Monarque opère comme une destination culinaire polyvalente fusionnant les éléments traditionnels du bistrot français classique avec des techniques de préparation modernes. Le menu se concentre sur des tartares méticuleusement élaborés qui mettent en valeur des ingrédients saisonniers et des profils aromatiques précis. Les clients découvrent un aménagement intérieur vaste qui sépare des styles de service distincts, allant d une ambiance de brasserie décontractée à des expériences plus formelles. De hauts plafonds et des détails architecturaux industriels définissent l espace, créant un environnement axé sur l efficacité et la constance culinaire. La cuisine souligne une maîtrise technique à travers des sauces raffinées et des protéines expertement exécutées provenant de fournisseurs de qualité. Cet établissement maintient une norme rigoureuse pour la fraîcheur des produits, assurant que chaque plat reflète les principes fondamentaux de la cuisine française. L opération globale fonctionne comme un centre sophistiqué de gastronomie régionale dans un cadre urbain.
Monarque est largement reconnu comme une destination gastronomique de premier plan à Montréal, offrant une expérience sophistiquée qui marie les techniques classiques françaises à une touche culinaire moderne. Les convives louent régulièrement la grande qualité des ingrédients et la précision des plats, citant fréquemment des incontournables comme l'os à moelle aux escargots, le confit de canard et divers tartares. Bien que l'atmosphère soit décrite comme élégante, magnifique et animée, certains clients notent que le lieu peut être bruyant et que l'éclairage de la section brasserie peut paraître trop intense. Le service est globalement perçu comme professionnel, attentionné et soigné, bien que quelques visiteurs aient rapporté des incohérences dans le rythme ou l'accueil selon la zone ou l'heure de leur visite. Malgré quelques critiques mineures concernant la taille des portions, l'assaisonnement de certains plats ou la variété des desserts, la majorité des clients considère cet établissement comme une adresse exceptionnelle, idéale tant pour un repas décontracté à la brasserie que pour une expérience gastronomique plus formelle.
This restaurant offers an upscale, modern dining experience with two distinct areas: a formal dining room & a more casual bar area. Upon arrival, the host staff took our jackets, which was a nice touch. We chose to sit in the bar area since we were dressed more business casual, black pants, a black top, & a silver belt for me, & dark jeans with a blue button-up for my partner, paired with boots due to the snowy & icy weather. Unfortunately, our server was bit annoyed with us, because we weren't dressed as formally as others (he actually commented on it) . It was disappointing to feel treated differently compared to the table next to us, but we tried not to let that dampen the experience. The food was exceptional. The steak was perfectly cut & cooked to our liking-easily the best we've had in Montréal. The bass was flavorful & deliciously prepared, & the mushroom risotto melted in my mouth (my partner opted for fries which he said were crispy & delcious). We started with a cheese plate as an appetizer, which was also a fantastic choice. For dessert, we had the pear buckwheat cobbler with ice cream, which was amazing. I didn't think I'd have room for dessert, but I'm so glad I made it happen! I also ordered the Lady Marmalade cocktail, which was refreshing . Despite the service hiccup, the food & atmosphere made it a memorable evening. I'd return for the incredible food but would dress more formally next time.
We were told about Monarque from someone we met in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. After entering, we were asked if we wanted our coats hung, which shows me they pay attention to the details of your experience. We opted for sitting at the bar & we had a wonderful bartender who not only helped us pick out amazing lunch items, but she was just pleasant. We shared a mushroom gnocchi dish (out of this world) that was super umami & grilled octopus that was the most tender either of us had ever eaten. If you're in Montreal for even only a day, as we were, please stop by Monarque. You will not regret it.
Great experience. It's pricey but we really enjoyed it. Pretty formal & upscale vibes with a huge wine selection. We sat in the dining room (menu is very different from the bar) & had the scallop crudo, grilled sweetbreads & the cote de bouef for 2. Our server was attentive but not intrusive which was great. Did a good job of explaining the menu & helping pick a wine. Fair warning - if you get the cote de bouef you may want to consider not ordering from every course as the portion is massive! It was a perfectly cooked giant steak with really great potatoes au gratin & a simple salad. Would like to go back & try the brasserie menu as that looked excellent as well.
22 sept. 2024
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We visited Monarque by recommendation of my husband's colleague who visiting Montreal regularly. We love it! We chose to dine in its casual more affordable price point Monarque Brasserie & we visited twice as the first time was excellent! I will review both visit in 3 days apart in key areas that important to our dining experience. SERVICE The first greeting, table seating & our table service was immaculate & contributed & complemented our first dining experience at Monarque. The personnel who looked after us on Tues 23 July 24 (sorry we did not get your name) was absolutely fantastic! One of the best, & the best asset to the establishment! He was professional, attentive but not intrusive. He was helpful with the wine & frankly making us deciding to ho back 2nd time even we had many other restaurants in our wish list. We only had 5 dinners in the city & we chose Monarque twice. The second service was amiss, unfortunately. Greeting was cold, no smile, no eyes contact, took us to the wrong area of booking but all resolved. Our waiting personnel was aloof, more attentive to certain tables so we were left having to try to get his attention when we wanted to order more drinks & desserts. FOOD Classic French dishes & to-die-for desserts! We had foie gras, lamb ratatouille, canard, seafood bouillabaisse, grilled octopus & passion fruit pavlova. All 10/10. Wine list is great. We are not heavy drinker so love a few glasses of good wine & it does not disappoint. AMBIENCE A blend of modern & retro deco, warm & flattering lighting, sexy bar area with sleek bartenders. People watching here looked fun & romantic date is good (except if the service is amiss second time- wouldn't be fun). Music is good level of sound, ventilation is great. Feel airy & comfortable to be in.
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.
My partner & I drove two hours from Ottawa to Montreal because I wanted him to try Monarque for his birthday. I've been here before, a couple of years ago, & had a wonderful experience so I was excited for him to try it - but unfortunately, our experience tonight was less than satisfactory & left me wondering how such an amazing place went ... sorta downhill.. let me start off my saying the majority of the food was good. We ordered the bone marrow & octopus to start, & the lamb rump & butcher steak for our mains. The bone marrow was melt in your mouth delicious & the octopus was just as great as I remembered. The lamb was also so flavourful & cooked to perfection. However, the steak was tough & not cooked to our order - we asked for medium & it was RARE. Not a big deal to us because my boyfriend still enjoys it rare. Our issues lied mainly with our server. From the moment we sat down & ordered drinks to the moment we received the cheque, he seemed miffed & like he couldn't be bothered to answer our questions or assist us with the menu & gave us attitude the entire time. My partner ordered a Diet Coke which was completely flat & tasted watered down, & we let our server know that we thought the fountain was out of syrup. He argued with us about it right then & there & told told us that it wasn't possible, he then walked away & asked the bartender about it & came back & condescendingly told us that it can't be possible it's flat since it came from a can & proceeded to argue with us back & forth trying to convince us of what WE tasted. We then asked him if he could just please just bring us the can & we can pour it ourselves. He gave us both a look of disgust & said "uh ok" with attitude & walked away - as if we just made a seemingly wild request. We were both so taken aback at that first interaction after only being there for a few minutes that this server was: a) trying to gaslight us into telling us what WE tasted instead of just apologizing & bringing the damn can of Coke - & b) acting as if we were bothering HIM when it's his job! ... the can of Coke was infinitely better than the original glass which makes us believe the "can" he "just opened" was already open & flat from the previous night. Our other issue was when we were trying to ask him questions about the menu, because I was trying to decide between two dishes, he was visibly annoyed & offered no help & just reiterated what I could already see listed on the menu... again, very condescending & what I would expect from a teenager who works at a fast food place NOT a 5 star restaurant. Also, when my boyfriend ordered the steak the server asked "medium-rare?" We asked for medium & he seems visibly bothered again by us saying that then just said "ok" very short & walked away. The fries were also overly salty. My partner & I both have extensive experience in the restaurant industry & fine dining & the lack of manners & quality from our server really put a damper on our whole evening & experience & took away from our overall enjoyment of the meal. It's sad that we got better quality of service from the bus boys & host that paid more attention & interacted with us or acknowledged our "thank yous" AT THE VERY LEAST. So from our experience tonight, 3/4 dishes were great, but our experience with our server left us feeling both so terrible, disrespected & unwelcome we just wanted to finish our meals quickly & skip dessert & leave asap. The server also failed to acknowledge me a few times & only directly asked my boyfriend how his meal was. Do yourself a favour & go somewhere else - for these prices, find a better place with better service where the entire staff works as a team & offers the same level of quality service across the board, who values their patrons. While the busboys & host were very friendly that one server ruined our entire outlook on this restaurant indefinitely.
This is a beautiful restaurant with two different rooms, one being more casual & the other more formal. The interior is very nice & gives the space a warm feel. We sat at the bar & the service was outstanding. The wine list is very impressive too.
I was excited to dine at the Monarque, as I had heard good things about the food. However, my night there was quite disappointing. The food was great, but the service by my server & the service manager (a gentleman in a light blue shirt) was entirely lacking. I try not to leave reviews on negative dining experiences, as they can be subjective. I am leaving this review to encourage the management to review & improve their service. I visited last Friday's late dinner service (20:45, July 5th, 2024). It was a less busy time, with quite a few empty tables. 1. We received the wrong first course. When one of the service managers (light blue shirt) came to check how our food was, I gently notified him that I received the wrong first course. He double-checked & acknowledged the mistake, but he never apologized. Instead, he made the service staff who delivered the food apologize to me, which was unnecessary. Mistakes happen. It's okay. 2. Our other first course never came. As the same service manager removed our plates & utensils, I gently notified him that I had never received the foie gras. He replied, "Oh, now you want to order foie gras?" Again, I gently let him know I made the order with my server & asked him to check. He checked, acknowledged the order was in place, dropped off one set of utensils without a new plate on the side of the table, & then walked away. Neither the service manager nor my server ever apologized for the mistake or how he spoke. The service should reflect if the dining costs $150+ per person. My server was barely attentive to my table, & the service manager's handling of their mistake was unprofessional. I thank the other service staff again who delivered my food, changed my utensils & poured my drinks. They provided an excellent service.
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 changing our reservation from the dining room to the bistro on the recommendation of some people we met, two seats at the bar were graciously pulled out for our use. Monarque is a beautifully designed restaurant, cavernous, elegant & sophisticated, but oh so comfortable. The client is at the center of Monarque's universe. Serge, incomparable, professional, & exuding warmth, was our bartender/server par excellence. He turned our dinner from a meal into a memory. Yet, Monarque's kitchen doesn't allow the decor & hospitality to take center stage. The food at Monarque is trés magnifique. Yes, the menu might skew old school, but in the end, isn't it about taste? Alinea, the renown temple of creativity in Chicago, created food that was unique, but nothing tasted good. We left unhappy. At Monarque, we started with the Gougères, rarely seen in North America. They are bite sized pâte à choux made with Gruyère. They are out of this world, & I could eat dozens of em. My ocean trout tartare was the perfect palate cleanser, light & refreshing. The indulgent Foie Gras parfait, paired with toast, was creamy & delicious. For our mains, we ordered the bouillabaisse & lobster thermador. Both were amazing, large portions, & had us slurping & smacking our lips. Monarque's wine list is extensive & eclectic. My martini was mixed perfectly by Joanna, another gracious Monarque bartender. Monarque is a wonderful restaurant. It isn't cheap, but it's well worth the outlay. Go & have a memorable experience.
