Your New
Favorite Hang

A bar for the neighborhood

Welcome to Monkey’s Bar, your new favorite hangout in the heart of Old City in downtown Knoxville! Our bar is more than just a place to grab a drink; it’s a warm and welcoming space designed for you to chill with your friends, make new ones, and immerse yourself in the all around good vibes while enjoying our delicious cocktails.

And don’t forget to say hello to our beloved golden retriever, Monkey – truly a dog of the people. 

Where everybody knows Monkey’s name…

our story

An excerpt from The Story of Us

Most of my best ideas usually start out as jokes. Wouldn’t it be funny to call it Monkey’s Bar? It’s like a double pun. There is nothing to do with monkeys or monkey bars. The ultra importance of the apostrophe sets it apart: Monkey’s Bar.

The joke stuck with me and the idea that I had a one year old golden retriever that owns a bar.

My dream and my impulse collided…

Monkey’s Bar was alive and we were just getting started.

– Elle Nelson
  Monkey’s Mom and Founder

In the Spotlight

Explore the news stories that have captured the essence of Monkey’s Bar, and get to know why it’s becoming a local favorite in Knoxville. From unforgettable nights to a welcoming atmosphere, find out what’s making Monkey’s Bar the talk of the town!

Read all about it:

IYKYK
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"This is a great bar! I had the Watermelon Sugar High, which, frankly, is everything you could ever want in a cocktail. The service was fantastic and the bartenders friendly, and there's plenty of room for friends to gather in the cozy spaces that look out across the best parts of the Old City. Every drink was delicious and paired perfectly with the Good Golly we brought with us (iykyk). Five stars. Ten stars! A hundred stars!"
– Haley J. Google Review
New Go-To
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"This may become my friend group’s new go-to place! Laid back and but also classy. Can’t forget Monkey running around - he makes a great host for a golden retriever!"
– Hannah Google Review
Great Vibes
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"I Love this place! great drinks, great vibes. I will definitely be back here all the time!"
– Brianna W. Google Review
Like Family
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"My favorite bar in Knoxville. Everyone at Monkey’s feels like family—the bartenders learn your name right away and get to know you, and lots of locals hang out there regularly, self included. It’s a safe space (highly woman- and queer-friendly), it’s always clean and well-lit, the bathrooms smell nice, and the patrons are good people... it’s quiet during the day and a lovely, warm, welcoming place in the evening."
– Hope F. Google Review

take the vibes
with you

we made you a mixtape

We keep the tunes in steady rotation at the bar, but here’s a playlist of some of our current favorite jams.

Get social with us