Monarch Ocean Pub — Restaurant in Del Mar

Came here for lunch on a weekday with a group of 8, the group was seated quickly in a comfy table with cushioned benches out near the windows. The view here is outstanding, lovely to eat with the ocean as the backdrop. The restaurant itself has a nice airy feel, spacious with full length windows around the main dining area. The bar is well stocked with a fantastic selection of whiskies and they have a nice selection of draft beer. Prices are slightly elevated for a pub environment, which is to be expected for a restaurant in Del Mar, especially one with ocean views.

The service was the worst service I have had in San Diego, across both casual and fine dining establishments. The server was inattentive, disengaged, and barely responsive. We had to ask to put in our food order, waited at multiple points for him to stop by despite his being present and not engaged within the dining area, and at several points he asked questions and then followed up with the opposite of what was asked. When he would come to the table, he was minimally communicative and did not provide any recommendations from the menu when asked. At one point, someone in the party was asked if they would want another drink and they responded, no, but that they would like to see the menu. The server walked away after hearing the no and had to be asked they next time they came by to bring a menu. Another person in the party was asked if they wanted another beer, to which they responded no and asked for some water. A few minutes later, they were brought a second beer. At the end of the meal, the server came by and took dishes from the table several times, without looking at the group or asking if we were ready for the check, and after a lengthy absence, needed to be flagged down to ask for the check.

The food was okay across the menu. With eight people, we were able to try an array of menu items, the Salsiccia Flatbread, the House Smoked Turkey Sandwich, Smoked Wings, Heirloom Carrots, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Creamy Polenta, Pastrami Beef Rib Sandwich. The sandwiches were well received at the table, but across the food selections, nothing really stood out.

Overall a disappointing dining experience. We were looking forward to checking them out after San Diego Magazine named them Best Casual Dining experience and for an ocean view lunch spot, but it was a miss...

We arrived at 10pm to get celebratory cocktails for my husband's birthday. Was told they were cleaning off a table, and the wait would be quick, so we said "no worries". A 2nd hostess came and asked us for how many, we said 2, and she repeated we are cleaning off a table, again, we said "no worries". At 10:10, we were seated, and by 10:30, an adjacent table of 6 got seated and ordered, while we still waited for a server to approach us and take our order. At that point, my husband went to the bar to order, came back with 2 cocktails, and at 10:45, our server (Dani?) came by and was confused why we had our menus in front of us, and cocktails that she didn't give us. She apologized profusely, said it was a shift change, that it was all her fault, and that she would buy our 2nd round to make up for waiting so long. We asked her for waters, and she said "yes, I'll get that for you right away" and she walked away. We see her dancing at the end of the bar, chatting with others, cleaning off tables, but she never once checked in on us. I tried to flag another male waiter for water, he winks and nods, and also never to be seen. I ask the hostess/busser to please find our server. She leaves once and no sight of our server since I asked. At last call, I flag the hostess/busser again, and she said with an attitude, "the kitchen is closed, so you can't order anything anyways, what do you need from your server?" At that point, I stated again that "we didn't want food, we just wanted cocktails, which we had to serve ourself. We saw our waitress once the entire night, and never even got the waters we asked for." She said ok, walks away and a Manager, (Kirk) came by and sat down and apologized and after listening to our experience offered a refund on our 2 drinks that we paid for and closed out at the bar. At this point, all they could do was apologize because we wasted 2 hours at this restaurant and it ruined my husband's birthday.

We felt unwelcomed, and wonder if the trash service was intentional. And to top it off, the Mai Tais we had were mediocre. We tend to check out new cocktail places frequently and recommend places to our friends, but this was the worst service we've ever experienced, hands down, actually, we did not have any service, my husband had...

I recently visited the Monarch Ocean Pub and had a mixed experience that left me with mixed feelings. While the food was undeniably delicious, the service was disappointingly slow and lacking attentiveness.

Let's start with the positives. The food at Monarch Ocean Pub was truly enjoyable. The flavors were exquisite, and the menu offered a variety of options to cater to different tastes. The dishes were beautifully presented, and the quality of the ingredients was evident. From appetizers to main courses, every bite was a delight, and I found myself savoring the flavors throughout the meal.

However, despite the enjoyable dining experience, the service was a letdown. The main issue was the extreme slowness of the service staff. Even though the waiter walked by my table multiple times, he failed to notice my empty water glass or inquire about my drink preferences beyond water. I found this lack of attentiveness quite frustrating, as it left me feeling neglected and ignored as a customer.

By the time I was ready to leave and requested the check, I was met with yet another delay. It took approximately 10 minutes before the check arrived at my table, which only added to the already disappointing service experience.

While I understand that restaurants can get busy and delays can occur, the lack of attention and the overall sluggishness of the service left a lasting impression. Prompt and attentive service is an essential aspect of any dining experience, and unfortunately, Monarch Ocean Pub fell short in this regard.

In conclusion, Monarch Ocean Pub offers delicious food that deserves recognition. The flavors and presentation of the dishes were exceptional. However, the slow and inattentive service significantly impacted my overall experience. I hope that the management takes this feedback constructively and works towards improving the efficiency and attentiveness of their service staff. With better service, Monarch Ocean Pub could truly become a standout dining...