Food is amazing, authentic, well balanced flavors. All Hail the Causa! Antonio's pescado is Devine! Atmosphere is pleasant. The service is good although slightly slow. We will be back! read more

First time at this restaurant and no experience with Peruvian food. Taya and Niurka explained the dishes very well and we both had excellent meals. As a vegetarian, I appreciated the options I'm now in love with the Peruvian pepper that is the basis of the Saltado dishes we had. (they sell the sauce!). Highly recommended. read more

First time here, and it was amazing! We ordered Patacones, Anticuchos and Lomo Saltado. Beef and chicken were so soft and jucy. Christian (our server) was very kind and attentive, asking us regulary if we need something else, but not disturbing. The atmosphere was chill and family friendly, perfect for a gathering with family and friends. read more

El Mono - Lomo Saltado - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Thank you for having for having such a welcome and inviting atmosphere on Valentine's Day!!!! We were welcomed seated and treated sooooooo well on such a busy day!' Teya was our server.... And ohhhhmygoah what a sweet and beautiful gem' thank youuuuu for your wonderful 5 star service you are truly appreciated!!! We hope to have you as our Server when we return!! Happy love day!!!! read more

Had an amazing meal at El Mono. The flavors were on point, and we were impressed with the portions. Christian is a fantastic server. We will be back. read more

El Mono - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Everything was perfect! The staff that served us, Criss, Matt, and Niurka were so welcoming, friendly, and helpful! Criss gave us an amazing suggestion to try the seco de cordero and it was absolutely delicious and great portions. The ambiance was relaxing and they had the World Cup games playing. We will absolutely be back! read more

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

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There are so many restaurants in this Berkeley area, and we chose El Mono to celebrate our 53rd wedding anniversary dinner. Taya and Christian, our servers, were awesome! The food was fabulous! Exceeded our expectations. We will spread the word to our family and friends! read more

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Service - went on a Friday night without a reservation and got seated at the bar, which is fair. Sat for 20 min and nobody came to take our order. After the order we placed, waited another 30 min for the food to come out. Food - probably the worst peruvian food I've had. The lomo saltado was dry and most of the pieces were burnt, flavoring was off too. We were very disappointed! read more

El Mono - Lomo saltado - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food was great, we got the ceviche with fish, Pesto N' Steak, Estofado de Pollo, and Lomo Saltado. And our server Christian was nice and friendly! read more

El Mono - (Left to right) Pesto N' Steak, Estofado de Pollo, Lomo Saltado - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Brunch time at El Mono was interesting to say the least. My girlfriend and J were the youngest people in the restaurant by at least 30 years which isn't an issue but for a hip spot it just wasn't expected lol. The side door of the restaurant remained open for the entire time which made it almost unbearable to sit and eat while freezing cold lol I literally had goosebumps. The food however was pretty good. I'd give it a 6.5-7 out of 10. I feel like because the door was open it cooled my food down so it wasn't piping hot. The inca kola was GAAASSSSS read more

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This restaurant was amazing the employees were very welcoming , Andre's and Christian were very nice , food was delicious! The ambiance is beautiful . read more

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El Mono has quickly become not just one of my favorite Peruvian restaurants in the Bay, but one of my favorite restaurants period. I've been back 3 times in a month because it's that delicious. My favorite dishes are the lomo saltado, seafood paella, and tarallin verde de pollo, as well as their ceviche appetizer. The freshness of the ingredients makes every dish so flavorful-- you can tell they put their heart into it. All of the staff are super lovely too-- Christian is a wonderful waiter, and I love that the restaurant is family owned. I'll definitely keep coming back! I hope more folks try it too so they'll fall in love as well. read more

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We had been to El Mono in it's old location, the new location is wonderful. We were served by Christian who did a great job, made us feel welcome and helped me with my terrible pronunciation. The food is the star as always, with a few new items added. I really like their new location and will be back. read more

Service was absolutely amazing Matt and Andres were super attentive and went above and beyond! Will definitely be coming back just for the amazing service! read more

El Mono - Lomo Saltado, paella, Maracuya sangria - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Nice addition to the neighborhood. Went for lunch but could be a nice evening spot. Christian had everything coming out smoothly. The sweet potato fries were well executed. Tuna sandwich was simple but worked well with the cilantro dressing. read more

Matt, our server was amazing. Great service and attention to our needs during our visit. The food was very good!! And im peruvian so I know what authentic peruvian food should taste like!! Great place all over!!! Highly recommended!!! read more

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Hmmmm I love Peruvian food. I spent a few months in Peru after the earthquake in 2008 and really fell in love with the food and the kind people. I really want to love this place but the chicken, which is signature, was over salted, over seasoned, and overcooked. Salad was undressed Rice was great though!! The rice was great lol. The servers were nowhere to be found and you have to order from qr which is so stupid. Just give me a menu. The seafood with aji sauce, Antonio's Special was quite good though. The fried yuca was cold and hard. The aji sauce could have been spicier. The beans had no flavor and weren't even peruviano beans. But the seafood was great do it was redeeming for the terrible chicken. Anyway they are new hopefully they work out the kinks. As dry chicken is Sadface They did comp half of the chicken as we ate half so there's that Good luck!! Do better. read more

El Mono - Antonio's fish half eaten. But super tasty. - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

My wife and I celebrated our anniversary yesterday and honestly had a perfect meal at El Mono. Every aspect was superb: the decor, attentiveness of management (Matt rocks!), ease of ordering, and of course, superb food with authentic ingredients. We experienced an array of new foods including lucuma fruit; rocoto peppers; and Peruvian Chinese flavors. There's something for everyone on this menu (including vegetarians). Don't skip out on the bright Miti Miti nonalcoholic drink and their version of affogato! read more

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Nice indoor and outdoor space...doggies allowed outside space. Delicious Peruvian food!! Fantastic service What more can you ask for...thank you El Mono read more

El Mono - Chicken lomo saltado - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Desire is SO SWEET. Both servers on shift were very attentive. I usually go to the original location but this one is so much more convenient! And the food is JUST AS GOOD. I always have to get the Trio De Mar whenever I come. Get the Miti Miti for something refreshing! Love the very minimalist style of this location and how bright/inviting it looks. We were lucky to come in on a day where it wasn't packed (heard from Desire that it usually gets so busy). Also the parking lot? MAJOR PLUS. read more

El Mono - Trio De Mar (back) + Ceviche (front) - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Visited El Mono for the first time tonight, and it was some of the best Peruvian food I've ever had. My friends and I had the lomo saltado, trio del mar, paella, and lamb. The meat was so tender and perfectly seasoned. All of the seafood was incredibly satisfying. In addition to the food, the ambience was great. Authentic Peruvian decor with plenty of parking and cute outdoor seating. Will definitely be back! There are also delicious vegan options for those who need it. read more

Great Fried Rice and Maracuya Sangria!! The whole family enjoyed their meals. We'll be back! Yummy! read more

Food was amazing. Lomo saltado beef was amazingly cooked. Arroz con Mariscos (Paella) had a very smokey and crisp taste. Causa was amazing. Ceviche was really good (get mixed seafood). Our server Christian was really good and was very attentive and full of good information about the restaurant. The restaurant inside is very inviting and spacious. Please check this place out! read more

El Mono - Top right: Ceviche Middle: Causa (Lunch) Left: Lomo Saltado Bottom: Peruvian Paella (Arroz con Mariscos) - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Food is always delicious, service is excellent & place is very nice with ample parking. Matt is a wonderful host. Visit El Mono it won't disappoint. read more

This is the second "El Mono" I've been to, and it's as good- if not better- than the original. Beautiful setting, fast but never rushed service by true " consœurs "  of the Peruvian cousine, including the owner, who's there most of the time. Regarding the food, the ceviche was magnificent, and the lomo with tallarines verdes almost made me lick the plate. And I almost forgot the "yucas with salsa" appetizer, so yummy! Extra points for the ample parking lot and the cozy terraza. This may become my new favorite restaurant in Gilman. read more

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The food, the service, ambiance was O'Mazing!!!! It's a whole experience We loved it. Taya has this big beautiful smile and beautiful warm personality she made us feel so welcome. Treat Yourself , You Deserve It read more

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Awesome, with Christian! Will be back for more and will bring our friends! Loved the paella and affagoto.

First time here! Place has a great vibe and is family-run which makes feel super friendly when you come in. Couldn't go wrong with the Pescado Frito and Lomo Saltado. The fish had a light flaky crust pickled with a nice pickled red onion slaw. Of course the main star was the Lomo Saltado! What I enjoyed especially is that the fries didn't get too soggy which tends to happen at other places. Important to note that our serve Roovan was super friendly and checked in whenever we needed something. Definitely will come back here! read more

El Mono is great! Let me tell you why: - Easy to find location with lots of parking! - Cute ambiance and cool outside seating area - Classic menu w/ unique specials My wife and I ordered Jalea, mariscos saltado, and Antonio's pescado al achiote. All were portioned well. Jalea was crispyyyyyy and had a great mix of everything. We also really liked the cortido that went with it. The sauces for both the saltado and pescado al achiote were perfectly seasoned and tasty. Service was great too, Matt was very helpful and helped us navigate the menu. Also told us a little bit about the new place. Definitely coming back to bring our in laws. Nothing but good things to say read more

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

First time at this location. Dining many times at the El Cerrito location we decided to come try this new establishment closer to home. We had a great dining experience- ambiance and food. We were seated right away, but it did take awhile for our order to be taken. Our food and drinks came at a good time. We ordered Calamari, Camaron Saltado, Peruvian Michelada and the Miti. Everything was good, calamari was a bit salty but overall good. Thank you Christian and Mateo. read more

We had a wonderful meal in this new restaurant - everything was super tasty and Christian, our server and their cook were outstanding. Nice to find authentic, home made food with quality ingredients! read more

Food was really good and the service was ni me and kind. Christian was our server and all the time he was making sure we were good. I'm half they opened another location now closer to me :) read more

El Mono - Great place! I'm glad they opened another location closer to me. Christian was the server and all the time he was making sure we were good. - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Had a wonderful meal and experience for dinner. All the dishes were excellent and ample. Space is very nice and easy parking in the lot. Service was good and servers all friendly. Our only challenge was deciding what to order as there was maybe a bit too much on the menu, but it all sounded good. 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

Wow we were so looking to giving this place a try and what a disappointment. It was cold outside and not inviting at all cold inside. Such a missed opportunity to creating a cozy space. And no the fireplace logs on TV does not help it. The place has potential but does not live up to it. We spent 125$ for 2 people: ceviche, paella, side of plantains, 1 beer and two Aqua frescas. The food was disappointing. Don't want to even review it all, but at the price I'd expect a lot better quality, balanced flavors. Seafood quality in paella I really questioned as well. So disappointed and feeling like a waste of money for a meal. There are half a dozen upscale places in berkeley alone that would deliver much better at that ticket price. The staff was very friendly. That's a plus. read more

Only 5 stars because there aren't more stars to tap. First time to the Berkeley location. The food is so good. Perfect octopus. Fantastic Shrimp chowder (recommended by our server Christian, who was amazing). My steak was cooked perfectly. Is so welcoming and comfortable. My wife and I left happy and full. So happy is walkable to us now. read more

One of the yummiest places in Berkeley. Service is fantastic. Try the chichi or miti miti (now as a sangria option).

The food was amazing, highly recommend! The servers were the opposite of attentive, which could be understandable if it were busy - but it wasn't and the three servers spent much of the meal chatting with each other at the front register while we waited for various meal milestones (taking the order, bringing the water, bringing the check) that proved impossible because they never checked in, never made eye contact from across the room, until we eventually sent a member of our party over to the counter to ask for whatever it was (a water refill, the check). There didn't seem to be a designated host or hostess, so there was a painfully long wait to be seated despite a room full of empty tables. I would definitely come back for the food but would make sure I allotted extra time and patience in case the same three servers were there. read more

Food and service is great. Thank You Taya for the great experience suggestion we're perfect. We will be back soon read more

El Mono - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California