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.
Without doubt the rudest, most high on their own supply Maitre'd ever encountered, who is a detriment to an otherwise adequate showing worthy of a cold night with little on the calendar. Food good if not inspired, winelist a gem or two. Bar staff knowledgeable & friendly.
Such a great restaurant...
Depending upon your palate & food tastes, you can book accordingly... The last time I was there my wife & I sat at the bar... It was sooo fun! Same food & wine - but the bartender repartee was amazing!!
Mar 17, 2026
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Great Saturday night dinner at Monarque. Beautiful restaurant, bustling with people & great energy. We ate in the Brasserie. The food, wine, service, & overall vibe were all excellent. For starters, our table of four shared the octopus & trout tartare with such fresh bread.& butter that was so good we had two servings. The mains were delicious tuna & the lamb special served with vegetables & potatoes that melted in your mouth. Dessert was an excellent tartine, the combination of apples & ice cream was perfect & so yum. We also enjoyed a really nice bottle of red wine. Just an all-around great night.
Modern take ok French Canadian classics. Great balance of seafood & meat offerings. Huge selection of wine & spirits. Large bar seetings area that is great for a date night.
Truly delicious food. I ate at the bar in the brasserie side & received impeccable service from the whole team, all of whom were great company. As a solo traveler, it's nice to be made to feel like a guest & not just a customer. Charles & Andrea both made thoughtful & successful wine recommendations for each of my courses. The boudin bastien was the star of my meal, but everything was delicious. Even the complimentary bread was divine. This was the best meal I had in Montreal, & a great value for the level of quality. It's a more classic approach than some of the trendier restaurants, but that's not a bad thing at all.
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.
Monarque is a beautiful spot with a classy yet comfortable feel. The food is thoughtful & just really well done. Service was warm & professional, & the wine list is top notch. Definitely a must-try when you're in Old Montreal.
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 :)
Nov 6, 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.
Love this spot - sitting at the bar is a vibe. Wine selection is vast & great, service great, & the food pretty darn good! I had the butchers cut steak & the fries that came with it were likely the best fries I've ever had.
Jun 26, 2025
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I'd say the ratings for this restaurant are a bit overhyped. While the overall quality is solid, it's not necessarily a must-visit spot.
That said, a few dishes stood out:
• The bone marrow with Burgundy snails was a great fusion - the richness of the marrow paired beautifully with the wine-infused snails.
• The fish & seafood bouillabaisse was surprisingly light & fresh - not salty at all, with a sweet, almost pumpkin-like orange broth. The mix of scallops, shrimp, & fish made it quite hearty & well-balanced.
• The morel mushrooms with asparagus also offered a fresh & flavorful combination.
Good food overall, but not quite as unforgettable as the ratings might suggest.
Definitely make reservations, we made reservations a little before we came on Open Table & while we were waiting to be seated two other groups came & were turned away since they didn't have reservations.
The wine collection on shelves over the bar was very impressive. I normally don't see that much wine in a restaurant.
I got their special appetizer of the day with tuna, & it was fresh, delicious & plenty for me to have as an entree with the addition of the potatoes au gratin/scalloped potatoes side. It was enough to share & had paper thin slices of potatoes in a delicious white sauce. It was even better than mom's!
We were at a table across from the bar, & they are pretty close together. There is another bigger dining section in the back. Really good food but it was a bit noisy with the packed bar & restaurant.
We did not expect to like this restaurant as much as we did! It's our new'coup de coeur'. Booked a table online for the bar section (brasserie), which was surprisingly easy.
Everything was delicious & the service was efficient. The cocktails were great, creative, & perfectly adapted to the dishes. The bone marrow dish is a must, with the richness of the marrow perfectly balanced by the acidity of the red wine jus, & the crunchiness of the toast underneath. I'm still dreaming about that dish! The pepper sauce of the pork chops was fantastic, a nice Asian twist to its classical version. Bouillabaisse was very good, if one likes this type of fish stew. The seafood inside was plentiful. The rouille served on toast was a tasty accompaniment. Highly recommend their tea-flavored crème brûlée. The pistachio cake was good, but not a standout.
Overall, we were very impressed by this restaurant's food pairing. The portions were also generous, & the price fair, for such a restaurant. It's on our favorites list now!
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.
The place is quite stunning, well thought out & really well located. The staff couldn't have been nicer & truly pleasant to interact with.
Cocktails were OK… out of the four we tried we somehow liked only of them. The three others were good but nothing to remember.
Wine list was great but again pretty standard for this type of restaurant in Montreal.
In my opinion the food wasn't great, everything we ate was good but it wasn't a meal we'll remember for a long time. It's definitely on the pricier side of things so expectations were high & sadly not met.
All & all, it's still a really popular spot in Montreal with a great location, amazing decor, superstar service & slightly above average food.
