Yeah, this is a no. Unless you are looking for VIBES and over priced "Mexican food." The staff was friendly and the atmosphere was great. Again, the vibes were vibing. The food however, was okay. I appreciated the modern twist on it but some most of it was a miss aside from the margarita flight. THAT I do recommend. Especially the cucumber agua Fresca. That was great! Let's get into the food. My husband had the chilaquiles. His response, "they were okay." I got the taco al pastor and the taco El Rey. I was recommended the Al pastor and I was left disappointed. I enjoy cheese on a lot of foods but not this. A huge miss here. El Rey Taco was even more disappointing. The meat was so dry and the main reason I got it was for the tuétano. There was no hint of it. I couldn't finish it. The chips and salsa were decent. I would recommend that too. Los esquites were okay. Nothing memorable. I wasn't a fan of the arroz con leche. It was a bit too dry. The ice cream was good. It is on the pricey end. But then again, it's Bellevue. read more

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ambiance: 5/5 service: 4/5 food: 4.5/5 The restaurant is well decorated. I really enjoyed the atmosphere here- private and cozy! read more

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Cantina Monarca absolutely blew me away--from the moment I walked in, the vibe transported me straight to Tulum with its stunning decor and lively atmosphere. Every detail was on point! The food? Incredible. We started with their colorful, flavorful guacamole, topped with fresh watermelon--unexpected and totally delicious. I could've eaten the whole bowl myself. Then came the Seabass taco--perfectly cooked, light, and full of flavor. But the real standout was a dish I can't remember the name of--like a Mexican pizza with beef, avocado, spinach, onions, radishes, and tons of veggies. It was bursting with fresh ingredients and bold flavors--totally amazing and unlike anything I've had before. If you're looking for a spot with great food, tropical vibes, and a creative twist on Mexican cuisine, Cantina Monarca is it. Can't wait to go back! They were fantastic and Friendly! Always checking on you and not to much but authentically caring! They love their place of work at least they act like it! And they walk you through the menu if you've never been there before and that is wonderful! upstairs could seat about 30 if you have a group. Also, upstairs is a table for two! Downstairs is very pretty! read more

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I don't often find time to write reviews anymore, but this place deserves some serious praise. Mexican cuisine isn't usually my first choice, but the promise of elevated dishes and a unique menu drew me in. I was not disappointed.The atmosphere is a standout--warm, inviting, and dramatically stylish, making it perfect for a date or, in my case, impressing business associates and clients. The music is distinctive but never overpowering, and the lighting and decor alone make this spot worth visiting.Our server, Jessica, was exceptional. Her recommendations were spot-on, and her professionalism was unmatched, rivaling the best high-end dining experiences I've had. She handled our early arrival and a last-minute party size change with grace, seamlessly consolidating us to one table. Now, the food--every dish, from appetizers to mains, was packed with an array of flavors and perfectly portioned. Their wagyu taco? Hands-down one of the best dishes I've ever tasted. The tequila selection is equally impressive, with additive-free options clearly marked for smarter sipping. Jessica's expertise shone again, guiding our clients to tequilas that matched their preferences. If you're in Bellevue and craving some of the finest Mexican cuisine in the Pacific Northwest, this is definitely the place to go. read more

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Amazing service, Becca was the best waitress we've ever had. Drinks were very unique and tasty! Sea bass taco was one of the best we've had in Bellevue. Gotta try the ribeye taco also amazing. Highly recommend for anyone looking for an amazing Mexican spot! read more

Great atmosphere even better service! The food was excellent everything is fresh and the drinks are super good. Becca the waitress is the goat she made the experience A++. Will definitely be coming back even if it is just for a drink! read more

Great service! Amazing food! Becca helped us and we loved the whole experience! Will be back soon!

The first several times I came to cantina monarca, I was wowed: I loved their black beans, the ambiance and decor, the ceviche, and their pina nina (plus the concept of margarita flights). Service is sometimes amazing and sometimes disappointing, depending on who you get. But the last time I went, I noticed how the meat quality wasn't there anymore, and for the high prices I would expect very high quality meat. In general, the quality is too low relative to the prices. If the meat and service quality improved to match the price, I would definitely be back. read more

My friend and I came here from Reno, Nevada to visit Seattle for the first time. The staff here was extremely nice and very helpful but one stood out to me the most, and her name is Kendal. Kendal was so accommodating, lively, kind, and was super efficient with her service. Her recommendations were amazing as someone who hasn't tried some of the things on the menu before and her hospitality was even better. If I could come back to this place again, I would request Kendal 100%. Thank you for making my birthday so amazing! read more

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Would not order the steak tacos, tough meat, had to take the meat out to cut it. Black bean puree was great though. The noise volume was way too loud. read more

We were invited to dinner here by some friends who love this place and we immediately enjoyed the design and atmosphere and I was thrilled to find that nearly their entire menu is gluten-free. We were seated in the loft area which was fun, it felt like you were going up into a treehouse. Our server was helpful and got us some beautiful cocktail and mocktails out. The chips and guacamole was good but the tacos were even better! We had a few different types including the seabass and birria, all great! I was less impressed with the truffle taquitos and next time will just get more tacos instead. read more

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The ribeye taco was out of this world. I'm defo coming back for it soon beautiful decor as well, lighting was but dark upstairs

PHENOMENAL! I'm usually hesitant to try new-age mexican food because they stray too far from the real thing, but this was beyond expectation. My husband and I went for our anniversary and got the margarita flight (HIGHLY recommend the seasonal watermelon one), chips and guac/salsa, and I got the carne asada while my husband got three tacos of his choice. Our server Blake was so so kind and helpful and he even brought us a free anniversary dessert (raspberry, huckleberry, and pecan helado). I will come here EVERY time for a special occasion! read more

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Upscale Mexican restaurant and cocktail lounge in Lincoln Square South, right to the left of the entrance, and across the hallway from Fogo de Chao. Very nice decor with plants and branches adorning the space. Has an upstairs loft area in addition to the main ground floor space. Went there for lunch on a weekday with a group, and the place wasn't crowded. Menus have a good selection of drinks and food items. There were a few things that I haven's seen in other Mexican restaurants in the US. One of those was the tlayuda which I ordered. It's a a round flatbread/thin pizza dish that had a lot of vegetables on it and a bit of birria beef on it. With the main, I also got the sides of rice, beans and grilled veggies, and the three sides add up to a significant amount a food. I only finished the tlayuda and couldn't finish all of the sides. We also had chips and guac which were decent. Service and food presentation is good. I think the bill ended up being $30-40 per person before tip. 3.5 stars, round up to 4. read more

Cantina Monarca - tlayuda with sides - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

Amazing service and delicious food. Nice servers and bartenders! Manager was super nice!! Beautiful atmosphere

We went on a date night and made reservations for 7pm. The restaurant is fairly small so if its busy it is better to reserve a table ahead of time so you don't have to wait long. We ordered queso birria for an appetizer and was pleasantly surprised. We were expecting a simple queso but the cheese was so flavorful! I ordered the pastor, pork belly and birria tacos which was the perfect portion for food for me. My partner ordered four of the pastor tacos. As simple as I thought the food looked online- the flavors were all there. My only complaint was that our seating was so small it was a bit uncomfortable. We had the seating by the window which was nice but its a shared bench seating which means if the person next to you puts all there stuff on the seat you won't have much space. We were at a two seater table so the middle seat caved in which meant there was even less space to sit. Besides that everything else was great! read more

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Delicious food and cocktails beautifully presented. Love the atmosphere but definitely challenging to have conversation with the music. Underground parking and prompt service. read more

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Came here for Monday happy hour. The marg flight is super tasty. The decor is STUNNING with great lighting and music. From the hostess to the bar staff -- we had a great time. Shoutout to Jorge for always great service. We will be back for the good vibes and good drinks. Food is on the more expensive side for the quality, so I'm taking off 1 star because the salsa served isn't proportional to the chips and the nachos were too dry in my opinion. We haven't tried the full menu yet, so I'll update this review if my feedback changes with more dishes. read more

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

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I was pleasantly surprised to find that they offer homemade tortillas here! I've tried several of their drinks and dishes and have enjoyed them! Everything is very pretty, from the decore to how they serve the food - drinks and food are so colorful! The staff is very pleasant and I'd recommend making a reservation as they are usually pretty busy! The only reason for the 4 star is that everything is a little overpriced, and yes, I'm aware it's in Bellevue... I do like it enough to visit again! read more

Cantina Monarca - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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I wanted to visit them for quite some time. Unfortunately, they didn't accept kids. I recently learnt they do for lunchtime :) But we came here for dinner. I thought we were not going to make it because you have to get reservations, but we don't know if we are going to be able to go out most of the times :) Fortunately, we had their last table. Small, but very intimate. Ambience is inviting your senses for a good experience. The room is beautiful! Details everywhere. Staff was glad to show us animal representations on their wall design. Music was good, but a bit loud. I guess for younger people. Food was amazing. Consider js their own representation. Cocktails are so good!! I want to try each one :) Staff is great! Friendly, helpful, fast, knowledgeable, go beyond. They were sure to make us feel comfortable, and have a great time here. Thank you all!! I guess the only part 2hete I could lift my brow is with prices. Food is really tasty, but nothing spectacular. It's their own representation of mexican food. And eventhough we are near Mexico, consider this is a delikatessen outside such country. It is also well plated and cooked. Restaurant and location is different. Loved this place :) Glad it is in a mall with parking. But...it can also get hard finding a spot. Who would knew.. read more

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This vibes here are immaculate, the space is so beautiful and total is on the mark for tulum. The staff are also incredibly nice. Compliment sandwich, incoming the downsides to this place is that it's hard to find the entrance and there's no signs, it's pricey and not exactly worth it, and related to that, the chips are d finitely something that comes out of a Costco bag and not homemade. For some that is $15-18 I def expected high quality or homemade chips. The positives, the drinks were amazing, especially at happy hour prices! The equities were great as were the taquitos that smell more like truffle than it tastes like, so don't be scared! The salsa were also very good. Would definitely come back again for an important girls day or date night :) read more

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First off, service was superb! Friendly, patient and truly listened to our thoughts on the place and food. Jorge, Logan and Sergio were all iconic, 10/10! I loved the margarita flights! Also try the salsas! A must visit! read more

Cantina Monarca - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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Amazing night out! The atmosphere was great, the drinks were on point, and the service really made the experience. Our bartenders Jorge and Felix were fantastic; super friendly, attentive, and clearly know their craft. They made us feel welcome from the moment we sat down and kept the good vibes going all night. Definitely a place we'll be coming back to. Highly recommend! Buena onda todos! read more

Cantina Monarca - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

My wife and I went here after walking by. It looked very fun. We went in and sat at the bar. Jorge the bartender was amazing. Very nice and helped us with menu and drink options. The drinks and tacos were out of this world. I definitely recommend this place - especially for couples who want to try something new and fun. read more

This place is beautiful inside. Had a dinner date here with my girlfriends. Service was amazing, our server was so attentive and sweet. My friends and I all ordered the margarita flight with different choices. I realllly enjoyed the spicy pepino and the melon belo I ordered after. For food; we ordered the salsa trio to share and tacos. I got the sea bass and asada primo. Both were so flavorful and delicious but the sea bass tacos was my favorite between the two. We had a great time here! Will definitely be back. read more

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3.5 Stars. Ambiance 4 Stars. Beautiful decor, seating, bar. Though still have not been upstairs yet, sitting in main floor has always had a feeling of being in another country in a more upscale setting. Certainly a great place to host visitors, business, or dates. Though seating capacity and size of restaurant was smaller then I expected (expect it to be wider), its definitely worth it for just ambiance. Food 3.5 Stars, very decent but not great. This visit I ordered 3 a la carte tacos, the Wagyu, Sea Bass, and Chicken, all solid, presentation was great as usual, and satisfied. The guac appetizer comes in a super chilled stone bowl, its almost too cold but gives it a very fresh appeal and its nice. Price 3.2 Stars, a bit much, but understand, you have to pay for the location and ambiance. For example this lunch we had 8 people and it was $700+. A great time, good food, and better ambiance. read more

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Go to wild ginger!!! I called to see what the wait list time was for walk ins at cantina and the person who answered the phone said bar was first come first service. My husband and I drive down to the mall and when we got to the restaurant my husband checked the bar and a gentleman said for us to sit down but the front desk girl Stephanie said they had a wait list for the bar? The staff obviously was not on the same page but we ended up having dinner upstairs at wild ginger and the staff was amazing and the food was outstanding. read more

Super cool venue/atmosphere food was good, not memorable Armature staff, maybe I'm a little old school but always appreciate professionals. Would have been nice to know that there was a happy hour going when we got there, could have tried a lot more things Premixed cocktails which is a turn off for me read more

Expensive but you are paying for the location and vibe. Food was 3.5/5 but while I love Mexican food can't quite get behind upscale Mexican. Next time I might be less adventurous and just get the classics like enchiladas. We tried all of the tacos and found them a bit too "extra" and found ourselves instead wishing we were eating street tacos in SoCal. Rice and beans were solid though. And I will say the horchata was perfection, as was the salsa served with the chips. Also top notch service. Wonderful ambiance, great energy and is be a perfect date spot. I actually would overall still recommend this place for the right occasion, so long as you know what to expect. read more

Highly recommend to make a reservation before you go. We went on a Thursday evening and it was crowded. The ambiance is amazing. Very different from the usual restaurants. We were seated upstairs. We ordered non alcoholic beverages lychee tamarindo and hibiscus drink. Both were delicious. We ordered corn starter as recommended by the waiter. It was good and cheesy but the portion size felt too tiny.We also ordered veggie taco ..it's like make ur own taco kind of plate. It comes in as 1 taco.As I requested no meat I felt it was bit too bland with no sauces but it came with cilantro chilli dip which was watery on a taco. The fish enchiladas were good and tasted good with sauces. For the price I would say the quantity could be more. But as it's fine dining type of service one should go with "less is more " kind of expectation. But would recommend to try. read more

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came here to celebrate a birthday and they gave us icecream complimentary for the birthday girl and a note! ordered the baja fish taco and wagyu - fish one was nice and wagyu meat was ok. also ordered chips and salsa and free refill on the chips. park in the parking garage and they can validate for you. read more

Cantina Monarca - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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The food was okay for me, nothing spectacular, but the real highlights were the beautiful plating, stunning interior design, and amazing ambiance. And huge props to Daniel for exceptional service! read more

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Amazing experience!! I came in for a little family reunion and had such a great time!! The atmosphere felt upscale yet welcoming, and every detail--from the food to the service--was thoughtfully executed. The dishes were beautifully presented, full of bold, authentic flavors, and clearly made with high-quality ingredients. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful-it's such an experience. I would 1000% recommend the Baja Sea bass taco, I think it had apple coleslaw or something but it's AMAZING. I come back just for this taco and I can never get enough. A huge shoutout to our server Lokesh, who truly made the experience exceptional. He was incredibly helpful, knowledgeable about the menu, and took the time to offer great recommendations. His professionalism and warm personality made us feel well taken care of the entire night. Also, special thanks to Manager Logan, who was absolutely awesome and generous. His attentiveness and genuine hospitality really stood out and elevated the overall experience even more. If you're looking for an outstanding Mexican restaurant with amazing food and top-tier service in Bellevue, Cantina Monarca is a must-visit. We'll definitely be back! read more

Great atmosphere, friendly service, and a spot I'll definitely be coming back to. If you're looking for good food and great margaritas, this place is it! read more

Came for an early lunch on a Saturday. Food, drink, and atmosphere were incredible, but our server Becca was the highlight. Professional, personable, and very knowledgeable about the menu. We literally ended up coming back later that day because Becca was so inviting. Highly recommend. read more

The Birria taco was stellar. Enjoyed the traditional guacamole. The salsa was semi sweet and smoky. Carne asada was hard for me to chew through but we deconstructed it and the toppings were awesome. Fried sea bass was tasty. Dessert was fun, whimsical and really tasty. bosque magico white wine poched apple, cinnamon allspice brulee, cilantro sponge cake, chèvre, berry purée, almond crumble, huckleberry ice cream, grandeza fog The service was good, and decor was chic and unusual. Upstairs had additional seating and was in the shape of an L which makes it quaint but usable for smaller gatherings. Like a small birthday celebration of 10-12. A little pricey but would come back. read more

Made a reservation which I am glad we did because it was busy! We started with the queso which was the perfect temperature and had great flavor. We tried 3 different tacos and tlayuda. Personally I felt the asada tacos were alright, lacked in flavor compared to quesabirria and el Rey. The tlayuda was delicious, we got it with birria and it is a good dish to share! Their horchata was also amazing! Cute date night spot, would come back! read more

Cantina Monarca - Quesabirria Taco on left and El Rey taco on the right - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bellevue, Washington

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The food and service is amazing. The ambience makes you feel like you are somewhere else and is very stylish. I love coming here. read more

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

Updated review. Been back a few times now and have pretty much tried all of their a la carte gourmet tacos. Here's my primary takeaways: * the Baja sea bass is a staple and a must try. That's the one taco that I get every single time. * the new lengua (beef tongue) taco was another standout and I'll be getting that again as well. * the guacamole with the watermelon was pretty amazing. * their corn esquites is also pretty amazing. * their salsa is good but for more heat ask for some of their spicier options. We'll likely return! read more

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Walked in on Thursday night with my partner, no reservation, and we waited for just about 7 minutes to be seated which was great. We planned to grab a drink before meeting up with friends. Highly recommended to grab some cocktails! If we had more time we would've definitely opted for the margarita flight which looked amazing (you get to choose 3 flavors out of 5). Our server was super friendly and helpful. Loveee the overall vibe and ambiance. I'll be back to try their food for sure! read more

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