We spent Mother's Day brunch at Aleteo inside The Monarch Hotel, and overall it was such a lovely experience that I'm already planning to drag my husband back for Father's Day. We had reservations and arrived exactly on time, though we still had a short wait before being seated. Honestly, the wait itself wasn't bad considering it was Mother's Day, but the hostess area did seem a little disorganized/confused. Now let's get to the IMPORTANT part: the food and drinks. I started with the Blood Orange Mimosa, which was absolutely delicious. My husband ordered the Mango Diablo (Reposado tequila, house-made mango sorbet, Cointreau, chamoy & chili) and I am not exaggerating when I say this man would not stop talking about it. He acted like he had discovered enlightenment in cocktail form. I'm now on a mission to recreate it at home. For our starter we had the Aguachile Amarillo with citrus cured amberjack, aji amarillo, sunflower, and avocado. It was soft, delicate, fresh, bright, and packed with flavor without feeling heavy. For brunch, I ordered the Black Garlic Skirt Steak & Eggs with corn & cheese scramble, spiced home fries, and salsa blanca. First of all... these potatoes?? Tiny crispy potato clouds. Thin and crisp outside, fluffy decadent goodness inside. I would fight someone over those potatoes. And the eggs! Why have I never put corn in scrambled eggs before? Because now I absolutely will. The skirt steak was cooked perfectly medium rare, the sauce was fantastic, and the salsa blanca took the whole dish over the top. I even saved a few slices for breakfast the next morning because I refused to let perfection go to waste. My husband had the Chilaquiles with pulled pork, salsa verde, cotija, sunny side egg, cilantro & serrano aioli. He said his was great... but he kept stealing bites from MY plate, so I think we all know who the real winner was here. Service was definitely slow, but again -- it was Mother's Day and the restaurant was packed. Our waiter himself was wonderful: friendly, attentive when he could be, and very knowledgeable about the menu. Between the rooftop atmosphere, gorgeous city views, creative cocktails, and memorable food, this ended up being a really special Mother's Day brunch. read more

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This appears to be a beautiful restaurant atop the MOST luxurious hotel in San Antonio, BUT when you walk in it's sounds like a echoed kids lunchtime. The restaurant needs sound dampening equipment instead of a giant tree in the middle, speaking of that tree.... I was enjoying the lighting and abruptly everything is shut off, also while you're sitting there something like a air system keeps shutting off and it almost pops your ears because of the abrupt change in such a LOUD mess hall. The food, Cabbage...cabbage and more cabbage, I haven't seen whoever designed that stupid menu move obsessed with cabbage since the 1984 Cabbage Patch Kids frenzy. You want the 5 scallops, well they come on a bed of red cabbage. The white fish?...a scoop of cabbage on top. Oh the tiny skirt steak?... guess what?.... More cabbage coming your way. You have this beautiful restaurant atop this amazing hotel and that is your focal point, cabbage? I would love to see Gordon Ramsey eat here, he would go off on this cabbage craze. The only good of this experience was the brisket tacos and the service, but I did find it odd that there was 3 tacos when most tables are of 2 for a date night. Is this to encourage an argument over the 3rd in an already extremely loud setting? Point of this long review is that you absolutely do not feel like you just had a nice romantic $200 experience for 2, in the end you feel hungry, ripped off and a headache is coming. read more

Here's a shorter, Yelp-friendly version that still hits your key points: Dined at the restaurant inside the Monarch Hilton San Antonio and overall had a great experience. The space is beautiful, the scent is amazing, and the views are a big plus. Service inside was excellent--Mo took great care of us. Food was outstanding. The bread balls with whipped queso foam were a fun twist on cheesy bread. Tuna with yuzu was perfectly done. Fried chicken was crispy with a spicy jerk kick (not for the spice-sensitive). Skirt steak was melt-in-your-mouth good. Loved the fresh guacamole, light crispy chicharrones, and the ribs with habanero salsa--especially with corn tortillas for tacos. Finished with decaf coffee and chocolate pecan pie--both great. Only downside was valet--disorganized, inconsistent wait times, and rude service from the manager. Several guests had to retrieve their own cars and still pay, which didn't match the overall experience. Would definitely come back for the food and atmosphere--just hope valet improves. read more

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Was walking through Hemisfair Park when we stumbled upon this hotel. I'd seen the Monarch sculpture and rooftop bar before on social media. We decided to stop in and see what the rooftop was all about. As soon as I turn the corner from the elevator, I was greeted with the most welcoming smile. Juanita was the sweetest person. We originally wanted to sit outside and enjoy a drink. She said absolutely, but warned that it was really windy. She was right, so we sat inside instead. We had a pineapple margarita and a Tamarindo sour, they were both delicious. Wish we could have stayed longer, but our parking time was running short. I hope the managers there know how special Juanita is and I hope they all treat her like the queen she is! read more

Aleteo - Inside the rooftop restaurant. - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

First and foremost wanted to start off by saying the hotel is gorgeous. The interior design work from the lobby up to this spot is top notch. The view from the roof deck is beautiful with the tower of the americas, front and center. The homage to the migration monarch butterflies is a beautiful concept and one that should be more respected. The theme flutters through the interior of the restaurant/bar with the trees in the middle. We went on day 3 of being open and the service was great from the moment you walk up to the check-in booth to the wait staff. The food was just okay. A bit over priced, small portions. More of a finger food, less of a meal as the prices for the main entrees were $10-20 more than we wanted to spend. I've been telling people, if you come, come for the views and the drinks. Both are worth your time and money. read more

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Had a wonderful experience at Aleteo as food and drinks were phenomenal. Me and my wife shared a plate. While I was expecting a spare plate to transfer food, they exceeded my expectations by splitting it with the same beautiful presentation. Not relevant but I found it a little silly that the lamps kept dying out and the waiter had to keep replacing them. By the end of the night you see all the lamps gathered in the corner for charging. All in all I had a great experience. read more

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I want to say YES to recommend as my experience was for an appetizer/drink celebrating a birthday and a not full service meal experience. Thus said, my rating is 4 stars based on a very quick birthday happy hour. The restaurant is on the top floor of the 17 story, newly built Monarch San Antonio Curio Collection by Hilton hotel, adding another 200 rooms to the downtown inventory. Valet is available and the restaurant will validate your ticket. It's a very small front desk check in experience so bypass the front desk and proceed directly to the elevators, a smidge difficult to find if you've never been nor have asked where they are. Upon exiting the elevator and making your way to the hostess stand, you are warmly greeted by a muted palet of suited professionally dressed greeters. (Props to their uniform department!). They check you in and seat you. It is a rooftop restaurant offering sweeping views of the downtown skyline. It's culinarily (is that a word?) inspired by the Yucatán region of Mexico and has a house tortilla program! The bar focuses on mezcal-forward cocktails. The space includes both indoor and outdoor seating under a canopy inspired by monarch butterfly wings. Sadly our outdoor seating had moved indoor due to rain but was still lovely nonetheless. We drank some bubbles and ate some apps to include the trio of salsas (select 3 from their 5 choices) and the baby back ribs al pastor. The chips are hearty and fresh and come with (I'm sure are also house made) chicharrones. We had the verde, blanca and the habanero. Enjoyed the verde and habanero. The blanca was very reminiscent of aioli and was ok to my palate. I enjoyed the others more so. The bbrs were tasty with a pineapple chili glaze|mango salsa|sesame. The decor is elegant and I was really taken by the quality of their linen napkins. It's definitely a place where allllll the pretty people convene. I'd return to enjoy a full meal and to experience outside dining. I imagine it becomes quite lively after the sun sets. Give it a go. read more

Aleteo - Flatware, glasses a s napkins. - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

The Monarch is the newest hotel in the San Antonio downtown area and in that hotel is a new restaurant located on the top floor which gives an amazing view of the city. They even have a balcony for those who wants to dine and enjoy the beautiful view. Our server was Mark and he was very friendly and patient since we were a party of 6. We came during brunch and the options all sounded good. I couldn't decide and wanted to try everything but finally settled for the baby back ribs al pastor and the trio of salsas. Highly recommend everyone to try these two. And of course, I had the flan for dessert. The flan texture was there but not that sweet. I guess I am use to the caramelized sweetness I typically taste in flan. But it was still decent. read more

Service was amazing. Went during fiesta time so roads downtown were closed it took me about an hour after my reservations to finally find the hotel. I made my way up to aleteo and they sat me right away. Food was amazing and fresh! I was really impressed. We ordered several different items and nothing disappointed. Drinks were great to read more

Aleteo - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Wow! Such a great restaurant and I love the details and the staff. Everyone was so nice and friendly and they even offered to take pictures of me. I loved that part! Hehe. The food is soooo good! I loved the ceviche. So fresh! We especially loved the steak. It was tender, juicy, and just perfect. I'll be back for that! The corn with it was great as well, a nice change from potatoes. The view is lovely y'all! Their rooftop has the perfect view of the Tower and the Alamodome. Perfect for visitors and when you simply want to spoil yourself like I did. This restaurant is perfect to watch fireworks too. The best part...they have a Rolls Royce in the front and it's for hotel guests! The driver was so friendly and nice and let me know everything about it, you just need to consult with the concierge. So fancy! read more

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Just tried ALETEO, the new Mexican fusion spot that just opened inside the Monarch Hotel in downtown San Antonio, and it absolutely did not disappoint. From the moment we walked into the hotel, the service and atmosphere were incredible. The property itself is beautiful, the space has amazing vibes, and parking was surprisingly easy for being downtown. For food, we ordered the short rib, the carrot mole, the yellowtail, some cocktails, and the trio salsa verde, and everything was phenomenal. Every dish was flavorful, creative, and beautifully presented. You can tell a lot of thought went into both the menu and the experience. The only small downside was that because the restaurant is brand new and really popular right now, a couple dishes we wanted to try -- the octopus and the cochinita -- were already out of stock. But honestly, everything else we had was so good that it didn't take away from the experience at all. The views were amazing, the service from start to finish was great, and overall it was such a fun dining experience. Definitely a great new addition to the San Antonio food scene and a place I'd happily go back to. read more

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Went just for drinks and will definitely be back! Such a fun and gorgeous atmosphere even though I went on a rainy day. This hotel is beautiful and so is the restaurant and bar Aleteo! read more

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Let's just start with you need to request Joe as your server he made the experience, super enjoyable and great recommendations. We are from San Antonio and it is our first time here we had the scallops ceviche and the Tostada steak tartare both were great. I would probably order the tartare again. Oysters mignonette were delicious a little bit spicy in a great way. I highly recommend the black garlic skirt steak and order the corn tortillas. For a tasty light dessert I recommend arroz con Leche. also, I cannot speak enough about how beautiful this restaurant is you have views from both sides and great views no matter where you sit read more

Aleteo - Arroz con leche - Mexican Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Absolute gem of a restaurant and location for brunch, or probably any meal, but I came for brunch, so let's talk about that. This restaurant is in the newly opened Monarch Hotel in downtown SA and they are serving up a high quality, well curated menu on their upper level. The interior of the hotel is absolutely breathtaking taking from the light fixtures, to the wall decor to the large open windows. The restaurant itself was serene, calm; the perfect place to grab an early Sunday morning brunch. From the air temperature to the table settings to the quality of the food, the entire experience was a 10/10. Our waiter was knowledgeable of the menu and was able to point me towards dishes that could be made dairy free. The espresso martini had the slightest sweetness to it, just the way it should be in my opinion. We split the Fruteria as an appetizer and it was not only aesthetically pleasing but delicious! I never eat cantaloupe or melon, but the way they prepared this with a slight hint of mint, had me reaching for more. For my meal, I ordered the breakfast tlayuda. It was presented in the the beautiful way and the various flavors of the dish paired perfectly. I will absolutely be coming back for brunch, cocktails, dinner, you name it. As of right now, parking is valet and road closures make finding the entrance slightly challenging, but those things are out of their control. I cannot recommend Aleteo enough. It is absolutely worth your time. read more

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Drinks where not that great and tastes more like juice, and the service was not what I expected, would not recommend

We were notified 30mins before our reservation that there would be "no valet parking available due to fiesta" and when I called to inquire about other parking options I was met with a rude response from a staff member saying we'd need to figure that out. Not off to a great start, inconveniencing a guest to accommodate another events attendees read more

Terrible, brunch was mediocre at best, prices are very high for what you get. I had a party of four and each person in my party were dissatisfied with our meals. The food did not taste good. Coffee was just OK. Would not recommend you could get mutch better food and prices elsewhere. ​ read more

We had been looking forward to visiting Aleteo for drinks and a quick bite but after going on Saturday evening, I wished I hadn't. We arrived to the valet around 6:15pm only to be told that they did not allow non-guests to park at the hotel. I was a little taken aback. With luxury hotel occupancy rates hovering around 60% at most, you would think the Monarch would want as much local business as possible. Eventually we made it upstairs after parking a block or so away. WThe staff was pleasant but not very efficient (slow). After a drink, we decided to skip any food and go elsewhere. With other great luxury spots in town (the Kimpton, just across the street, the Thompson, the Intercontinental, and Hotel Emma), I won't visit the Monarch again. read more

Horrible service. We made a reservation and specifically requested outdoor seating to enjoy the view, but the hostess told us, "you don't choose to sit inside or outside," in a rude tone. She was also unprofessional toward another hostess in front of guests, which made the atmosphere uncomfortable from the start. We were told we could be seated "underneath the tree inside," but instead were taken to a back corner of the restaurant. To make things worse, the two of us were placed at a large six-person table, which felt awkward and poorly managed. At that point, we decided the experience wasn't worth our time or money and chose to leave. All around very disappointing. Me and my husband came from houston to celebrate our anniversary. He works all the time and rarely do we get a moment to ourselves which is why we booked here. So upsetting. read more

We visited Aleteo in the evening as the sun set, which I think is the best time of day to experience this place. The views are hands down some of the best in San Antonio. We had the black garlic skirt steak and tostada steak tartare. Both were tasty and well seasoned. We also had two drinks, which were passable but nothing special. Service was fine. The only downside was the outside table. It's small and low, not ideal for eating real meals (compared to snacks and drinks). Overall, go for the views and some good food. Great ambiance! read more

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Had a chance to experience this new restaurant last night with a group of friends . A beautiful location and atmosphere with some excellent food presentation However as a new location their is a urgent need to work on waitstaff service and meal production times We waited 30 plus mins for our drinks and over 50 mins for food After ordering interesting enough their was Tons of staff and even tripled stacked at bar within a half empty restaurant at our 6pm reservation our waiter broke and spilled wine all over table and broken glass everywhere wiping out three glasses of wine just poured While mistakes happen no worries All the mgr did for service recovery was replace a half a bottle of wine which was two glasses while we waited for food all of us ran low or empty on our wine and cocktails which were good and no one can by to help reorder we all gave up asking as we waited for almost an hour for food As a person in industry And simply trying to help i attempted to share opportunity and feedback to help improve for future to the young woman mgr but unfortunately it fell on deaf ears and she was reluctant to listen or ask any probing questions or show any interest In my follow up with waiter who spent 30 mins fixing all the errors in bills amongst our 5 couples party I learned that she was in her very first food job in waiting tables at this restaurant and here at this acct since opening I wish this restaurant luck in future but hope they spend critical time to work on these opportunities for all future patrons as this place has so Much potential read more

The restaurant is small, nicely decorated, and the staff is very friendly and attentive, which we truly appreciated. However, unfortunately, the food did not meet our expectations. The chilaquiles had too much vinegar, the huevos ahogados were overly seasoned, and the mezcal cocktail was not enjoyable. Overall, the flavors felt unbalanced. Considering the quality of the food, the prices also seemed quite high. read more

Stopped by after work (downtown) to the highly talked about Aleteo and I was pleasantly surprised. Busier than expected but service was still great. Cesar the bartender made amazing drinks and gave really good service. The appetizer I ordered was really good too. Views are amazing. Will definitely return. read more