Reviews portray Monarque as a refined Montreal dining destination that blends a chic brasserie vibe with a formal dining room, offering an elegant yet lively atmosphere. The cuisine is repeatedly described as superb, with standout dishes including bone marrow with escargots, bouillabaisse, tartare, duck, veal cheeks, and a highly praised seafood selection, though a few items are noted as overly salty or uneven in texture. The presentation is praised, ingredients are described as high quality and carefully balanced, and the open kitchen and kitchen-facing tables are frequently highlighted as special touches. Service is described as professional, attentive, and knowledgeable, with many guests feeling well taken care of, while some reviews mention variability in service levels, language gaps, or occasional delays. The wine list is extensive and a strength, though prices can be high. Ambiance is consistently described as beautiful, classic, and Montreal style, with some comments that the space can be loud or the temperature a bit cool, and a few complaints about dessert quality or portion sizes. Reservations are recommended given popularity and the two-menu structure, and many leave eager to return for another memorable meal. Overall, Monarque is viewed as one of Montreal's top dining experiences for technique, presentation, and hospitality, albeit with occasional inconsistencies in service and value.
Had an absolutely wonderful dining experience here! The atmosphere was warm & welcoming from the moment we walked in. Our server was attentive & knowledgeable about the menu, offering great recommendations. The food was exceptional - fresh ingredients, perfectly seasoned, & beautifully presented. Every dish we tried was bursting with flavor. The portions were generous & well worth the price. The restaurant was clean & well-maintained, & despite being busy, we didn't feel rushed. The dessert was the perfect ending to our meal. We'll definitely be returning soon & would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a great meal & excellent service. Five stars!
Service was fantastic. Some of the best I've ever experienced. All servers are very attentive at Monarque.
Food was tasty. I got the trout tartare, octopus, & lamb dish. My favourite was the trout tartare. It's divine - very fresh & full of unique textures & flavours. The other two dishes were good but too salty for my personal preference. Everything served was made of high quality ingredients, beautifully presented, & made with intentionality.
In terms of ambiance, Monarque is well decorated & sophisticated but lacks cozyness. I felt that the temperature of the restaurant could have been slightly warmer & lights dimmer. The lighting especially in the Brasserie is far too bright. I was noticed it as soon as I walked in.
Feb 18, 2026
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We visited for the Valentine's Day fixed-price menu & unfortunately had one of the worst dining experiences we've had. Maybe if you go there for normal dinner it would be good, but this is the first time I had such a bad experience to the point of leaving the restaurant feeling unwell.
To start with the positives: the meats & fish were actually cooked very well. The veal was perfectly tender, & the fish was flaky without being overcooked. The servers were also attentive - our water was always refilled promptly, & the staff were polite. The drinks were excellent as well! I would genuinely consider coming back just for cocktails.
That said, the overall four-course experience fell short for us. Nearly every dish was overwhelmed by sauce that was either aggressively sour or overwhelmingly salty, to the point that it completely overpowered the well-cooked proteins. The flavors were so intense & unbalanced that we felt physically nauseous by the end & rushed out of the restaurant to get back to our hotel. Also, the table next to us ordered the bass, & I love fish, but it smelt so unpleasantly fishy that I was turned off.
There was also a grapefruit & orange'house soup' served before the main dish, intended to refresh the palate. It was odd to us because there was also what tasted like a lemon sherbet in the soup. The bitterness & acidity felt harsh & actually triggered acid reflux for both of us. Plus, the transition from a warm appetizer to a very cold soup & then back to a warm main course was very off-putting.
On top of everything, portion sizes were surprisingly small. I understand that tasting menus are structured differently, & I've enjoyed similar experiences at other restaurants without issue. This was the first time I've left a multi-course meal hungrier than when I arrived.
One additional disappointment was the seating. Even though the restaurant was about half empty when we arrived, we were seated right next to the only other occupied table. We asked to move as soon as we sat down, but were told that no other tables were available. About 10 minutes later, a couple was seated next to us & made the same request & were accommodated. There may have been a reason for this, but from our perspective, it left a poor impression.
Perhaps the regular menu is better however, for a special Valentine's dinner, I would say don't waste your time & money.
Monarque is truly an outstanding dining experience. The food is delicious, refined, & beautifully presented, & the ambiance strikes a perfect balance between elegance & comfort. Every detail in the setting makes the evening feel special without being pretentious.
The staff is attentive, warm, & professional from start to finish. The team makes you feel genuinely welcome & well taken care of.
A final detail that deserves praise is the way the bill is handled. When the server brought the payment machine, the tip options were presented in a respectful & flexible way, with clear suggested amounts & percentages, without the usual sense of pressure that often comes with the typical North American tipping prompts. It felt considerate & customer friendly.
An excellent restaurant on every level, & definitely worth visiting again.
The food is fantastic & presented beautifully. We ordered several plates, some to share, & everything was out of this world. We enjoyed everything we tried. Our meals were paired with exquisite wine. Our server Phillipe was extremely attentive & friendly.
Had dinner here in the main dining area, & it was exceptional across the board. Very extensive wine list (think >500 options) for those who know their way around a bottle. Service was attentive & friendly but not overbearing. Favorite main dishes were the tuna tartare, venison, braised leek / tortellini, & roasted duck, but the single best thing I ate was probably the passion fruit pavlova - still dreaming of it!
We are Anglophones & had some reservations that we might not get great service at a higher end establishment in Montreal, but it was not an issue at all. The staff clearly take their jobs seriously - if you reciprocate by appreciating the experience & being engaged (i.e. not staring at your phone all evening), you can expect to receive good service :)
Amazing experience! The food was exceptional, standouts were the bone marrow & hummus appetizers. The service followed with friendly & attentive staff, thank you to Andreanne the manager for her attention & experience.
Oct 27, 2025
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Two Dining Experiences at Monarque: Exceptional & Very Good (Overall Rating: 4.5/5)
?My spouse & I enjoyed our Monarque experience, particularly the evening we spent in the Salle à Manger. The food there was truly exceptional; each dish was thoughtfully presented, deeply flavorful, & easily the memorable highlight of our visit.
?The Brasserie also offered very good food, though it didn't quite match the high standard set by the Salle à Manger.
?Regarding service, our main server in the Salle à Manger was attentive & dedicated, & their efforts were genuinely appreciated.
In the Brasserie there were some minor language barriers with our main server & a small missed opportunity to offer us an additional glass of wine.
?One suggestion, which would have made our Brasserie visit as spectacular as the Salle à Manger, is to ensure that all diners, especially those with language or cultural differences, feel especially welcomed & catered to.
Overall, staff made us feel warmly welcomed & comfortable, giving us an exceptional dining experience at Monarque.
Didn't expect much when making a reservation here, thinking it would be just another French restaurants in Montreal. Glad we were wrong. The food was exceptionally flavorful, with ingredients that were masterfully blended to complement each other perfectly. The servers were welcoming & attentive. A must if you're around the area.
We ate from the brasserie menu-what a delicious meal with perfectly timed, attentive service. We had the bone marrow, which was easily the best bite of our trip to Montréal (best bite of food I've had this year), & I had the duck, which was so savory & crispy & tender. My husband had the swordfish special, which was lovely, but we agreed that my duck was the clear winner. We split a mille feuille for dessert, which ticked all the boxes that a dessert should! The restaurant space is beautiful & I would love to go back & try the full tasting menu/sit in front of the window into the kitchen.
I went here for a group event. The waiters were super attentive & it was a very nice evening. I loved the food from the menu we got. All the dishes were delicious. I really recommend the restaurant for group events. It was perfect.
Aug 2, 2025
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We recently visited Monarque & really enjoyed our meal. A note for future diners: when making reservations, be mindful that Monarque has two distinct menus-one is a more casual brasserie/tapas style, & the other is a formal sit-down menu. We opted for the formal dining room this time.
The plating was beautiful, & the food was delicious overall. I tried the guinea fowl, which was executed nicely, though the accompanying sauce was a touch too salty for my taste. My in-laws ordered the large rib of beef to share, which came with a salad of endives & patates dauphinoises (so delicious, & yes, very buttery).
Service was attentive without being rushed, & the atmosphere made for a great evening out with family. We would definitely return to try the brasserie section next time, which looks like it offers a wider selection on the menu.
We had a wonderful lunch at Monarque & were truly impressed by the entire experience. The service was excellent, every staff member was friendly, attentive, & constantly smiling, which made us feel so welcomed.
Both the cocktails & mocktails were well-crafted & reasonably priced, adding a refreshing touch to our meal. The food was absolutely fantastic & surprisingly affordable compared to similar fine dining spots in Toronto. My top favorite was the bone marrow, only $24 for a huge portion & packed with flavour. A must-try!
Highly recommend Monarque for anyone visiting Montreal. We'll definitely be back again in the future!
I had a delicious dinner last night at Monarque. Sat at the bar & Johanna served us. She was so nice, friendly, helpful & attentive. In fact all the staff are friendly & so polite. Had the signature Monarque cocktail which was perfect. The halibut, salad & cauliflower were delicious, so tasty & beautifully prepared. We didn't have room for dessert unfortunately, I know their desserts are fantastic as well.
What makes Monarque so special is the great ambiance, delicious food, excellent service & friendliness of all the staff. Can't be beaten!! Looking forward to my next visit!!
This restaurant had been on our list for a while, & our visit was well worth it. The welcome was warm & professional, & the service was attentive without being intrusive. The wine recommendation was perfect & beautifully complemented each dish.
We started with a delicious foie gras, followed by the evening's special: a tender & flavorful short rib. The meal ended on a sweet note with refined mignardises, perfectly balanced in taste & texture.
The restaurant's aesthetics are impeccable, but one small detail slightly affected the experience. From where we were seated, we could hear the staff exchanging unprofessional remarks about some customers. It didn't impact the service directly, but a bit more discretion would have made the experience flawless.
That said, with its excellent cuisine & elegant setting, this is a place I highly recommend.
Apr 10, 2025
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We went as we saw that Chef Nancy Oakes was there Friday night.
My friend had been to the restaurant before, but it was my first visit. It was a bonus to be seated next to the window that allows you to see the kitchen staff in action.
The service is excellent. Very attentive & friendly staff, who , when I mentionned I felt some dishes too salty, made sure I was given a new dish with less salt & that all subsequent ones were made accordingly.
The food was excellent, the portions just right for a 7 course meal.
We were surprised though with the dessert: un chocolat fondant was a bit « ho hum » for a menu of that caliber.
The restaurant was full that night so the noise level was a bit high, but overall a pleasant experience.
Had dinner at Monarque while visiting Montreal since it's ranked the #1 restaurant in the city & made Canada's Top 100 list. The vibe was great-elegant but not stuffy-& the service was super attentive. The food is classic French, really well done. Highly recommend the bone marrow escargot & foie gras-both were rich, flavorful, & absolutely delicious. If you're looking for a solid French dining experience, this place is definitely worth checking out!
Gloriously designed with an attention to detail, I loved this place. The food was a taste buds explosion of complex flavours. The drinks were refreshing & with a twist. I loved the Monarch design linked from the drinks to the glass bottle & as a pin on the server's uniform. The viewing into the kitchen was entertaining & impressive. I did not have a single bad dish to eat. We tried every starter with the exception of one. Loved them all. The Rabbit special was so good. The veal cheek melts in your mouth. Our server was so good & I appreciated her attentiveness. Highly recommend this restaurant.
Had an amazing experience at Monarque - the service was attentive, the food superb, & the cost very reasonable. We shared the chicken soup which is triple boiled & dressed up with all sorts of herbs which really hit the spot on the chilly day. For the main course, my spouse had the cod with a risotto which was delicious & I had the pork chop with a japanese peppercorn sauce that was among the best meals I've had in a considerably long time. I usually don't spring for dessert but every plate was excellent so I decided to go for the mango pavlova which was presented well & baked perfection. Can't recommend this place strongly enough.
Fantastic food & great service! even thought it was a busy evening (new year's eve) the team handled every table with care & attentiveness. The grilled octopus, cod & tuna were stunning & delicious. The eclair with the tres leches out of this world! If you are in Montreal you have to stop by this spot! Worth every penny.
