MONARCA

Amazing place for Mexican Cuisine! I was referred to try the Omakase Taco experience $200 a person which is a tasting of different chef prepared dishes paired with alcoholic drinks if you drink. Be prepared to expand your palate because everything is delicious! From the seafood to Elk! Also something you should know is it does cost more when you do include the alcohol. They require $50 per person reserve fee plus $20 gratuity as this does take place at the bar. This is pricey but worth it IMO. Also recommend having a designated driver or Uber/ Lyft if you’re drinking. The ambience, servers and Chef are amazing! This was a tour of culture, flavors and colors! Treat yourself to this experience like no other. A few pics I captured before devouring.

We went to Monarca with our family to celebrate my birthday, and it was an exceptional experience. This was not our first time at Monarca. We genuinely love this restaurant, and it is easily one of our favorite places in Salt Lake City. One of the reasons we love Monarca so much is its deep respect for Mexican cuisine. It treats the food with seriousness, intention, and cultural understanding. In Utah, Mexican food is often reduced to places like Red Iguana, which in our opinion represents a lazy and outdated interpretation of the cuisine. In contrast, Monarca is part of a newer wave of restaurants that have elevated how Mexican food is perceived by executing it thoughtfully, authentically, and at a very high level. Monarca sits at the top of that list for us. The chef is award winning,

The vibe of the restaurant was amazing. The music takes you on an adventure like your traveling and then paired with the food. The flavors were phenomenal. We got the ceviche, light and citrusy. And the salmon w/ chorizo. The salmon was cooked so perfectly, and layered on a corn salad. The bistec ranchera was also just as delicious served with warm tortillas, almost like eating in your abuelitas kitchen.

One of the best Mexican Restaurants in Salt Lake City. I always get birria tacos and guacamole appetizers and it never disappoints. The Piña colada mock tail is also one of the best in town.

We had such a great experience at Monarca! From the small plates to the shareables, everything was on point. We tried the ceviche veracruz, tostaditas de atún, guacamole, esquites de elote, empanada, and sopesitos, all super flavorful, fresh, and beautifully put together. For the main, I went with the carne asada, which was delicious, especially with the demi-glacé sauce. It paired perfectly with a glass of Malbec. But the real player of the game was the cheesecake, absolutely amazing, especially with an Americano on the side! And shoutout to our server Kaylie! She’s the sweetest and made the whole experience even better.