Monarch — Restaurant in Houston

My wife and I recently stayed at Hotel Zaza to celebrate our wedding anniversary, and unfortunately, our experience at The Monarch was just plain awful. You could say it…left a sour taste in our mouths. Definitely not the “exquisite dining experience” I expected from their website. During our stay, we visited The Monarch on two occasions. For breakfast, I ordered the avocado hash browns with a soft-boiled egg. While the concept sounded appealing, the actual dish was a major letdown. The hash browns resembled the shape, consistency, and flavor of a fast-food breakfast, and it seemed as if they were taken straight from a local fast-food restaurant freezer. Moreover, they were overcooked. The "avocado" served on top of the hash browns was a green paste lacking texture and did not resemble the creamy avocado slices I expected from an "exquisite" restaurant. It had a tangy/sour flavor, suggesting an attempt to mask poor-quality produce with an overabundance of lime juice, making it unpleasant. The soft-boiled egg, a component I was looking forward to, turned out to be over-boiled, with a gray and rubbery yolk. In the evening, we decided to have drinks before heading elsewhere for dinner. The bar staff seemed preoccupied with their conversations, providing minimal attention to patrons. My wife ordered a gin and tonic, and I opted for the Oaxaca Old Fashioned. The drinks took an unusually long time to arrive, and when they did, the Oaxaca Old Fashioned tasted more like a watered-down whiskey than the classic cocktail I've enjoyed for years. When settling the bill, the bartender asked for our room number three times, and upon delivering the check, he suggested we could "just leave" when done, neglecting the customary receipt and tipping process. In summary, our experience at The Monarch, both in terms of food and service, fell short of the expectations one would have for an "exquisite"...

I’m giving Monarch 2 stars because the hostess was nice and accommodating with our group of 7, and the patio seating was well decorated and air conditioned.

But the food and service, awful. So disappointing and it actually makes me a little angry that we wasted our time and money with this place. We ordered cocktails- mediocre at best. My husband liked his bourbon cocktail though a little sweet. I ordered the Liz Taylor margarita which is supposed to be spicy, it wasn’t spicy, but it was definitely sour. I couldn’t finish the second. As for the food… we ordered 3 appetizers. The calamari was good, had a great little spice to it. The tuna was decent, but the flatbread was soggy. Our friend’s club sandwich came with fries, which were cold, and no condiments offered. I had the special, a salmon croquette. It was way over cooked, super dry, with no flavor. The noodles were ok, so I ate noodles for $25. My husband’s fish tacos look like they were thrown on the plate, with no sauce. Bland. And why did this not get rectified? Because we didn’t see our waiter for 20 mins. Never came to check on us or see if we needed anything. Never asked how our meals were, nowhere to be found. This restaurant was NOT full, at all. And when we asked for our checks, it was another 15 mins before they were brought to us!! It took us over an hour and a half for some appetizers and basic food. It was an early dinner- 6:30! Oh, and the gratuity was already included so the poor service or food we received could not be reflected. It was as if the waiter knew he was getting his tip and just said “screw it” on service. We don’t mind paying a premium for good service and food, we want to show our appreciation. But I am so disgusted with this experience. This was our first time dining at ZaZa. And will...

Monarch Dining Experience @ Hotel ZaZa Houston Museum District. . Ambience carries the same luxurious artsy chic vibe, if not more so. The indoor space has a refined restaurant feel, while the outdoor terrace has a classy casual feel. . Service is attentive and personalised, with staff according good attention to diners. They work quickly, have decent product knowledge on the menu, and clean up tables fast. . Food is fine dining American cuisine, with each dish consistently well executed with premium ingredients and the greatest of care. Portions are large for individuals. Prices are high, budget about USD $87 per person. . The Deviled Eggs Trio (USD $16) is a good premium sharing appetizer. Each of the trio runs the gamut from the common to the luxurious, all with bouncy mushy soft textures. . The Deviled Eggs Cajun (with paprika) has eggy sour sweet spice flavour, the Deviled Eggs Caviar (with sturgeon fish caviar) has eggy sour sweet briny salty fishy flavour, and the Deviled Eggs Prosciutto (with prosciutto cotto / cooked dry-cured ham) has eggy sour sweet meaty salty smoky flavour. . Enjoyed the Surf & Surf (USD $48), as it showcases 2 luxurious seafood items. . The duo of Crab Cake has a crisp golden exterior, a tender chunky interior, and enticing meaty sweet savoury briny salty herbal spice flavour. . The 4 large Grilled Scallops are basted in lemon butter sauce, have a tender bouncy texture, and smoky meaty savoury salty sweet flavour. . Served with crunchy grilled garlic broccolini with vegetal sweet bitter herbal spice salty flavour, crisp sautéed bell peppers / capsicum with smoky vegetal sweet sour flavour, and crisp potato shoestring fries with starchy salty...