Judy J.

I am always a fan of this place. Large space, good drinks & delicious food. Servers are attentive and knowledgeable about their menus. I enjoyed their chicken mole dish. Deep flavors and large portion sizes. My only regret was forgetting my leftovers on the table! I recommend this place for dinner & drinks with friends. Located in Gastown and walkable on nice days / evenings

Sandie C.

So my friends brought me to this place for my birthday, and we decided to try their happy hour menu! Tacos I tried: - Taco de ribeye ( must get as very yum ) - Asada de arrachera ( grilled beef it was a bit chewy but was on a tostade so the texture was good ) - Taco de Conchinita ( pork taco kinda weird as its seeped in this oily sauce ) - Taco vegetarian ( cauliflower one, average) Dessert: - this ice cream pastry, pistachios, that was so gigantic in size please share this with 4 people ( that's what we did) it was good, but tasted basic tbh because it was mainly Vanilla icecream so didn't feel wowed Drinks: - bergamot 0% liquor cocktail, bit sweet but not bad - Virgin pineapple mojito, Don't think I'd recommend this as it was meh Overall, it was an okay happy hour that led into dinner. The service was good to start with but once the restaurant got busier we were left to our own devices and forgotten about... at one point we weren't sure if a server was working our area. The vibe of the restaurant is soooo nice. It ceiling is beautiful and so are the bathrooms. I'd say that you feel really comfortable and a nice place to catch up with friends. Some of us found our food either super salty or really sweet. The food was very very flavourful, but perhaps a bit too much. I'd still recommend this place but that's why it's a 3 star as I'd only go back for the vibes, and unsure about the foods.

Herman E.

Here's the deal. Homegirl & I rolled into this joint after parking my chariot ride nearby. I'm no noob to this place, but my taste buds, and homegirl's, for the food here are virginal. I've had plenty a serving of Mexican food south of the 49th, but I've never had Mexican like this. High end. Swanky, almost kinky. First time for everything. It hurt. It hurt really bad. For both of us. It hurt so much my eyes watered. Hers, not so much. I ask Homegirl, "Was it as good for you as it was for me?" She nodded in full agreement. We were both content with round one. We ended up going for three rounds. I was feeling energetic that night. After cleaning up, I needed a martini, not a cigarette. I was tempted to roll over and sleep right then and there. Homegirl would have hit me if I did that. No Uber ride home afterwards too! Homegirl got the chariot. Pro tip.: The queso con chorizo will satisfy you on the first go. Try it with different positions of entry. Up, down, sideways, and diagonally. They're all satisfying. From the rear? Not so much. Recommended - but not from behind

Had a reservation booked two months in advance, but the rude hostess ruined the experience. My boyfriend stepped out briefly, and she refused to let him back in -- no explanation, just attitude. Completely unprofessional and disappointing.

Manbir R.

It was my first time sitting on the bar for food and i was hesitant because i am not comfortable sitting on high chairs with legs hanging . But the bar chairs turned out to be very comfortable that me and my friend sat there for the whole time for our drinks and dinner. The food was amazing. It was so delicious and fresh. We had only the vegetarian stuff but i am sure the non vegetarian would be equally good. Loved the ambiance and enjoyed every bite of my food. Even the location is in the middle of the most happening place- Gastown

Leanne M.

I'm a huge fan of ophelia, so when i heard they were opening a second restaurant, I had to make a reso! The decor and ambiance is absolutely stunning! From hanging stars, to beautiful rich colours - I was in love. The bathroom also had a really cool skull display. The menu has lots of yummy eats, it was so hard to choose. My friends and I shared the guac and chips ($12, pretty good for sharing and a good price nowadays). For dinner, the prices are a bit higher so i opted for an appy and got the quesi carni y frijolas (essentially cheese, a steak and beans - lots of em). Could've used a little less bean, but it was delicious and quite flavorful. My friends got the tostada and the steak & iceberg (i had a bite and LOVED it). For drinks, I got the strawberry kiwi marg $14.50 (quite sweet, but good), and a second drink was the Monarco marg $13, which had orange in it. I preferred the second for sure! I love that their drinks come in 2oz! Everyone who worked there was SO sweet, they were super attentive, However at the end, we were left waiting for our bill for a while, and my friends drink took around 15 mins to come. They're so new that they're probably working out some of the kinks. Defs recommend trying this place if you're in gastown and love mexican food and beautiful drinks! I'll be back for happy hour cuz I'm a girl on a budget).

Shonah M.

Monarca is a beautiful restaurant! Located on fabulous Water St @ Carrall St in Gastown, it is visually stunning in here when you walk in! The lighting, greenary, artwork & music are amazing. Perfect for date night so dress up & get down here. This is the sister restaurant to Ophelia located on West 2nd at Olympic Village. I have not been there yet but after my experience here, it will be happening sometime this Spring for sure. The cocktails - Smugglers Sour & Margarita De Sol were excellent. Dinner was absolutely fantastic! The Steelhead Relleno De Mariscos & Los De Camarón (prawn taco) are a must try! The flavours in both these items had my palate popping & dancing with delight! No one could hear me oohing & aahing thank gawd, as the music was turned up. The music was so good I started thinking this spot could become a Supper Club with - dinner & dance. Our waitress Suzy, was amazing. Got to meet Stuart the head Mixologist - the cocktails are bang-on point here! Bravo! *Heads up ALERT - this is fine dinning, so portions are smaller but 100% filling & most of all - superior tasting! *Heads up ALERT #2 - highly recommend you Uber here as parking is limited & Water St is one-way aka you'll be driving in circles trying to find a place to park. Either that or park uptown then take the nice walk down Water St to get here. By uptown I mean exactly that aka don't park your fancy car in this area! Add Monarca to your 'must try' list ASAP!

Audrey T.

Stunning restaurant, great airy space, great cocktails, but very sadly mediocre food. Finally got to try out Monarca in Gastown, which took over Coquille. The restaurant has a great vibe, but the music was slightly too loud. I went to Ophelia last week so I was comparing the food I had at Monarca since the menu is a little similar - even the hot sauces are the same. Verdict: Ophelia tastes better. We got the steak tacos, guacamole, bone marrow and enchiladas to share. The guac was pretty standard fare and tasted good with the hot sauce. The steak tacos were delicious and flavourful. Enchiladas were tasty but gets too soggy over time. The biggest disappointment was the bone marrow. I wish they offered the bone marrow steak taco at this location. What they offer here is just the bone marrow with corn tortillas. Really not a lot of flavor when the bone marrow isn't paired with something.

Bertha M.

We came to La monarca on a whim. When we sat down we were greeted by our waiter Will from Calgary. He was fabulous. He explained the menu. Everything we ordered was very good, except for the lemonade. It is mineral water with a lemonade spritz. I added notes to the pics. I do not have a picture of the mole and short rib. That is an excellent.

Annamaria L.

Took a drive up from Seattle to check out Vancouver. We popped by Gastown to see what was crackin. Shops close early so take note but after a bit of walking we were interested in scoping out the scene here. Nice inside decor. Monday, today, they were offering both food and drink specials. Service was a tad on the slow side but the food was deli, as in delicious. I ordered the sopa de rajas, poblano pepper soup, to start. Smooth and creamy soup with a nice kick along with some nice texture from roasted corn and queso fresco. For our mains, I ordered Veg tacos, and the man ordered the special which was four tacos that all came with asada, chorizo, and chicharron on them. He's not a chicharron fan but he thought they were banging.