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.
We visited on New Year's Eve & had the prix fixe menu. The food & atmosphere are good & worth experiencing, but unfortunately did not exceed or even meet expectations. Pro's: - They were kind enough to accommodate a special request for our daughter. - The duck in the main course & the dessert were delicious & very well executed. - the atmosphere & open kitchen setting are very good. Con's: - 3.5 hrs for a 4-course meal. This is just too long & too much time in between courses. Usually meals that take this long at fine dining easily include anywhere from 8-12 courses. - no live explanation at all of what was in the plate or how it was prepared. Basically refer to paper menu. - 1st & 2nd courses left a lot to be desired for everyone in the party. - found ourselves eating multiple courses with no wine in the glass after multiple requests. Maybe it was just a bad night. - We expected a little something on the house as a token of appreciation & as a celebration to welcome the new year. At least a glass of champagne or a second dessert course. We got nothing.
Dining at Monarque was a memorable experience. We got reservations for the brasserie, which was very nice inside but more casual than a strict fine dining environment, & had nice views of the kitchen. Staff were attentive & professional the whole night, & the coat check was nice. For cocktails, the Lady Marmalade was my favorite for a juicy option, or the oddjob otherwise. The spritz mocktail was a little underwhelming, & tasted more like a seltzer. Appetizers vary in size, so check with the server if you want to share. The prosciutto salad was lovely, it had just enough flavor between the salty meat & touch of dressing, & a mix of textures from the almond. Recommend the wild mushroom gnocchi as a delicious vegetarian appetizer, & the lamb with the ravioli was indulgently tender. The duck was fantastic: flavorful & perfectly cooked. The lamb was also just the right amount done, not overly heavy but rich with the sauce. The cornish hen was good, though not remarkable. I liked their rendition of bouillabaisse. I highly suggest the tarte tatin as a shareable appetizer for two or three people, it had soft spiced apples & a flakey crust. The peach cobbler was delicious, & the mango pavolva was very fresh- the mango topping was tart, which I personally much prefer. I might like the center a little more done in the pavlova. My meal here felt cohesive, & in the brasserie I could pick & choose from a variety of options. I highly recommend Monarque for a nice occasion, its also quite accessible from the underground city if you want to walk there in the winter months.
Dec 10, 2024
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The chic decor & attentive staff stood out. The pretzel was fantastic, hot from the oven. The octopus was good, though the chorizo was a bit strong. The steak was juicy, & the duck had nice flavors. The cheesecake was a bit dry, & the prune compote overpowered it, though the figs were fresh. Overall, the price was fair for the quality. Worth a visit!
Dined in the back section. Atmosphere was a bit more formal than the front: swanky dinner. I was surprised that the menu was not completely classic French, but that there were dishes with Japanese or other influences. The dishes were all well done, nicely balanced, with a little inventiveness about them. Duck - always one of the tests - was very good. I also really enjoyed the cold scallop starter with its tomato water. Star dessert was the strawberry tart. Our waiter started out a little cool as probably matches the atmosphere but soon started engaging with us, which was nice. The couple sat next to us were having some personal drama at their table. The restaurant staff were SUPER professional about handling their table, which I'm sure everyone appreciated. Not a cheap dinner but would return if I lived here.
Sep 20, 2024
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This French restaurant is definitely worth a mention. You may have seen some negative reviews online before you came, but you won't know how good it is until you try it yourself. I would definitely choose to have dinner here again when I visit Montreal next time. The following dishes are worth trying, especially foie gras & duck legs. Bone marrow, Burgundy snails，Foie gras parfait，Duck confit. I'll want to try the lamb shoulder next time I come here.
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
Their appetizers were amazing, innovative, both the bone marrow & octopus were superb .. so good .. their main entrees though were not as good. Lobster was very good but the duck confit & lamb were so so ..
Jul 12, 2024
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Creative French food & excellent service The restaurant is large & busy, with a sophisticated touch. The buzz around doesn't stop you from being able to hear who is at the table. Additionally, there is a special wing downstairs that I assume is for reservations exceeding 8 people (nice that the group can have privacy) The food is very tasty, creative, with great presentations. As a recommendation, I leave the Foie Gras (sea buckthor, duck pastrami, candy cap, brioche feuilletee) which came accompanied by a small croassaint & a gelatin film (?!), delicious & extremely creative! The Ravioli was very intriguing, with each bite I could taste more flavors, high on the list of recommendations. Tuna Tartare & Green Asparagus were disappointing, they had a good presentation but the flavor left something to be desired. Olivia's service should be left here as a note of great affection. She was very attentive & helped me with choosing & tasting the wine. I would definitely come back! Ps:. great visual identity
Amazing restaurant, the best in the old port. Even without a reservation they always find a spot for me, coat check service included, cheap valet service, & the waiters are amazing ! Patient, friendly & polite. All the plate are delicious, try the lamb , broccoli, duck, cheese bites.
This has easily become one of my favourite restaurants in Montreal. They have 2 sections which offer different menus: the brasserie with an ala carte menu & salle a manger that's a table d'hôte. I chose the brasserie as I wanted to try the bone marrow snails. It was a little greasy, which is to be expected, but overall it was delicious! The duck confit was also perfectly crispy & cooked well. Service was a bit slow but attentive otherwise. It gets really loud in the brasserie during peak business hours, so if you want somewhere quieter, consider the salle a manger.
The food was so good. The duck was perfectly cooked & they have the best chocolate cake I have ever had in my life. I highly recommend if you want a nice dinne
Mar 25, 2024
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The service was time-to-time kind of questionable compares to other fine dining restaurants. Though, the atmosphere was overall great. On the other hand, the foods that I ordered (Seafood Bouillabaisse, Duck Confit, & passion fruit pavlov) were not that outstanding (i.e., there wasn't any WOW factor).
Really great food & attentive staff! Came as a solo diner but didnt feel weird or awkward at all! Had the mushroom gnocchi, duck confit, & layered chocolate coconut cake. All of the food was great with the duck being a little salty, but the flavor was good & rich. Also had the Monarque cocktail & both the mock tails which were tasty as well!
Wow - what a gem. I went here while in Montreal for a conference, together with my wife. I booked a reservation for a Friday evening a few weeks before & was able to get a 630 tim. We ate in the brasserie. I read some other reviews commenting the servers seemed a bit snobby - we did NOT notice this at all. Everyone there was so friendly, with multiple people checking on us throughout the meal to see how they could help or serve us. For reference, we are Anglophone, in our 40-50s, & not cool/chic in anyway but were treated with class & like royalty. All my dishes were memorable - I can still remember the tastes : the bone marrow appetizer, the dry aged rib eye, & the eclair of the day (was maple pecan). My wife ordered the gnocchi appetizer & Duck confit main & loved them both as well. I saw a combination of people dressed more casually (people coming from work) & those more formally (e.g. on dates). I can see this being suitable for both types of outings. For a combination of its vibe, service & quality of food, I can't wait to return. Part of me wishes I lived in Montreal so I could frequent this exquisite restaurant more frequently!
Monarque is another Top 100 Canada restaurant in Montreal. After a disappointment in another Top 100 Canada restaurant, I am a bit worry at the beginning. This time I ordered Bone marrow with snails, seafood boulliabassie, & lamb. The bone marrow blows my mind, one of the best I've ever had. The seafood boulloabassie & lamb are very delicious. Price is good, but portion is a bit to the smaller side. The chocolate & coconut layer cake is basically a chocolate cake, nothing too special. Overall I am satisfied with the dinner tonight & will be back for duck confit & ribeye.
