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Monarca, Vancouver, BC

Monarca

4.0
4
263 Reviews
CAN$31 to CAN$50
Mexican

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 14 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Lively
  • Good for groups
  • Hot spot
The name refers to the ancient Mexican monarchy honouring the influence both his parents made on his culinary style. While his mother inspired our sister restaurant, Ophelia, the familial tradition has continued here at Monarca where you’ll find playful dishes and a lively atmosphere inspired by Chef Higareda’s father.

Francisco’s father lived near the famous Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in central Mexico’s Michoacán region. Chef Higareda spent several summers here with his family enjoying the local Tlahualiles (defeated warriors) Festival. The festival celebrates the feast of Santiago Apóstol, patron saint of Sahuayo. The battle depicted in the festival is still debated today in Mexico and refers to military conflicts before, during, and after the arrival of the Spanish. It’s a memory he cherishes from his childhood.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    CAN$31 to CAN$50
  • Cuisines
    Mexican
  • Hours of operation
    Wed 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Thu 4:00 pm–12:00 am Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–2:00 am Sun 12:00 pm–10:00 pm Happy Hour Wed–Sat 4:00 pm–5:30 pm Sun 3:00 pm–5:30 pm
  • Phone number
    (604) 569-2258
  • Website
    https://monarcavancouver.ca/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Francisco Higareda
  • Location
    181 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1A1
  • Neighborhood
    Gastown
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Monarca Supper Club

    CA$100.00 per person

    Multiple dates available
    Join us for an unforgettable evening, our setting creates the perfect environment for connecting with friends and meeting new ones

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 263 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.0
4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.1Food
  • 3.8Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 3.9Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Vancouver

    Hot spot

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Monarca offers a vibrant dining experience with "amazing food" and a "beautiful environment." Guests rave about the "unbelievable flavors" and "great selection of tapas and main courses." While service can be hit or miss, standout staff like Maria and Will enhance visits. Enjoy "delicious cocktails" and a "great ambiance."

263 Reviews

  1. S VIP

    Vancouver7 reviews

    2.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was not tasty, pricey. The quac and chips portion wasn’t great not even quac for large amount of chips. Churro’s were so hard.. drinks were delicious. I would come for drinks and the vibes!

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  2. Erica

    Vancouver1 review

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Monarca is next-level. Impeccable vibes, phenomenal food, and service that’s on point. Special shoutout to Jill and the rest of the team who took incredible care of us on March 8th. Everything from the ambiance to the cocktails was dialled in perfectly. One of those places where you just want to stay a little longer because the vibes keep vibin. Definitely a spot I’ll be coming back to.

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  3. OpenTable Diner VIP

    Vancouver7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Started off the night a little rocky, trying to sell us a minimum on a table. But the night ended up to be a fun one. We did end up buying 4 bottles of champagne and bottle of vodka. Great service

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  4. Jeff

    Vancouver1 review

    2.0

    Dined on February 22, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    I had high expectations for this restaurant, but unfortunately, the experience fell short. The food was just acceptable. I ordered the pibil enfrijoladas, but the tortillas were over-fried, making them hard to handle, especially on the small plate they were served on. The guacamole portion was small and tasted like a supermarket jar variety rather than freshly made. Service was a major disappointment. It was a busy Friday night, but the staff (clearly casual and not professional servers) seemed overwhelmed and untrained. Our dishes were placed carelessly on the table, and we had to ask multiple times for our drinks. The servers appeared inexperienced, likely due to lack of proper training. This is not a gourmet destination for high-quality Mexican food. Rather, it feels more like a pre-club bar with decent food, best suited for a casual night out rather than a true culinary experience.

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  5. Lindsay

    Palm Springs1 review

    3.0

    Dined on February 22, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Always amazing food and such a fun atmosphere. Stay late for the full experience!

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  6. OpenTable Diner

    Vancouver2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was absolutely amazing, our server was so sweet and we had a great time! will definitely be coming back soon :)

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  7. Gagan

    Vancouver2 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    My group of 4 arrived for our 10:15pm reservation and waited over 45 minutes to be seated. The staff scrambled to find us an available table, and not one person updated us on the status of our reservation. We ended up leaving due to the poor service. I do not recommend this restaurant as they do not follow OpenTable guidelines. If they are just going to let other guests stay over their 2 hour reservation window and not guarantee reservations, then they should not be on OpenTable.

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  8. alisha

    Vancouver5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing service, great staff and loved the food/music/vibe!

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  9. Lucas VIP

    Vancouver1 review

    3.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Very energetic spot to eat and drink. Lots of new staff which made the experience less professional, but they were very friendly. Food was good but not great. Glad I went, but not in a rush to go back.

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  10. Alexis

    Vancouver3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great ambience and drinks. The food was good but really spicy.

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FAQs

Monarca does offer delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. Monarca also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (604) 569-2258.

Monarca is rated 4 stars by 263 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 14 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Monarca

181 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC V6B 1A1

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Gastown
  • Hours of operation
    Wed 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Thu 4:00 pm–12:00 am Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–2:00 am Sun 12:00 pm–10:00 pm Happy Hour Wed–Sat 4:00 pm–5:30 pm Sun 3:00 pm–5:30 pm
  • Price
    CAN$31 to CAN$50
  • Cuisines
    Mexican
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Francisco Higareda
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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