The food and service are amazing! We had a great girls night at Cantina Monarca. Our server Stephanie is super friendly and made our night memorable. read more

TLDR; cool space, but small and crowded. Food is over priced. Chips and guac was $16 even though it seemed like it was gonna be free or at least cheaper. Overall food was under seasoned, though it was cooked well texture wise. Come for the aesthetics When i first sat down the server asked if i wanted to get started with chips and salsa. I didn't think much of it since usually these are free at mexican restaurants. Later it ended up being $16 considering this was a fancier place i wouldn't mind paying but $16 for some chips and guac is overpriced in my opinion. It was an extra $2 for the chip refill as well. Appetizer: chicken tostada - the meat was tender but just really under seasoned. There's only three toastada shells and the shells were extremely hard to bite into. Mains: Fish taco: The fish was fried and it had a great texture, super tender, juicy and all ingredients were fresh. But the fish itself wasnt seasoned. The sauce saved this Chicken pastor: usually Al pastor is a little spicy. This had none of that and couldn't taste the seasoning on the meat at all. The pineapple was a fun twist but that's all that had flavor in this taco All the tacos are $10 and up. They are a little bigger than street sized. I was full by the end. But the price and quality of flavor was not worth it for me. The ambiance inside is cool and definitely tropical but it's a lot smaller than i thought, it feels cramped. I personally wouldn't come back. Loved the staff though read more

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Very aesthetically appealing cantina. It gives a Cabo vibe. When you come, you will most definitely need a reservation. The restaurant does not look very big. I had to book about a month in advance for a group of 5 people. I was a fan of the pork belly tacos! The cod was also fantastic. They are bigger portions than I expected. Definitely a great place to celebrate a special occasion read more

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This place is such a beautiful spot! Love the decor and the ambiance. Cantina Monarca is booked out until April for any reservations, so if you do a walk in you'll have to wait a while. The food and service is great, attention to details and our server Roberto was super knowledgeable. The food was delicious, I tried four different tacos, each one bursting with its own set of flavours. This place is a must when visiting read more

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The food was outstanding and the service was exceptional! We had the pleasure of being taken care of by Alejandra at the bar and she absolutely killed it! read more

Cantina Monarca - Chips and dip along with all six margaritas in a flight. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Amazing experience- Filipe our server gave the best recommendation. 10/10 would recommend this place

This is a hot spot in Bellevue, reservations are challenging especially on weekends so plan in advance! The server, Javier was extremely friendly and helpful. I will be trying this place out again i read more

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When you walk in, you feel like you've stepped into a nice restaurant in Tulum. Beautiful aesthetics throughout! The wait staff were very friendly and all dressed in similar attire. Food is definitely on the pricier side, and smaller portions than you would expect at a Mexican spot. But I ordered the Carne Asada , & it was so freaking good!!! Also loved the tequila tasting! read more

Cantina Monarca - Carne Asada * Tequila flight - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Great ambiance, wonderful service from Felipe, and most importantly of all... fantastic food! Can't go wrong with any of the tacos. read more

Cantina Monarca - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Wonderful service, amazing food and drinks. The ambiance is so enjoyable. We'll be back for sure. read more

Cantina Monarca - Flight of Spicy, Mamacita and Passion fruit Margaritas - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Aaaaamazing food and atmosphere. Service was top notch. Everyone was very kind and friendly. We didn't make reservation and arrived around 6pm. We had about an 1hr wait so we grabbed a drink at the living room bar. Interior design was so beautiful and it gave me Taboo in Cancun vibe! Hostess to servers were amazing. They were very kind and friendly. We had Cadillac Fog(comes out with aromatic dry ice smoke, very pretty) and spicy pepino(salt rim, cucumber, not too spicy, refreshing). For food, we had crab enchilada and carne asada. Both were so bomb. Especially carne asada was the best we've ever had. Everything came our in a reasonable time. Price is pretty up there but quality/taste was very good. Not sure if chips/salsa/guac was included in our total, but it was around $170. (Guac was so good, so get it) We will visit again! It was very good! read more

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Found this restaurant almost by default. It's doesn't stand out and doesn't seem to be listed on various reservation sites. The food is just outstanding. Fresh, tasty and imaginatively prepared. I was absolutely delighted to learn that everything is gluten-fee! I guess they don't advertise that because it turns off some customers. Nice atmosphere and service was superb. The only negative, perhaps, is that the space is rather small, so there's very little room to navigate, and some of the tables/booths are placed at unusual angles. Definitely worth a visit. read more

I made a reservation for 9 people for lunch. It's everyone's first time to visit the restaurant. Ambience: Pictures look very deceiving from what is posted online. It's not a big place. Have contemporary feel to it. Appetizers: Guac, Salsa and Chip Guac- definitely not freshly made and not flavorful Salsa- they give you this little itty bitty salsa that's obviously not enough for everyone to share. I wish I took a picture of it. When we ask for extra salsa, they brought the salsa and chips and when we said, we only need the salsa, the waitress said we can't have the salsa without ordering the chips which is $9 Chips was crunchy and thick. ***Funny Fact: when we requested for hot sauce, our server said, they charge $3 for hot sauce. Drinks We ordered Classico Margarita and Spicy pepino. It tasted like a juice without the alcohol. When we mentioned it to our server that our drinks didn't taste like there was any alcohol in it, her response was: WE've been getting that a lot!" Maybe fixed it then or pour alcohol in our drinks!!! It's a major major major letdown since it's 21+yr old bar and restaurant NOT to mention a tequila bar. Food: Carne Asada Tacos- tasty but a little dry, and every time we ask for extra sauce, the waitress want to charge us $3 for extra sauce. Keep in mind: It's $10-13 per tiny tacos. Pork Belly Tacos- Melts in your mouth and very good seasoning except there's not enough salsa or sauce in it. Oh and the fried onion on top was cold, soggy and very oily. It did not elevate the taste of the pork belly, it actually made it look unappetizing so I have to take it out. Sea bass Taco Was okay, a little oily and was already cold when it came in. Enchilada- Nice portion and very flavorful. Sauce has a nice kick to it that wants you to keep digging into it. Overall, it's okay. Will I go there instead of Ascend? Maybe, maybe NOT. Lunch servers don't seem to care. They're not engaging or enthusiastic serving. They look unhappy. Very Unhappy. Maybe, just maybe we will try them for Dinner again. For the price we paid, we were expecting a very good service and a better quality of food. And you can't be promoting TeQuila flights if the drinks are subPar to meh!!! Let's get out of here and drink someplace else kind of a thing. There are pretty good reviews of this place here in Yelp, but our experience is FAR from it to say the least. read more

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This place is so special with an unusual and extremely tasty menu, a lovely decor and friendly staff. Luis was our initial server who greeted us and brought us our champagne, and then Danielle took over for our food. Each was friendly and helpful and I was even treated to a birthday dessert of three homemade ice creams. It could not have been nicer. Danielle was so personable and helped us decide on what to order, which is helpful when you're not familiar with the menu. I will come back for sure! read more

Cantina Monarca - Three homemade ice creams as a birthday special dessert! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Ambience -5/5 Food Quality - 3/5 Food Quantity -3/5 Revisit Again -4/5 Staff Service -4/5 Value for money -3/5 Our Vegeterian Order: 1. Tulum Guacamole 2. Truffle Poquitos 3. Wild Mushroom Enchiladas 4. Grilled Chayote Tacos 5. Rose Sangria 6. Virgin Strawberry Magarita 7. Chocolate cake with raspberry sorbet Ok firstly I was super excited to hear about a tulum decor Mehico place opening up and was waiting for a reallly long time to get in here...the cherry on the pie was I was able to get in on my birthday and engagement anniversary!! Yay TIP: This place is strictly 21+ so families please make note. Also make reservations cause the section for walk in tables is not as fun as the reserved area! So coming back to the experience. The ambience and decor is to the point and will wow you for sure. The vibe is fantastic with great music and a lot of laughs and memories being made! So kudos to team Cantina for having a great vibe that will make you visit again and again. We were early then our reserved time and were seated upstairs where personally the vibe just died down the real party and all the fun was happening at ground level..but a great option for a nice romantic dinner which is what we had! Now the real part... food and drinks! As you all know I am a vegetarian so I always dig for good veg food and was delighted to have a lot of options at hand. We ordered many items from the list and my expectations from the food were high cause common you are claiming to be TULUM!! Honestly the food was just average and we have had great mexican food at other restaurants. So for me that was a downside, also the plates are small so if yiu have a big appetite you may need to order repeats. My favorite dish though was the poquitos , yummy salsas and the grilled chayote tacos... the tacos were really really good. Enchiladas and tulum guac could have been better. Ok now lets talk about the elephant in the room - Drinks! Team Cantina have tried to be innovative and get a fancy side to the drinks but keep in mind there is a price to their innovation.. a drink is priced about 24 to 28$ each!!! Wow in my mind thats royalty! Unfortunately the drinks we ordered did not meet the expectations and justify the pricing. Something to keep in mind when you visit. We saw a lot of tables around us ordering the fog and said it was great so maybe next time we will try the recommended ones but the pricing is definitely steep. Team cantina was the sweetest they took care of us and knowing we were celebrating two Occasions served a cake on the house and everyone was wishing with big smiles...so loved the whole service, and happy crew! All in all a good experience and definitely will visit but considering its high end will save the visits to special occasions! Keep up the vibe Team Cantina! read more

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I wanted to like this place more, but bad service and mediocre entrees couldn't make up for the great ambiance, drinks, and chips/salsa. We were seated at the bar on a Friday night after waiting about an hour without a reservation. I loved the decor and the place was packed and lively, so we figured we were in for a great meal. Unfortunately, the service we received seated at the bar was terrible. We were greeted by a bartender who, promptly after welcoming us, went on break and never reappeared. There was no way we could have come without ordering the margaritas, so we bought into the hype with a flight. We also ordered chips and salsa to start. The drinks were great - each one delicious, beautiful, and perfectly garnished. The salsa trio was better than expected, so we figured we were in for a great meal. Unfortunately we couldn't manage to get anyone's attention to order entrees. We were seated directly across from a bartender who was cranking out drinks nonstop with no time for anyone. Eventually we flagged down a waiter from the dining room, who had no clue how to order food to the bar, but eventually placed the order nonetheless. The food arrived and we had to flag down the runner ourselves as he was clear on the other side of the bar. The chicken enchiladas were underwhelming - the portion was on the small side and the sauce it was covered in ("guajillo tomato") did absolutely nothing for me. My wife had the Tlayuda (which she's typically a big fan of) and we both found it messy and average. It was much better once we dumped a side of hot salsa all over it. Of course we had to flag down another staff member for a takeout box (he disappeared after bringing us a mismatched lid and another employee had to help), and we found another kind employee from the main dining room who could help us pay the bill. Maybe the service issues will be resolved when the place is a little more established, but there's much better Mexican food and much more reasonable prices to be found elsewhere. read more

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Tulum inspired interior design + incredible food + attentive service! MUST GET THE BAJA SEA BASS TACO AND SAKURA PORK BELLY TACO! The pastor taco was yummy but the other tacos were on another level- straight heavenly. The corvina ceviche was fresh, citrusy, and had a slight kick. The tortilla chips tasted stale though. The carne asada was juicy and flavorful but too oily. The side of veggies was super salty and we only had 1 bite but our server took it off the check for us which was very courteous of him. They validate parking at Lincoln Square. Our meal cost $150 + tip so it's definitely expensive but I think it's worth it for the quality and ideal for a romantic date night or celebration dinner. 100% coming back for their tacos and ceviche! read more

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Great service by Filipe, will come back again!!!! The steak was fabulous which was recommended by our server Filipe. Enjoyed the night with my friends. read more

Cantina Monarca - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Walked in to Cantina Monarca without reservation and were greeted by two of their hosting team who were gracious and found us a nice table upstairs. Our waitress was very kind, prompt and attentive. The food was high quality and very tasty. My husband ordered the carne asada and I ordered three different tacos. Everything was cooked to perfection! We also enjoyed their traditional guacamole. It was fresh and definitely recommended. Will be back! read more

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We absolutely had the best experience with Stephanie! The food was amazing but the service was exceptional! We will most definitely be back! read more

Stefanie was wonderful. knowledgeable about the menu and accommodating. Food was fantastic. Stefanie's service was great.

Cantina Monarca's OFFICIAL grand opening was Saturday 12/31! TLDR; Beautifully decorated, quality food, delicious drinks, nice staff. Pricey but worth it. Lo bueno cuesta Food/drinks: Very impressed by the flavors and textures of their dishes! When we walked in we saw the head chef send out each plate from the kitchen and there was a lot of attention given to each dish. Portions were appropriate and we left full! What we ordered: FOOD -Guacamole & chips with panela cheese tropical pico de gallo (Tulum). Very good, very fresh...we scraped the bowl clean - Enchiladas de pollo (chicken tinga). The sauce was so flavorful and the chicken was cooked perfectly -Tacos--there are 8 different options and we ordered one of EACH. Personal favorite was the Baja Sea Bass. Easily the best taco I've ever had (and I've had a LOT). The pastor, birria, and pork belly were also great. Good variety of options (including vegetarian) with good texture and flavors. DRINKS Rosé sangria- it was a gorgeous drink (as were the others I saw at other tables). It was well made, very good. Del Maguey Vida Mezcal-good, clean taste and wasn't too oak-y I will say that because it was their opening day the bar was VERY slow. Not sure if they were learning or teaching or what, but they did acknowledge it and apologize for the wait but we didn't mind--Worth the wait. They also ironically didn't have most of the mezcals available yet, which was fine. Staff: Greeted by the hostess and a man I can only assume was the owner/manager. Very friendly, along with our waiter Mike and the food runners who brought our food to us throughout the night. Towards the end of our meal the owner and head chef came around and checked in, which was nice. I also loved seeing how much Latino representation there was on staff Quality/Price: There's no sugar coating it--the place is PRICEY. Cocktails are $20 and each taco ranges from $11-$18. Overall you should expect to spend a fair amount of money... but you get what you pay for! Vibes: immaculate. They really spent a lot of time making a cohesive and well decorated space that looks completely different from the outside. Music was ON POINT. It made a difference, I promise. I'm excited to go back after they get into their groove. read more

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Wow!!! So good! Everything about this new tequila bar is so much fun!! 1st if all the ambiance is fantastic. They imported all of the wood you see in the restaurant is from Mexico and each piece is slowly bent by hand to be placed in the ceiling. Our server Roberto was so nice and really took care of us. Absolutely the kindest and most knowledgeable man; I hope he is our server next time we go! He really made us feel like family :). In terms of margaritas my favorite three were the Pina Nina, La Pasión, and Spicy Pepino! Also really loved the tacos! I got the Wagyu Chingon and Baja Sea Bass and both were fantastic! I can't wait to come back! Hoping to come for lunch and get photos with better lighting! :) read more

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Came here for drinks and light snacks since we were only able to get late reservation. The place was crowded even at 10pm...had a very Tulum vibes to it. Had to try this margarita flight as it is all over IG. The drinks were beautiful and you can choose 3 out of the 5 flavors but all of us thought there it was very light...barely tasted any alcohol in them and $$$. Wouldn't mind coming back to try other items on their menu. read more

Cantina Monarca - Margarita flight - 5 different flavors to choose from. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Great spot. our server Filipe was fantastic! We came with a big group and Filipe was attentive to all of us. the food was delicious and atmosphere was fun! read more

Food and drinks are amazing! Felipe was fantastic! They brought ice cream out for the birthday boy which was nice but then it was charged $12 on the bill which was a little annoying but otherwise great. read more

The food was so good. Our server Filipe was super cool and helpful. We had the best spicy margs and tacos!

Stephanie is amazing!! She is always so warm and welcoming. She explains the menu in great detail and know the answer to every question. Great attention to detail. We always hope to have her!! read more

Had a nice time here. The food and atmosphere is beautiful. We were a large party, which was definitely a challenge for the team here (they've only been open two weeks!) and some dishes were missed-- but the manager made sure to stop by and make it right, which we really appreciated! Would definitely come back, but next time with a smaller group. Recommend the tacos! read more

Cantina Monarca - Margarita flight - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Seabass everything!! Haha first off everything they do with Seabass here is delicious! The asthetic of the restaurant will get just about anyone through the door. It's a lot smaller inside than I realized but makes for a quiet evening. Walked in early evening on and Thursday and were seated right away, shortly after the restaurant was very busy for dinner. The highlights for me were the Baja Sea Bass, and the Sea Bass Ceviche... so good! Also snagged the Crab Taquito, Sakura Pork Belly Taco and a refreshing Watermelon drink! Pork Belly Taco was dry and the Taquito lacked flavor. Service was ok, they're very busy and training so it took some time to pay our bill or order drink refills but that's to be expected with a new restaurant. For me the price point and food aren't matched, seems a bit overpriced. Other then that good experience! Excited to see what improves on the menu as far as flavor goes. read more

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Small place in Bellevue that says elevated Mexican and I would agree. First off it's super cute but be prepared to get cozy because the tables are small. We ordered drinks, apps, and meals and it was all really good. I would say the ceviche was odd as it was cooked but outside of that everything was good. I would say the tacos are worth it but the rice and beans are underwhelming. Skip it. As I said skip the ceviche and you can even skip the potato Taquitos. Good flavor but just ok. The steak was good but worth 85? Probably not but then again... order steak at a Mexican place!!! Overall if I was able to walk in and not make a reservation I would go again. read more

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This place has been on my list ever since it opened and I finally stopped by for lunch with a couple of friends. The ambiance is incredible, all the decor and plants really create a vacation vibe. Our server was also great and the service here was impeccable. We ordered margaritas and chips and guac and salsa to start. The passion fruit margarita was amazing and my friend got the Cadillac fog which was a bit bitter for her but came with an amazing presentation and smelled a bit like an orange creamsicle. If I were to come back I would get the margarita flight to try more flavors. We got the guac and salsa and chips to start and they initially brought us the goat cheese and watermelon relish guac by accident instead of the traditional. The traditional was better in my opinion as the goat cheese with avocado was not a great flavor combo. The portion of salsa was also quite small compared to the guac. I had the mushroom enchiladas as a dish and the filling was great but the sauce was overly sweet. I had to use the salsa to add some spice and flavor to it because the sauce just had a sweet tomato taste to it. I would definitely try tacos or something else next time. We shared the chocolate cake for dessert, which was a gluten free cake. It had a grainy texture and was served with a berry sorbet. The flavors were mild and it was just ok. read more

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So yummy! I would say the food is overpriced in relation to its portions... but it's not. It's worth every dime! This was my second time here, and again, I was blown away! The only downside to our experience last night was that our servers switched halfway through, and the second server was not very attentive. We asked for a box and dessert to-go, yet he still didn't bring our check. We had to wait 15-20 mins after getting our to-go dessert to pay. Our first waiter was absolutely amazing! Very present, and you can tell he greatly cared about the experience he was giving us. We sat upstairs by the servers station and kitchen entrance which, I don't want to complain about this, but it would have been my last choice of seating. It was very cramped and busy in that area, but still a lovely ambiance! The decor makes you feel as if you've entered a tropical place in Mexico. I thoroughly enjoyed the music as well. Another thing you may agree with if you've eaten here is that the chairs are extremely uncomfortable. (I think that's the American in me. I'm also pregnant, so, you know.) All in all I had such a wonderful time we ordered the guac&salsa, a wagyu taco, and the cazuela plate with birria! For drinks I had the passion fruit mocktail and my boyfriend got the spicy pepina, which we decided was our favorite after having the margarita flight last visit. All so scrumptious! The cazuela plate was my favorite for the variety of flavor. For dessert we had the arroz con leche (Mexican rice pudding). It had delicate, yet delicious flavor with the vanilla and cinnamon. The perfect valentines celebration read more

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Great vibes, great food great service. Stoped by to see this restaurant while at belview square. Loved the atmosphere it is definitely one of a kind. It was warm and inviting. Staff is attentive and helpful in the selection of our food. I had the pork belly tacos with a rice pudding dessert. All I can say is amazing. I was so excited I forgot to take a picture so you will have to come see the place on your own. You won't be disappointed. read more

Food was 10/10 Service was 10/10 Ambiance 10/10 I got to try a few of their tacos and ceviche and I was happy with all the food and the drinks! read more

Cantina Monarca - Menús - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

I brought my coworker to Cantina the other day and it was a great experience! Our server Danielle was amazing and made sure we had everything we needed. I would go back just for the service, but the food was great too :) read more

Cantina Monarca - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Ambiance!!! What a beautiful place. The tacos are nothing to write home about but the place is gorgeously decorated. read more

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This was our second time here and this restaurant still does not disappoint. We got the ceviche and corn esquite as a small quick dinner which we're glad we had. I would give them a 10/10. For drinks my bf had the margarita flight and I had the Bebesota which included a really nice fire show. Our server Felipe made our experience pleasurable. Always kept a smile and checked up on us to make sure we were doing okay. Would ask for him the next time we come in. Overall, would come back here for a third time. read more

This is a new upscale Mexican cuisine opened inside one of the Bellevue Square plazas. The ambiance is really nice. You feel like you're at a resort in Mexico when you step into the restaurant. The restaurant is also a bit small, not too many tables, so you should make reservations. I would have given this place a better rating, but the service was super slow, and they were not even that busy inside. For starters, we order the margarita flight with some homemade guacamole, salsa, and chips. The guacamole was really good and tasted super fresh. We then shared the Sakura pork belly taco and wagyu taco. The tortillas were a bit on the soggy end. There was a lot of sauce on the tacos, so the tortillas broke easily, and the food was a bit on the salter side. I do want to say that I appreciate our server for taking care of us and offering us free dessert because of the wait. That was really nice of the server. If you want to get full at an affordable price, then you should try another place. The prices are on the higher end, but guess that's expected given you're in Bellevue. read more

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What an incredible place! I'm honestly in awe of just how good Mexican food can be in the Pacific Northwest! It wasn't before I found this place. The decor is top notch, even down to the vines imported from the Mexican state of Yucatán. The service is fantastic, and Lev- my server was fantastic! He even spoke the same languages I do. What can I say about the food beyond its better than you'd possibly expect for Mexican cuisine in King County. I had the potato truffle taquitos for the starter, before moving on to the Blackmore wagyu filet. In between I also had the Sakura pork belly taco. It's all fantastic. The salsa is fire roasted, a rarity for Bellevue. I don't even know how to describe everything. It's top notch. read more