The Monkey Bar

The Monkey Bar occupies a spot on South Bancroft in downtown Fairhope, tucked behind Five Gold Monkeys with its own entrance off Johnson Avenue. The bar bills itself as a laid-back, tropical-inspired hangout, and the decor backs that up: neon signage glows against walls lined with monstera leaves and other greenery, and a spacious outdoor patio gives the tropical theme room to breathe.

The cocktail list changes with the seasons but keeps a rotating cast of signature drinks in steady circulation. The Spring Fling menu has featured Cool as a Cucumber, Sun-Kissed Spritz, Magnolia Martini, Sonoran Sunrise, and Fairhope Froze, while year-round signatures lean into the jungle theme with names like Tarzan, a spicy margarita riff; Monkey Mule; Jungle Juice, available upgraded into a smash; Gold Monkey Gimlet; Mojo Jojo; Rafiki; and King Louie. The 699 pays tribute to a Red Bull and vodka pairing, the Fairhope Fizz is the bar’s own spin on a French 75, and the Monkey Wrench dresses up a classic lemon drop with additional liqueur.

Dessert lovers get their own dedicated section of the menu. Martini options include an Espresso Martini, Bananas Foster Martini, Lemon Meringue Martini, Birthday Cake Martini, and the Chunky Monkey, each built to close out the night on a sweeter note than the tropical cocktail lineup.

Beyond cocktails, the wine list runs deep, with bubbles, whites, roses, and reds sourced from France, California, Italy, Germany, Spain, New Zealand, and Oregon available by the glass or bottle. Regulars who want to make a habit of it can join the bar’s Wine Club. The beer selection covers draft handles, domestic premiums, craft cans, standard domestics, and seltzers, most priced between five and seven dollars.

The bar keeps a set weekly schedule: Tuesday and Wednesday from 3 to 9pm, Thursday from 3 to 10pm, Friday from 3pm to midnight, and Saturday from 11am to midnight. Live music is part of the regular lineup, drawing a crowd that spills from the bar onto the patio under the string lights and neon glow.

Beyond nightly service, The Monkey Bar hosts private parties and offers its space for venue rental, making it an option for groups looking for a tropical backdrop for a birthday, shower, or other gathering in Fairhope. The bar can be reached directly at (251) 333-4950 for reservations or event inquiries, and its address at 22 South Bancroft keeps it an easy walk from the rest of downtown.

The location itself has a bit of built-in history: the bar sits tucked behind Five Gold Monkeys, with guests entering off Johnson Avenue rather than directly from Bancroft, so first-time visitors sometimes need a moment to find the door before they spot the neon glow marking the entrance. That slightly hidden setup fits the overall mood, a bar that feels discovered rather than stumbled into off the main sidewalk.

The Monkey Bar keeps an active presence on Instagram and Facebook, both under the handle monkeybarfairhope, where it posts updates on seasonal cocktail menus, live music bookings, and private event availability. Between the tropical decor, the deep wine list pulled from seven wine-producing regions, the jungle-themed signature cocktails, and a dedicated dessert martini menu, the bar has built a drinks program considerably more layered than its laid-back branding might suggest at first glance.

The seasonal rotation matters here more than at a typical neighborhood bar. Rather than keeping one static cocktail list year-round, the bar swaps in collections like the Spring Fling lineup on a schedule tied to the calendar, so a visit in one season can turn up different signature drinks than a visit a few months later, even as mainstays like the Tarzan, the Monkey Mule, and the dessert martini lineup stay in steady rotation. That approach gives regulars a reason to keep coming back to see what has changed since their last visit.

The bar is also actively growing its team, with job postings appearing alongside the menu and events information on its site, a small sign of a business expanding its staff to keep pace with a bar that runs late into the night on Fridays and Saturdays. Between the extended weekend hours, the tropical patio, and a drinks program that spans cocktails, wine, beer, and dessert martinis, The Monkey Bar covers a wide range of what a night out in Fairhope can look like.