VILNIUS - Andrius Galinas and his friends were tired of putting up with the same Old Town club and bar scene.
"There were only two places my friends and I liked," said Galinas. "We were looking for a more cozy place and a nice atmosphere," he said.
Years of nightlife complaints eventually prompted the 24-year-old college student, who had dreamed of becoming a bar owner since he was a teenager, to turn his bar fantasy into a reality. On Sept. 14, after nine months of renovation work at the former Stars bar at Islandijos 4, the Funky Monkey cocktail bar opened for business to a crowd of 250 people and a flood of media representatives.
The concept here is to pick up the late-hours trade.
"We want it to be an after-party club," said Galinas. "We want people to be able to come here when other places are closed."
The bar's entrance is easy to find thanks to its signature monkey head, which is attached to a banner of neon green lights. Ice-cream scoop swivel chairs, green and red lights and leather couches occupy two retro-style rooms.
All along the interior walls a local designer has painted city skylines, gold swirls and billowing clouds.
Galinas is so proud of his monkey-and-city-slick theme he wore a silk-screened T-shirt revealing a smaller version of the original designs.
A private party room at a secret side door off the main room is equipped with a large leather pad, pillows and blue neon lights.
What's the most striking here is the menu. Some of the drink categories have wacky titles like: "Drink to Get Drunk" (liquors), "Funky Monkey Hits" (cocktails), and "Forget Your Name" (shots).
Most drink prices range from 12 to 20 litas (3.47 to 5.79 euros). For a refreshing sweet-juice buzz try the Electronic blue cocktail, a 14-litas drink made from Malibu, Sprite and pineapple juice, served chilled. If a customer wants to save money but still enjoys drinking, Galinas recommends the Kibirs. The enormous drink 's equivalent to about four or five cocktails 's is made with Absolut, Fanta and De Kuyper triple sec. It costs 42 litas.
The selection of music pumping through the bar is house, hip-hop and minimal. Galinas said that in the months ahead he plans to organize events featuring different music styles every week, and set up a big screen to share YouTube videos as local DJs spin tunes.
Locals visiting the bar for the first time had mixed reactions to the new venue.
"It looks very nice," said bar-hopper Agne Gakaite. "My friends and I usually make a lot of bar tours so this one is on the way. I'll take advantage of the fact that it's an after-party bar, but it depends on the people here."
Others were not quite so impressed.
"You can only drink here so you can get drunk fast," said customer Nicolo Mengarelli.
Newcomers sipping drinks and roaming around the club invariably asked, "What's the reason behind the name?"
Galinas said it's only a nickname.
"When I was traveling to different clubs my friends told me, 'You are a funky monkey,' and it stuck. I wanted to create a place like me, a lifestyle. It's in my heart, it's my home," he said.
Funky Monkey
Islandijos 4
Open Sun - Thu:
6 p.m. - 3 a.m.,
Fri - Sat: 6 p.m. - 9 a.m.
Entrance free
