Let me start with the positives: the drinks were good, and so was the rotisserie chicken. However, the Asian inspired seafood dish tasted way too salty. I eat a variety of Asian food quite often and have never tasted anything as salty as that. It honestly tasted like they had poured at least half a bottle of soy sauce into the dish. In addition, after eating the dish, my stomach felt weird for a couple of days. I was also turned off by the fact that when they bring you the bill, they ask you to rate them immediately. As a customer, I felt that this was really pushy and could pressure many people into giving them good ratings. I'm not sure I'll be back. read more

great spot for peruvian food and great service from our server, Christian! had the ceviche, platonos, lomo sataldo, and paella. read more

Moving from Miami to the Bay it's been hard to find Peruvian food and El Mono is the answer! Lauren was our sever and she was fantastic. We will definitely be back :) read more

food was amazing and the service was even better! the atmosphere was cozy and niurka and dani provided the best customer service !

Great service, welcoming, vibrant atmosphere. The waitress offered great suggestions.

Great food, mocktails (especially the piña colada) and service. The Pescado Frito is delicious!

Good food - octopus is really great in particular. Nice ambiance and great service from Christian, our server.

El Mono was great!!! Christian was a super kind server. I have dietary restrictions and he was super helpful checking what was in the dishes and making modifications for me. The food was delicious as well and the portions are very generous. I got the paella and would recommend!! read more

El Mono - Peruvian Paella - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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updated review! after a few more visits, my husband and i fully recommend coming to el mono! our server taya was as lovely as she was last time we saw her! our food came out great and relatively quickly! much love for el mono :3 read more

Great food, atmosphere, and customer service. I ordered the Lomo Saltado, and the food hit the spot. Christian was our server, and he was awesome, very welcoming, informative, and attentive. He checked on us regularly and made the experience even better. 10/10, I highly recommend this place to friends and family, especially when they come to visit us. read more

the food was very good! for weekday lunch, it comes with salad or soup and the suggested menu is definitely worth a try. staff was also very polite and friendly. manuel was very helpful with the menu. also the decor indoor and also the patio outdoor is well done in theme. looks very well put together. i would recommend this place for anyone who wants to try peruvian food! read more

El Mono - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Wasnt very impressed with the food, I ordered the Pollo con Arroz and the chicken was very dry. The waiter didnt seem to know much of the menu and couldnt give many recommendation. Good location but thats about it. read more

Every dish is full of flavors. There's plenty of parking. Our family of four ordered two tapas and a paella with whole fish. The three servers took real good care of us. It's on our list to return. read more

El Mono - Paella with whole fried fish - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I love this restaurant! Matt has always been wonderful when we have dine here. My personal favorite dish is the Lomo Saltado with the Chicha drink. We've had more dishes and they have all been wonderful. Cute ambiance. Outdoor dining. Great location. Highly recommend read more

Food is excellent in my opinion the best Peruvian restaurant in the Bay Area. I have tried the Chupe de Camaron , Lomo Saltado, Tallarines, Causa, Ceviche which all embody the true flavors of Peru Christian our waiter was very friendly and professional. Try it for yourself! read more

El Mono - Chuppi Saltado de Camarones Tallarin de Camarones Causa Ceviche - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Food came hot and right on time Christian gave us terrible service Pricing was also very good read more

Great service by Taya, Cristian and Lauren. The food was also great. Will definitely be back.

Taya was lovely! She gave us wonderful personalized service, she was prompt and helpful. Plus, the food is delicious!

I had driven by El Mono several times on my way to dance class in the morning and wanted to return for dinner. Last night was that night, and it was very nice experience. From the moment we walked in, we were welcomed and greeted by Christian, who was our server. He was attentive and friendly. The food was delicious. We started off with the fried plantains and moved to our entrees- chupe de camarones and the "poor man's steak" for my husband. My creamy shrimp stew was served with rice and perfectly poached egg on top. My husband's steak dish was nicely prepared with rice, fried yucca, and a fried egg. There's plenty of parking, and it's in a quiet neighborhood right off the freeway on Gilman. We will be back again! read more

So good! We had a great time. Good food, good wine. Loved it. The ceviche was excellent and they have good gluten free options as well.

the lomo saltado was so good we had to get a second order! the fries were so crispy, the rice was really flavorful, the steak was perfectly cooked, and the sauce was addictive! we've been to the el cerrito location before but its nice that this location opened since its closer to us, and the ambience is a little more modern. the estofado de pollo was pretty flavorful too! we also got the ceviche (i preferred the fish the most in the mixto) and the sweet plantains were perfectly cooked. the green sauce at the table was also super delicious. love this place! read more

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Best Peruvian in the East Bay! Our server Matt took care of us and was attentive to all our requests. Lots of options for kids menu. All the Peruvian hits on the menu and everything we ordered was delicious read more

Christian was an amazing server who went above and beyond to welcome us, periodically checked in, and attentive. Food was great and portions were perfect. Would definitely revisit and look forward to having Christian as our server! read more

FANTASTIC restaurant! Every dish and drink we tried was outstanding, full of flavor and wonderfully refreshing. The service matched the food: our waiter Christian was attentive, genuinely helpful, and elevated the whole experience! The ambiance struck just the right balance...comfortable and relaxed, perfect for easy conversation. Can't wait to come back. Bravo! read more

great lunch experience! Big food portions -delicious!! Appetitizers so good our server mateo was great and efficient The inside is spacious and clean Will come again read more

Got the trio de Mar and the lemon tasting spices they used were fresh and on point, tasted great. My lomo Saltado also tasted fresh and the spices/seasoning were in point. Decent portions on both and it was very tasty. Paella was also had a delicious tomato seasoning and was good with a generous amount. read more

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Tallarin verde with seafood is my go to dish, and is delicious balance of flavors and textures. Helpful explanation from Niurka and prompt arrival of drinks (chicha has nice cinnamon hint) appetizers and mains. Will return read more

What a meal. I've been here twice and now I won't rest until I actually get to Peru. The food and the vibe were amazing. All the seafood - calamari, ceviche, octopus (I know, I know...) are totally amazing. You must go here. You must obey. It's for your own good. read more

The service and food were excellent as always! Cristian and Andres were friendly and provided fast service.

Delicious Peruvian food! We enjoyed the Causa, ceviche, and the Paella! Great service by Christian'!

Wow, I was impressed! The menu is almost overwhelming, with just two of us we tried two combinations and both were great! The trio del Mar had excellent crispy fried calamari, ceviche and another chilled fish in an addictive aji amarillo sauce. Then we tried the antichuchos: grilled skewers (we chose shrimp and chicken) that were cooked perfectly and really tasty. I'll definitely be back to try the dozen more dishes that all sound pretty good! read more

Amazing!!!! Christian and Lauren was a great server. The food and service was all great! read more

El Mono - Seco de Res - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Nice new Peruvian restaurant! We went for dinner and the service from our waiter Christian was great. They had a $9.99 kids menu with lots of options. We enjoyed the Loma Saltado and Saltado de Mariscos. read more

Matt and his team crushed it. Everything on the menu was so flavorful and delicious. The seco de res, antonio's pescado, and the yuca fries were so good. Will def come back. read more

First time here for quick lunch. Less than a year at this location and find out they used to be in El Cerritos since 2012. We had Paella and Lomo Saltado. Very tasty and friendly service with good Ambiance too. For sure will visit again soon. read more

The Peruvian paella was super delicious! Came out on a hot plate so it has a yummy grilled taste to it. The mint lemonade was also super refreshing read more

Amazing food and ambience!!! Our waiter Christian was very attentive! Anibal the chef was spectacular. We ordered sangria and lemonade which were delish!!!!! The lomo saltado was the best I've had, and the ceviche was perfection!!! Highly recommend this place!! read more

The food is very flavorful with generous portions. Staff are very friendly. They had live music at Mother'S Day dinner which was festive but it did make it hard to hear conversation. read more

First time to try this place, did lunch on a Tuesday. Service was fast, food was great, and Bella was very attentive and helpful. Will definitely come back! read more

Lomo was fabulous, brought my husband back to his travels in Ecuador/Peru! Great service by Christian, we will be back :))