The restaurant was very empty, so I am not exactly sure why the host seated us next to their noisy kitchen door of all the places. The host was not a friendly man to begin with. Didn't catch his name, he had on glasses and was working on the evening of May 27th. The servers were lounging around chatting amongst each other. Must have been a very slow evening. The interior of the restaurant is pretty. We ordered mashed potatoes, asparagus, herb roasted chicken, mussels, crab mac n cheese, and lemon sole fish. The asparagus and mashed potatoes were the most plain dishes. The favorite dishes among the table were the mussels and the super rich crab mac n cheese. The okay dishes were the chicken and the fish. For dessert we ordered the pavlova and banoffee pie. The pavlova was light and airy. The banofee was rich. Both delicious but drastically different. As we left, the host with the glasses rudely just stared at us leaving. One of the friendliest people there was the tall server with dark hair. They should replace the host with someone like the friendly server. read more

Such good steak, side dishes, very fresh green salad and super knowledgeable waiter !10/10:)

We made a reservation one day in advance for a party of 12. We were seated in a half booth and half table which is very inconvenient for people that need to get up to use the restroom. The food was prepared very well. I shared the 32 oz Tomahawk paired with the Truffle Mac and cheese. The Monarch also has a wide selection of wine that I am very impressed with. We enjoyed our meal throughly. Everything is was great except getting our drinks was very slow. They forgot about my drink twice. All of the desserts were delicious. We will be back next time we are in Aspen! read more

The Monarch - Steakhouses Near Me - Aspen, Colorado

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Expensive steaks that are overly seasoned. Side dishes were a little too buttery. Nice place but certainly overrated. Ambiance was very nice and the waiter was great. read more

The Monarch is such a disappointment. Food quality was so poor, fish was sent back as soft and slight smell. And got a bad attitude on top of it and a poorly run staff and operation. Other guests dishes were just average for overpriced out of way restaurant in Aspen. Not worth your time for this yet again re opened and try it again business. read more

We have eaten at Monarch Steakhouse countless times. Our past few dinners, however, have been a crescendo of haute attitude and declining service, culminating in an abysmal meal last Sunday. Before posting this, I thought it only fair to share my experience with the manager at Monarch. He thanked me for my "feedback" with the sincerity and remorse of a poorly programmed bot--especially disconcerting since I told him three out of four of us got sick. If not textbook food poisoning, we spent the night and next day bathroom-bound. While said manager didn't cook the food, he was forced to take our order after our waiter introduced himself and didn't reappear until he brought the check. Despite a hive of activity around larger tables, the manager explained--in the same flatlined cadence I'd experience again a couple of days later--that they were short-staffed. This, however, did not account for the kitchen managing to send out the steak, take back a few slices and return them well-done before the only cold dish we'd ordered arrived. Admittedly, all restaurants have off nights, so attitude becomes the differentiator. Even mediocre food tastes better when served with humility and heart. In lieu of an earnest apology, which would've been a just dessert, perhaps they'll incorporate my feedback into their menu. read more

Excellent food. The shrimp appetizer was very fresh and very generous. Our steaks were delicious and cooked to perfection. Our waiter was super cool. The prices are OK, but it's Aspen and you expect to pay higher prices for everything you touch there. We had a very nice bottle of wine and overall, we had an amazing dinner. read more

No complaints, food and service were exceptional - the only meal I truly enjoyed during my week in aspen. I encourage the staff to continue doing what they're doing read more

We celebrated our first wedding Anniversary year day, and dinner at the Monarch was the perfect ending! The ambiance, the décor, the food, and the staff were all on point. We were greeted by a glass of champagne and a heartfelt "congratulations " from the staff. Since we had a late lunch, we skipped ordering appetizers and went straight to the meal: table side Caesar salad, bison filet, prime filet with sherry mushroom Ragout...absolute perfection. We have diner all over the world, and this is one of the best experiences we have ever had. We'll be back in December for a ski holiday and can't wait to dine here again!!! read more

Wonderful place... the service was incredible. My steak Brussels sprouts (without the bacon) and mushrooms was delicious. I would recommend this place and go again read more

My husband and I went on an overnight date night to aspen and wanted to visit the best rated steakhouse in town. I read the reviews of The Monarch and we decided to check it out. I was very disappointed that this was one of the top steak houses in the town, because their food was just ok. Definitely overpriced and nothing special. read more

The food was delicious! The Cesar salad was amazing ! The service was impeccable! And the ambiance was amazing!

It's aspen. Ordinary food we did have great service. Everything in aspen is expensive and monarch was no different. Ceasar salad was the best part of the meal. Again great service which is important. read more

Awesome meal from start to finish. Only negative remark is how dark the restaurant was (phone flashlight needed to read menu), but it worked for the ambience and that definitely wouldn't keep us coming back to dine. Service was impeccable and each person was extremely attentive. The food was DELICIOUS. House ceasar salad made table side, cauliflower soup of the day was rich and creamy (yet vegan!), bone marrow app was decadent with layered flavors, mussels/clams app was HUGE with no shortage of seafood, and entrees (sole and steak special) were perfectly cooked. Will definitely be back next time we're in Aspen! read more

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The Monarch was delicious! We started our meal with the table side Cesar salad, followed by the tomahawk rib eye for 2 topped with king crab, with seared mushrooms and potatoes as our sides. Our tomahawk rib eye was undercooked for what we had asked which I do have a major problem with, especially with such an expensive meal; everything should be spot on. But with that being said, the food was REALLY good overall including the steak. The service was great. Now for my other two complaints: I normally don't like to complain about cost especially in Aspen where I fully expected everything to be extremely overpriced BUT...#1. Cesar Salad $20 per person. WOW! I get the show, they do it table side and they explain all the ingredients as they do it but $40 for a cesar salad for 2 is CRAZY out of control. However, it was a great salad, so so so good. #2. We asked for horseradish for our steak and our waitress explained they do it in-house and it's really good. It was ok, no real horseradish flavor plus when we got the bill, we noticed they charged us $6 for it. $6 for horseradish?! You spend so much money on a meal and they still feel the need to get you for more money for a condiment. I get that it's just the way it goes especially nowadays but I just feel like that's a little too Aspen. Overall great meal. read more

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Kelly and Sarah were so great! They took such great care of me and I was just a one-top for drinks. Music was excellent, vibe is awesome, excellent decor and the service and hospitality from Sarah and Kelly was exceptional. read more

Top notch meal with excellent service and wonderfully crafted drinks. Had a celebration dinner of sorts and the Monarch did not disappoint. read more

I was in Aspen for a conference that happened to coincide with my wedding anniversary. So my wife and I found the Monarch. Maybe I am just don't understand the Aspen economy but as much as I love wine handing me a list with $3,000 bottles on it is a turn off. I did manage to find a decent red blend for about $150. I guess it is classy to serve hunk $65 hunk of beef in steel pan with no sides but really do you think they could afford to give a couple stalks of asparagus with that? The other thing that made me uncomfortable was all the obvious name dropping that was going on between the tables around me. read more

The sommelier was informative and lovely. We were waited on in a very timely manner. The ambience was very nice and as we expected. The main issue was simply the steak. It was a 100% salt bomb leaving our mouths burning with every single bite. Does the Chef or preparing cooks ever taste what they're making? The quality of the beef was not exceptional but it was very good, however the salt was obtrusive, abusive, and overwhelming. This destroyed the entire experience. We could have complained but we didn't. Hopefully the management reads this and makes adjustments. If not there's no reason to go here for steak - ever.if you go tell them low salt on the steak.... read more

Our group of seven arrived to our 830 reservation about 20 minutes early and the male host was rude & not accomodating, stating "see you at 830." When asked if we could wait somewhere, he said "not here" and suggested we do down the street to the Limelite. We heard him say the same thing to other guests who arrive 15-20 minutes early. I spent $750 and got this kind of rudeness. read more

I really enjoyed it. I had the lamb rack with potatoes and mushrooms. I ordered too much. The quality was great but the service was amazing. I enjoyed watching this team operate at such a high level with wait staff covering for each other with drink service, clearing plates etc. great place to eat! read more

This restaurant has no idea how many probable customers they would have gotten. Why have a table side ceaser if you can't even video it. No problem with the restaurant, just the lady making the table side ceaser. I was filming the salad being made not her and she literally yelled at me. Not even posting this place anymore. I'm so mad I can't even begin to explain. Never even coming back to a place that used to be my favorite because she completely ruined my experience. Like please, you are literally designated salad dressing maker. read more

Literally the worst service. So slow and waiter seriously neglected our table for hours. Food is very mediocre and too expensive for what it is. Been here a few times to give it another chance, but never again. Would not recommend! read more

Service was great. Food was okay for the price. Salad was overdressed and the medium rare steak was a bit over cooked. Sides were delicious.

The food, service, and ambience were all fantastic. The services provided by the professional management and staff are the main reasons that we keep coming back. The old world elegance is a rare thing, and we value their focus to make sure that everything about the dining experience is excellent. I highly recomend this restaurant. read more

If there was anything I could do to rate this unethical restaurant less than 1 star I would. Covid is running rampant in Aspen and the county has moved to red status as of today (the day of our reservation). We canceled our reservations within 24 hours per what was required IN WRITING from Monarch and yet we were charged $1350 for canceling. No option was given to us to order takeout and zero alternatives were offered. $1350 for absolutely nothing. Nowhere in writing was it ever stated that the restaurant required more than 24 hours notice OR that we would be charged $150 per person. 5 out of our 9 member family are children and could never eat $150 worth of food each. Called management and due to Covid, they feel "good" about their case against our bank dispute and are making ZERO efforts to remedy this. We will never ever ever go back to Monarch or any of their other restaurants. I'm in disbelief they would do this to a family who followed ALL of the rules per what they sent in writing during the time of a pandemic. read more

The Monarch - Steakhouses Near Me - Aspen, Colorado

After all the other reviews on the monarch, I expected much better. The inside is very nice. Think classic French bistro meets steakhouse, though they are playing black and white movies over the bar? Why? I have no idea. I know this is Aspen, but the wine list bordered on robbery, well larceny. The wines by the glass were the only respite, and those were varied and well-selected. So why two stars? One, our service was slow. He'd leave us and say he'd back but not come back for several minutes. We were hungry so we went straight to steaks and sides, but despite being sat at 6:30 the service was so slow that the hostess had to rush us out around 8:30, because they had another party. Please understand this was a two hour meal withOUT apps because we were hungry from skiing all day and scarfed our food down. Still TWO hours. That costs them one star: slow service. I ordered a filet Pittsburgh rare. This means charred on the outside and a COOL red center. These idiots in the kitchen put my Puttsburgh rare steak on a sizzling hot cast iron pan like so many Mexican places do with fajitas. Tip to the kitchen: hot pans make food really hot and OVERCOOK food, especially rare steak. Moreover, one of my friends ordered the same steak medium, and it also came out rare plus. The only reason it was rare plus is because it was in the hot pan. This cost two stars. For a much better steak, better service and a more reasonable wine list, check out Little Mammoth Steakhouse in Snowmass (also look at the Yelp page there for my review.) read more

The entire dining experience was extremely disappointing. The food was mediocre at best and the service was terribly insulting. The Caesar salad was far too acidic and the amount of dressing made the lettuce soggy in minutes. The French onion soup was your typical soup, nothing memorable. And the steaks ordered were ultimately brought home for the dogs. Part of our party was tardy and this caused the server and management to be extremely passive aggressive the entire night. Although they seated the present part of our party they would not let them order any starters until all orders (starters and entrées) were ready to be placed--making no sense if they wanted to expedite our dining process. Instead, the entire evening was filled with rude comments made to rush us which caused several members in our party to lose their appetites. Unfortunately, this led to more rudeness and pressuring from our server to order more. Bottom line is management's poor planning for foreseeable issues should not be taken out on the customers. Lastly, the atmosphere is too crammed to be enjoyable. We were back to back with other tables and the serving staff was constantly reaching in front of us. Very unprofessional for an "upscale" establishment. The only time we'd be back at this location is if/when a new restaurant comes in its place. read more

We were a bit tired of the 316 and gave the Monarch a whirl. My friend and I both had the filets and they were served as ordered, delightful! We had the Caesar made at the table which was excellent. A side of mushrooms and a glass of wine made the perfect meal for us. Worth returning to. read more

Outstanding service . No kids menu but kids friendly. Great food and the Caesar salad it's one of the best I've ever had.

I visited the Monarch on a Saturday evening with an early reservation for one. Upon entry I knew I was in a good place. Gentle 1940's-1950's swing and jazz, dark interior with dramatic lighting, tile, and a magnificent zinc-topped bar lent a French air to the place. The waitstaff was impeccably turned out and nothing was out of place. After a cordial greeting from the maitre d'hotel at the entrance, I opted to sit at the bar after validating they would serve the entire menu. While my normal drink in a place like this is a Martini, the cocktail menu had a section exclusive to four specialty Manhattans. The bartender indicated that he had created the "The Lower 48" himself, so I oped for his recipe of 10th Mountain rye, Carpano, bitters, and a two cherries steeped in pistachio liqueur, served in a rocks glass over a solid block of ice. It was an excellent example of the breed. For the main event, I dithered over the steak selection -- talk about being spoiled for choice! -- but ultimately settled on the special off-menu 14 ounce boneless bison strip steak, medium rare. The bartender told me that it was a grass-fed and corn-finished and thus loses some of the gaminess that buffalo can have. While I'm one who leans toward the intensity and chew that good grass fed beef and buffalo can provide, I went with it. Great decision. Service was quick and my steak was out shockingly fast, a good sized 1.25" thick, crusted just-right with salt and black pepper, and cooked just shy of medium-rare as I had ordered. A generous portion of molasses glazed parsnips and carrots, all of them petite and young with evidence of greens still attached, were lightly glazed in a small cast iron pan alongside. The glaze perfectly accentuating the earthy vegetables. Bread was fresh and warm with unsalted butter. Everything was excellent. One special mention is their sauce list. Some interesting items are on there as a side, and one jumped out at me: Meyer lemon hollandaise. That may be the best $3 I have ever spend on food. I've never had anything so perfect. I sampled it with some vegetable, I put a little on some of my bites of steak, I ended up dipping bread in it. You could have given me a glass and I'd have drank some. It was that good. Rich hollandaise with a delicate and bright sparkle of Meyer lemon; just wonderful. Highly recommended. Service was warm and sincere, and the camaraderie at the bar between the patrons and workers was generous and unconstrained. So refreshing to have a convivial atmosphere in an establishment of this caliber in a town like this! I told the maitre d' when I walked in that I was just a down-to-earth Midwestern guy who loved good steak. This was a great place for me. Total bill for me including a specialty cocktail and tip was just about $110 and worth every penny. If I come back to Aspen, I would insist on supper here again. Highly recommended. read more

The Monarch - The Lower 48 (cocktail) - Steakhouses Near Me - Aspen, Colorado

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Aspen priced steak, but well worth it! We shared a porterhouse steak. Presentation was amazing and delicious. I loved the smashed potatoes and brussel sprouts. read more

My wife and I dined last night at the Monarch steakhouse on the basis of its ambience and the fabulous experience we had last year at Steakhouse No.316. The ambience and vibe were busy and fun. The decor and layout is very well done and the service was of a good standard. Whether the kitchen was having a bad night or not remains to be seen but the meal did not live up to expectations. My wife ordered a salad which had a gritty pepper coating that left you feeling like you were eating salad leaves which had not been washed and it was off putting. The service staff were fast to assist my wife make an alternate choice and we were not billed for the salad. We shared a porterhouse steak which, although properly served in a cast iron skillet was barely warm - and I could touch the skillet with my bare hands - not something I would expect at a restaurant billing itself as a steakhouse. I think also that the price point of the porterhouse may reflect in the quality of the piece of meat delivered. We did not have desert although others have recommended the sticky toffee pudding, which although a personal favorite is not good for my waistline. Hope it was an off-night or that the quality of the cuisine will match its sister restaurant. read more

Elegant steakhouse; prices understandable (though drink prices all over the place). I ordered the KC strip with scallops and, though I remember not being blown away by it and feeling awkward eating it out of a cast-iron skillet, six months later I found myself recreating the exact same dish to impress my parents. They were impressed, and so was I. I will dine here next time I visit Aspen. read more

Terrible Service!!! We arrived at The Monarch 20 minutes early for our reservation. The restaurant was empty and the Hostess Maria told us to wait outside (there were no seats) or walk down to the Dancing Bear Timeshare lobby and take a seat. No offer of a glass of water on a hot day or offer to sit and review the menu until they would be "ready" to take care of customers. The Dancing Bear staff truly understood customer service. They warmly welcomed us to sit on the couches in their lobby (beautiful hotel and suites). They smiled when we told them of our not so warm reception at The Monarch. Perhaps they heard this story before. We returned at 5:35, five minutes past the reservation time scheduled by the St. Regis Hotel. Maria again said their staff was still in a meeting and we were asked again to walk outside. At this point both the manager and all the white jacketed wait staff were in full view if us being sent away for the second time and did nothing. It was then clear the importance they placed on their customers. We cancelled our reservation and left. The St Regis Hotel certainly knew the importance of customer service, they sent up a bottle of wine and comped our breakfast even though the hotel did absolutely nothing wrong. We have never heard a word back from The Monarch. Plenty of other great steakhouses in Aspen, visit them. read more

Not bad, but it is not 316 quality. After going to most of the Aspen downtown restaurants, we thought we would go off list and try something new for steak. Its a lovely setting. Beautiful bar, great location off the park. Got a similar dinner, with petite filet, ribeye, couple of sides and a Piedmont red - but it was off a level in terms of quality of meat (my wife had a vein of connective tissue in her petite ribeye), its prep, ambiance and service level. The noisy Argentinean family next to us didnt help. In three words or three letters? Back to 316. read more

Amazing steak, even better caviar, & excellent service! Sarah was very helpful and nice, recommended great dishes and deserts. Came here twice during my stay in Aspen. read more

My family and I ate here the first night we arrived in Aspen. The service was impeccable and the food was delicious. The staff were super attentive and the manager was so accommodating. I even called the next day as I had lost my wallet and he remembered what I had ordered and was so kind. Definitely one of my new favorite spots! Don't miss the seafood platter, the steak ( which is perfectly cooked) and you can't leave without a glass of Opus One red wine! A wonderful dining experience. read more

The entire dinner was super including the finest cut of prime beef fillet , super service and Ambiance.

Make one night a steak night and check this place out! It was an unexpected visit for us but totally worth every bite. Remember that its a steak house so the dishes are actually pricey, you order side dishes separately. An awesome thing they have is the prix fixe menu which I totally recommend because you can have different things. The food is delicious. The service is very good. The atmosphere is warm and filled with a classy vibe. Great for date night! - You can bring large groups but if it gets too big, they are still able to get a table set up close by. - No children's menu - Awesome bar read more

The Monarch - A little bit of everything yummy - Steakhouses Near Me - Aspen, Colorado