Cantina Monarca — Restaurant in Bellevue

Go for the Instagrammable atmosphere and downtown Bellevue vibes; leave with a bill notably larger than what the food and drink is able to deliver.

The restaurant isn’t bad, by any means, but I expect far more for what you end up paying: more food, more flavor or character in the dishes, or something particular and unique (beyond the decor and drinks) that round out the entire journey.

▬▬▬ BREAKDOWN ▬▬▬

⭐⭐⭐➖➖ | FOOD ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | DRINKS ⭐⭐⭐⭐➖ | ATMOSPHERE ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | SERVICE ⭐⭐⭐➖➖ | PRICE

► FOOD: Not its strongest point, and everything comes in small quantities. The menu feels somewhat restricted: with high-end dishes taking much of the space and attention from the basic Mexican cuisine you might be wanting on a particular night. And while flavorful, none of the dishes had a strong personality or character that made them memorable; both the appetizers and sides felt like a distant second to the drinks and atmosphere of the restaurant.

► DRINKS: Well-made and strong, as they should be! They even have a margarita flight that offers a variety of options if you’re indecisive about which to order.

► ATMOSPHERE: The restaurant is above-and-beyond GORGEOUS, with a Central American vibe that commands the space. It is located in an ideal space in downtown Bellevue, and is great for both people-watching and to enjoy the weather when they open the entire front wall on a beautiful summer day.

Unfortunately, the space can be noisy on a busy evening or in a group setting. It’s [likely] not bad if you can sit close to someone or go alone to take in the opulence of downtown Bellevue, but it’s not great if you’re looking to hold a good conversation or have bad hearing.

► SERVICE: On-point! The servers were friendly and attentive, so no complaints!

► PRICE: The big weak point. As a downtown Bellevue business, you can always expect to pay a premium…but the price tag didn’t feel like it was worth the whole of the experience.

At $9-12 per taco, $18-32 for an appetizer, and roughly $20 per drink, you expect the meal to live up to the location and setting, but it doesn’t—the company you bring and experience you have together will end up being the most memorable parts of the night. So, unless you’re in a position to comfortably pay $60-100 per person for a meal, I’d recommend saving this for a special night.

▬▬▬ RECOMMENDATIONS ▬▬▬ Here’s a few recommendations:

APPETIZERS: ► GUACAMOLE — By far the most memorable and flavorful taste of the night! Can’t go wrong in a Mexican setting!

► CEVICHE DE HAMACHI — By far the most interesting appetizer, if not the most expensive. While unoffensive, it also doesn’t hit you with flavors you’ll remember after you leave, making it a bit of a let-down despite being a nice sharing option for the table.

MAINS: ► ENCHILADAS DIVORCIADAS — Good, if not a little bland. Unfortunately, there was nothing particularly memorable about them, and it’s an overcomplicated replacement if you’re just looking for a classic Mexican enchilada, which doesn't seem to be available on the menu.

DRINKS: ► The MARGARITAS — This is clearly their strong suit. Highly recommend visiting if you’re looking for some pricy, but creative, drinks. Get the MARGARITA FLIGHT for a variety of options, or go with a classic if you’re looking for a strong baseline from which to build.

▬▬▬ FINAL THOUGHTS ▬▬▬ On the whole, its strengths certainly make it worth the visit for a fancy night out…but its weaknesses will hold you back from returning for more than a drink night with friends. Perhaps they’ll continue down this path because of a wealthy and forgiving population, but I’d expect far, far more from such a beautiful restaurant in such a...

Came with my partner for an early Valentine’s Day dinner. We were seated in the hallway area behind the bar- sort of tucked in into a nook with a table so tiny that it barely fit the 2 main courses and appetizer we ordered. Additionally, the chairs had no backs (even the barstools had backs) and simply weren’t comparable to the spacious booths larger parties were given. I understand that we couldnt have the exact same experience, but my back began to hurt a lot over the course of a meal. I am not sure if the fact that I am disabled caused this pain or if the seating on that table is just really not ergonomic. Either way, we had nowhere to fit our coats or my cane- I could feel folks brushing past us when they came in or out or servers needed to deliver food. As far as I am concerned, it was a little bit greedy of whoever designed this resteraunt to squeeze in another table in such a tight space, especially given how this an upscale place and not something most people can afford apart from special occasions. The service was perfect, and Kate made us feel welcome while running everything incredibly quickly. I have never had food come so fast- our appetizers and main courses came at the same time too, but this may have turned out to be a bad thing. The corn esquites were delicious, but not more so than any elote you could buy from a street vendor. My partner got the chayote and Wagyu tacos. She found the wagyu fine but bland, but the chayote wasn’t to her taste, and I finished it for her. I got the enchiladas de hongos and they were terrible, as far as myself and my partner were concerned. Kate warned us that they could be spicy (which we both enjoy) but we barely got a kick out of them. They were just really really sweet and acidic without even a smoky flavor. We both enjoy this type of dish typically, but the sauce was just not good. It was also barely lukewarm. We barely touched it, and ended up getting a to go box, thinking we may be able to salvage the leftovers by reseasoning them at home, but ended up them away before we made it home, simply because it was not worth the effort to carry it around for the rest of our evening. But back to the meal- the cocktails and margaritas were delicious, and the highlight of the evening. We were unsure about ordering 20+ dollar drinks, but that ended up being the only saving grace of the meal. Also, be aware they have a strict 2 hour time limit for diners, which wasn’t a problem for us, but did make the whole experience feel a bit stressful and rushed even though we didn’t take the full time. We very rarely eat at places as upscale as this, so it was a real disappointment that it was such an all around dud. We were excited to order dessert, but decided to skip it based on how poor the meal had been. Spent 150 dollars, including tip. I have probably had a better meal for two for about 30 dollars total for two people. If you take nothing else from this review -PLEASE get rid of that horrible hallway seating. It is not right to squeeze people in like sardines when you are charging as much as this place does.

Edit: forgot to mention that I was asked if I wanted beans and rice, but wasn’t informed that was an...

Ambience - 5/5 Food Quality - 3/5 Food Quantity - 3/5 Revisit Again - 1/5 Staff Service - 4/5 Value for money - 3/5

Our Vegeterian Order: Truffle Poquitos Wild Mushroom Enchiladas Tlayuda with Mushroom Tinga Margarita Flight Pastel Chocolate

I was really excited to visit this place as I have been hearing about this Tulum inspired place for a long time now. Loved the decor at this place. The Monstera lamps, the wood panels, and the whole tropical vibe. Sort of like a really chic and upscale restaurant vibe. I was able to get a reservation to celebrate my husband's birthday so was super excited about that!

Coming back to the experience. We were a little early for our reservations and I had specifically booked downstairs sitting after reading all the reviews but the staff told there was only bar seating available or we would have to sit upstairs. Wasn't a big fan of the upstairs sitting it felt like all the vibe was downstairs. But we upstairs was a good place to have a nice quiet romantic dinner. Shortly after we had placed our orders we were asked if we would be willing to relocate to another table so that they could accommodate a party of 6. We had specifically requested a corner table because we were celebrating a birthday and we did move eventually but it felt like they kinda killed the vibe of the place for us after having us move twice even though I had made prior reservations. For all the inconvenience the manager said they she would offer us complimentary apps and dessert but we had to remind them about it when the bill arrived.

Now for the real part - Food and Drinks! For drinks we got the Margarita flight to share. I love the smoke and spice option but in general the drinks were a little too light for our liking. It felt like there wasn't much alcohol in them and it was a little disappointing for us after all the rave reviews we heard. Food was mostly on point, loved the Truffle Potato Taquitos - they were delicious; smooth and velvety on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Service was top notch. Our waiter was very attentive and friendly and kept checking-in on us to make sure everything was great (forgot his name but he definitely made the experience worthwhile).

My only complaint is that I had mentioned that we were celebrating my husband's birthday when reserving a table. And the morning of they asked me for the name and I had assumed they would be bringing out something for us to celebrate. And on top of that on my way out from the restroom I saw a greeting card with my husband's name on it which looks like such a big miss on their part. Even after having notes on the reservation and having everything prepared, they just never checked. That part left me a bit disappointed and not something that I would have expected from a place that had such rave reviews!

Overall it's a great place for a one time visit. I personally wouldn't visit again because the drinks didn't live up to the hype for us and we tried almost everything on the vegetarian menu already. Plus all the inconvenience left kinda dampened the vibe of the...