Always delicious and Taya and Marlene were great! Tried the soup for the first time...yum! read more

The manager here deserves praise. He has the perfect temperament to do the job he's doing. My meal did take a little long to come out, but I ordered paella, so I always expect it to take time. The manager was tracking ticket times, discretely nudging his kitchen (which seemed short staffed, but was still pumping out good food), and was providing solutions for his staff and customers. The two servers I saw working were pleasant and attentive, and were discretely communicating things to the manager so he could do what he needed to in order to keep customers satisfied. The meal I had was really good (seafood paella), there was a tiny bit more grit than I would have wanted in my seafood, but with the amount of seafood they provided I wasn't bothered. I also got a chance to try the passionfruit/blue corn drink they offer which was really refreshing and the perfect sweetness for me. read more

Our first time here and definitely coming back! The restaurant has its own parking lot and is spacious with indoor and outdoor dining options. Inside, the ambiance and decor were nice. Our server Christian was so friendly and welcoming. He gave recommendations and checked in several times. For food and drinks, we ordered the Yuca Frites, Lomo Saltado, Peruvian Paella, Miti Miti and Spearmint Limonada. Everything was delicious and I'd order them all again. I especially appreciated that you can adjust the sweetness of the Limonadas. read more

See all

Good food, good service, very friendly staffs, Matt, Criss, Niurka, I will come again

First time trying out this restaurant and had an enjoyable dining experience. The ambiance was chill with good lighting. Service was delightful (shout out to Christian for personable and welcoming service)! Drinks: - limonada 10/10, no notes - virgin michelada 8/10, tasty overall but rimmed glass barely had salt or held in place Food: - yuca fritas 7/10, tasty but a bit too heavy/dense - grilled octopus 10/10, perfect balance of charred flavor with firm texture but not chewy - Peruvian paella 7/10, tasty and good portion even for a single serving (forgot to take a pic) Overall: 8/10, looking forward to trying other dishes in the future read more

See all

The waiter Chris went above and beyond to make sure my friend and I knew what we were ordering as it was our first time here. My friend has severe allergies to citrus-- The owner Mat came over and put her mind at ease. The food was perfectly cooked and served beautifully!!! They checked on us frequently-- which was very much appreciated!!!!! read more

I live in the area and have driven by way to may times. This time I stopped and WOW!! I am so glad I did. Let me start by walking in. Criss welcomed us and said we are in the right place for Peruvian food and he was so right. The food was authentic and so full of flavor. Matt was our server and was great with his suggestions! Niurka always checked in on us and made sure everything was good. 10/10. Chefs kiss all around. I look forward to exploring the menu on my most definite next visits!! Gracias!! read more

July 19. 2025 1:30 pm 2.9 stars. A conscientious server saved the day. A wise diner once said "If you're craving something in particular, don't go to some place that you've never been to before." Wiser words than this have never been uttered. After reading some misleadingly good Yelp reviews and ignoring a few bad ones, we were off for the first time to El Mono. I planned to share my wife's dreamed about rotisserie chicken with her and a fried calamari plate. At the last minute my son joined us and had an Angus burger and Yucca fries. We dined family style. When we arrived, we decided to sit outside to avoid the din of diners chatting over slightly too loud mood music. The setting outside felt a bit like a parking lot covered with a roof though. Some dying plants, a bit of litter about. Cold breeze and traffic noise blowing through. It definitely does not feel like a "dining out experience". We chose to take our chances with the indoor din. Inside, Mono is very cheerful. The bright wooden tables all look inviting. The staff moving around with their hello's and smiles. A charming server, Bella, with her smile and a warm welcome, brings us home made corn nuts to snack on. We place our order and within 20 minutes we are snacking on a suprisingly large, tasty plate of calamari and enjoying, for our first time, yucca. We snack about 15 more minutes and our half chicken with rice and salad is here. The salad is covered with onions. I'm allergic and will skip that. The chicken looks pretty interesting. I wonder what makes rotisserie chicken that color? And then all dining Hell, at first slowly, and then like hurricane, breaks loose. As my wife is wrestling to cut the both of us portions of chicken, I see my son's burger coming towards us and I notify him. Wait. What? I'm wrong? The server (not Bella) turns left with a burger and heads to another table. That table rejects it and the server takes it back to the kitchen. She has a discussion and 15 seconds later, here she comes with that burger again and she gives it to my son. The Angus burger looks like a masterpiece. Two huge meat patties. Veggies and melted cheese. They even threw a fried egg and I think fried plantain in there. Some new customers with a dog arrive and sit at the next table. Is this damn place Dog Friendly? My wife is afraid of "those filthy biters" . The puppy is on a leash at least. Good. The woman let's the leash out. The dog comes towards my wife and I had to yelp at the mother of the fur baby to pull her child in. Bad. Now my wife has conquered that chicken and I take a bite of the drumstick. It tastes like S**T. Too much SALT. I'm not talking KFC or Popeye's chicken salty. I'm talking almost salt it up so it will stay preserved without refrigeration salty. Now my wife loves to put salt on everything. She thinks soy sauce is an every day spice and even she says it's too salty and won't eat it. Ok. I'll skip the chicken and eat the rice and some of my son's beef that he pulled out of the thick burger. I chew the beef. What?! It's way too Salty. My son says it is the saltiest burger he has had in his lifetime. I decide to eat the rice. Take a bite and it tastes ok. How can plain white rice be salty right? I take another bite and strike three on the food. It is not salty but there is some very unpleasant (to me) sauce under and soaking into the rice. Our party is finished eating and the three of us are chatting. I'm feeling a little annoyed but I dont want to take it out on Bella. She seems to be the best thing about this place. I excused myself to use the one restroom. It is a "choose your own sex" restroom. Darn. Its occupied. I walk back toward my table and see a female employee exit the restroom. I go in. The restroom floor is littered with many formally good but now waisted eighth inch thick piles of seat liners. I look at the toilet and Crap! Some woman has hovered over the seat leaving -well you know. I dont know if that exiting employee was the culprit but she sure as hell should have remedied the situation. I hunt Bella down and in a calm shaking voice explain about the chicken, the burger, and that hoverer. Bella springs into action and takes care of everything. Her employer should have several more like her. First she gave heartfelt apologies for shoddy work that wasn't her fault. Next, she quickly assembled a team to clean up after the hoverer. Then she comps the two s**ty dishes even though I told her earlier I wasn't after that, and brings us two delicious complementary deserts. Flan and some fancy ice cream. Lastly, she also smartly gave each of us a ticket for a free appetizer on our next visit. We gave all tickets to our son. It is highly unlikely I will be back with my family but my son might go with his friends. On our way out, in come more customers with another canine fur baby. read more

See all

First time here! Place has a great vibe and is family-run which makes feel super friendly when you come in. Couldn't go wrong with the Pescado Frito and Lomo Saltado. The fish had a light flaky crust pickled with a nice pickled red onion slaw. Of course the main star was the Lomo Saltado! What I enjoyed especially is that the fries didn't get too soggy which tends to happen at other places. Important to note that our serve Roovan was super friendly and checked in whenever we needed something. Definitely will come back here! read more

Hubby and I came on an early weeknight to try El Mono at their Berkeley location. It's located on the tail end of 4th street with plenty of parking and outdoor patio seating. It seemed like you needed a reservation to sit in the main dining area, but we got a table immediately despite just walking in. We ordered a sampler for the appetizer, with my husband getting the steak for his main. I got the individual sized paella, which was packed full of seafood and had enough food for two. The rice was slightly overcooked but the flavor was on point. I'd love to come back again to try the other menu items! read more

See all

My best friend and I got together for my early birthday celebration. We'd dined at El Mono in the past and enjoyed having exposure to Peruvian food. So we thought, why not try their new location? We both preferred this one for many reasons! My best friend and I arrived at the opening on a weekday. We were one of a few customers but over time more folks came in. The layout of the restaurant is quite spacious and well-lit. There's a bar at the front and ample tables for all parties. Plus a nice outdoor patio. Service was fine. You look at the menu through the QR code but a worker will take your order. From there, your food will be brought out to you but you won't have many interactions or be checked on. My only note was my napkin provided was dirty and there was a plant in my water glass. Since we came in the afternoon, we both got the Lunch Special. I opted for the Aguadito Soup as my side and Tallarin de Camarones. My soup was wonderful and soothing, with lots of tender pieces of chicken and a perfect cilantro ratio. My pasta I also enjoyed. Decent amount of shrimp but a unique sauce--savory yet sweet! My best friend enjoyed her meal as well. For those who like Peruvian food, El Mono is worth a visit. I like this location more off Fourth Street and Gilman Ave. for space and free parking in their lot compared to their spot in El Cerrito. read more

See all

Good food and service! Try it all! Welcome and attentive except for a broken glass. All good.

Everything was delicious and service by Christian was super welcoming. Spacious and easy parking in the back. read more

El Mono - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Amazing ambiance, extremely welcoming. Matt is so courteous and professional. Food was out quick and it was an explosion of taste. Their ceviche mixto is fresh, well seasoned and just overall delicious. Had to have fried yuca and chicha to finish with a bang. Great for dining alone or big parties. Come try El Mono, you will find a new favorite spot in Berkeley. read more

El Mono - Ceviche mixto, Yuca Frita (5 pcs) (Lunch), and chicha. - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is a hidden gem! The food quality is amazing, the service is excellent, and the ambiance is spot on. We've came here a couple of times, and have always been greeted with familiar faces -- Matt and Christian are awesome host. The crowd is diverse and is a welcoming community. This is our go-to place for Peruvian food in Berkeley. read more

Food is amazing, authentic, well balanced flavors. All Hail the Causa! Antonio's pescado is Devine! Atmosphere is pleasant. The service is good although slightly slow. We will be back! read more

Great food and service by Christian. The green sauce is amazing. The ceviche was fresh and delicious. read more

Great food and great service! We had the cevice, limo saltado, and octopus. Everything was amazing. Thank you Matt for taking care of our party! read more

I had Peruvian food for the first time at El Mono with my family. We were very impressed by the flavor and the friendly staff. We ordered yucca fries, lomo saltado, arroz con pollo, and chupe de camarones. The chupe de camarones was our favorite. This is a creamy shrimp chowder that was rich and comforting and it was perfect with the rice. The yucca fries were also delicious I just wish there was more! The restaurant is nice and clean and the staff was very friendly. I can't wait to go back to to try more seafood dishes! read more

See all

First time trying El Mono. Some of the dishes were good, while others were okay. I came with friends and I got to try a few dishes. There is a parking lot at the restaurant which is very convenient. The staff is friendly and attentive. Now for the food: -My favorite dish was the Yuca Frita 5/5: these were delicious! Not oily and just right. The dish came with a delightful chili aioli sauce. -Lomo Saltado 4/5: This was my dish. It came with rice, fries and angus steak cooked in a tomato sauce. The sauce was very flavorful, and the fries were crunchy. However, this dish tasted more like steak with tomatoes; still tasty, just different from what I've had at other places. I could choose between a soup or salad to go with the dish and I chose the soup. It was delicious! -Ceviche 3/5: this was ok. It was a bit bland, and it needed more lemon. -Tallarin Verde con Pollo 4/5: My friend had this dish, and it was good but very dense. The noodles came with a green sauce and chicken, using the same tomato sauce as my dish. It came in a large skillet, so this is perfect for sharing or taking some home. I would order this. It was good! -Drinks: we had a Maracuya 3/5, this would have been delicious if it wasn't too sweet. I had to add a bit of water to dilute the drink. Chicha 3/5, same as the other drink. It has a good flavor but it is too sweet. Overall, I had some good dishes here and tasted some ok ones. If I come back, I would try the tallarines. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here but if I am craving some of the dishes, I would still give it a try. read more

See all

We had a great experience at El Mono. The Peruvian Paella was full of flavor, the rotisserie chicken was juicy and perfectly seasoned, and both the Chicha and Maracuya drinks were refreshing and delicious. Taya was amazing, very friendly, welcoming, and attentive throughout our visit. Her positive energy made the experience even better. Highly recommend this place if you want fresh and authentic Peruvian food in Berkeley! Thanks Taya Habibi read more

We were visiting from Los Angeles and decided to stop here on our way to the Redwoods. I was especially excited because my boyfriend had never tried Peruvian food before and as someone who loves it, I was really looking forward to introducing him to the flavors. If I'm being honest, the experience didn't quite blow me away. The food was okay, but not something I'd go out of my way to return for. The portion sizes were fair and everything we tried was fine, but it just lacked that "wow" factor I usually associate with Peruvian cuisine. Service was also just okay not bad at all, and I want to acknowledge that the staff were very polite, but it didn't feel particularly warm or memorable either. Definitely not the worst but nothing that stood out. All in all, I'm still glad we stopped by and gave it a try, but for me personally, it wouldn't be a must-stop next time. That said, it might still be a nice option if you're craving something different while passing through. read more

Had a wonderful meal and experience for dinner. All the dishes were excellent and ample. Space is very nice and easy parking in the lot. Service was good and servers all friendly. Our only challenge was deciding what to order as there was maybe a bit too much on the menu, but it all sounded good. read more

Everything was perfect! The staff that served us, Criss, Matt, and Niurka were so welcoming, friendly, and helpful! Criss gave us an amazing suggestion to try the seco de cordero and it was absolutely delicious and great portions. The ambiance was relaxing and they had the World Cup games playing. We will absolutely be back! read more

El Mono - Seco de cordero - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

i love lomo saltado so i decided to stop by el mono, and I have no regrets! The lomo saltado was perfectly flavorful and balanced, especially with the addition of the green sauce! The seafood paella was gigantic, packed with seafood, and bursting with flavor. I also ordered the passion fruit juice which was divine. i want to go back already! ps free parking lot!! read more

El Mono - Lomo Saltado - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

The new Berkely location has the same family feel as the main El Cerrito restaurant. When you walk in, you see the familiar faces of the staff, all smiling to greet you. The food is the same at both locations. Large portions, full of flavor, and prepared to order. Go check them out!! read more

See all

Our waiter Cristian was amazing! The food, service, and overall experience were all excellent. The prices are reasonable, and honestly, everything on the menu looked so good that it was hard to decide what to order! read more

El Mono - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

If you're reading this come check out this spot. The food was delicious and the service was delightful. The paella was 10/10 ! It was sizzling hot with fresh. The Lomo Salado 8/10, good flavor and presentation. Only downside was it came out a lukewarm warm. Christian provided 10/10 service. Everyone inside was kind. Come check out this location. read more

The food is amazing. I've door dashed here and decided to take my dad in person. Dnt forget to order a chicha sangria :)

We had such a great experience at El Mono in Berkeley, and a big part of that was our server Matt. From the moment we sat down, Matt was welcoming, attentive, and clearly passionate about the menu. He took the time to walk us through some of the dishes and made great recommendations without making us feel rushed. We ordered the Peruvian paella, the lomo saltado, and the pesto pasta, and every dish was delicious. The paella was packed with flavor and perfectly cooked, the lomo saltado had that amazing savory sauce with tender steak, and the pesto pasta was fresh and comforting. You can really tell the kitchen cares about the food here. Matt checked in on us at just the right moments, kept our drinks filled, and made the whole experience feel relaxed and fun. Service like that makes a big difference when you're dining out. If you go, definitely ask for Matt -- he'll take great care of you. We'll absolutely be back! read more

El Mono - the Peruvian paella, the lomo saltado, and the pesto pasta - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

El Mono is hands down one of the best Peruvian spots I've been to. Everything we ordered hit, but the ceviche alone is worth the visit - super fresh, bright, perfectly citrusy, and just the right amount of heat. You can tell they know exactly what they're doing. The rotisserie chicken was insanely good, juicy, flavorful, with that perfect crispy skin. Paired with the fried yuca (crispy on the outside, soft on the inside) and the plantains (sweet, caramelized, and addictive), it was one of those meals where you don't want it to end. Shoutout to Christian, our server, who made the whole experience even better, super friendly, and attentive. Service was great, vibe was relaxed, and the food absolutely delivered. Will 100% be back. read more

Highlights: good service, amazing ceviche The causa and anticuchos were also really good. read more

Really great food, glad there is a Peruvian restaurant near by. We had the ceviche mixto, lomo and caamarones saltados and it was all good. My kids shared the pesto spaghetti with chicken and it was all hoemade. Would recommend for families. read more

El Mono - Camarones saltados - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

There are so many restaurants in this Berkeley area, and we chose El Mono to celebrate our 53rd wedding anniversary dinner. Taya and Christian, our servers, were awesome! The food was fabulous! Exceeded our expectations. We will spread the word to our family and friends! read more

See all

I remember rolling up to their original location right after we moved to the east bay. It was a great experience for us in this strange and wonderful new town. I love this place and the family vibes - I may still be partial to their first spot, but am happy they're growing. BB read more

First time here, and it was amazing! We ordered Patacones, Anticuchos and Lomo Saltado. Beef and chicken were so soft and jucy. Christian (our server) was very kind and attentive, asking us regulary if we need something else, but not disturbing. The atmosphere was chill and family friendly, perfect for a gathering with family and friends. read more

El Mono - Lomo Saltado - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

We had been to El Mono in it's old location, the new location is wonderful. We were served by Christian who did a great job, made us feel welcome and helped me with my terrible pronunciation. The food is the star as always, with a few new items added. I really like their new location and will be back. read more

Thank you for having for having such a welcome and inviting atmosphere on Valentine's Day!!!! We were welcomed seated and treated sooooooo well on such a busy day!' Teya was our server.... And ohhhhmygoah what a sweet and beautiful gem' thank youuuuu for your wonderful 5 star service you are truly appreciated!!! We hope to have you as our Server when we return!! Happy love day!!!! read more

Had an amazing meal at El Mono. The flavors were on point, and we were impressed with the portions. Christian is a fantastic server. We will be back. read more

El Mono - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food was great, we got the ceviche with fish, Pesto N' Steak, Estofado de Pollo, and Lomo Saltado. And our server Christian was nice and friendly! read more

El Mono - (Left to right) Pesto N' Steak, Estofado de Pollo, Lomo Saltado - Peruvian Near Me - Berkeley, California