I will definitely keep looking for a Peruvian restaurant that serves authentic Peruvian food! Because it's an insult as Peruvian to go to a place where they don't have respect for our cuisine and change the dishes however they want without honoring one of the best cuisine of the world, and cuisine that support you and your whole family. You guys are just moved for more profit not caring at all about the quality of the food! According to you you have 4.4 stars of 2,700 reviews, jajaja, everyone know that businesses ask family, friends, employees to write fake reviews. I don't think the people In The Bay Area have such a horrendous taste about food! And if they like it, they definitely don't know real and authentic Peruvian food! read more

Taya was an amazing server and the food was outstanding. Thanks for such a great experience.

Greeted by Taya, our delightful waitress. Service was fabulous, food was delicious and special cocktails were amazing. This was my first time at El Mono however I have had Peruvian food numerous times in San Jose, bur I have to say, this was the best! The calamari and yucca fried were great starters ! We enjoyed them with our cocktails, an Inti and a Chilcano. We then moved on to our entrees, Tapado a la Pobre and the Lomo Saltado. Generous portions and awesome service! Thank you so much Taya! We shall return! read more

Amazing food, ambiance, service! Really reminded me of Perú!! As a Peruvian, I love it. read more

El Mono - Maracuya and Inti - Peruvian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

We ate here tonight in honor of my late friend, De Anza HS Principal! I relived my memories with you. Amazing food and service. Feels like home too. Ambiance is comfortable... I like that I am not rushed. Thank you El Mono staff and Marlene! read more

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Parking: There is a free shared parking lot with other businesses in the area, but beware the parking spots are very tight. There is also street parking available Arrival: Had a reservation at 6:15 pm on a Friday. We were greeted immediately upon arrival and we picked a table where there was a live salsa musician playing. That section was loud, exciting, and a total vibe! You scan their QR code for the menu. Manuel and his team were all super friendly and attentive. We had all of our menu questions answered, which helped us place our order quickly. Food came out in a timely manner and it was delicious! We also came to celebrate a birthday and they brought out a treat! The staff and musician sang, which made the birthday special. What we tried: (from favorite to good) * Seco de Res- The food was savory from the beans to the meat. Meat was super tender and it was a regular sized meal. * Steak N' Onions (added mushrooms and shrimp)- Had lots of flavor, good portion, and steak was juicy. * Lomo saltado- Meat tasted really good, but a little on the chewy side. The sauce was very tasteful, fries were perfect (they were between a crispy and soft texture), a regular sized portion. * Peruvian Paella- Really big portion and taste was satisfying. Had a good variety of seafood, but beware there are bits of shells throughout the rice so chew with caution. Other items ordered: * Lemon margaritas blended- 10/10 was not watered down. Happy hour is Mon-Fri from 5-7 * Maracuya- non-alcoholic passion fruit drink was really rich in flavor, but very sweet * Lucuma Ice Cream- Super rich and creamy with a caramel taste You can sign up with your phone number to receive coupons and accumulate points as well! The only bad part of the experience was that the sun was setting on a hot day directly onto the 2 tables near the window. The Patrons and the musician were SWEATING after being in direct sunlight during the visit. I hope they put up sunshades or window tint in the future to make the experience be perfect. It was our first time here and we loved it! We will be back! read more

El Mono - Left to right: Peruvian paella, Steak N' Onions (mushroom and shrimp added), Lomo Saltado, Seco de Res - Peruvian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

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Love coming here to eat good food. Niueka was our server and she was friendly and attentive. Definitely get the miti miti drink!

The food was so tasty! And Taya gave us excellent dessert recommendations. The Lomo Saltado was a highlight

Excellent service. Matt went above and beyond in making sure to correct a slight inconvenience and miscommunication in our orders. Terrific customer service and communication. read more

Tried the Peruvian corn nuts and homemade sauce extremely amazing. The chica sample was yummmy tastes a bit like hibiscus and cinnamon. Also love the ambiance. Looks so pretty inside a lot of Peruvian artwork. I love the color of the interior of the restaurant. Food was DELICIOUS! the food was so fresh. Loved everything we ordered. read more

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We had my sister's birthday lunch here. The food was delicious and our server, Taya was fantastic!

El Mono is one of my favorite places in the Bay. The staff is always so kind & accommodating but this visit was like no other. Taya is phenomenal and made feel like I was at home. She was so attentive and sincere. She also made me the best Maracuya Sour that I'd ever had. I truly appreciate her and will definitely be returning! read more

Amazing! Manuel and Marlena were among hosts. Get off the highway and come to the this location. First time, but won't the last! read more

El Mono - Seafood Paella - Peruvian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Too pricey and very basic for what they charge many better options in the area . Food was decent at that

Nice Peruvian spot tucked in a small unassuming business / apartment center. The food comes out fresh and hot, The lomo saltado has good flavor and paella was pretty good not great. Lacked seafood. I would come back and try other options. read more

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Have been to El Mono in El Cerrito a few times now. My favorite is the roasted chicken. I get a side of plantains - with the dipping sauce it is a taste explosion. I usually get the chimichurri sauce as well for the chicken. read more

Varied menú - pescado al achiote -fillet was small compared to fried filet peruano at lower cost. Papa a la huancaina. Waitress did not mention lucuma ice cream. Expensive. $50.00 without alcohol read more

We came here last minute and were greeted by the staff. Marlene was our waitress and she was super sweet and nice! Food was overall great! We had the causa acevichada which is my favorite and the ceviche de pescado. read more

I brought my parents here a few years back and have returned alone and as part of a group of six. It's an unassuming, cute little spot with a surprisingly wide variety of veggie and vegan offerings. I've had the veggie chaufa twice (with a fried egg). It's really delicious and is filling without feeling greasy or starchy. I've also had the green-beans dish and sampled some of my fellow diners' pasta-and-mushrooms entree. On my first two visits here, it was quite a while before we were able to place our orders. After that, though, the service sped up and continued apace. There was absolutely no wait when I came with the big group. All of the employees are friendly and are more than willing to explain different items on the menu to you. Whether you have questions or need family-style suggestions, the servers are patient and cheerful, and you never get the feeling that you're taking up too much time. The prices are on the high end and don't seem to take into account how much the ingredients cost. Once again, we vegetarians subsidize the meat eaters. Yes, some of the meat dishes cost significantly more than the veggie dishes, but why is shrimp so cheap here? (It seems to be costlier to add a single egg to a dish than to add a bunch of shrimp.) It's definitely a lovely and unexpected place, and you can tell the owners take pride in their beautiful, clean restaurant. read more

Our server Marlene was great, made a great rec for the paella. The food was so satisfying and portions are generous.

Food is very good and the service friendly and attentive. The waitress, Taya Parsian who has been waiting on me is exactly that and then some ... read more

Brief Summary: - Beautiful dishes - Menu is viewed by a QR code - Food portions; appears light but it is hefty - Indoor and outdoor seating available - I had their coffee, the coffee is not sour We entered soon after they opened around lunch time. We requested to eat inside, so the staff guided us to one of the cool corner booths. On the wall beside us there is a really cute tapestry of an alpaca or llama that also appear to be created by the alpaca fur? I held my temptation to touch it for there was also a sign beside it to keep hands off. I respected that warning memo and focused on the order. There are QR codes placed on each table, so I got out my phone and viewed it. I love how each menu name contains a photo image, so we can match what we had in mind. The one we decided to eat were the lomo saltado and the Tapado a lo Pobre. The staff came by and took our order. Minutes afterwards they served us a small bowl of what reminded me of corn nuts, but better. The kernels were airy and crispy and it also wasn't jaw breaking hard. This was a good snack to eat while waiting, although the dishes arrived after only taking about 10 or so kernel pieces. Both dishes arrived at the same time and there was a moment of me taking photos because both were placed very nicely. I loved the rice plate formed into a pyramid, a very cute and impactful presentation. The lomo saltado tastes how I envisioned it to taste like. I love how the potatoes were cut like fries so it was easy to eat with the beef and vegetables cut in the same style. The sauce seasoning was just right; and I also think the rice to the protein ratio was even, so one portion was not leftover. It was my first time to try the Tapado a lo Pobre, and genuinely ordered this one for how beautiful it looked. It was like a savory tiramisu with a blend of beef and olives sandwiched between two plateaus of rice. A sunny side up egg is placed on top. It also comes with a tin cup of what tasted like olive oil and an herb. Pouring this over the dish helped cut off the fat to our surprise. There were two pieces of platanes, in which I ate because I like them more than my relative. While the dish looks small, this one is a heftier dish. I would recommend sharing this another person because this can fill you up pretty quickly. read more

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Friendly and welcoming team. The food was ok. The place was clean and inviting. My daughter liked her salchipapas. read more

Food and service was great. Had fried plantain and Yuca, ceviche and fried fish.  Food came out quickly. read more

El Mono - Chimichuri Steak sandwich - Peruvian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Todo muy rico la comida deliciosa y el servicio excelente de Marixa y niurka :) el ambiente agradable y tranquilo

Taya, our server was absolutely amazing! She was friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the entire meal. Her positive attitude truly made our experience enjoyable. Excellent service -- we will definitely be coming back! read more

El Mono - Tallarin Verde con Lomo and Poor man's steak - Peruvian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Lively vibes with live entertainment that can get a bit loud, which the staff do warn you about staying away from the right side of the restaurant if the noise will bother you. Chupe de Camarones $25 - this was a good choice for me. A tomato-based shrimp chowder over rice with a poached egg. 3.5/5 stars. Michelada - a bit spicy and very watered down Bloody Mary is how I would describe it. I would have liked a lot more tomato flavor. It was $15 and a big drink for 1 person. read more

El Mono - Chupe de Camarones - Peruvian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

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Taya was excellent. Friendly and knowledgeable about her menu. You're coming back for this great service and food soon. read more

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Food was sooo good. Amazing actually. Marlene our waitress did an awesome job as well. The chicken was solid, I'd give it a 9/10. But the beef was sooo good, especially with that special green sauce. Nom nom. 10/10 easily. Best Peruvian restaurant hands down. Can't wait to go back. read more

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Food is so good but the drinks really got me!! (I think I was just extra thirsty today) I loved the Peruvian non alcoholic michelada! My friends had the fresh limonada and the spearmint lemonade and they were both so great too! So even though we got non alcoholic drinks, I'm assuming the alcoholic ones would also be good! Marlene our server was very sweet too. I can't wait to try more dishes! The restaurant is very clean and a calm environment. read more

Olé the food and the service. Thank you Niurka and Dani for your service you guys are great. Thank you Antonio and Pablo my food was so delicious! read more

Again, a great dinner. Had multiple appetizers, as well as the Chaufa de Carne, Tallarin de Carne, and the Peruvian Paella. Also had the chicha and the miti miti. All delicious. The service was great, as well. And it was music night! Must go again. read more

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We had a great time! The beef heart skewers and passion fruit mousse were particularly good items

Pricey spot for dinner but well worth it for the flavor. The ceviche was amazing, the lomo saltado even better, and my favorite was definitely the paella. Manuel was an excellent server who recommended the fresh passionfruit juice made in house, and it was the perfect addition to our meal. He was welcoming and made sure that our first time having El Mono would now be our last. The decorations feel homey, and it wasn't too busy when we visited for a week day date night. Recommend if you're willing to pay at least $50 per person to enjoy all this amazing food. read more

Came back for Hubby's birthday and Mother's Day weekend. The food was Chefs kiss as usual. It never disappoints! We made sure to get a reservation because it's busy. The service was great and I loved the live music they had. One of the few places that has good live music and it isn't blaring loud. Mayra, Manuel and Bella are always the best! We can't wait to come back again for more delish, quality, EXCELLENT food! By far one of my favorite places in the East Bay read more

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Such a wonderful place to dine. The service and the food were amazing. This was our second time having Peruvian food with my partner and we are definitely fans. 10/10 would recommend! read more

We came to el mono for lunch for my mom's birthday. Marlene was very accommodating and friendly as we had multiple requests for additional sauces and utensils. The cooks Pablo and Jose made delicious lomo saltado. read more

Wonderful service, atmosphere, and food! I had the Aji De Gallina and it was superb -- so flavorful, light, and tasty. Everything we tried hit the spot. Will definitely be returning soon! read more

El Mono - Aji de Gallina - Peruvian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

They might be a bit short staffed but they sat us right away, even without a reservation. Food was amazing, as always. Taya, Karina y Dani were awesome and so friendly! read more

Thank you so much Tuty, Marlen and Manual for the great services, always satisfied with the delicious food!!!