Cafe Monarch: Not the Royal Pursuit (OPINION)

Reporter: Serenity Reynolds

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona- Regarded as one of the finest restaurants in America and one of the most expensive places to eat in Scottsdale, AZ, I visited the world-renowned Cafe Monarch earlier this month and would not rate it a 10/10. 

From the complimentary valet to the men scraping the crumbs off the table, Cafe Monarch is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. To me, that’s all it should be. The hefty price of an experience like that will never match the food, ambiance, or drinks.

The experience starts before you walk in, as high-class cars line the entrance. Along with my parents, the hostesses led us to our table, which had white linen tablecloths, a candle centerpiece, and three wine glasses. The main experience is a four-course meal, with the first three having two options each, and about ten options for the fourth and final course. When we initially walked in, the restaurant had little to no people inside, making the ambiance cold and nerve-wracking, as you could feel all the eyes of the servers staring at you. Although as the night progressed and more people filled the restaurants, the atmosphere cleared and felt warmer. As the servers were very attentive and respectful, I noticed that there were no female servers, and the only women I saw were the hostesses who were seating tables, which honestly rubbed me the wrong way. 

We had our main server, Giovanni, serve us mint lime water and prosecco. I ordered a Shirley Temple, which was surprisingly not sweet at all. The soda was strong but lacked that sweet kick of a normal Shirley Temple. The cherry was dark and very rich, so on the second round, I dropped it into my drink, which sweetened the taste. 

For my first course, I ordered the Sesame Crusted Tuna Crudo, which had ahi tuna in a sesame crust, served atop a blue crab salad and crispy rice. The ahi was evenly cooked, and the seeds added a delightful crunch. The blue crab salad was very cool to the tongue and had a really nice seafood flavor. I really enjoyed the crispy rice, as it was a little sweet and salty. The rice was very hard on the outside, which provided an extra crunch, and was very dense and flavorful on the inside. 

For my second course, I ordered the Argentinian Shrimp, which was served with a side of mango salsa and a coconut glaze. To me, it was an inverted coconut shrimp, and the strong coconut glaze could be tasted on every part of the plate. The course also had cashew nuts, which were crunchy, nutty, and buttery, and mini scallops, which were tasty and fleeting. This was my least favorite course, as the coconut glaze was entirely too strong and ruined the dish for me. 

For my third course, I ordered the Veal Tenderloin, which had a bone-marrow carrot compote and a side of a pistachio-encrusted carrot. Honestly, I would have never thought pistachios and carrots would go as well as they did. It provided a nice crunch and a different flavor to the carrot. This was my first time having veal, and it was honestly delicious. It was very soft on the inside, but still seasoned and cooked well on the outside. The carrot sauce also paired nicely with the whole course. 

For my fourth course, I ordered a medium rare Argentinian Filet Mignon, which came atop a seafood-tasting couscous with a honeycomb cracker. The filet was delicious and had a very meaty and hearty middle. The steak sauce that came with it was very rich and strong, providing hints of a sour flavor. The couscous threw me for a complete loop as it had a seafood-like taste, and I couldn't figure out what it actually was. It still had a great flavor, providing balance to the whole meal. 

Lastly, I had their Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate dessert, served with a side of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Unfortunately, this dessert fell completely to me and was the least appetizing part of the experience, which was so disappointing as I love dessert. I was expecting a chocolate cake with mousse layers, but the cake was only a thin layer, surrounded by this thick, but airy mousse. While that was okay, the ice cream was overly minty and tasted like toothpaste and had few chocolate chips in it, which would often be hard to chew or get caught in my teeth. 

Switching gears to a more positive light, I could the food was carefully prepared, and everything was sequenced towards customer service. Although the plates were small, each bite had a new and strong flavor that made it seem like you were eating more food than was presented. I believe if I were celebrating something special or commemorating a night, I would’ve felt like this experience was worth the time and money. With that, I would rate the entire time an 8/10, recommending it only to someone who would really have a desire for the experience.