Stayed at Hotel ZaZa for a bachelorette party weekend, we started the evening with dinner at Monarch. I ordered the sea bass and it was delicious. No complaints, our waiter was very attentive and very friendly. Great experience. read more

Erica, girl....you make one of the best Manhattan's we've ever had. and...also my extra dirty belvy with blue cheese olives. and your twist on the French 75 cocktail. many a drunken night thanks to you!! you're just my most favorite bartender ever. i can get you a job in chicago if you want to ever get out of Houston!! :) read more

My boyfriend and I wanted to try something different to eat, since we usually go to the same spots. We went on 7-6-13 so I'm assuming it was dead do to people being out of town for the 4th holiday. The patio is closed in and the A.C. is on but they can open the shades if you ask. If feels more like a patio when the shades are open to me.I ordered the crab cakes for $32 and my BF ordered the Chicken for $21. My crab cakes were not worth $32 dollars. Plus it was served with pickled veggies and a cold bean veggie mix. My BF chicken was served with sauteed spinach but the food was extremely salty to the point were he couldn't eat it. For the price of the food I would expect better quality. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. read more

Delicious brunch in a very classy but comfortable space. Their organic breakfast drinks that pair great with mimosa. The brunch menu is simple and varied! I've never been disappointed. It's worth the $30 to $40 you'll spend so take your time and enjoy your company. read more

Monarch - Chocolate chip pancakes with blueberry glaze. - New American Near Me - Houston, Texas

The monarch is hotel Zaza's restaurant. After a very comfortable nights sleep we had breakfast here and it was superb. Egg and ham croissant was served with perfect sunny side up eggs, cheese and cartelized onions( even the croissant was perfectly toasted )arugula salad with salt and olive oil, twice baked potatoes and a sweet and spicy jalapeño that was unlike anything I've ever had. $50 for breakfast is high but it's a special experience. The service was outstanding read more

Worst place ever I can't believe it took 50 minutes to get my food out I'm never coming here again !!!

My cousin picked this place for her birthday brunch. Several of us had the chicken and waffles. The presentation of the food was great but after tearing into the chicken, several of us notice that the chicken was not cooked well. We asked that they give us fresh, cooked chicken wings, they brought the same chicken only burnt! Of course, we discussed this with the waiter only to be given more chicken wings! Two! To replace the nine that had to be re-cooked! Service was awfull! The manager was awesome and apologetic. The hotel is beautiful! The valet service was truly exceptional with one member actually wishing us love, happiness, and prosperity! I wish I could have taken him home! read more

The atmosphere was ok on a Saturday night if you want to keep it low-key. However, the food and drinks are not that great. The drinks lacked consistency in taste and the margherita pizza I ordered had too much garlic and pepper. I don't think I'll be back.... read more

The bar has big cheap plastic promotional bottles of vodkas on the top shelf! Just like an Airport lounge bar! Looks tacky. The bartender's clueless and the cocktail menu's raggedy. read more

Had the fried quail legs and crab cake. Both were really good. Also a cool atmosphere I will continue to eat there every time I visit ZaZa.

This is a bizarre place! Eclectic decor (which is good!) combined with busy, inattentive and boorish service. Slow food service but the staff seems to be very busy yet only five tables were occupied. Our food (small plates: 1 burger and two orders of fries) took so long we cancelled and left. Major disappointment!! read more

I've lived in Houston for 5 years and didn't realize how amazing the brunch here is. They have done a really good job having people like Robert serving. He was such an amazing server and makes the experience that much better. In addition, the prices for brunch are amazing. Cons: They really need to work on theirn evening staff. The food and drinks are amazing but the timing of everything was horrible. I won't ding the rating for this but truly the service was unacceptable for such a great place. The waiter I had only came over once and at one point I waited 30 minutes just to order a third cocktail. So again! Morning Staff on point.. evening staff needs some work! Great place for brunch! read more

Met a friend for drinks before an event - fairly priced wine and drinks. Dan the bartender was fantastic! Very attentive, professional and engaging. Offered suggestions and talked about the menu. Hard to find great service in Houston. Ambiance was comfortable and clean. Will be back! read more

This place feels like New York in the park if you sit out on the porch. The service is top notch and the food is excellent. Try to get Robert as your server. He's the best! Extremely attentive and interesting but can keep his distance if conversation at the table is intense. We are his "regulars". There is an amazing full American breakfast for just $12. Gorgeous place. Gorgeous view. read more

My favorite stop to make after catching an exhibit or movie at the Museum of Fine Arts, which is right across the street. Always a beautiful crowd there too. read more

Had a great time at Monarch. Ask to sit in Shane's section ... he is a delightful server who will add pizzazz to your dining experience! A lot of fun read more

Good but a bit pricey Tasteful place. The salmon was cooked perfectly, sides were good, service attentive and mannerly. Prices in line with what you would expect in this kind of place, but ... desserts priced 18-22$!!!! read more

So sad. Have been driving by hotel Zaza for awhile and was looking forward to drinks and desserts at this beautiful hotel. Sat outside and a few larger parties winding down. Sat for easily 20 minutes with servers passing us by and no attention or even a hello. Sadly had To give up on the idea of a nice end to a fun evening and let hostess and one of the servers know why I was leaving. After complaining then all wanted to give me a free drink and service. Sorry bad customer service- unfortunate. Hopefully mgmt will remind servers reason for hiring them is to give customers a nice experience. A little courtesy and attn goes a long way. read more

Check your bill and double check your bank account! Tipped themselves Extra $100!! Got it back from the bank but what a hassle for a quick lunch while visiting museums. read more

I have been many times to this restaurant and I really liked it until last night (Jan 10 2009). When the reservation was done they already mentioned that the concept had changed and that the usual restaurant room was now closed. The tables were now at the outside patio ..... Long story short, the restaurant visit was a major disappointment. The patio setting was not creating the mood for having a nice meal, the menu itself did not offer any exceptional meals and the service was poor. We talked with the manager and they explained they would return back to the previous concept and former restaurant room but my confidence is now pretty low. I will not take any business related dinners anymore to this restaurant until I have been convinced they have returned to their previous (high) quality standard. read more

The restaurant is very elegant, and I absolutely loved the decor. Our waiter was not very efficient or attentive. He forgot things twice, and then took forever getting the bill. The food was typical of a hotel restaurant. It was just average. With amazing restaurants around the museum district, I feel like this is a better bar, than restaurant. I would go for a drink, but not the food. read more

After multiple episodes of bad service, I must write a review. On this instance, I ordered St. Supery wine for me and my friends. The wine served was not what I ordered but a poor, cheap substitute (we know and bartender (separate from my waitress) confirmed that it was incorrect wine. This happened not once, but 3 times!!!! I will never be back. read more

We really enjoyed the food at brunch today and the hotel is beautiful, but the waitstaff was rude and inattentive,acting like they were just going through the motions and putting us on "ignore". read more

Great brunch. Nice atmosphere. Service was good. Decent price. Would recommend given limited options in the general area.

Got in late and was very hungry and tired, the staff got my group in right away and the service and food was amazing. I had the tuna tacos and I wish I could have them all the time! read more

Pleasantly surprised! The calamari salad appetizer and cauliflower dinner were delicious! We went as far as asking for the recipe for the cauliflower dish. The chef personally visited our table, sat with us and explained how he made it. Wow! I definitely recommend this restaurant. We are on the terrace which was a wonderful atmosphere. read more

Such a great restaurant and hotel! Shane was AMAZING!!! Made every interaction special. He was attentive and charming with his wit. The hotel was superb! Room, bedding, towels, staff, and valet were amazing! Will definitely come back and HIGHLY recommend it! Thank you Shane for making our nights so fun! read more

Looked like a nice bar but when my wife and I walked in on a Saturday night at 10:00 there were parents in the bar holding babies and a under 5 year old sitting at the bar with his sippy cup on the bar. First of all I was surprised by the legality of that but it will ruin any sort of atmosphere. Terrible read more

My cousin from Omaha was in town and we went to this restaurant for lunch prior to going to the Fine Arts Museum. Our waiter, Robert, was wonderful. The food was delicious and we had a photo of the two of us taken (by Robert) as a lasting reminder. I highly recommend this experience! read more

We went here for a birthday dinner on Saturday. The food is good not but spectacular. Service was very slow for our group of 10. For the prices, the food and service should be spectacular. Crab cakes are good but tasted too fried and not enough lump crab. The tomato basil soup was delicious however it was served luke warm and the bowl was fllled about 1/4. The lamb special of the day with cous cous was good, but not $45 good. The mac and cheese was a terrible dissapointment as most of our table ordered it and found it to be bland other than a garlicky taste. The steak and mashed potatoes were very tasty, as well as the sea bass. The stuffed veal was very strange. Kudos to the manager for the wonderful champagne and wine. The $30 cake cutting fee is ridiculous. We headed over to the lounge and didn't expect to see two cat fights at a place like this! And the valet parking tried to charge us double for valet parking after we were told it was $6 before 3am. And yes, you will see old men with "contract labor"! read more

Stayed here on a trip to Houston. The ahi tuna tacos and scallop entree were great. I also recommend the Sorry, Not Sorry cocktail. Lightly fruity, not sweet, with muddled rosemary. Great balance. read more

I love that it's located across from the Mecom fountains so that provides a nice backdrop to what would've been a wonderful brunch. The decoration coming in from Hotel Zaza to the entrance of Monarch is amazing, but as far as within the restaurant, I think it could be updated to a bit more regal than the (idk what to call it). Starting off, the service was okay, the waiter spoke a little (more than a little) too loudly, didn't give us as much attention as the tables nearby, and really lacked communication with the rest of the wait staff. They gave off a vibe of either being new or just too cool to talk to each other. I thought the food was pretty good... started off with lamb chops as appetizer, and some spicy mexican styled dish (I forgot the name). During the time, we were there, the electricity had cut off, reason being a nearby construction crew hit something. They wanted to make it up to us for the inconvenience, which was very nice, by offering a free drink and dessert per person. Unfortunately, everything I chose was not available because the power was out awkward. So the brunch ended there. Overall, I won't ever be returning just because of how unimpressed I was and no allure calling me back. Is it worth a try, hmmm I can't suggest that either. There are far better brunch places around a 5 mile radius, with excellent customer service and food choices. read more

I came to Monarch as a guest of the hotel. Michelle was my bartender and she was top notch. Her service was on point and she made my stay enjoyable going through what drinks I'd prefer based on my personal tastes. read more

I don't enjoy leaving bad reviews, but we just had a horrible experience at what used to be a decent restaurant. We had a 6:30 reservation and arrived on time. The restaurant is under renovation, of which we were notified, but beware there is only a makeshift bar if you arrive early. It took about 15 minutes for a waiter to come to our table, and he only arrived after we asked the hostess to please send someone over. Drinks took another 15 minutes or more to arrive after ordering. We waited 40 minutes for our 3 appetizers to arrive: French fries, lamb lollipops, and mussels. Finally after waiting for our entrees for over an hour after ordering, we were told by our waiter that it would be at least another 20 minutes for our entrees to arrive. Unfortunately, we were headed to a concert and could not wait any longer for our food (especially since we had already been there over an hour and a half). We asked for a manager to come to our table and were told that a lot of tables put in orders at the same time. We ultimately had to cancel our order and asked for the check. We were not comped anything and paid our entire bill with minimal apologies from the staff. Needless to say, we will not be returning to Monarch, which is a shame, because we had previously enjoyed our experiences in the past. read more

Unfortunately, as we've continued to come to this restaurant, things have progressed for the worse, despite changes in management and in the chef. The service suffers from so many of the same issues as previously. Today, we were charged full price for a virgin Bloody Mary ($12 for tomato juice) for instance, and when we pointed it out, nothing changed. Food did not come out as ordered. We had to flag servers down for refills, orders, and the check. We sat for about ten minutes without being greeted. The food is still on the same level as our past review, and many of the menu changes in cocktail selection or food items are good (the new burger, the whiskey mash), but the service ruins the experience. read more

Before I got married, we decided on a dual Bachelorette/Bachelor party at Hotel Zaza. My s/o and I have a lot of great memories at Zaza (we got engaged there) and thought it would be the perfect place to celebrate with friends since we were having a small destination wedding. We stayed overnight in the hotel, and had a group of around 8 for dinner prior to going out on the town. We were able to get a pre fixed dinner prior to for no confusion which included salad/dinner and dessert. The total was around $50 p/p. They give you options to choose from, and do try to stay within your budget, which I completely appreciated. Our original reservation was for 12, which may be why the waiter was so huffy, but we more than made up for it in alcohol. Being that we were celebrating a fairly special occasion, the biggest problem I had was the waiter. He acted like he didn't want to be there, and like we were inconveniencing him completely. There was no wine recommendation, or cocktail recommendation, and little interaction of the meal. He basically plopped everything down in front of us, and walked away. I've eaten here many times (my favorite is the lamb lollipops) and the service has always been top notch. In fact, the next morning we had breakfast here, and we had excellent service. We also got to run into One Direction which was fun. Food is excellent, service, not to great in this particular case. read more

I LOVE the Monarch and Hotel ZaZa Houston! I stay here at least once a month and always visit the amazing Monarch downstairs. Whether you're in for a full menu or just drinks and apps, you will not be disappointed. Ask for Michelle with 2 LLs at the bar. Fast service and amazing crafted beverages. read more

This is a great place to go during the week for lunch. They have a "business lunch" special which is a 3 course meal for $26. The special is typically a good item like salmon and scallops. They update their menu somewhat frequently. Last time I went they just put a steak sandwich on the menu, and OMG, it was to die for. read more

My wife and I stopped here several days ago for lunch after visiting my mother-in-law at the hospital. She had a very serious stroke and we were very sad. We were seated in the windowed gallery. Great view of the MFA and Main Street. The service was very attentive and the food was delicious and the bottle of wine didn't hurt either. We have been back several times in the past 10 or 15 days and were not disappointed. 2.26.16 The Monarch had a bit of a hiccup today. I suspect the regular chef and the manager went to Go Texan Day today. Even though the restaurant was almost empty the service was extremely slow. Our waiter had disappeared we didn't even get to order for about 25 minutes. The food took an additional 30 minutes to come out and was frankly not very good. Having said the restaurant made it up to us by comping our meal. I understand that mistakes are made and we will definitely be back. 2.27.16 We're back! We took our children to Monarch for brunch today. Great people watching. Simply put the rodeo is in town. Yee-hah! Frankly the service was not good again but I think the problem lies in the kitchen. Perhaps the chef went to the rodeo for a few days. The patio is half full but the food took over an hour to come out. I still tipped the server 20%. We are probably going back tomorrow. read more

After touring the adjacent Museum of Fine Arts, I stopped in to an empty bar at 3 PM today. Michelle, the bartender seemed upset that I, as the only patron was interrupting the cutting of the bar fruit. There was zero hospitality, only disgruntled attitude. When I called her on her attitude, she apologized- said "she was kidding," and said the champagne was on the house. I left the glass and walked out. Two phone calls to the hotel manager went unreturned. I drove up Main Street to Heresay's, and enjoyed the usual Houston hospitality. Unless you want abuse- like a Monty Python skit - I suggest you avoid this place. You could do better. Michelle, the hotel manager, and the staff need a lesson on hospitality. If you think I am being unfair - I invite you to read my other reviews. Then contact me. I have no interest in disparaging this lounge. I only want to leave an honest review of my experience. This place is a loser. read more