Three Monkeys
Three Monkeys is the gravitational center of Lagos nightlife. Every hostel bar crawl passes through here, and most of them start here. The bar occupies a narrow building on Rua Lancarote de Freitas with a street-level bar, a packed dance floor, and cheap drinks that keep the backpacker crowd coming back. Beers start at EUR 2-3, shots from EUR 1.50, and cocktails around EUR 5-7. DJs play a mix of reggaeton, hip-hop, and dance hits that keep the floor moving. The atmosphere gets rowdy after midnight during summer, with the dance floor becoming a single sweaty mass of movement. Despite the chaos, the vibe stays friendly. Staff know how to manage a young crowd and fights are rare. Three Monkeys operates as the unofficial social hub of Lagos after dark, where solo travelers, hostel groups, and gap-year kids converge. The front terrace serves as a meeting point and people-watching spot earlier in the evening.
What to Expect
A packed, sweaty bar filled with backpackers and young travelers. The energy is infectious and the crowd is friendly. Conversations start easily and the dance floor pulls everyone in eventually. It's loud, cheap, and exactly what Lagos nightlife is built on.
Rowdy, friendly, and social. Everyone's on holiday and acting like it.
Reggaeton, hip-hop, dance hits, pop remixes
Extremely casual. This is a backpacker bar. Flip-flops and tank tops are standard.
Solo travelers, backpackers, hostel groups. The best place to meet people in Lagos.
Cash and cards accepted. Cash is faster at the bar.
Price Range
Beers EUR 2-3, shots EUR 1.50-3, cocktails EUR 5-7
≈ $2-3 beers, $2-3 shots, $5-8 cocktails
Hours
Daily 9 PM to 4 AM (summer), reduced hours off-season
Insider Tip
Join a hostel bar crawl for drink deals and instant social connections. The dance floor peaks at 1 AM. Arrive before midnight for cheaper drink specials that most bar crawls include.
Full Review
Three Monkeys doesn't need to try hard because the formula works. Cheap drinks, loud music, and a critical mass of young travelers looking for a good time create their own momentum. The interior is basic: a bar along one wall, a small dance floor that somehow fits fifty people, and walls covered in stickers and scrawled messages from past visitors. The charm is in the chaos.
Drink prices are among the lowest in the Old Town, which is the primary draw. The quality matches the price. Cocktails are sweet and strong rather than nuanced, and the beer is cold. That's all anyone needs here. Service is fast despite the crowds because the bartenders have been doing this nightly for years.
The hostel bar crawl phenomenon drives much of the traffic. Most of Lagos' hostels organize nightly crawls that include Three Monkeys as a key stop, bringing waves of twenty-somethings through in coordinated groups. This creates a rotating cast of new faces every night, making it easy to strike up conversations and join groups. Solo travelers find this particularly useful.
Don't come here for a quiet drink or a sophisticated night out. Three Monkeys delivers exactly one thing, a loud, social, cheap night in the company of fellow travelers, and it does it better than any other bar in Lagos. The dance floor after 1 AM on a summer Saturday is a proper experience.
The Neighborhood
Three Monkeys sits in the heart of Lagos' Old Town nightlife strip on Rua Lancarote de Freitas, surrounded by restaurants, other bars, and hostels. The narrow streets channel foot traffic past the door, making it almost impossible to miss on a night out.
Getting There
Lagos Old Town is compact and walkable. From the bus station, walk 10 minutes south through the pedestrian streets. The bar is on Rua Lancarote de Freitas 21, near the intersection with Rua 25 de Abril.
Address
Rua Lancarote de Freitas 21, Lagos
Other Venues in Lagos Old Town
Nah Nah Bah
Cocktail bar on Rua 25 de Abril with a creative menu and a mellow vibe. The upstairs terrace is the best spot for warm evenings, and the bartenders know their craft. A step up from the backpacker bars without being pretentious.
Bon Vivant
Small craft cocktail bar near Praca Gil Eanes with exposed stone walls and a rotating menu. Pulls an older, calmer crowd than the backpacker spots. Good place to start the evening with something well-made.
Stevie Ray's Live Music Bar
Intimate live music venue hosting local and touring musicians most nights during summer. Blues, rock, and jazz dominate the lineup. The room holds maybe 60 people, so it fills quickly on weekends.
Whyte's Bar
Reliable Irish-run bar that serves as a social hub for the hostel crowd. Pool tables, reasonably priced pints, and a mixed-age clientele that ranges from gap-year travelers to long-term expats.