Monarque

Finally tried this place out for happy hour on a Friday evening.They open at 5pm, and HH runs from 5-7pm, and is only available at the bar. We got there within 10 minutes of opening and most of the bar seating was already taken, but got lucky and grabbed the last two.Ambience: excellent. The setting works for a date night or for hanging with friends. There is also live music which I thoroughly enjoyed and not something I've seen at other places in the city.Service: excellent. Our bartender was fantastic, made great recommendations, and was friendly but not intrusive.Drinks: their HH drinks menu is a little limited (3 wines, a couple of beers, martini and then some drinks on the rock - if you add a mixer it's more expensive). I personally really enjoyed the gin martini in brine. Food: excellent! and price is on point. We had the mussels in white wine sauce (probably the best I've had in Baltimore) and the short rib poutine which was divine. They do not skimp on the portions. Will definitely go back and highly highly recommend!

I highly recommend coming here for cocktails in the service, but NOT the food. FOOD:Bone marrow appetizer ($21) 5/5 - 2 pieces of bone marrow with figs and blood orange slices (I think?) on top. It came with bread and a mustard dip. It was probably the only well-seasoned item and decently sized portion for the price. Burgundy Escargot ($20) 4/5 - good garlic flavor and tender to the bite. It topped with breadcrumbs for a slight texture. The Dijon butter was a little overwhelming making the dish overly oily. Wagyu Coulette ($42) 1/5 - had to send this dish back. Wagyu typically has a high fat content, making it a very tender and a melt in your mouth piece of meat. What I got was incredibly chewy with a lot of connective tissue. The dish it self was also very salty. I was pretty shocked at what was served in front of me. The plating was messy as well (see picture). Swordfish ($38) 2/5 - the swordfish fillet was very dry and salty. The celeriac purée had a bitter taste to it. Once again, the plating was messy - not what I expected from an Atlas property. Cauliflower gratin ($16) 2/5 - this side dish was once again, like most other dishes, very salty and had too much cheese to cauliflower ratio. A gratin is supposed to have a crispy layer on top from being broiled - this side dish completely lacked that. Charred octopus ($33) 2/5 - the octopus was cooked okay - it still had a bit of a bite. The main disappointment in this dish was not only the portion size, but the eggplant purée, which did not complement the octopus at all. The eggplant purée was salty and had a weird smoky flavor to it. What I did like about this dish was the spiciness from the harissa - unfortunately, there was only three small dots of harissa on the plate. COCKTAILS:I highly suggest trying their cocktails. They are all unique and have great flavor profiles. If you're looking for something sweet and light, I recommend the La Vie en Rose ($17).For something a little more tropical and citrusy, I recommend the Betty Page ($19). It's still a sweet cocktail, but a lot richer in flavor. To end the night, they have a pretty good Espresso Martini ($15.50). SERVICE:Although this review has three stars, I do wanna applaud the service. Our server, Brooksie, was incredibly knowledgeable about the menu items and drinks. She was very attentive to our table. Besides the cocktails, her service was the highlight of our experience. AMBIANCE:Monarque was giving Moulin Rouge-vibes. They had a Burlesque show. Unfortunately, despite many tables being empty, we were seated behind a huge pole and right next to a birthday party of over 10 people. We could not really watch the show nor hear each other in conversation without yelling. Unfortunately, because I sent the Wagyu Coulette back, it took a while to bring out my next dish. As a result, I ended up eating it alone while my partner had to sit and wait for me to finish. It was not how I expected to spend our special dinner date.

I was so excited to visit here for my birthday. We made reservations weeks earlier. The hostess greeted us with "Your table is in the back, is that okay?". I mean I guess??! So we were seated in the very back and I was unable to see the show, the only entertainer that ventured back to us was the host, who was gorgeous and had a gorgeous voice. The burlesque dancers did not come past maybe the first rows (I couldn't see anything!). The music was lovely & I even commented to my husband that going forward we need a standup bass player in our house during dinner! So that's where the good ends. The food was extremely disappointing. Everything (except for one dish) was so very salty. The best was my husband's chicken which was actually delicious, the worst was my BABY KALE & D'ANJOU PEAR salad, which was doused in salt, followed by the SHORT RIB 'BOURGUIGNON' also extremely salty. The oysters on the half shell were salty (but that may not be added salt?! So probably not the restaurant's fault) Even our cocktails were not very tasty- I got the Empechement, fair flavor, not great. My husband got a drink that tasted like medicine. I can't remember the name but it was overwhelmingly lemon and bad. Overall for the money spent, I'd have preferred to go to the other atlas place- Bygone for the ambiance and food. For French food in Bmore- I'd prefer to go back to Petit Louis Bistro where the escargot is delicious as is everything. Our server was nice as were the runners. But not a great experience and we won't go back.

I am a frequent flyer in all the local Atlas Restaurants and they never disappoint! I'm always in awe of the quality service, food, ambiance and staff. This location in particular, is sexy, it's dark and edgy perfect for HH with friends, a solo date or a romantic dinner! The food is excellent, the service is impeccable especially at the bar. And make sure you are kind to the bartenders, they will certainly enhance your experience

My husband and I visited Monarque for the first time tonight ( a Monday night) and what a treat it was! Excellent service- from the moment we checked in at the hostess stand until the moment we left. Ask for Karla with a "K" :) She provided us with excellent recommendations and was attentive throughout our meal. Highly recommend the tableside beef tartare! It was fresh, light, and flavorful. I also recommend the Parisian Gnochhi, which was silky and umami-packed. For entree, I ordered the short rib Bourgogne, and it was fork-tender and beautifully seasoned. We will definitely return to Monarque for dinner again soon and look forward to enjoying some of the entertainment!

I'm in love with this place! The bar, the atmosphere, the mood, the entertainment, the food, and the vibe. There was nothing about this place I didn't love. The atmosphere is amazing with lots of table and an eloquent bar. They have live jazz music and burlesque! We had a reservation at 7:30 and got a bottle of wine, the octopus, the steak and frites and the steak special. Everything was amazing even the entertainment. It was our anniversary so they even gave us a glass of champagne. If I lived here I would frequent this place and try all the food!

What an absolutely fabulous place. It had everything. Sexy, Classy, Delicious, and excellent service.

My husband and I visited Monarque for the first time on Monday to celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary. As soon as we came in the hostess was pleasant and polite, checking our coats before seating us. We were having an early dinner and had reservations for 6. Our table was ready and we were given complimentary champagne for our celebration. Our server, Zooey gave excellent recommendations and we really enjoyed our dinner. I started with the salad. The bacon was so good and I normally wouldn't eat thick cut pork belly but this was just tender and delicious. The dressing was light and barely needed. My husband started with the smoke salmon and he truly enjoyed it. I had the petit steak for my entree and is was cooked expertly. Didn't need steak sauce or any other condiments. Hubby had the burger and it is an underrated item. He loved it. The Brussels were too sweet and I wasn't a fan of the cashews on them. As a gift for our nickel anniversary, Zooey gave us a nickel and a tassel piece from a costume inside a card. We appreciated the thoughtfulness.Even though there was no performance that night, we still enjoyed the atmosphere. We will return for jazz night. Happy hour was at the bar but it was so quiet, we barely noticed others. The hidden entrance to the Elk room next door through the secret coded passage was interesting. We had a beautiful time. We did have good drinks but I couldn't remember the name of mine and dessert was like a carnival treat, so good.

What a fantastic, moody, seductive bar. Tucked away in the back of a dining alley, Monarque is my foodie jazz dream bar. They have one of the best happy hours in the city. The food here is some of the most succulent, well cooked, just. Amazing food I've had. The bar staff also has PHENOMENAL recommendations for pairings. When, not if, you come. You have to try the escargot and the bone marrow, by far the two best hits for me. And both on the happy hour menu! Live music is featured every. Single. Night. So you really truly cannot go wrong here. Don't let the vibe fool you, this is accessible luxury. Greatness has been given and I cannot wait to come back.

Wow, Monarque is incredible! I've been to a few Atlas restaurants but this one definitely takes the cake! I wouldn't have said the theme- French club- was for me, so I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the decor, vibe, and live music. It's a really cool space, especially the bar. The food was absolutely amazing. I love when a restaurant knows how to cook vegetables, and the beet appetizer was proof that Monarque has some excellent chefs. The cassoulet was huge and delicious, and the lobster Thermidor was easily the best lobster dish I've ever had. The staff were also outstanding. Everyone was so kind and attentive, and the manager herself boxed up our food. The cherry on top was an invitation at the end of the night to their hidden speakeasy! We had so much fun and the food was amazing!