Monarque operates as a versatile culinary destination blending the traditional elements of a classic French bistro with modern preparation techniques. The menu centers on meticulously crafted tartares that highlight seasonal ingredients and precise flavor profiles. Patrons encounter an expansive interior layout that separates distinct service styles, ranging from a casual brasserie atmosphere to more formal, structured dining experiences. High ceilings and industrial architectural details define the space, creating an environment focused on efficiency and culinary consistency. The kitchen emphasizes technical mastery through refined sauces and expertly executed proteins sourced from high-quality suppliers. This establishment maintains a rigorous standard for ingredient freshness, ensuring that every dish reflects the core principles of French cooking. The overall operation functions as a sophisticated nexus of regional gastronomy within a bustling, high-traffic urban setting.
Monarque is widely celebrated as a premier dining destination in Montreal, offering an exceptional experience defined by its elegant atmosphere, professional service, and high-quality French cuisine. Guests frequently praise the restaurant for its vibrant, dual-concept layout, which features both a lively brasserie and a more formal dining room, each providing delicious, well-executed dishes crafted with meticulous attention to detail. Standout items like the bone marrow with escargot, duck confit, fresh tartares, and creative desserts consistently receive high acclaim for their balance of flavors and refined presentation. Many diners highlight the warm and knowledgeable staff who contribute to a welcoming and memorable visit, making it a top choice for special occasions, business meetings, or a sophisticated night out. Overall, visitors appreciate the restaurant's consistency and its ability to deliver a polished, world-class culinary journey that keeps patrons returning time and again.
The food, cocktails, & wine were quite good, & we would have had a good experience had it not been for the absolutely awful, non-existant service. I wish I was exaggerating, but our waiter said maybe 15 words to us over the entire ~2 hour dinner service, only saying more than one word responses when we asked for a wine recommendation. He provided completely non-verbal responses when ordering, did not ask if we wanted to order additional drinks after our first (we had to specifically request for additional glasses of wine/cocktails), did not explain anything about the food, restaurant, or ask us anything about ourselves. Generally very unfriendly & unkind. He acknowledged our orders with a frown & a slight nod of the head every time. I wish I could tell you who specifically our server was, but he did not even bother introducing himself. He felt very hostile & annoyed he had to have to serve us. There were multiple instances where we were without drinks, meaning the restaurant lost out on additional revenue we would have spent on alcohol. After our table's second drink order, he took the wine list away & did not offer to return it for the rest of the evening, even after clearing away our empty glasses midway through the third course. After ordering red wine, the waiter poured my glass but ended up spilling a sizeable amount on the table & into the bread basket. The waiter noticed he spilled, but did not apologize or acknowledge it to us in any way, he simply walked away without a word. By the end of dessert, our last course, the waiter we had for most of the evening had not come around for 15 minutes after our plates were clearly finished & our drinks were empty. I flagged down another waiter who was walking by, who explained to me that our original waiter was gone for the night & that he was supposed to be replacing us. The original waiter did not explain to us that he was leaving for the night, & the new waiter in charge of our table did not introduce himself until I had to get his attention myself. We certainly don't expect to be treated special by any means, but this service was the literal bare minimum that could have been provided to us. It left us wondering if maybe we were under dressed & were being shunned for it (even though other waiters were happily treating other guests in tshirts & shorts), or that we had said something to offend the waiter at the start of service. Although this review is quite scathing, we are always especially friendly with wait staff & almost never complain about service, so I cannot understand what we possibly did to deserve service that amounted to rudely & non-verbally plopping the food we ordered at the table. Nobody asked us once how our food or service was. This was *by far* the worst service I've experienced, not only in Montréal, but at any restaurant I've ever dined at. It was such a complete shock that it came from an establishment where we expected to spend about $600 between two of us (but ended up spending less as we opted out of a cheese course & did not order as many drinks as anticipated, both due to the service). I would have been annoyed if we received service like this at a McDonald's, but at a fine dining establishment, I thought it was completely & absolutely unacceptable. We will be vehemently recommending that our friends & family who visit Montréal avoid Monarque at absolutely all costs. A completely & total disappointment from a restaurant we were very much looking forward to experiencing.
Great experience, their signature cocktails were superb. We shared the duck confit, lamb & potato gratin. Everything was fantastic, especially the service. Additionally, they have an exceptional wine list
A MUST, whether you're a local or visiting. This place is so effortlessly chic & has many talents in their food. The cocktails were lovely as well but I wish I got more of a buzz! Can't wait to go back next time.
Sophie was an excellente waitress, she gave excellente suggestions & we had a great time. Thank you Monarque team, we loved the vibe, the drinks & the food. The owner of Barsol pisco who was with us, really liked your signature cocktail (just want a little heavier on the pisco for the bite 🤩) blessings to all ❤️
After a few visits to Montreal with no reservation success, I was able to snag a last minute Brasserie table reservation for 1! I arrived & was immediately brought to my table & walked through the menu by Vincent. He gave great reccomendations & was great about checking in. Honestly, the entire staff felt like they were trained in hospitality. The host came by to check on me in & took another drink order. & the server, who was taking care of the table next to me, also took a moment to make small conversation. I regularly dine out alone due to work travel & while I don't always feel comfortable, I was put at ease the entire time. Okay the food/cocktails - AMAZING! The bartenders make wonderful cocktails that are both enjoyable to watch being created as they are to drink. I got the Farigola & the Colibri. The food was wonderful as well. I ordered the ricotta ravioli which balanced the cheese & meat super well. Raviolis were cheese filled & the meat was underneath. The fried cauliflower was huge (this is the single portion) & very butter forward if that's your thing - it's my thing so I obviously loved it. The steak was cooked to exactly medium rare (as ordered) & the fries were perfectly crispy. 10/10 would reccomend... if you can get a reservation ;)
Magnifique! Toujours un plaisir partagé de passer une soirée au Monarque. Les classiques sont impeccables: sublimes cocktails en apéro, canard, poisson du jour, dessert accompagné d'excellent vin juste wow!! Avec un service hors pair, courtois digne de grandes tables Monarque reste parmi les meilleures tables à Montréal!
Grosso modo c'est un 4 étoiles pour moi. Les huîtres étaient excellentes mais pour le reste la nourriture était juste bonne. Le service très bien pour la première partie mais notre serveuse était un peu pressée & tête en l'air dans son service. L'atmosphère était agréable mais on était situés juste en avant du comptoir de paiement & une serveuse n'arrêtait pas de nous faire sursauter chaque fois qu'elle venait poser des assiettes tellement elle les déposait fort. J'y retournerais probablement mais je ne mangerais plus les mêmes affaires. P.S: à part les huîtres & le cocktail qui était excellent je n'ai rien photographié tellement je n'étais pas conquise.
Monarque est un lieu très agréable & surprenant, nous avons essayé le côté brasserie, une des rares tables montréalaise de qualité ouverte le lundi soir (la partie "restaurant" étant fermée ce soir ce la semaine). Vous êtes d'abord vite accueillis par un des chefs de rangs qui vous propose un vestiaire numéroté. C'est plutôt bien accueilli par ces temps frisquets où l'on doit sortir sa grosse doudoune parfois bien encombrante. La salle est belle, même si on peut dire que c'est un long couloir, le bar est beau, d'un seul tenant, tout en acier, je ne suis pas sur que ce soit du zinc, avec une belle exposition de bouteilles sur les murs. Une longue banquette longe le mur opposé au bar & des table carrées assez grandes pour préserver un semblant d'intimité permettent d'assoir les couples de convives. Quelques tables rondes existent pour les groupes de 5 à 7 personnes, mais sont assez bien placées pour ne pas déséquilibrer l'harmonie de la salle. Des miroirs partout & pourtant ce n'est pas éblouissant, c'est bien pensé car la lumière est bien proportionnée. La sensation d'espace est agréable, on est loin d'un simple couloir de brasserie. La mosaïque au sol est belle, pas de musique assourdissante & les serveurs derrière ou devant le bar portent parfaitement leur livrée noire & blanche, ajustée à la perfection, ça apporte un côté classe au lieu. L'ambiance est bonne. Ca sent bon la viande grillée & d'autres choses... Nous commençons par des cocktails, je prends un cocktail maison, le Cassia, sur le papier c'est un cocktail de tequila, agrumes & saveurs orientales, sur table c'est une petite bouteille de 17cl, & ça a le gout d'une ginger beer, c'est un peu décevant pour 17$. J'aime beaucoup les boissons pétillantes, & ça pétille beaucoup, car il semble que c'est fermenté & c'est juste ouvert devant vous. Une paille aurait été la bienvenue, car les bulles en buvant au verre, empêchent un peu de respirer, il n'y avait qu'un pic en bambou dans le cocktail, tant pis. Le verre est joli, & le glaçon parfait, à la hauteur du verre, il est complètement transparent quand le liquide est versé, c'est une jolie technique à l'eau bouillie. Mon compagnon prend un classique, un mai tai, très à son goût, bien alcoolisé. L'ayant goûté je trouve qu'il manque un peu de sucre, j'avoue ne pas retrouver l'orgeat... Mais nous ne sommes pas là pour les cocktails. J'ai pris en entrée la Pieuvre Grillée, c'est très bon, la portion est parfaite, très harmonieux & équilibrée, c'est assez doux en goût, & un jeu de textures très complet & interessant. Un petit bémol sur la partie la plus charnue du tentacule, car il avait un gout de brulé, sur cette partie précise du tentacule (les parties plus fines n'avaient pas ce goût désagréable & étaient parfaitement grillées) peut-être que cette partie avait plus de mal à cuire & qu'ils l'ont finie au chalumeau, ou qu'ils ont écrasé cette partie contre la plaque/grille pour qu'elle cuise en même temps que les parties plus fines, mais qu'elle a embarqué des restes de brulé d'une autre cuisson plus ancienne. C'était dommage sur la fin. En plat j'ai pris le demi poulet de cornouailles Roti, à la truffe & sauce périgourdine. Le poulet de cornouailles est juste un petit poulet très tendre. Arrivé sur la table, il a une très belle couleur dorée, la cuisson est parfaite, pas sec du tout, désossé sous le blanc, c'est assez pratique à manger. Les légumes sont de saison, juste cuits, moi j'aime bien comme ça mais ça peut être sous cuit pour d'autres. La sauce périgourdine, & donc à la brisure de truffe, est très corsée, c'est surprenant, ça contraste beaucoup avec la saveur très douce & délicate du poulet. J'avoue que j'aurais préféré le jus de poulet roti avec quelques notes de cette sauce périgourdine un peu trop brune pour moi. Ca reste bon, mais cela doit refleter le caractère bien tranché du chef en cuisine. Le choix de gouts forts. Nous avons terminé le repas en partageant un étagé au chocolat, c'était parfait à deux, gourmand juste ce qu'il fallait pour finir.
Ce n'est pas ma première expérience au Restaurant Monarque. Première fois, j'ai essayé la Brasserie... qui était ma fois.... Incroyable! L'os à la moelle ( un délice) ... Cette fois-ci, j'ai essayé La Salle à manger... un mot... Miam 😋. Le service est incroyable, la nourriture délicieuse 🤤, les cocktails excellent, l'ambiance #1 ... Je n'ai rien de négatif à dire. Bravo 👏!
