Turn the cheek on the Cheeky Monkey in Newport, R.I. restaurant scene

The Cheeky Monkey is touted as one of the hip, happening places to get a meal in Newport, R.I. And the atmosphere is fine. All the monkey paintings on the wall are funny and the low lighting and dark wood thing works well enough.

The problem is the Monkey forgot about the food.

If you actually go to a restaurant to eat, you can find much better choices at much more reasonable prices in Newport than the Cheeky Monkey. The food isn’t bad, but with a bill that could easily go to $100 for two - without wine - it’s not close to special either. For an area right on the water, it’s seafood is particularly disappointing. The one memorable dish was a tomato salad.

Plus, when you’re the supposed to be one of the sophisticated spots in town, you cannot run out of specials by 9 p.m. on a Thursday night. It’s Newport. People can easily be out on the golf course or water till well after 7:30 p.m. This isn’t Port St. Lucie, Florida.

PR people and tourist books love to recommend the Cheeky Monkey. This place has been around since 1997 and maybe it was cutting edge at one point. Now, it’s just living off its hype.

Get a drink at the Monkey bar. Find your meal elsewhere.