Cafe Monarch — Restaurant in Scottsdale

It is blatantly clear why they do not have a Michelin star or even a James Beard award.

I’ll start off by saying if you haven’t had good fine dining you will still enjoy this restaurant. Our reservation was at 8:30 but we didn’t get seated until 8:50. Which wasn’t entirely ignored, they did give us a glass of Prosecco.

Do not get the tuna crudo…. It might be the worse I’ve ever tasted. There was no sear on the tuna, the inside somehow was worse, and just really bad. I’ve had better tuna from gas station sushi…

The duck and lentils were probably the second worst thing we ate. Somehow they managed to make the duck dry and the lentils were not cooked through. Later I was informed that there was also pistachios so that could have been the crunch. But it was pretty blatant that the chef let an inexperienced cook help with them.

Now the Argentina shrimp was off the chain saving this review from being a one or 2 star.

The pork belly was just disappointing. I love pork belly and the flavor was there just really didn’t bring out the richness expected.

The Maine diver scallop was cooked perfectly with butternut squash but the caponata completely overpowered both flavors leaving us yet again disappointed.

The short rib was short rib and if you’ve ever had short rib you know that it would be nearly impossible to mess this one up. (Especially at this level)

Now the Chilean sea bass was probably the best bite of the night. Delicious well balanced and cooked to perfection.

The duck breast had a rich flavor but the skin wasn’t crispy and who wants rubbery skin. When adding all the components to each bite of duck it did have good flavor but only when doing that it was enjoyable.

The Mishima wagyu strip is misleading to say the least. It’s strategically positioned under the A5 wagyu. Todd told us it was 2/3rds wagyu and 1/3 another cow. Which really just means it’s another American dish claiming Wagyu but so clearly not A5.

The oyster and caviar dish was also fantastic. And even though there is clearly room for improvement here at cafe monarch the charred octopus was perfectly cooked.

The drinks are good but the pricing system they use feels like they reached into a hat and whatever price they pulled out worked for them.

Now when it comes to service we have high standards, especially at a fine dining restaurant. We were not asked how anything tasted until after the oysters, tuna, lentils, scallop, pork belly, and shrimp.

Which of course I gave my honest opinion while being polite. However, Todd at that point gave us such a look of confusion like we couldn’t have been right. Then after it was almost like he avoided us to have a minimal interaction as possible in case it wasn’t “fantastic”.

After leaving in a ride share we were called and Todd offered us a gift card if we wanted to come back before returning home out of state. He seemed sincere at first but by the end of the conversation it still felt like he just was protecting himself over anything else.

Do not call me again Todd. I do not want to come back I do not want you or your restaurant to have any more of my hard earned money.

Hopefully this can helpful to someone or give a little insight to this...

On the evening of December 10th, for my birthday dinner, my son was dressed in a long-sleeve cream cashmere shirt, a navy overshirt, dress pants, and nice shoes. We had dined at your establishment on New Year’s Eve last year and were familiar with the atmosphere, anticipating another enjoyable evening. My son entered excitedly, eager for the dining experience he had been looking forward to.

However, our visit quickly turned sour. Upon arrival, we were not greeted warmly. Instead, we were met with judgmental looks from three young ladies at the host stand. One of them informed me that my son would not be allowed to remove his overshirt while dining. I found this restriction unreasonable, especially considering he is a child. Moments later, she added, “Actually, we don’t allow children at this restaurant.” At that point, I requested to speak with a manager.

What followed was an appalling ordeal. With three hostesses, two managers, and multiple staff members walking by, my son was subjected to invasive scrutiny as they deliberated whether his thin cashmere sweater was acceptable. He was required to remove his overshirt in front of these onlookers, leaving him visibly embarrassed and distressed. At one point, we were surrounded by five staff members whose collective presence felt overwhelming and intimidating. My son was treated not as a guest, but as if he were being judged by a panel. In disbelief, I repeatedly said, “This isn’t happening,” as I struggled to process what was unfolding.

The shock and humiliation we experienced were profound. My son, already upset, was reduced to tears outside your establishment as I tried to console him. It was deeply upsetting to witness my child being shamed in such a public and unnecessary manner. The entire situation was degrading and distressing.

This was not our first visit to your establishment. We had dined here before and were treated with respect. We know your staff is capable of providing a warm and professional experience. However, on December 10th, that standard was nowhere to be found. Fine dining requires discretion; any questions regarding dress code should be handled tactfully and discreetly. The dignity of your patrons should be your utmost priority. Guests do not dine to be degraded—they dine to celebrate in elegance.

As a brown child, my son is learning far too early that his presence can be deemed unacceptable. Your staff failed to see him for who he is—a young, nuanced individual full of promise. Instead, he was subjected to narrow and biased definitions of sophistication and appropriateness. This experience, at its core, was not simply about enforcing a dress code but revealed a lack of understanding and respect.

I expect your team to reflect deeply on this incident and take meaningful steps to ensure that no other family endures such treatment...

A most lovely dining experience. I took my niece here for dinner because I am a lover of good food and this place absolutely deserves the highest of ratings. The service was absolutely wonderful, Noah and Juan were our servers and they were absolutely divine.

Our courses were brought out in a timely manner, not too quickly nor slowly, a rough five minutes between each to give time for our food to settle, for us to talk, and situate any additional drinks we may have wanted in between. Do take into consideration that this is a full dining experience and expect your stay to last at least two hours.

The food was spectacular. Rich in flavor and texture all around. After trying the roasted cauliflower soup as my first dish, I knew there was not a single dish on their menu I would be displeased with, and as the courses continued to arrive throughout the night, my expectations were met and exceeded each time. Noah was gracious enough to let us know that any allergies or preferences would be accommodated as well.

The ambiance was beautiful, low lit, comfortable, and, most importantly, private feeling. I'm a person who enjoys my distance from other diners while conversing or eating and the distance was appreciated, especially with the need to social distance in these trying times. Easily a very romantic restaurant but comfortable for meetings with clients as well.

At the end of our meal, we could not eat another bite so we ordered our desserts to go and the servers wrapped our remaining course for us and our bill was taken care of promptly, something I greatly appreciate.

The only place I could compare this to is Arnaud's in New Orleans and Arnaud's is a fine dining establishment that has been five stars for more than one hundred years and even then the service at Cafe Monarch was a step above thanks to Noah and Juan's impeccable, beautiful, gracious attitudes and attentiveness.

I truly want to express how exceptional Noah and Juan were, not to take away from how phenomenal the food was, of course.

I absolutely will return and hope to become a regular here if my schedule...