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Monarca, Vancouver, BC

Monarca

4.1
4.1
260 Reviews
CAN$31 to CAN$50
Mexican

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2 people
21:00
Booked 13 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Lively
  • Good for groups
  • Hot spot
The name refers to the ancient Mexican monarchy honouring the influence both his parents made on his culinary style. While his mother inspired our sister restaurant, Ophelia, the familial tradition has continued here at Monarca where you’ll find playful dishes and a lively atmosphere inspired by Chef Higareda’s father.

Francisco’s father lived near the famous Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in central Mexico’s Michoacán region. Chef Higareda spent several summers here with his family enjoying the local Tlahualiles (defeated warriors) Festival. The festival celebrates the feast of Santiago Apóstol, patron saint of Sahuayo. The battle depicted in the festival is still debated today in Mexico and refers to military conflicts before, during, and after the arrival of the Spanish. It’s a memory he cherishes from his childhood.

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Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    CAN$31 to CAN$50
  • Cuisines
    Mexican
  • Hours of Operation
    Wed 16:00–23:00 Thu 16:00–00:00 Fri, Sat 16:00–02:00 Sun 12:00–22:00 Happy Hour Wed–Sat 16:00–17:30 Sun 15:00–17:30
  • Phone number
    (604) 569-2258
  • Website
    https://monarcavancouver.ca/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Francisco Higareda
  • Location
    181 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1A1
  • Area
    Gastown
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeaway, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Monarca Supper Club

    CA$100.00 per person

    Multiple dates available
    Join us for an unforgettable evening, our setting creates the perfect environment for connecting with friends and meeting new ones

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 260 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.1
4.1 based on recent ratings
  • 4.1Food
  • 3.8Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 3.9Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Monarca offers "amazing food" and a lively atmosphere, perfect for a fun night out with friends. Guests appreciate the vibrant music and cocktails, although service can be inconsistent. It's an ideal spot for those seeking "great vibes" and "fantastic food," but some find it too loud and rushed for a relaxed dining experience.

260 Reviews

  1. Jeff

    Vancouver

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    I had high expectations for this restaurant, but unfortunately, the experience fell short. The food was just acceptable. I ordered the pibil enfrijoladas, but the tortillas were over-fried, making them hard to handle, especially on the small plate they were served on. The guacamole portion was small and tasted like a supermarket jar variety rather than freshly made. Service was a major disappointment. It was a busy Friday night, but the staff (clearly casual and not professional servers) seemed overwhelmed and untrained. Our dishes were placed carelessly on the table, and we had to ask multiple times for our drinks. The servers appeared inexperienced, likely due to lack of proper training. This is not a gourmet destination for high-quality Mexican food. Rather, it feels more like a pre-club bar with decent food, best suited for a casual night out rather than a true culinary experience.

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  2. Lindsay

    Palm Springs

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Always amazing food and such a fun atmosphere. Stay late for the full experience!

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  3. OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 20 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was absolutely amazing, our server was so sweet and we had a great time! will definitely be coming back soon :)

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  4. Gagan

    Vancouver

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 16 February 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    My group of 4 arrived for our 10:15pm reservation and waited over 45 minutes to be seated. The staff scrambled to find us an available table, and not one person updated us on the status of our reservation. We ended up leaving due to the poor service. I do not recommend this restaurant as they do not follow OpenTable guidelines. If they are just going to let other guests stay over their 2 hour reservation window and not guarantee reservations, then they should not be on OpenTable.

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  5. alisha

    Vancouver

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing service, great staff and loved the food/music/vibe!

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  6. Lucas

    VIP

    Vancouver

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 15 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Very energetic spot to eat and drink. Lots of new staff which made the experience less professional, but they were very friendly. Food was good but not great. Glad I went, but not in a rush to go back.

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  7. Alexis

    Vancouver

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 14 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great ambience and drinks. The food was good but really spicy.

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  8. Natalie

    VIP

    Vancouver

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 9 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Beautiful restaurant, service was very slow and food was very underwhelming. Good for drinks and music but skip for food.

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  9. Carmen

    Vancouver

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on 9 February 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    They took forever to bring the drinks, and to take our order!. Food was delicious. So be ready to be there for a long time!!

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  10. irene

    Vancouver

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 8 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    the food was impeccable, the drinks were really good also. i did notice someone else got a sparkler on their birthday dessert though, and i noted down on my reservation that it was my friends birthday and he didn't get anything- but aside from that, everything was great. beautiful spot.

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FAQs

Monarca does offer delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. Monarca also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (604) 569-2258.

Monarca is rated 4.1 stars by 260 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
21:00
Booked 13 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Monarca

181 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1A1

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Area
    Gastown
  • Hours of Operation
    Wed 16:00–23:00 Thu 16:00–00:00 Fri, Sat 16:00–02:00 Sun 12:00–22:00 Happy Hour Wed–Sat 16:00–17:30 Sun 15:00–17:30
  • Price
    CAN$31 to CAN$50
  • Cuisines
    Mexican
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Francisco Higareda
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeaway, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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