So Im a huge fan of the hotel portion of this place, so you will find me trolling the hotel part alot. Usually the place I stay if I need to be downtown Houston. Though, I love the lounge part of this place! Ive had some appetizers here from time to time and its really good. I wouldnt say the best Ive ever had but something I dont mind shelling out some money for. But over all, I like the decor and atmosphere of this lounge. The colors are hot with red and blacks and browns! Its really neat and very well kept. Its very swanky and we all need some swanky in our lives! Dont get me wrong, I like the rough and dusty places too but I like to dress up just like anyone else in this world. I feel DAMN GOOD IN A SUIT! :) But I like this place because the staff is friendly and the young woman bartender has been here for ages! She always remembers me and Im honored to talk to her every time I come in, I have always had a good time and they have the drinks I want! Hangar One Vodka is one of my all time fav's and they have it! So I dont mind spending the extra cash to enjoy my fav drinks! So when im in the mood to have a good conversation with people and be in a swanky type of place with out the club feel. I come here! read more

Some friends and I decided to celebrate my birthday at Monarch last week which just happened to be Restaurant Week. To top it off, they had 50% off all wines that day. I've been wanting to try this place out since past restaurant weeks, so I was really excited, and it didn't disappoint. For the appetizer, I ordered their Prime Beef Carpaccio with lobster potato salad and roasted pepper sauce - this was AMAZING. I would come back to Monarch just for this appetizer. The beef was extremely flavorful. For my entree, I ordered their Pan Seared Seabass with Short Rib Ragout, Boursin Mashed Potatoes, and Broccolini. The sea bass was good - not the best I've ever had, but still really tasty. I really loved the short rib ragout - very tender, juicy, and overall just enjoyable. My husband ordered the filet of tenderloin - and that was normal for filet - again, good, but not great. Finally, unfortunately, I was disappointed by both the desserts I tried - the nutella crepe (with orange chantilly and chocolate shavings) had almost no nutella, and a crapload of orange chantilly - which tasted like whipped cream.. and the vanilla hazelnut tart was too soft on the inside (texture was like light pudding), and too hard on the outside. Still, the service was good - our waiter, the manager, and the hostess were all extremely friendly, and I would definitely come back. :) read more

OK, we did not eat here, we just stopped by for a drink at their bar after a film at the MFAH. I sincerely hope their food is better than their drinks, because this was one of the worst cocktail experiences EVER. The bar area is an enclosed patio, and it is very pretty. Classy and elegant, if only the bartender had got the memo, this is supposed to be a classy place, which should equal, if not inspired cocktails, at least not-awful cocktails. Impressed with the classy decor, I decided to get a Grey Goose cosmo, I know a lot of bars screw this drink up, but I figured here I would be paying for it, and you should get what you pay for- a pretty good drink. I like to order a Grey Goose cosmo at the Lancaster bar downtown and it is always amazing, so I was hoping for something along those lines. Not so much. Instead what I got was poor Grey Goose drowned in some syrupy cherry liquid, it was a disgrace to the liquor and about the worst drink I have ever ordered. So, yes, I should have sent it back. My bad. My husband ordered a Jack on the rocks, pretty hard to screw that up, so we finished our drinks, and got the check. They charged me 18$ for the worst cocktail I have ever had the misfortune to imbibe. 18 dollars, seriously. Our waitress was nice, and we had had a nice night out, and I do not like to cause a scene, and I did drink the damn drink, so we left without saying anything. But I would most definitely NOT recommend stopping by their bar for a drink. Which is really a shame, because the location is great and the ambiance is nice. But 33$ dollars for a Jack and coke and a terrible cosmo, please people, please. read more

This place used to be one of my favourite restaurants in Houston until they changed the chef sometime in 2014. The new menu is boring, the taste is banal and the cocktails are crap. Best given a miss altogether read more

The lounge was a great find and had a wonderful time. We went on a Saturday night for drinks and dancing. They had a live DJ which was great but there was no variety to the songs, repeated songs, and played through the entire song. And, ten minutes to close, in the middle of the song, he closed up his computer and left. No last song announcements or anything. The atmosphere was nice and the valet ($6) for lounge being separate from the hotel valet ($15) was a definite plus. read more

Great nightlife and good food. A bit pricey, but especially great and convenient if you are staying in Hotel ZaZa

Outstanding service, great food in a hip and fun setting. I had the Bibb lettuce salad, just the right amount of super fresh lettuce to yummy toppings, dressing on the side, followed by the grilled chicken with roasted veggies. Perfect moist chicken, tender crisp veggies with a lovely nuanced sauce. Started with a Moscow Mule with a difference, not as sweet, garnished with cucumber, and a cheese/charcuterie plate at the bar earlier in the evening. Lovely. read more

came here on a saturday night for a friends birthday. awesome food! the deconstructed chicken salad & the lamb chop lollipops are my favorite appetizers. I had a fish dish that was amazing. the music was also great! would definitely come back! read more

We were at the Museum of Fine Arts across the street so decided to go based on Yelp reviews. What a delightful surprise! Pizza was great for gluten-free. The vegetarian entree was almost too gorgeous to eat but it was delicious. Service was a little on the disorganized side. Would definitely go back if in the area! read more

I was staying at the ZaZa with some customers and had dinner at Monarch. The outside seating area was great and pretty busy for a Wednesday night. I had a caesar salad and filet. Food was grea but nothing special. I heard the potato soap was awesome. Ribeye steak was served smashed into a bed of mashed sweet potatoes. Less than ideal for people that don't love sweet potatoes. Overall good atmosphere, certainly good for guests at the hotel that can pay for convenience. read more

Service was terrible and there was probably half dozen tables sat on a Monday night. I had to remove dirty dishes and place on an empty table after half hour sitting on the table. We had to order twice to even get food. Drinks were empty and one plate had to be sent back as it was under cooked. The chef did apologize but he can't apologize for bad service all around. And the valet brought my car up with the seat all the way back and it smelled like major cologne. No idea what happened in my car but I better have it detailed. I left a message for the manager on duty but no response. Zaza apparently went down hill and they don't care. read more

Very good breakfast. Robert, our waiter, is FANTASTIC! I had the crab cake Benedict. In fact, the whole hotel Zaza is awesome.

Loving coming here for breakfast after staying in the Zaza. Everything we have ever eaten here is delicious. The items on the menu change with the seasons which allows for great creativity by the chef. Service is always perfect and the waiters have always been incredibly nice/accommodating. Patio seating is beautiful if the weather is good. read more

Monarch is the place to be on weekday nights! They have amazing food specials and bar specials all summer. Five dollars drinks Monday through Thursday from 5 to 7--it doesn't get much better than that! I would definitely recommend going on a Monday night and sitting on the terrace. The terrace is a great place to relax with friends and they have an amazing selection of half-priced wines! I love to go on Half Z's Wednesdays and order the crispy calamari salad. It is SO flavorful and only costs half the price! The live music on Thursday nights is fantastic. It is a great opportunity to check out Houston's awesome music talent and mingle with new friends. Extraordinary is the perfect word to summarize my dining experience at Monarch. Monarch is as good as it gets! I wouldn't go anywhere else. read more

Lovely place for drinks! I really loved the skinny berry mojito.

This place has a very great adult atmosphere. However there were three things wrong with my experience. One the wait staff dropped two glasses while my party and I were there one glass almost cutting my sister's foot. Also, I ordered extra fried eggs with my order and halfway through my main course the waiter had to be reminded of it, however I was brought scrambled eggs. The worst part of the meal was I had flowers at the host stand to be brought to the table for my date and the hostess had to be told three times to bring them to the table at which point the manager had to be notified. The manger did apoligize and the table recivied complementary mimosas but the fact that the waiter included his 20% tip cancled that out. This place has come highly recommended from family and friends and for that and the atmosphere I didnt give this place a lower rating but I wont be bringing my bussines back here. read more

Great service and drinks-- I always enjoy the Monarch! Nice atmosphere for drinks with friends or a meeting with clients. Highly recommend!

Had drinks at the bar after visiting the MFAH across the street. Pleasant experience with Danny the bartender . However after he left as his shift was over his three replacements were too occupied with their personal affairs to offer another round as our drinks were empty nor did they see fit to greet us ask if we required anything etc. Such a sad commentary on a lovely place . Evidently there is a lack of supervision and definitely no attention to guests desires . read more

Outstanding atmosphere, food and service. Would highly recommend the restaurant. We have been there several times, always eating on the terrace and have enjoyed it each visit. Today, we were a party of 7 and Lawrence was very attentive. As usual, the service and food was excellent. read more

Not really a complaint, but a comment. I ate there the other day for a diner/presentation/education and the people at my table was asked to sign a waiver releasing the hotel of liability because they took their food home. Has anyone ever seen this? read more

Monarch is the restaurant located inside of Hotel ZaZa and with my wife and I spending the weekend there, we had plenty of opportunities to sample their food. Like the hotel, Monarch offers really nice service and the atmosphere is very intimate. Monarch's menu offers a wide variety of choices depending on the time of day. I appreciate that they offer everything from cheeseburgers to beautifully cooked scallops all while making sure that the menu isn't overwhelming or lacking in quality. My wife and I really loved their cheese sampling appetizer which came with not just the cheese but also comb honey, olives, and dehydrated fava beans along with a selection of dried meats. For being just one appetizer it offers a wide spectrum of great flavors making it perfect for sharing with others. Their tomato bisque soup was also delightful and the dinner meal that I ordered featured scallops that were cooked to perfection and melted in your mouth. Monarch manages to not just bring the quality on the higher ticket items but also on their more basic items. My wife and I love all sorts of food but when we were both hit with a craving for cheeseburgers Monarch was there to help us. The attention to details such as the quality of the bun to the beautifully cooked shoestring fries makes this restaurant a step above the rest. No matter what mood you're in, Monarch has something to offer and the edgy and cool design of the restaurant and hotel makes for a memorable setting. I most definitely plan on a return visit. read more

I went into this thinking that the website tag - "A place to see and be seen" - was going to sum up a mediocre dining experience where I was to enjoy the experience most, not the food. My boyfriend and I ordered the Monarch Dining Experience - such a great idea! I have Celiac Disease, so going out to eat can be a bit of a crapshoot, but in this instance, it was the first time since having been diagnosed that I didnt have to worry about anything I was eating (priceless!) - I told the Chef himself my dining parameters and everything that came out was delicious. Fish starter to die for, including a basting technique that "seemed like breading - which im sure you have been longing for", delicious bacon wrapped pork as an entree, and flourless chocolate cake to finish off my flour-free meal. The Chef, Adam West, is very personnable and runs a great dinner service. I highly recommend this restaurant. 4 stars only because the hostesses were a bit rude and not helpful. read more

The hotel will provide free valet parking if you have lunch or brunch at Monarch. We chose the enclosed covered patio area to have brunch since it's a very hot summer day. The hostess was very courteous. When we arrived around 12:20 p.m., there were not that many tables that were taken. It got crowded after 1 p.m. There were two TV both on different sports channels and some background music in the dining area. The food was excellent, the ambience was nice and the service was good. The selection on the menu was not bad. My company ordered shrimp and grits while I had egg white, mozarella cheese frittata. All were tasty and came out warm. Then we had the dessert sampler which was just the right size for two people. It was of very great value at $10 and included cheesecake, key lime pie, chocolate cake and a small pana in a small shot glass. We saw the dessert sampler came out with a sparkler (small fireworks) at an adjacent table since it's one of the guests birthday. I thought it was a nice touch for the restaurant to do so. Will definitely go back to brunch again. read more

WOW!!! WOW!!!! WOW!!! I took some friends there the other night and it was all of our first time to visit Monarch. The atmosphere is hip and cozy all at the same time! The orange twinkly lights along the ceiling remind you of Monarch butterfly colors. The service was over the top awesome! Ernest, our server was extremely knowledgeable and well informed about the many dishes and the really intriguing cocktails! Its really challenging to find a server who is a real professional that can guide you though questions and make suggestions based on fist hand experiences with the food and beverages. The bar is really impressive and we will return just to hang out there and enjoy it's offerings...The food was delicious and presented beautifully. It was cooked and seasoned to perfection, some one in the kitchen is really paying attention to the details and cares about what they are serving. The manager, Luis was also very gracious host and made our evening even more special with desert and fireworks for the special occasion! Can't wait to return. read more