an Italian menu is not what a girl wants when she's got sushi on the mind....fail.
(1)Audrey M.
First time going here since Funky Monkey re-did their menu, and it was excellent. It has become a hidden gem here! I had the stuffed avocado to start (which is highly recommended) which had fresh ahi tuna in the center. So delicious. The pork tenderloin was my entree, with a soy-ginger glaze AND bacon wrapped... need I say more? The service was very personable and the server knew the menu very well. Definitely going back for more.
(5)Mike P.
While killing time before meeting up with some of my fellow Yelpers, my wife and I took a walk on Mills Ave and FINALLY found the Funky Monkey Wine Company that we tried to find one night on a whim after our daughter told us about her experience there with some friends. We walked in and it was completely empty at 6:15 pm which seemed a bit unusual. The place was beautifully decorated and all of the tables were perfectly set. The server was kind enough to tell us about the place, the menu and the chef. She was very polite and professional and after reading some of the other reviews, I can't say anything bad thus far. From what I saw on the menu and the way I was treated just walking in and being curious, I will be back to give them a try. Since my wife and I tend to just pick places at random, you never know when we'll pop in for dinner but rest assured, we'll be back with an appetite...
(4)Crista D.
Email reply from business regarding my review: "Instead of complaining to the table next to you in the dining room maybe a comment to both the server and supervisor would have been appropriate.. both asked you if everything was good and you said fine... The wine prices are marked up like every other restaurant. Did you not see the price on the menu before you ordered it? Thanks for your comments Not Eddie Nickell Owner/Operator FMI Restaurant Group"
(1)Brittani W.
Nick's Italian Kitchen- We came here tonight, for what we thought would be a nice Valentine's dinner out. My husband graciously surprised me and booked at your restaurant via the open table website. We were warmly greeted and told we were the 1st of 120 reservations. Mind you, it was 6:00 pm and that was a bit surprising to me that we were the first to arrive. It is definitely a quaint space-- which made it really warm and cozy, but too warm. As we were seated we waited at least 10 minutes for water and were told a wine list "had not been printed yet" and we would be able to look at it soon... I never saw a wine list. Upon ordering our first of four courses (which was the appetizer) we waited another 10-15 minutes for an antipasti cheese plate and small bites, while my husband waited for a simple Caesar salad. We got the cheese plate and were able to finish it, but were extremely disappointed that the salad arrived not even 2 minutes before our entrees. I ordered a shrimp scampi that was brought to me practically raw, and undesirably cold as well. I was so disappointed! :( I was however, able to send the dish back and substitute it for the lasagna, which pretty good. After finishing the meal, a line had begun to gather at the door, and since our experience was already sub par, we decided to ask for the dessert course to go. We both ordered the cheesecake and waited about 20 minutes for it to arrive in a to-go box. After we arrived at home, we opened the cheesecake to find that it was not packaged "with care" and honestly, looked like it had been thrown into the box and was broken. Very disappointing. For a relatively expensive place to dine, I expected much more. I will say, we did have a kind server, and none of this is her fault, but needless to say we will not return to your restaurant. A refund would definitely be appropriate....
(1)Gustavo A. L.
In putting my money where my mouth is, I am a heavy YELP user; both as a contributor as well as getting my information and dining tips from. On that note, I should have followed the gut feeling I got when I read the more recent reviews before I returned to Funky Monkey. I had chucked the first time to a bad experience and was willing to give them a second chance despite the fact that it was a petty expensive proposition at over 150.oo for a dismal dinner for two. Second time around was no different than the first, place is half empty on a Saturday night, but the hostess wants to be mysterious sort of like the night clubs in South Beach where the club is empty but there is a line outside. We waited about 5 minutes until an empty table magically became available- fail number 1, this technique, simply does not work. The menu looks good, but overpromises and under delivers. Good Copywriting in the description of the dishes is not followed up by presentation, flavors, or portions. On its face, it appears like they are trying to reinvent themselves as Nouveau cuisine by going minimalistic and trying to stay interesting. Wake up Funky Monkey, it is 2014, the 90's have been over for 20 something years now. If I can sum it up in one word, I would choose: complacent - It seems like there were good at some point but somewhere down the line, someone lost the passion for excellence. Our overall feeling was disappointment because this place has promise, but they are sitting on potential. Typically, I don't write too many negative reviews, I just don't write anything, but here, I was fooled twice... so shame on me.
(2)Brigette B.
The food did not live up to the price. I had visited this establishment only one other time before it become Italian and it was very good then. Our meal started with the fried goat cheese for an app. The cheese came with toasted sliced bread which did not work well with the breaded and fried cheese. The Chicken Milanese tasted like any deep fried chicken and the simple spring it was served with did not add any depth to the dish. It is sad to say that I will not be returning here solely because of the quality of food. Atmosphere, music, and service were all fine.
(2)Michael S.
I was so glad to discover this hidden gem in my favorite neighborhood, Mills/50! I went in on a Monday and was pleasantly surprised to learn all the sushi rolls were half off every Monday. I got a sea monkey roll which had ahi tuna, cucumber, and cream cheese inside and was topped off with warm baked crab salad and eel sauce. My girlfriend got a bacon wrapped pork tenderloin glazed with sweet and savory soy ginger sauce atop garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed zucchini and squash. It was ridiculously good. It's nice that the Funky Monkey menu features not only sushi but also a variety of Asian inspired entrées. I'll definitely be back to try their filet mignon. Overall: great food, great atmosphere, and great experience.
(5)Bridgitte H.
Had a very disappointing experience. Our server didn't bring water when requested, didn't take drink orders from some of the members of our table, we were missing plates and glasses and then we had a different server take over. The new server was much better. But then the food came Out and it was like warm, reheated, and/or inedible. The meatballs were tough, the lasagna tasted like meatloaf in the lasagna and the pasta vodka was underwhelming. When we made the reservation they said Nicks, and we said we thought it was Gunky Monkey and they said same thing. But it's not. They completely changed it. Very disappointed and will not be back.
(1)elena a.
Cute place. Inside is cozy and romantic. Service was great. We were the only people there at 8pm. They said they had a busy day. Fried goat cheese was pretty amazing. Lasagna as you can tell was slightly on the overdone side covered in salty sauce. It was a mission trying to slice it. I did not complain because I usually dont. So I shouldn't be whining on here, but I felt like the public needed to be warned :-) I'm sure they would have corrected the issue if I would have said something but really it shouldn't have been put on the plate in the first place. If I have to use neck muscles to slice something up, we have a problem!
(2)Jonathan M.
Had reservations for 8:00 pm on a Saturday night. I am glad we arrived early because there was only one other couple in the entire restaurant. After they left, my date and I were the only ones after that. The first choice of wine for us, they were convienently out of which forced us to a more expensive choice. Food was ok. Bruschetta was the highlight of the meal which is the only reason I gave 2 stars. Chicken Parm was ok. I would not recommend this place. Prices were astronomic. I will never go there again.
(2)Rick M.
I love to eat great food....so I will NEVER EAT HERE AGAIN! I ordered 3 or 4 sushi rolls and they were all horrible! I'm a pretty easy guy and can put up with a lot but this was just terrible!! Good had no taste at all. Just bad, bad, bad. Went with a co worker and we both agreed it's worse than pre packaged sushi. Steer clear people! Plus it was over priced. Garbage!!!!!
(1)Yi Jing L.
How they still open ? Men bathroom was down. It's smell nasty and when u open the door, the smell just hit whoever in the dinning room. Some of the food is not even available on the menu. What's available didn't taste good. My chicken Parmesan tasted way too sour. No Togo box. My food is wrap in plastic wrap on a paper plate. One server doing the bar. Serving and basically about all. Surprise he didn't went inside to cook. Well, there only one other table beside us, so yep. Maybe they are closing soon, so what else matter right.
(1)Nyla R.
Italian not sushi.. Why?? I had dinner here several times when it was sushi/Asian inspired. First few visits here .. loved it. Great sushi and vegetarian friendly dishes. Then had dinner with a friend and suddenly it's Italian? Drastic change. Also, they ran out of Malbec and Cab by the glass .. Isn't this a wine bar? Parking was horrible too. Used to be able to park at bar next door. So disappointing.. I won't be back.
(1)KImberly B.
Not a good value for the money food was ok portions were small and over priced. I could make most of the dishes myself
(1)Allison T.
First of all - I love this place. Every time I go, I am treated like a queen, and the food actually surpasses the service. Last night was no exception. I brought a few friends to the monthly Taster's Guild Orlando wine pairing dinner. I've attended these dinners in the past and they keep getting better and better! You sit at communal tables, giving the chance to make new friends, and the other couple at our table was awesome, we were all friends by the end of the evening. Last night's extravaganza was "A Taste Of Italy"; a four-course meal perfectly paired with beautiful wines. I love wine. I am FAR from an expert, can't pick out the nuances of this flavor and that flavor, but I know what I like, and I appreciate anyone who can successfully combine those flavors with just the right food. Eddie Nickell and Nick Olivieri did an AMAZING job. We began the night with a beautiful Bocelli Prosecco put out by the family of Andrea Bocelli; (as a child, he apparently used to sing to the grapes in the fields that his great-grandfather planted many years ago) it was delicious - dry and crisp; a perfect palate cleanser for what was to come. The first course was a Panzanella salad with a lovely, tart champagne vinaigrette, paired with Banfi - Lerime Pinot Grigio. I'm not usually a fan of white wines, but this put together with the acid of the dressing was great; a testament to my appreciation of those who know how to pair the flavors! The second course was a Paccheri Peperoncia pasta with Mahi in a spicy garlic sauce. I don't eat seafood, they were happy to accommodate me by leaving the fish off of my dish. The tender ribbons of pasta with a generous portion of lupini beans was served with a lively, spicy red garlic sauce - just the right amount of spice and paired with another Banfi wine - my favorite of the evening - Rosso di Montalcino. A beautiful, smooth red that went down WAY too easily - it accented without overpowering the pasta; so good! Our third (main) course was a bone-in Pork Osso Buco, with little square ribbons of pasta and a light but flavorful tomato based jus, paired with Michelle Chiarlo Barberesco Reyna. This was PHENOMENAL. The meat had it's own super-rich flavor, it was fall-off-the-bone tender, no knife needed - the smooth sauce and the big red wine was, again, a heavenly pairing. I think the best part is that I have the rest of it in my refrigerator right now, and will have another amazing dinner tonight! The entree was the only thing I packed to take home, because I had to save room for dessert! Dessert was served with a Rosa Regale Brachetto; a surprisingly full-flavored rose sparkling wine, a little too sweet for me on its own. However, Eddie and Nick chose to pair it with a tart Lemon Ricotta cake - not a cheesecake, but a light sponge with a fluffy ricotta and lemon layer served with a blueberry reduction and fresh berries on top. The tart lemon and the sweet wine were so good together! All in all - I left with a very full belly and some very happy memories (not to mention the fabulous dinner that I get tonight)! Thanks, Eddie and Nick for another wonderful night!
(5)Amy R.
I have been here many times and have always had the best experience. However, I've never come here for the sushi which is the reason for the lower rated reviews. I come here for the wine, apps, entrees, service, and playlist. Love the wine selections, apps and entrees. They are very accommodating to my food allergy, just ask and they'll work with the chef. Anoop (spelling?) is great! Very knowledgeable in wine and food pairing, he's been there forever.
(5)Shana L.
There are 3 dishes here that are FABULOUS!!!! Must have the stuffed avocado, must have the fried goat cheese and the nutty monkey salad! half off sushi on Monday! They also have a nice wine selection. Loving mills 50 area!
(5)James B.
The sushi was good but not great,prices were high for what you get and the menu was not explained well. The same item in starters and main menu. Wine prices for what they were serving are somewhat high.
(2)Lisa W.
Wow! It had been awhile since we had stopped in for Sushi Monday, where sushi is 1/2 off. Why?! After being seated we were greeted and received the delicious (complimentary) edamame, flavored with salt, garlic and key lime. Addictive! The server was informative about the wines offered and we settled into a bottle and ordered the Monkey Ball appetizer. (Sushi rice, soy, cream cheese and fried scallions- formed into balls, panko crusted and fried. Served with Spicy Mayo. Delish! ) The sushi is always spectacular. Our group ordered the Spicy tuna, Eruption roll, Funky Monkey roll, Lobster roll and the Orange Blossom roll. It was my first time trying the Orange Blossom and I'll be ordering that again very soon! (Crab (not Krab), avocado, orange segments in a roll topped with salmon and seaweed salad) I'm not a big fan of Salmon or seaweed salad-- but with the orange, the flavors popped and everyone at the table agreed this was an awesome roll. Thanks to our server for the recommendation. The table ordered the bananas foster and the bread pudding for dessert. The bananas foster has raw bananas, which is not detailed in the menu nor mentioned by the server. We loved the sauce and ice cream, but the raw bananas didn't gain any fans at our table and we agreed that we'd skip it next time. The bread pudding flavors rotate and was apple flavored on our visit. Yummy, but all agreed the apples should be peeled before incorporating in the bread pudding. Noticed the table next to us commenting similarly. We arrived right after work to a quiet restaurant. Midway through our meal, the place was popping. If you plan to arrive around/after 6:30pm, I'd be sure to make a reservation.
(4)Tim T.
Friendly staff but at lunch with no one in the restaurant, it took 45 minutes to get an overcooked bison burger and three seafood sliders. The sliders were not very fresh seafood. Don't come here for the food or the fast service if you have somewhere you need to be.
(1)Neil P.
A group of us went here last night for a friends birthday. We had a great time. The food was a little slow coming out. However, there were ten of us and it all came out together when it did come out ... and it was the perfect temperature and absolutely fantastic. As far as the server, the service he provided was equally as exceptional. I actually came on here to right a review because we were all so impressed by the place and the service. I was a little shocked to see 1 stars from anyone because my experience was anything but disappointing. I will definitely go back.
(4)Liz W.
Two things really enrage me about servers at good restaurants: when they see I need fresh silver and don't bring it, and when they see the table needs to be bussed and they don't bother. Funky Monkey has managed to to throw me over the edge on that latter one. The service was lazy at best and rude at worst and I likely won't be back. The food was decent but the service was lacking in some essentials. I'll sum up in case you don't feel like reading any more: You can do better (Luma, Ravenous Pig). So, I had been here before several times. All, "eh." Not bad, not great. But tonight the Orlando Weekly reminded me is the last weekend of Restaurant Month and FM had a $25 3-course fixed price menu that looked good, so why not give it another try? I made a reservation. When I called to say we were running late, they knew nothing about our reservation, but kindly made us another one. Ok, I should probably have cancelled at that point, but mistakes happen. We got there and the place was mostly empty on a Saturday night at 8pm. The hostess was friendly but unfortunately she did not wait on us. The woman who did was friendly enough until we asked for the Restaurant Month menu. Note that we had to ASK for it, which was odd. Service was downhill after that. She came back about 10 minutes later (why 10 minutes you ask? Great question. It wasn't like she was busy) for our drink order, then went ahead and took our dinner order at the same time. She clearly had decided we were THOSE PEOPLE, the cheap Restaurant Week people who don't tip, and she could barely be bothered to string together three polite words after that. Later, when we ordered a second glass of wine she perked up momentarily, but not for long. The food was pretty good. The stuffed avocado with tuna was a nice appetizer; the salad was fine. The salmon was perfectly cooked, although there was some real underperforming on the one side dish, basic green beans with no seasoning, barely warmed up much less cooked. I am a fan of a good crunchy green bean, but at least pretend you made an effort. The duck breast was ok. Not great, not bad. Same hard green beans. The dessert bread pudding and bananas foster, both fine. Nice dishes to cut down your food cost. But seriously throughout all of this: our server could not be bothered to lift a finger to bus our table. She and the hostess walked by multiple times for various reasons with nothing in their hands, looked right at our plates, and walked on by. Dessert dishes sat on our table even after we left, server had brought and taken and returned the check, stared at our dirty dishes, and just left them there. Was coffee offered? No. Basic service 101, people: bring fresh silverware, bus a table, and don't assume that people who take advantage of a special YOU decided to offer aren't good tippers. We happen to be great tippers. And also great Yelpers. Bus the damn table.
(2)Dustin D.
After eagerly awaiting our experience here, we came in with a friend of ours for dinner. The place was dead on a Friday dinner service. Red flag? The temperature felt super cold so I said something to our server. I'm hot natured so if I'm cold in a business it's gotta be super cold! The server acted like it wasn't cold nor did she make us feel like she was going to change the temp. Both servers weren't very welcoming either. Ok, the food. We had two very salty Caesar salads and mussels that were very fishy tasting (yes, I know what a real Caesar is supposed to taste like). The wine was great though! (We would've bought a bottle if the server would have shown more interest in guiding us through the wine list). Our entrees were also just "ok". I had the rigatoni and they had two other pasta dishes. We all looked at each after one bite and immediately had buyers remorse. No dessert was offered and we felt rushed to leave. Really? No one was in the place! As always, is be open to trying this place again if a manager wants to invite us back.
(2)Arlene A.
The service is outstanding, but this place is WAY too small. I felt as if I was going to freak out. Don't like small places, felt as if I was sitting in a box. Once we ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blac, and drank my attitude slowly changed. We decided to order the Monkey Balls, very cold did not like. Ordered some sushi it was OK. Not a good place to go have sushi at all. I asked for some Siracha sauce, and waitress, came back with a small teaspoon side. Guess they are in a "economic crisis". Conquered this place, but will not go back. Not my cup of tea!!! :)
(2)Colleen B.
Late night dessert stop? YES PLEASE! After leaving sip last night, Alexis N and I were in the mood for yummy desserts, first though, Funky Monkey! It was right around the corner and we are very familiar with their amazing dessert selections. All made in house, they are always fresh and delicious. There are so many good options I wish they had a dessert sampler because I would house one of those each time I was within 20 miles of the place ;o) What can I say? I'm a SUCKER for sweets!!! We were juggling 3 options, Bananas Fosters, Chocolate Cake or the Banana Split. We went with the Bananas Fosters and Chocolate Cake. We asked how large the Banana Split was and our waiter said the Bananas Fosters was larger but the spilt is listed as "Family Style" on the menu and about $5 more than the Fosters so we pointed that out to him, he said oh yeah...that's right, i haven't seen that one in a while. That was disappointing, would have liked a hard sell on the Banana Split - would have made me feel better about consuming so many calories, like i HAD to have it or I was a failure at life for not giving it a run. Oh well. I was also very disappointed that they are STILL out of my favorite Riesling from Wente. Sigh...but the waiter assured me he would work on getting that back...let's hope he was telling the truth cause that would be DOPE! I am not sure of the name of the other Riesling I had but it was pretty good. Not too sweet and was great with dessert! When we arrived we mentioned we would like dessert only and were seated with dinner menus, that was odd. Also after ordering wine, my wine glass was taken away. I am writing this off as Tuesday night mishaps at the Monkey because service is usually mucho better. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive though so that made up for the other snafus.
(4)Tiffany K.
The food here is great. The branding needs some work though, we made a reservation thinking it was Funky Monkey and when we arrived the menus said Nicks Italian. We asked the server and he gave us an even more confusing explanation of the concept. If you are going to change your concept, make it clear for the customers. The first server we had was mediocre at best. He was not warm or friendly and seemed annoyed. But Bonnie took over and she was incredible!! That girl could run the restaurant. Our food was very delicious and my girlfriend who lived in Sicily for 5 years said the pea risotto rivaled the ones she ate there. My chicken was under seasoned but perfectly crispy and cooked just right. All in all this place was not bad but someone needs to come in and make a decision. Make it clear cut. It's an Italian restaurant bearing the funky monkey name and there were Indonesian decorations. The chef, Ashley Nichols is incredible and stands on her own. But she won't shine here unless someone makes a change.
(4)Jamie V.
We have been here multiple times before... What happened!? We loved the atmosphere, menu variety, and wine list, but now everything was awful. Our first clue should of been there was no one there. Which is concerning for a sushi place... We hope the fish turns over. The salad was a bag of lettuce and randomly chopped vegetables. The one delicious monkey balls tasted cold. The shrimp scampi was sour and even the waiter agreed. He explained that the chef tried a different type of wine... Which is probably not the best idea to try on a customer. Then we ordered sushi. The fish was oddly colored and sushi pieces were small. It's too bad that we have checked this restaurant off our list.
(1)Buford J.
I've been to both locations in Orlando. The one on I Drive had great food about a year ago but it went to pot quickly and prices went up. They touted themselves as having the best sushi rolls in Orlando. 'm not sure where they got that from because the roll i had tasted like a summer intern at winn dixie made it, or in fact a monkey made it with gordon's fish sticks. We went back about a year later to the I Drive location with some friends and the Saturday show caught me off guard. Very obnoxious. Show aside, the food was average and expensive.
(1)Natalie D.
Excellent sushi, it's half price on Monday. Great wine too! I can't say enough good things about this place. If I lived in Orlando, I would be a regular.
(5)Matti J.
Not too bad but considering there's like 7 tables, could I wait any longer for my food? Stupid
(2)Donny A.
A few things are worth going for. While this place is not perfect, a few things are very good. Instead of bread they give you Edams with key lime juice, garlic, and shaved sea salt, and they are phenominal. You also have to try the monkey purses. The sushi was good, and I recommend trying it on Mondays when sushi half price. The entrees we have ordered have been subpar. Bone in rib eye was not cooked correctly, and my wife's ravioli was simply average. Do not blink or you will pass this place.
(3)Allison H.
My husband and I went there last night for dinner. We had one of those Groupon deals so we had $40. It's right around the coroner from us and we heard good things about the sushi, so we figured why not? Service was slow to start and our reservation was at 7:30. This didn't bother us. Our server was very nice and polite. As an appetizer we ordered the Asian short ribs. We almost sent them back. The description listed ingredients like hoisin and BBQ sauce and the plate we had was just splashed with soy sauce. They were extremely salty and I couldn't even eat them. We didn't want to send them back because we waited quite a while for them. We hoped the sushi was better. We had the stuffed avocado and three other rolls. While the stuffed avocado was good, it was very small and a hefty $13. The sushi was OK - not amazing. We had the crunchy munch roll, one that was like a rainbow roll and a spicy one - I can't remember the name. While good, it wasn't very special. At the end of the night, our dinner bill was $72 with my glass of wine and his beer. If I'm going to pay close to $100 for sushi, it better be the best sushi I've ever had. And this was nowhere near it. A spicy tuna roll was double what you'd pay elsewhere. If you're really looking for amazing sushi, go to Sushi Pop in Oviedo. Trust me, it's worth the drive.
(2)Brad B.
Okay, i really like this place. Think of it as a boutique restaurant, always something interesting on the menu. Great wine selection, the waiter, Dennton with two n's, was great, really friendly, total chill, the tequila shrimp thing was very tasty. Always a great experience
(5)Emily J.
I went on a Thursday night at 7:00 with 2 other Guests and we were seated and service started immediately. I saw some comments about poor service. Maybe try to get there closer to 7 than 8. It started to fill up at 8:00. Also - its a nice dinner out, I expected around a 2 hour turn time with 3 courses. We went for Orlando Magical Dining Month (3 courses for $30) and each had a glass of wine. Appetizers at the table were stuffed avocado and the crab cake, both wonderful. Dinner was the scallop and shrimp meal (AH-Mazing) and the fish of the day. Dessert was banana fosters, it wasn't bad but I wish I would have went for the bread pudding. Overall it was a wonderful experience. The waiter was very attentive and everything came out in a timely manner. Additionally, he brought a wine that matched exactly what I described and was looking for. With all that said, it's a bit pricey and I don't think I would go back without a deal. After adding the glass of wine, it was $50 per person out the door.
(4)Stacey G.
The food, service, and wine here are pretty good. Philip (sp?) our server held the table for us even though we didn't have a reservation, and had just called in, which I really appreciated because my parents were in town and we wanted to go somewhere good. So why am I giving this 3 stars? I want a little more Je ne sais quoi for a restaraunt named 'The Funky Monkey' in my funky neighborhood that has a bit of a reputation. I like that it's small, and my sushi was different (in a good way) but I just... felt like for the money you pay and the reputation it gets, I wanted something a little bit more. We did mention to the server I was graduating, and he did write congratulations and a little graduation hat on my plate in chocolate frosting. That was nice :)
(3)Tami J.
Made our reservation online, so didn't learn about the two private parties booked the same night. Not usually a big deal, but in our case one of the parties had an obnoxious MC that spent 45 mins crowing at top volume, to the point that we were unable to have a dinner conversation. Add to that our waitress essentially harassed us for our entree order, even before we had our drinks and apps. She came back to our table at least 3 times trying to get us to order. We just wanted to relax a moment. We went ahead and ordered to get her off our backs and the food came out pretty quickly after tat, which left us plenty of time for dessert... If they'd had any. Yes, you read that right. Not even ice cream or gelato. Nothing. No cookies. Nada. And she didn't even apologize, just brought the check and WE had to ask about dessert. At which point we were told we could have dessert drinks, but they had no desserts (kind of disappointing after reading some of the reviews here raving about the desserts). And never even offered coffee at the conclusion of our meal. We drove almost 2 hours to meet our friends for a leisurely dinner in a very nice restaurant, were hustled through the meal and left without a sweet treat at the end. The food, however, was excellent. As was the $60/bottle wine. One last thing...a single restroom (1patron at a time), with only a half roll of toilet paper and an out of order hand towel dispenser. I think a few things need to be tended to in order to move this establishment up in stars.
(2)Sebastian T.
The service was out standing throughout the night, the beer selection was above average. I sat at the bar as I was dinning alone and the bartender Cris kept me entertained all night. She was very well versed in the local food joints and bars which was helpful since I'm a new transplant to Orlando. The only problem with my dinning experience was that the duck breast that I order was a bit under cooked at the center. The skin was crisp and the berry sauce was a pleasant surprise. I worked around the breast, the goat cheese mashed potatoes and I got to the center about six bites in and I made the conscious decision not to send it back. It wasn't unpalatable but it could have used a minute or two more of cooking time. The rest of the meal was pretty much flawless. The stuffed avocado was an interesting play on ceviche with a heavy Asian influence. And the meal was ended with a berry bread pudding that just knocked it out of the ball park!
(4)Maggie L.
Funky Monkey, I have to say before arriving I had the preconceived idea that it will be similar to the Rainforest cafe in decor. I was pleasantly surprise to see it was a nice refined decor with a touch of Tiffany. This is an intimate restaurant less than 10 tables with deep burgundy walls and a small bar. 14 of us descended on a Monday for half price Sushi. upon seating 2 containers of Edamame was offered unfortunately our end didn't get any, for fourteen people 3 containers should have been offered one on each end and one in the middle. I started with the Monkey ball, fried goat cheese appetizer, then had the crab sushi made with real crab not the fake stuff. The sushi was smaller than what I'm accustom to more like little bite size. I also ordered the spicy tuna again on the smaller scale. Both were good not the best I've had in quality and freshness. I didn't order any wine, I was very concerned that the reds were stored so high on the wall, as we all know heat rises and not very good for wine. This is the type of place I will recommend for a date, the ambiance is great you don't need to shout to be heard, I luv the coziness of the resto. Service was great our waiter was efficient, however the portions are more inline for an elf.
(3)Barry K.
The service here is great. The food used to be really good. Our last visit, the food quality took a huge drop. If this was a cheap place, I could understand. This place is pricey, if we are spending good money, we want great quality. The service has always been a bit slow but the staff has always been super friendly. Too bad such a fun place has cut back on quality and is taking a nose dive. Sorry, too many other places to go spend my money. You really need a total refresh and bring it back to quality or just close the doors.
(2)Michael S.
Reasons for the low rating are as follows The food was average The service was slow (took about an hour to get our dinner) The restaurant is cramped (not in a good, cozy way) The prices are high. Average sushi roll is ~$13 and is smaller and fish quality is worse than somewhere like Amura The beer list was limited with poor selections All in all, I cannot think of one redeeming quality about this restaurant that would spur me to go back.
(2)Sharon R.
eeeek! We heard this was a good place to eat so we had a girls night out for our x-mas gifts to ourselves. I don't know what it is about some downtown restaurants that they think they can charge up the ying yang for a hole in the wall. The prices are steep for the entrees, the sushi is a little high too, but that's what we opted for. We got 3 rolls, 2 of them had ahi tuna in it. Ahi tuna isn't supposed to taste fishy unless it is bad -- guess what -- it was fishy!!! Not a fun experience. We actually were kind of disgusted that we went to another place to eat. Think I'll go to a real sushi place where you can see what they're doing in front of you and where they only serve sushi! Funky Monkey is definitely f-u-n-k-y.
(1)Mary B.
We had not been to Funky Monkey for 3 years, even though we remembered the food as being very good. So, with the prompt of a Groupon offer, we returned this weekend and met up with some friends. The space is comfortable but small. So, if you care about waiting be sure to call for reservations. If you care about sitting at a tall table, be sure to specify your preference. (I would not want to sit a a bar like tall table for dinner, but clearly some folks love it) The wine list is long, but a number of the wines on the list were not available which was frustrating. We settled on Cashmere from Cline Cellars, a blend, and the 4 of us drank two bottles- so I'd say that it was good! Having read prior reviews, we ordered the Monkey Balls as soon as we were seated - before our friends arrived. Worked out well, as none of us is patient in waiting for food. Since we were busy talking and drinking, the time it took to receive the first course was not an issue. Be sure to plan! I ordered the 3 course summer special of pork ribs. There were 2 wonderful surprises: the house salad was huge and very tasty. It included pickled ginger and very fresh mixed greens. It was so large that I shared with my husband and still did not finish it. The second surprise was the side of potato salad - fabulous. The small bits of crisp bacon coupled with tender potatoes and a light dressing were a perfect combination. The pork was fine as was the cornbread - but clearly out-shown by the two salads. My husband has rigatoni with Italian sausage - excellent. We shared a chocolate cake dessert that was worth the calories. All in all, a lovely night out. The place has a very comfortable neighborhood feeling and it's a luxury to have such fine food so close to home.
(4)Brenda H.
I have been meaning to check this place out for a while. The monkey definitely did not disappoint. The atmosphere is right up my alley. The dining room and bar area are intimate and dark, which I loved. I can imagine it may get a little close when it's crowded, but when I visited, I found it was quite comfortable sitting up at the bar by myself. I started my meal with a delicious fried goat cheese appetizer. It was lovely, and the crispy bits were done just right.The entrée was duck breast with berry reduction, asparagus and goat cheese mash. There was not a spot of food left on that plate when I was finished. Very, very impressive meal. I wish I could recall the name of the wine I ordered. It was a nice "interesting white"... went with the app really well. Sadly I'm sometimes terrible with names when it comes to alcohol (can't imagine why). Overall I really enjoyed my experience here.
(5)Ashley C.
Went to Funky Monkey the other night and it was absolutely amazing! We had the new stuffed avocado, to die for! It looks like they added a ton of new sushi rolls so we tried the love monkey with tempura crab in the middle topped with spicy tuna, yum :) My girlfriends and I just ended up ordering a ton of appetizers and hanging out and drinking all night...mainly because our hottie server Ryan took care of us. He always gives us great recommendations and service! My girlfriends always come in for sushi mondays, I need to start coming more often!
(5)d j.
After waiting until the last minute to confirm out 2008 new years eve plans our group of 4 came to an agreement to go the Funky Monkey Wine Company for dinner and a show w/ champagne toast. The prix fixe menu sounded good; throw in some entertainers and a glass of champagne for 50 bucks a person and that's a deal. Overall the experience was on the ok side of good. The evening was punctuated with several amateur mistakes that reduced the rating. The Amuse came out, a Caviar Bellini topped with Crème Fraiche' I was not sure what to expect here as a bellini is an Italian drink; were they serving a small bellini shooter with a crème fraiche topped caviar float?? I think the menu should read a caviar blini. I point this out like I discovered their possible mistake, when it was actually my much more experienced culinary cohort who provided this amusing tidbit. Enough with spelling , I would like to try the aforementioned drink. If it's good we'll call it the funky monkey bellini. The bottom layer, the blini or bellini was cold. On top of that was a dollop of crème fraiche' sprinkled with very little caviar like 4 to 5 eggs so the caviar flavor was completely overpowered. A soggy potato chip with sour cream. Next the appetizers came out, between the four we received: Creamy Corn and Crab Bisque Spicy Tuna Tartar Chilled Cucumber Sambal Salad, Crispy Wonton Lobster Roll Lobster, Cilantro, Snow Peas, Ginger Soy Lime Sauce The tuna was savory and rich with a nice contrast of textures on the plate. The lobster roll wasn't described as a sushi roll on the menu, so the person who is from Mass. was expecting a fusion version of a classic New England Lobster Roll. Semantics makes another appearance, not a huge deal. However the roll was all show and no go, lots of rice and not much lobster. Each piece contained only a smaller than pea sized nugget which left the roll hollow and flimsy. On to the Bisque, which had a remarkably fresh crab flavor, but unfortunately the temp was lukewarm causing it to fall short of its potential. As we were finishing our apps, the first round of entertainment came out, Miss Danielle our gender illusionist for the evening. The music started and her fur trench coat slipped off of her exposing her extremely feminine physique clad only in lingerie. The extensive work on the conversion was astounding. Then the singing voice started and her mouth wasn't moving. Miss Danielle was lip syncing. I had the feeling of a 1989 Milli Vanilli fan. Duped. With the huge amount of effort and money put in to her sexual transformation some voice lessons don't seem out of the question. Then she busted here nose/mouth open on a chair and then paraded around the restaurant with a bloody towel finishing her act. Fiasco, nuff said. Since I'm talking about the entertainment here I'll mention the second act which was a trio of belly dancers. They were fun and created a festive atmosphere to help ring in the New Year. Time for the entrees, the heart of the evening. Before it arrived I was desperately thinking this better be awesome to pull it off. Between our group we got three of the four entrée choices: Filet of Beef Tenderloin Paired with Jumbo Lump Maryland Crab Cake, Spicy Béarnaise, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Seasonal Pan Roasted Vegetables Delicate Sea Bass, Asian Soy Ginger Glaze Crispy Fried Green Onions, Wasabi Scented Jasmine Rice, Vegetables Asian Honey Glaze Filet of Ostrich, Plump Blueberry Sauce, Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes, Seasonal Pan Roasted Vegetables The Beef tenderloin was really nice, cooked perfectly rare, warm grey brown outside with a cool pink center, top notch could stand up against any of the big dogs. The potatoes were delicious and the only Item that came out steaming hot, yay! The crab cake was ice cold, by this time I was over the poor temps so it's not worth mentioning the good flavor. The vegetables on all of the plates were the worst item of the meal, undercooked, very fibrous and woody. Then I got a taste of the sea bass very light and naturally flavored, the freshness was great. The Ostrich was the only item lacking in flavor. Desserts are not my cup of tea so there is no influence in my review. Everything else was ok: service, wine list, and so on. The FMWC has tons of potential, tighten up the ship a little during the preparation process to get rid of the amateur mistakes and it moves up several notches to the good side of great! No offense, but I vote to 86 Miss Danielle until she can sing her own songs. I will give them another shot down the road. If the prep problems are fixed they will move up to 4 stars. For now just 2.5 stars. Am I expecting too much for the price, maybe. But then I suggest raising the prices if the quality increases to its potential. Unless budget pricing is the goal, then give them 5 stars, but under that assumption I would not return.
(2)Jenn S.
I was really excited about going here this past Friday for a friends bachlorette party. In addition to great company, I was looking forward to seeing my first drag show and enjoying great food. The bride-to-be is a foodie like myself so I had high expectations. Let me say the food was not the problem, but there is no doubt in my mind, I will NEVER go back. Our reservation was for 7:00. At 8:00 we had drinks, appetizers and the server was finally taking our dinner orders. At 9:30 I asked for the manager. Our dinner had arrived a few minutes before, but I was still waiting on my 3rd drink. I have years of experience in the food industry and understand things happen outside the server's control, but for heavens sakes, at least keep the drinks flowing so I'm not thinking about the fact I'm starving. The waiter left our dinners without asking if everything was alright, or if we needed anything else. I had ordered the scallops with lobster mashed potatoes and really wanted a vegetable. The waiter had told me when I ordered it didn't come with one, but could bring me a squash medley. When my dinner arrived there were a few stalks of asparagus I wasn't expecting, but no squash. When he did finally come back to check on us, his response was that they must have run out of squash. Great, you couldn't get back to me with that information anytime in the hour + I waited for my food? The manager did seem receptive to my complaints and explained the table next to us getting fantastic service was in fact the owners. He did take one of my drinks off the check and brought over a bottle of tequila and poured free shots for the party to enjoy. Had this been the end of the problems, I would not be writing this post because I really do understand things happen. Two of my friends were on the same tab. When the waiter brought their check, they asked to have it split. The check came back with an entirely new entree on one of the bills. I understand how a POS system works and that it could have been a honest mistake. However after bringing it to his attention, the check was brought back again and the sushi they ordered WAS INCREASED BY $2/EACH!!! We still had the last copy of the check so there was no way to dispute it and a check of the menu price confirmed it was definitely an overcharge. At this point I was livid and asked for the manager again. The manager corrected the check without any acceptable explanation or compensation. Let me point out that despite my earlier complaints about the service, we were all charged 20% gratuity on our bills. IT GETS WORSE! I have been involved in an email chain this afternoon from people at the dinner warning us all to check our bank/credit card statements. Apparently one of my friends was charged a $141 tab in addition to the tab she should have paid, and another friend is saying her card has been charged more than the bill. Normally I would give a restaurant a second chance for bad service, especially when the food is good. But I think in this case the $70 I already paid for 1 entree, 3 drinks and 20% for absolutely crappy service and hassle was more than enough. The food was good, but not good enough to make up for one of the worst dining experiences I've ever experienced.
(1)Dorine O.
First time here - yummy! Love the edamame they bring you - it has a touch of key lime - very good. Next was the edamame soup with some Parmesan - very delish! followed by house salad with a hint of ginger - also very good! Finished with grouper dinner that I would order again - really loved this place, ambiance & food!
(4)Jen S.
I had been to this restaurant a few times and really enjoyed it. When my family was in town for only two days I really wanted to take them and use the groupon that I had recently purchased. It just so happened that the last day they were in town and the day we wanted to go was on Monday night. When I called to make the reservation I mentioned the groupon and was told I could not use it on 1/2 off sushi Mondays. I completely understand not combining deals with other deals, but even after telling the gentleman on the phone that we did not want to get sushi, sounding hesitant, still said we could not use it. It wasn't until I asked to talk to a manager to explain the situation that he asked another employee, who agreed and without speaking to the manager that I asked for, we abruptly ended the call. That left me very disappointed and upset with the customer service and even though I have enjoyed the food and experience in the past, will probably never go back. The employee was probably just trying to follow the rules, but should have been sure of them before turning away my business that evening and for a LONG time.
(2)Christina R.
Great food and service. The crab cakes were flavorful and had a good balance, my deep diving monkey sushi was really good, and our waiter was great. My friends had the baked potato soup of the day, which smelled amazing, although the portion seemed kind of small. If its on the menu, definitely try it though. Intimate, quaint feel; good place for socializing with a small group.
(4)Alex E.
Had a very nice experience tonight at Funky Monkey. We pulled in and had our car taken care of by the valet, so parking was not an issue. If the valet had not been there, it probably would have been dicey. We went in and it is definitely a small area. Luckily it wasn't crowded. On a packed night it may feel claustrophobic. As it was, it was cozy and nice. The menu has a wide range of choices, including sushi which is a bit odd given the rest of the menu choices but hey, I'm not complaining. My wife and I ordered the Bison Sliders as an appetizer, braised short ribs and beef tenderloin for our entrees, and the bread pudding as our dessert. They have plenty of choices for wines by the glass, and I settled on a very nice malbec. The Bison Sliders were very good, though I do have some constructive criticism. A coarser grind and a heavier hand with seasoning could take these to the next level. My short rib was very tender and well seasoned. The blue cheese mash was a little on the chunky side, but the taste was great. My wife's beef tenderloin was very tasty. The bread budding was great and more than enough to share between the two of us. Service was helpful, attentive, and nice. We really had no complaints and will definitely be back.
(5)Annette G.
Because of my reviews, the owner has requested I not return to his establishment, and I'm happy to oblige. My change in star rating is due to management not responding well to criticism.
(1)J. D.
Tonight was my third visit to Funky Monkey Wine Company and like my previous two visits, I had had great food and great service. The Orange Chili Chicken is right up there with the Pork Tenderloin and Drunken Sea Scallops as my favorites.
(5)William K.
I was quite impressed and surprisingly so after some less than favorable reviews. First, the bad. Parking is terrible. There is only street-side parking and most of that seems to be on the opposite side of Mills. We were fortunate to not have a problem. probably because we went fairly early. Now the good: Despite the name, this small restaurant shows real class on the inside: cloth table cloths and napkins, quality silverware and glassware, tasteful wine-oriented decor, soft but sufficient lighting. It's a place where you can actually carry on a conversation without shouting. The service was excellent. Chris was prompt, professional but friendly, and very helpful. I really appreciated that. The food, while definitely not cheap without our discount voucher, would have been worth the price even without the discount. I had the rib eye steak and I can honestly say that I haven't had a better steak anywhere. It was cooked perfectly, very tender, and so delicious that even though I had planned on taking half of it home (since it was almost as big as the plate) it tasted so good that I couldn't stop eating it until it was gone. The green beans were cooked tender-crisp and not boiled to death, the mashed potatoes were made with real potatoes. My wife had the scallops and was initially disappointed to see only three, but they were large and delicious. When she finished them she said she was full and couldn't have eaten one more. We went back a few weeks later with my mother and sister. I ordered the rib-eye again and it was just as large and delicious as the previous time. My wife had salmon this time and it was fresh and cooked perfectly with a flavorful crust on the outside but not overcooked on the inside. Often I have found it difficult to have fish like this without it being overcooked and dry or undercooked but the Monkey got it just right. My mother and sister got an appetizer, salad and the ribs. Although the rib sauce was a bit too spicy for my Mom, they declared everything delicious and would definitely come again. I guess they couldn't call it the Classy Monkey since that doesn't rhyme but it is definitely a class act in my book.
(5)Jon M.
One of my co-workers steak was on the chewy side, the manager on duty insisted on getting her the chicken free of charge, as well as a bottle of wine and desert for the table. Also, the tuna stuffed avocado is pure genious
(5)Elizabeth B.
Half price sushi on Mondays? Ok you got me! I had some friends tell me about this deal at Funky Monkey for half price sushi on Mondays, along with other items on menu. Instead of having to order edamame, they give it to you right there at your table as a starter, like other restaurants bringing you bread, they do it with the edamame and you pay nothing. It was delicious, especially with the lemon flavor that was mixed in. Then got two sushi rolls, one had lobster in it and was dynamite. I got two rolls and it came to $13 total. They were big rolls, and I thought it was a great deal. I encourage you to go on a Monday sometime, whether it be for lunch or after work, for a glass of wine and some rolls, you will not be disappointed. I look forward to going on another Monday again!
(4)Jamie K.
Apparently my review has be deleted, so I will gladly re-post my OVER RATED experience at The Funky Monkey Wine Company. This place is so terrible. Where should I begin? 1. Parking on the street...horrible. Cars zoom by at fast speeds. Crossing the street was approaching suicidal. As we were leaving someone mentioned valet, but we didn't see it. Maybe they were late arriving to work that day. 2. The food-I have to agree with other yelpers here. The sushi was bland and does not compare to other local establishments in Orlando. I would say grocery store quality, but I have had better sushi at Albertson's. I made the mistake of ordering the banana fosters desert, thinking monkey-banana's, its should be their specialty. Well, the dessert was a complete disaster and I LOVE dessert. It was mushy and sweet, with way too much whip cream. Nothing is worse than bad banana. 3.The atmosphere was claustrophobic. It is cramped and small. My husband and I did not enjoy our meal because we practically on top of the table next to us. To make things worse, there is a huge red couch taking up a ton of room. It seemed pointless with lack of space...even 10 people feels crowded in a 12x12 box. 4. Wine selection was good, but not spectacular. If you are going to call your self a wine company, I expect more of tasting menu...parings were NOTworth the price. I did enjoy the dessert wine, but the banana fosters killed it. Blah. UPDATE: Eddie, the owner contacted me via yelp after posting my original review. He was rude and disrespectful. I will NEVER return to his establishment. I hope everyone joins us in protest.
(1)Vanessa G.
Heard they had a good happy hour however we went to the I Drive location and they didn't have happy hour. So went 15 miles to the Mills Ave one and it was horrible. Over one hour wait for 4 rolls and a salad food that was bland. The service was awful. Never again out of the way and slow. We waited 20 mins for the bill and was over charged by 20 dollars!
(1)Heather R.
I went here in mid-September with my husband. Even with the Groupon ($20 off), it was still too expensive for what I had. Environment: With a name like "Funky Monkey" I would generally expect something modern...NOT the Tiffany lamp I saw when I walked in. Seriously, do away with the Tiffany lamps! Appetizer: edamame with key lime juice, salt and garlic (free). The edamame was cooked well. Otherwise, despite our preference for more flavor, we both agreed that we prefer edamame withOUT the odd, mismatched taste of the lime juice. Sushi: Crunchy Munch roll ($10). It was good, but just good. Not to die for and not nearly as crunchy as one would hope. Not worth $10, in my opinion. Entrees: I had the pine nut crusted halibut ($24) and husband had duck special ($23). Halibut: mostly good, but...strange... The fish itself was excellent, and topped with pancetta (bacon), capers, raisins and pine nuts. It was sweet, smoky, salty, succulent, and buttery. It was served with mashed sweet potatoes and snow peas. It was good but I don't think it lived up to my expectations, especially considering the price and how much the waitress raved about it. Duck: husband had this and I tried some. He enjoyed it. It was cooked medium (the first time we've ever been asked how we wanted duck cooked) and served with a sauce made with fresh berries. The blue cheese mashed potatoes were good but they were crusted over, as if they'd been siting a while. Our food took a bit longer than expected to come out... Service: overall good. It angered me that the waitress added a 20% gratuity to our check...and for just 2 people! Just because I had a coupon does not mean I am cheap and don't tip well! The Groupon did NOT specify that gratuity would be added; it merely suggested that we tip well. I really don't feel she deserved a 20% tip...I probaby would have given her a 15-18% tip at the most. The servers should not be allowed to do this because it makes customers not want to return...which, ironically, is the exact opposite intention of the Groupon in the first place. In summary, it's an ok-to-good dining experience for people with lots of money to blow. For the rest of us, I think you can get food that is just as interesting and creative for a lot less money at other establishments. And for the few times a year when you DO want to splurge, I'd recommend other places way before Funky Monkey Wine Company.
(2)Elizabeth F.
Funky Monkey is a great little spot to go for dinner! There are a few things you should know when going here. 1) Make a reservation. Seriously. This place is super tiny & walk-ins don't usually fly. 2) Monday is half off sushi. This is a great deal & the sushi is pretty decent but prepare yourself to wait a while. We waited at least 30 minutes to get 3 rolls. 3) Order the Monkey Balls for an appetizer. They are delicious! 4) Have a glass of wine!! I mean it's Funky Monkey Wine Company! I am a fan of their pinot but they have a ton of selections. Enjoy!
(4)Shannon T.
First time visit to Funky Monkey. My first impression was how small it was on the inside. Sat at bar with friends and enjoyed service and recommendations from the staff. Extremely helpful and friendly. Food was fantastic. Ordered mostly rolls and aptz to share and everything was unique and tasty. I was a bit set back on the price, so just a warning that good food comes with a price. If your looking for romantic small restaurant or quiet place to chat, then this place is good. Almost too quiet for my liking and 'romantic', since I like music or humm of chatting, etc.
(4)Helen R.
I tend to think about food on my way to/from the gym. This place is located along my gym route, so I've thought about dining here often. I finally made it in recently and now wonder what took so long. The food was fantastic, they have a very eclectic menu, with many options. I opted for sushi and wasn't disappointed. Service was on point - we really enjoyed our waiter's energy and he was helpful with entree selection. He also was honest about portion size- these are not big plates so if you're very hungry, be prepared to start with an appetizer or two. The portions are reasonable for the type of dining the restaurant offers, the portion comment is just a heads up if you have a hearty appetite. I'd also recommend reservations, since seating is limited. We actually had reservations and had to wait, which was completely understandable due to the size of the restaurant. It is quite small and there is no way the staff can predict turnover rate. They were very apologetic and brought us over to their sister restaurant, Bananas, so we could sit and relax with a drink while we waited.
(4)John C.
The Funky Monkey's name is definitely appropriate, as it's located in a somewhat "funky" part of downtown Orlando. I had dinner there last week with 3 co-workers who were in town for convention in Kissimmee. The drive there was a little far (30 minutes) from the Disney area, and the neighborhood seemed a little sketchy at first, but once we parked with the complementary valet and stepped inside...what a pleasant surprise! The host (I think one of the owners?) met us at the door. The room was warm and inviting. and there was a great "buzz" of conversation from people who were already seated at tables. It's nice whan you can hear different conversations as people enjoy their meal, but you can't really make out what peoiple are saying. The lighting was primarily from blown glass candleholders and the music was smooth and set just the right mood. There was a short (15 minute) wait for our table, but we enjoyed the small bar and actually spent an extra few minutes there, talking to a few locals, who seem to be regulars already. I have to start with the wine list, which we were all very impressed with. It's unusual to find a selection of wines this diverse in a small restaurant like the FM. Somebody knows their wines - I guess if you are going to call yourself a wine company, you have to have good wine at accessible prices. The entire staff seemed to be very familliar with the wine list and were great about making suggestions. The tables are spaced nicely, not too crowded. We started with the sushi (which was excellent, maybe the best I have had); goat cheese (very good) and tuna tetaki (fresh and very, very good). With one ecxeption, our entrees were wonderful. The snapper, the duck and the coconut crusted chicken were prefectly cooked and delicious. One of our group had the lamb, which was undercooked and not tender. This is where the experience of the staff really was appearant. When the lamb was pointed out to the server, it was immediately taken away, and the server made a few recommendations of entrees that would not take long to make. All of this was done with a smile and they didn't make a big deal out of it. No one is perfect, and I think that how a restaurant responds to a mistake by the kitchen tells a lot about how much they care about their customers. Instead of dessert, we had great coffee and a port that the server recommended, but the desserts that we saw going to other tables looked superb. Kudos to the owners of the Funky Monkey for taking a chance on a location that seems more known for Korean restaurants and consignment stores than for hip, casual fine dining!
(4)Melissa C.
Unfortunately, we were sadly disappointed in FMWC. After reading many reviews online, both by the average diner and critics, we decided to try it out; hoping it would be added to our list of fabulous places to dine. I made the reservation for 6:15p having read how crowded it gets and I wanted to experience this place without the hustle & bustle. We ordered the goat cheese app and were greeted with (what tasted like) a previous cooked, then frozen, then thawed dish. The crust was bland, with a hint of "freezer burn taste" and the crumb stale. The fruit salsa was merely diced apples (skin on and discolored) and a single piece of finely sliced strawberry. Salsa? No, more like a fruit salad. The crostini was merely sliced baguette, no toasting, with oil drizzled over the tops. For the main dish, my partner ordered the duck and I, the scallops. The duck was nicely cooked and the accompanying potatoes with goat cheese were a nice change to the standard mashed potatoes. My scallops were nicely done, however more poached than anything - no color whatsoever. I am not sure why they are referred to as "drunken" since there was no flavor designation but they were fresh and I cannot complain about that. The potatoes were supposed to have lobster in them..not a hint. The bacon cream sauce was tasty. The most disappointing part of the meal was that nothing, not a single thing, was served hot. We were lucky to get lukewarm. Considered we were only 1 of maybe 5 tables, at the time of service, our food should have been at least on the warmer side. The wine we selected with dinner was not previously chilled and the server (one of two we encountered) informed us it would take 8 minutes to chill. The fact that FMWC boasts about it's wine leads one to believe it has it's wine vault in order. However, the server suggested another wine and we were very pleased with her ability to recommend something very similar in taste to what we originally ordered. Based on our experiences thus far we opted to skip dessert altogether.
(2)Chris P.
Had high expectations, but didn't work out. In Orlando on Vacation and it looked like a good spot. 15 minute for a table, when they had open tables available. Should have been our first clue. Waiter was very good and informative. Service to actually receive food was very slow. Appetizers Crazy Monkey roll was very good. Tuna Poke was also very taste. Crab cake was good, but only one and it was small. Bison burgers were over cooked and not not worth it. For dinner: We ordered the sword fish and the owner(?) came to tell us the fish they had was not up to standards and recommended we change the order. Two people ordered Mahi Mahi, which was good, but not great. My son odored the Rib eye, steak was very thin and too charred on the outside. I ordered the scallops which were good, but too small a portion. Dessert Cheesecake frozen and not thawed enough. Sons had the chocolate lava cake which they liked. Overall I can think of many other places I can spend over 225 on food and get a better meal, with much faster service. I would not go back.
(2)Mariacristina R.
My review actually hovers between three to four stars since the dessert and service were absolutely excellent! I think the biggest complaint at our table was the lighting in the restaurant. It was too dark for my two dinner guests to read the menu and the server quickly brought over a small flashlight to help them out. We ordered the orange duck, a couple of rolls of sushi and a chicken salad. I thought the chicken salad was great, didn't try the duck and the sushi was just OK. My Rainbow Roll was a little bland and although I don't mind cream cheese in the other sushi roll, I felt like they went a little overboard with it. It felt like I popped a huge dollop of cream cheese into my mouth, I had no idea there was fish in the roll. I also felt like the prices were a bit high for the rolls (in comparison to, say, Fuji Sushi in Winter Park). But I noticed they do have half-off Sushi Mondays. I thought the lime juice with the edamame starter was a nice touch - very different and unexpected. I think some diners are missing the point of Funky Monkey, after all, the dining experience is kind of implied in their name and explicitly stated in the tag line "Stylish yet Unconventional". Some of the flavors are truly unexpected and I really commend Funky Monkey for being adventurous in their cuisine and trying new things. We need more of that in Orlando! Our waiter recommended the Banana Bread Pudding since it had just been taken out of the oven but we ended up ordering the Banana Fosters. She brought over an order of Bread Pudding anyway on the house because she was so enthusiastic that we try it. We loved both the desserts! It was delicious! I agree with Colleen in saying this is a great place for a late night, indulgent dessert stop!
(3)Emily W.
The stuffed avocado appetizer was enough to get me to 4 stars. Delicious! It's stuffed with spicy tuna, cream cheese and yummy sauces and served over rice with sesame seeds. Mix it all up and every bite is amazing. The ambience and decor was really nice in this place (only been to the downtown location). It's small and intimate. The entree selection is limited but a couple things looked good. I only had sushi- all the fresh fish was really tasty (tried tuna and salmon). I can't wait to go back and get the stuffed avocado again. Also, the service was very friendly. Unfortunately they said they stopped doing 1/2 off Sushi Monday 6 months ago, but the website still advertises it. Not cool.
(4)Antonio M.
So far so good!! Verty cool hip place, the seating is a bit jammed in their but overall very attentive service and the food was great!! The ambience is a bit dark so it make for an excellent get your groove on mood, however you maybe sahring that move with your neighbor because the seating is tight. I am all up for trying new experiences so maybe the table next to me will be too lol. I highly recommend using the app table open table and make reservations.
(4)Jenny R.
My husband and I used to love this place. In fact, the first time he took me here was while we were dating, and I absolutely loved it--couldn't stop talking about it. Unfortunately, we've noticed the quality slipping and the service getting slower and slower over the years. We took some family here for my birthday a few months ago, and dinner took us about two hours. Our server was very hospitable, but the kitchen seemed to take a really, really long time, especially for there not being many people in the restaurant. The last few times I've gone there, I've had the same experience. I know good food can take a little while to prepare, but two hours seems a bit excessive. Last time we ate here, the food was just so-so. I had the seared tuna with rice and veggies. There was barely any rice, a comically small piece of fish, and literally three small sauteed carrots. For the price, I was a bit diappointed. It's really unfortunate, because we used to rave about Funky Monkey to all our friends, but the last few times it just hasn't been worth it. We've also tried the I-Drive location on a slow weekday, early in the evening before the rush of tourists. It also took forever and the food was just "meh." I've always liked the smaller, more intimate Mills Ave. location, but I'm not sure we'll be going back. What a shame...
(2)Molly M.
Funky Monkey has some darn tasty food! The monkey balls are one of the yummiest things I have had lately! The fried goat cheese was also fantastic. Yes, the service is slow, but it's really more along the lines of a nice restaurant that lets you take your time to enjoy your meal and company without trying to rush you out the door. If you are looking for a nice relaxing date night it's a great place. the food is good, the atmosphere is really charming. The only downside is that the wine list is really extensive but most of it cannot be purchased by the glass. Now I like me some vino but I don't always want to buy a whole bottle! I mean yikes, we do have to drive home.So there were only a few choices that I could make. They loose a star for that. If we went with a large group a bottle or two might work but not everyone always wants the same thing. I would definitely go back, just prepare myself to splurge on the whole bottle and take my sweet time to sober up!
(4)Morgan C.
My husband and I celebrated our anniversary at Funky Monkey Wine Bar a couple of weeks ago ad loved it!! When we arrived we were promptly greeted, seated and offered a glass of prosecco on the house. We started with the bison sliders which were topped with goat cheese ad sun dried tomatoes. They were so flavorful and delicious!! We then split the pear salad, also great! My husband had the fillet, which was cooked to perfection. I ordered scallops in a beer/ bacon sauce, with asparagus on a bed of lobster mashed potatoes. It was divine! We finished our meal with an "on the house" glass of desert wine. Sadly, we were too full for an actual desert, but I can't wait to go back and try their much lauded bananas foster. Funky monkey is a small, intimate dining experience. The decor is lovely. Our server was knowledgable and attentive. I can't wait to go back!!
(4)Dina N.
I recently went to Funky Monkey for the second time with some friends. I had been there previously for the 1/2 price sushi on Mondays. The food was great! I tried the stuffed avocado appetizer (minus the cream cheese) which I had heard great things about. It was made with spicy ahi tuna in an avocado over sesame sticky rice and topped with spicy mayo, sriacha, masago and eel sauce. Yum! For dinner, I had the chicken breast with cranberry glaze, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, capers, and roasted potatoes. It was amazing and plenty of food. I had a chicken breast to take home for dinner the next night. I tried a bite the Lamb Shank Osso Bucco and, that was delicious as well. I had a bite of the bread pudding and the cheesecake desserts and both were heavenly. Overall, nice and cozy atmosphere and delicious food!
(4)David B.
I recently held a medium-sized event at the Funky Monkey, and have to say I was overall quite disappointed. If you are looking for a quick, over-priced meal in a decent location with great service, something that just kind of fills you up, then this is your place. But if you are seeking good food, honest people, and value for yor money I wouldn't suggest it. Especially if you are the kind of person who likes to support honest businesses with people at the top who have integrity and class - then avoid and look elsewhere. I was charged for 12 extra people for my dinner that night, because some people didn't show. When I talked to the manager, he made it sound like he was cutting me a deal and that he "should" have charged me what my "contract" stated - which was for 28 more people than even showed. As it was, I paid over $300 extra for my dinner, although I never signed a contract that committed our party to a certain amount of people. They were very inflexible to work with and made me feel tremendously awkward as they presented this to me in front of my guests. Not a great decision on their part if you ask me. This is just an example of a crooked business practice where an agressive and low-integrity type manager took advantage of someone. There was nobody in the restaurant, so I can understand why. The place simply needs to steal money to survive. The service here is excellent, as well as the location. The food is ok. But I can't recomend supporting people like this.
(2)Alexis N.
The first time I went to Funky Monkey, I fell in love!! A friend and I went for Easter, and everything was spectacular! The food was so tasty, fresh, and different! And the dessert (bananas foster) could not have been more amazing!! The waiter was very friendly and helpful as well. However, each time I have been back, it seems that they are out of something, whether it is an entree or a particular wine. Additionally, the last couple times I went in for dinner, my meal was very salty, and a particular waitress we had messed up a few orders, and was not very nice. I have not had an experience here that would prevent me from going back yet, but they have been knocked down a few rungs from where they were after my first visit. It is definitely worth a try if you haven't been. It seems as though everyone has a different experience at Funky Monkey... (Also, I have yet to try any of their sushi because 90% of the rolls have cream cheese in them, which I do not enjoy in my sushi.)
(3)Shai J.
Skip it. We went for lunch; there was only one other couple in the place. We couldn't locate the server. We awkardly wonderered around until we found the hostess. She was pleasant and allowed us to sit where we wanted. The menu is halariously overpriced and is not suited for lunch, in fact they do not have a lunch menu at all. My husband and really couldn't find anything intersting or reasonably priced. He setteled on the sliders and I, with the server's suggestion, setteled on the mussles. We waited for quite some time only to learn that they were out of mussles...of course. I opted to go safe and ordered the salom salad. The $16 salad was bald, unexciting and overcooked. The manager did come over and though he offered to change my order, he managed to offend me by stating that I'm mistaking salt for taste. I'm a pretty good cook, and simple as it sounds, I make heathy and tasty salads. The salmon was dry so I'm not sure what I could be mistaken on that end. Bottom line, food and service is lacking and the wait time for both is absurd.
(1)T.J. S.
Reasons for rating: 1. Extremely loud due to burlesque drag queen show. Unable to have conversation. 2. Poor service....staff more interested in the show than attending to our table. We decided to leave. Not a place for children if there is a show that evening.
(1)Corinne G.
We had a really great dinner here last night. It was my first time and i was proud of Orlando for this one. The food was diverse and creative. I highly recommend the stuffed roasted avocado. The waiter was incredibly sweet but paid attention when we were conversing not to interrupt. The lighting was good and the music was perfect and obviously chosen for the night. Not inexpensive.
(4)Diane B.
I don't think I have ever given a restaurant lower than a 3. This was a complete and total disappointment tonight. I read over the menu last night and was really excited about tonight. The meal was so bad I literally thought about stopping at Wendy's or somewhere to get the taste out of my mouth. I could even live with the bad food and paying too much - but the sour server made the experience even worse. Davis - avoid him. Try to get Zach who had a lot of personality. The goat cheese appetizer was the only good item. The beet salad recommended by Davis was ok. The scallops my sister had were fine. I had the pork loin (another Davis recommendation) the smell really put me off and when I tasted it..disgusting...I.left the entire portion. I at least thought the entree would be saved by the lobster mash potatoes. Sounds great right? The potatoes tasted like they came out of a box. No kidding. The lobster tasted authentic but it was lost in the horrible potatoes. The asparagus was perfect. Davis also recommended a pinot noir which had to be one of the worst I ever had. Plus it wasn't what we ordered but there was confusion with that. Given his horrible disposition there was no point in telling him. He didn't even clean the table before serving the entree. Never poured a glass of wine except for the initial pour. I don't expect much but he barely did the basics and all with a very bland personality. Even when I tried to joke and nicely make the point that "some" personaltiy would be nice....he wasn't going to give it up! And to top off this lovely dinner I went to use the restroom. It malfunctioned. I immediately told one of the young men working. I went back in 45 mins. later...still not working. When I mentioned it to another serve he was like "oh yeah the women's bathroom." As if it was a frequent occurence or that he already knew about it (if so why not put an out of service on the door as it was getting gross.) I wouldn't wait to pay my $120 (for two people! after a groupon coupon) and get out of there.
(1)Marc G.
I love going to the Funky Monkey when I have a chance. Most times I'll go by myself, sit at the bar, have some wine & of course, catch something to eat. Went a week ago with a friend & as usual the food was superb. It's not really a complaint, but I thought there should had been at least 1 or 2 more scallops on the entree. I usually don't eat desserts because I too full by then, but asked my dinner guest & we shared the Banana's Foster & is was awesome. It's always a treat to go on Monday's for the 1/2 price sushi. Can't wait for their new concept, Banana's American Dinner to open next month.
(5)Sam S.
Nice atmosphere & good food. The server was nice, but she was never around. That was the major downfall of this meal. Well, the service and the terrible dessert. We ordered the pumpkin bread pudding & it was rubbery. Um, hellooo! Do not use the microwave to reheat an EIGHT DOLLAR bread dessert!!! Duh! Apart from that, the tempura shrimp sushi roll was delicious, the salads were yummers, and the cheese platter was lovely. All in all, way too pricey for the shoddy service.
(3)Andrew C.
I went there and had a great time eating dinner. The stuffed avocado was fresh and fantastic. I couldn't help but order just appetizers because they all sounded so good. I have been to both this location and the International Drive location and both held up to my expectations. Great place to go for a nice bite. Oh! And the winelist has a great selection!
(4)Shannon L.
My husband and I went to the downtown location for our anniversary dinner last night and it did not disappoint! We were seated quickly by a friendly staffer, and were promptly brought water and a bowl of edamame sprinkled with key lime juice and shaved sea salt. What a cool change from the normal basket of bread. The ambiance of the restaurant was very nice with low lighting, which made it have a romantic feel. My only wish was that I could have sat next to my husband instead of across from him because yes, we're cheesy like that ;) I see on a previous review that someone didn't like the low lighting and had a hard time reading the menu, but we didn't have any issues there. We started with a Love Monkey sushi roll and the Pan Roasted Mussels. The sushi roll was great and we ate every piece, and the mussels were just delicious. The server, who was great and very attentive, was probably surprised at how quickly we inhaled the mussels! The sauce the mussels came in was very tasty and I found myself making sure I got plenty in the shell before eating each one. For our main courses I had the Duck Breast and my husband had the Yellow Tail Snapper. The server and chef were very accommodating when I asked for the spring berry reduction, that comes on the duck, on the side and my husband requested no red pepper on his snapper. It's always a good sign when you know every meal is made to order. The duck breast was nicely seared and cooked perfectly. I ate every bite with a smile and the goat cheese mashed potatoes were a perfect compliment. The asparagus was fresh and tasty as well. My husbands snapper was just delicious. The portion was huge and I made him give me more than one bite! It was cooked and seasoned to perfection, yumm! Sadly, we were so full from the great food we didn't have room for dessert which I now regret after reading some other reviews. We will definitely be returning so I will correct that on the next visit! Other notes: the wine list is nice, if not the most extensive I have seen. That's ok by me as I don't claim to be a wine expert and the glass of pinot grigio I had was good. If you order by the glass your choices are a little more limited than if you buy a bottle. Parking wasn't an issue for us as we saw the valet sign in the adjacent lot (complimentary). To address some of the other reviews yes, the restaurant is small, but that just added to the ambiance in my opinion. Make sure you make a reservation, which is easily done online or through Open Table, and you won't have to wait to be seated.
(4)Kim W.
As others have stated, this place is a bit pricey. Also, you need to be prepared for a leisurely meal. The food does not come out fast. We got there just before the dinner rush on a Friday and were promptly seated. The edemame starter is a delicious change and since you usually have to pay for it at most restaurants, it is always nice to get a freebie. We started out with the deviled eggs. You get 6 pieces done 3 ways, at the whim of the chef. They were most delicious. One set had capers, one had arugula, and the last one had truffle oil, I believe. I ordered the house cabernet which I enjoyed. You can judge a restaurant by the quality of their house wines. This one did not disappoint. I had the red snapped for my entree. It was panko crusted and served on mashed potatoes along with red peppers, and lots of garlic cloves. It was a delicious and hearty portion. My dinner companion had the vegetarian meal of the day. It was pasta, with mushrooms, red peppers, and a butter and white wine sauce. She loved it. We finished off with the bananas foster. There are very limited tables, so either go before the rush or make a reservation. This is definitely worth an evening out.
(4)Kindred P.
Where do I began...Went here on Vday and the atmosphere was great very romantic. They had a VDay menu only with a very small selection for none meat eaters :( $44 per person 4 course meal. I think the best thing we had were the apps after that it was downhill. Soup was room temp, beef rib was over cooked, and the salmon was as if someone gave me the scraps. But wait it gets better I asked for a sparkling champagne, and the waiter said they have this really great Rosa off the menu. They came back with a bottle of Verdi Raspberry, and charged $28 for a $6 bottle at your local grocery store. This place will never get my money ever again, and should be ashamed of themselves for even having Verdi in the bar.
(1)Rio E.
I friggin love this place! The bartenders and servers are well versed in the entire menu and pairing your selection with a fantastic glass (or bottle if you're with me and my tribe) of wine. The avocado / Tuna starter is THE reason for the avocado season. So well done. Bon appetit!
(5)Megan D.
My girlfriend who made our reservation just received this email from the owner....... I am really sorry to hear one of your friends didn't enjoy the dinner show this month; she went as far as to write a horrible review on some no name review website. Her review is below. In her review she mentions several things that I would like to address with you since you made the reservation. 1. The outside wait.. Dinner theater shows usually don't seat guests into the venue until the opening time, "India was doing a sound check and final rehearsal" she failed to mention the lovely fruit punch served as your group waited. "If she was hot she could have waited in her AC car. 2. Our food was not terrible; the avocados were fresh and cut right before serving. 3. The fish was not bland "well seasoned and breaded" "she called it gross" 4. The wine was amazing 5. The show was 45 minutes long not 30 minutes 6. It was warm in here, the place was very crowded and its hard to keep it as cool as we would like. She failed to note that we made a special dish for someone in your group and she also neglected to note how your group was getting photos etc with the performers and we all thought your group had a wonderful time. I wouldn't dream of showing this review to India and Natasha as they would be extremely hurt and upset. Please let your "friend" know that words can be hurtful to people and I find her review to be ridiculous and mean spirited. We put a great deal of effort and time into these events and People always love them I am truly sorry one of your guests hated it so much to go as far as write a nasty review, If she was so unsatisfied why wouldn't she speak with me or India instead of writing a silly review on a website? **************************************************Â**************************** Eddie, First of all- This "no-name website" I understand you look at quite often, and it actually helps people in and around the Orlando area decide which restaurant they should and SHOULD NOT be eating at. Secondly, you tell me to go wait in the AC in my car- did you remember that you have valet, and when you pull up, he pulls your car away? Did we know India needed a sound check? Shouldn't she have done that before so that when the guests who are paying for this evening arrive on time- they can actually be seated? Let's see... Oh, The fish WAS VERY DRY. Everyone at the table agreed on that, and YES- I did forget to THANK YOU for making us one special dish that evening. Had you actually had a great website to go to- you would have actually listed information regarding your show on it. For example.... the cost, the seating time, and maybe even the menu!! So then- when you have a group of people arrive at your venue- they actually know what they will be eating. Especially when someone has a FOOD ALLERGY!!!!!!! The wine.... the wine was still... NOT AMAZING. You might think it was amazing, but everyone has different opinions. I go out to dinner with my husband and order over $100 bottles of wine. Very nice wines I might add. Serving a dessert wine at the end is a bad choice. Many people do not like dessert wine. In fact- I don't think anyone at our table drank our dessert wine. Like I said in my previous email- if you let your guests order their own wine- you might actually be able to make more of your patrons happier, and make yourselves some more money. This review was not mean spirited in any way shape or form. I can show you mean spirited- but that isn't what I am going for. I haven't used any foul terms. This review and this website are here to help people decide where they should be spending their hard earned money, and where they shouldn't. Maybe you as an owner need to step back not be so emotional about the reviews, and actually read them from a business stand point and decide what needs to be changed about your establishment so that it can be more successful. There are more negatives on this website than there are positives. We are in the 21st century, and EVERYONE has a computer. People write reviews, and that is something that business owners have to take into account. Had EVERYONE in my group had an amazing time we would probably be raving about it. I happen to be the one in my group that is writing the review. The other 4 girls were just as unsatisfied with the entire evening as I was. I will say this- Natasha and India are talented. The show was NOT terrible. It was just too short. The young singer from Universal was good- but it didn't have anything to do with a Drag show- and basically cut time off of why we came there. And the picture taking afterward- someone in the group wanted to do that yes. The show is cute- don't get me wrong- but for what you are paying for- the show needs to either be longer, or the food needs to be stepped up a notch.
(1)Daisy J.
I don't mind spending a lot of money on good food, but this place might be just a little overpriced. The first time I went I got a bowl of the tortilla soup, a glass of wine & the mozzarella and tomato plate; that with tip was a little more than $30. The second time I skipped the wine, and stuck to water and an appetizer and still payed more than $20. The food wasn't bad, but t wasn't memorable and nothing I can't find somewhere else for half the price. What I do enjoy, though, is the atmosphere. It's a very small place, so that and the dim lighting makes for a very intimate/romantic meal if you're with a date.
(3)meg v.
first time yelper. I was in O'do on business and went here based off of the website menu which looked good, something I often do on the road for work. We started with the fried goat cheese starter which was pretty good (can't really do goat cheese wrong), but the reason for the ONE star is because of the Shorvedor Subzi "vegetarian" dish I had ,(the menu had it in quotes, which should've been a sign). The carrots were under cooked, which I actually like but it didn't do anything for the dish; the cauliflower was mush and the rice was flavorless. I'm a big fan of curry and was completely underwhelmed. I appreciate that they have a "vegetarian" dish, but I would certainly not recommend. For 12 bucks I could have gone to publix and made something in the hotel microwave that was better, honestly. Strike against the ambience: There was a vent of cold air blowing down on our table which made the experience a bit uncomfortable, even for those at the table who like it ambiently chilly. Plus points: Service was pleasant, restaurant was well lit and the wine was good. I feel like I need to state why I give one star...well, it's because of my entree. Main dish = reason to go out to eat. There was no love in it, and I don't feel like a restaurant deserves a higher rating because they have decent wine. Though not rated here, I should mention those I went with were also nonplussed about their meals
(1)Bryan F.
Good food, slow service.
(3)Lizz M.
We dined at Funky Monkey Wine Company on a Tuesday night. We were promptly greeted at the door and seated. Our server brought us water and a bowl of edamame, which was delicious. We ordered a bottle of wine, and this is where things went downhill. It took longer than 10 minutes to get our bottle of wine, which was ridiculous considering there were only three other tables in the restaurant. We decided to order the cheese appetizer to go with our wine which took over a half an hour to get. The table next to us ordered their meal, got it and ate it before we got our cheese. I mean really, how long does it take to cut some cheese into chunks and put it on a plate with some crackers and honey? Don't get me wrong, the wine and cheese were excellent, I'm just glad we weren't under any time constraint. We would have ordered more food, but we were worried we would starve to death before it came. I'm not entirely sure if the food is good enough to get me to go back...
(2)Karen P.
Eh. Food is good, if they actually have what you are ordering in stock. I really want to love this place as I want any local establishments to do well, and they must be doing well as they have expanded. But for the price, you could go to another local establishment -- many others actually -- and they will actually have all the menu items, your food will come out quicker (took forever, even though only one other table was in the place), and there will be more parking. The ambiance was nice, good wine list, good food. But I'm just not sold.
(3)John S.
Unlike some other reviewers, I didn't find the dining room too small. Service was excellent from wait staff, prompt, friendly and efficient. Menu has an Asian tilt with a lot of choices for sushi. But it's Americanized sushi with lots of sauces and even cream cheese (ugh). But people in Orlando seem to like this kind of thing. The other side of the menu was a small list of plates. I ordered steamed pork dumplings, which were well made. The house salad had some red lettuce. My wife ordered the Scottish salmon and liked it a lot. I had the short ribs, which ended up being a single braised short rib for $15. The meat was pretty tasteless, but the sauce was ok, with a couple of veggies and some mashed potatoes. Wine choices were excellent, but the wine list was pretty short for a wine bar. Overall, I think the help average rating is pretty accurate. There is free valet parking, next to the Bananas diner two doors up Mills. We had a reservation for 6. By 7 the place was pretty full on a Saturday.
(3)Barry M.
I have been here several times and it was ok. After last night, I am not sure if I will go back. First, there is no parking. Sometimes they have valet, but not on Mondays ( which is odd as it is half price sushi on Mondays and it was packed). I ordered the fish of the day, salmon. The waiter brought everyone 's diner and put down talapia for me. He said the chef didn't know that Salmon was the fish today, so he said to have the talapia while I wait for the salmon. I told him I do not want 2 dinners. So I tried the tasteless fish. After everyone finished they finally brought my salmon. It was so over cooked, horrible So the waiter said he would take it of the bill. There was 5 of us and we got separate checks. To our amazement they added 20% tip to each of our checks. On mine they put the 20% on the full amount ...,so they had the nerve to put it on the bad fish. The tip should be determined by me not an automatic 20%.
(1)Jim M.
A friend and I ate dinner here tonight. We had a reservation and were shown to our table quickly. The host was warm and friendly. Before too long our server visited, dropped off menus and left. In a few minutes she came back to take our food order. I asked for a glass of wine, since she had never asked if we wanted drinks...Wine Company?? We ordered, then the host brought us a complimentary serving of edamame, thank God because one hour later our first appetizer arrived. This was the flatbread special of the day. It was good except that the flatbread was soggy in the middle. Shortly thereafter the Monkey Balls were delivered. We LOVED them. We also ordered two sushi rolls that, once the arrived, were very good. The host kept coming by to check on us, clean our table and box up what we wanted to bring home. We tried the Apple bread pudding for dessert, which was delicious; light and fresh, although we wanted the banana bread pudding which they were out of. Two hours after our arrival, we finished our meal and were out of there. For a bit of analysis, let me offer this. Funky Monkey would fall apart without the young man playing the role of host, water provider, table cleaner, appetizer deliverer and provider of all things that the servers are unable to provide. This is not just for our table, but for the entire restaurant. If he worked for me, I would pay him as much as I possibly could and pray to Jesus that he never found a better job. Our server did the best she could, too. It appears to me that the problems in this restaurant originate in the kitchen. I did not see it, and I would still guess that it is either inadequately staffed and/or inadequately equipped. No one, not even this wonderful host, can deliver to customers in a timely manner what has yet to be properly prepared. Finally, I was not at all upset with our bill. As a matter of fact it was quite reasonable. However, this is not the sort of environment where I am willing to spend two hours eating dinner. At this point I would have to develop a serious craving for Monkey Balls in order to go back.
(3)Dora P.
we went here to try something new in the area. the ambiance of the place was very nice. the servers were polite and accommodating. we had reservations and they were excellent about seating us quite quickly. the server we had knew her menu well. she suggested the fried goat cheese, it was different and very rich. it was crusted with almonds and so i was not able to enjoy it fully but my friend assured me it was a good compliment to the goat cheese. we ordered sushi and even though it took a long while for the food to arrive, it was good. we ended up having to order another roll because our food had not filled us up. we did skip dessert but if we ever go back, maybe we should try something instead of that extra sushi roll.
(3)Linda E.
Went to the Funky Monkey during Orlando's Magical Month of Dining and had the $30 menu. Wow. I checked here on yelp before we went, and I was astonished at the range of stars. Never seen so many love 'em or hate 'em ratings. However, our experience was fantastic. We were a little put off by the sour faces at a few of the tables when we walked in, but their faces might have been that way since birth. Who knows? Our waiter, Jamie, couldn't have been more pleasant and helpful. We had one appetizer from the regular menu: the goat cheese. Wonderful. Loved the mix of sun-dried tomatoes and fresh. Then from the MM menu two of us had scallops and two Osso Bucco. Huge portions. And great reheated the next day. Crab cakes were good (this from a crab cake fanatic). The dessert - we all chose bread pudding, but it had to come home because we were way full. Reheated several days later, it was (and is) fantastic. I'd make the trip into O-town again to eat there. Great spot. Nice wine by the glass and good selection, but not overwhelming.
(5)Anonymous A.
My boyfriend and I had a terrible experience at the Funky Monkey and will never return, so no need for hate email or requesting we not return (if I do receive hate email, I will not read it - I will delete it immediately). We absolutely love going to new places and especially love eating at non-chain restaurants. To make this matter worse, the owner was a customer of my boyfriend so we were expecting a great experience. The location and ambiance being terrible aside, the food was just out right bad and extremely overpriced. Our sushi appetizer was recommended by the waiter as being the best and it was actually terrible. We each took a bite and didn't eat any more. So on top of being disappointed so far with everything, our meals took over an hour before they got to us. I ordered the Ahi and not only did I get sick from my meal, I make a better version at home. The preparation was so amateurish that I was actually pissed. The only thing decent about our experience was our server was great, he was very prompt and attentive. And he did comp us a glass of wine each for our delay in our food, but we also drank more than we would have had our food arrived on time. I personally think our entrees should have been comped. I will never ever go back and would not recommend this place to anyone. Needless to say, my boyfriend was so embarrassed by our experience that he no longer works with the owner, he passed the account off to a co-worker.
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