The Monarch Room
“With service like this paired with delicious fresh food, unique cocktails and a trendy setting in the meatpacking district, you can't go wrong with this spot.”
“My favorites include the Oxtail Ribbon Pasta, the Skate Fingers and Baked Alaska for dessert.”
“We started with the Ribbon Pasta which came recommended from a friend and was delicious.”
The Monarch Room
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Another ritzy hotpsot on the Meatpacking / Chelsea border. Didn't dabble in the edibles, but satisfied my thirst at the bar. Sampled many cocktails on my visit, each one high quality and uniquely delicious. Our bartender was well-experienced and offered spot on recommendations to suit all our tastes, and I was absolutely captivated by his multi-tasking abilities.. mixing, stirring, swirling, shaking, pouring two, three, four beverages simultaneously so fluidly and error-free. Such a rewarding evening. I suspect if my friend didn't do some name-dropping at the front door, we might have had a little trouble getting in on the fly.
Beautiful space, great cocktails, yummy food…but the place was empty. Granted it was a Monday night, but when only 3 tables – including yours – are taken in a massive space, it's never a good sign. Don't think this place is going to be around much longer.
I think this place deserves better reviews! My meal last night was pretty legit. Place is very darkly lit, so it's good for a nice romantic dinner date. The place isn't that crowded on a Saturday night as well, which I did not mind at all. The free bread was not no ordinary bread, oily, garlic, and cheesy with a crunch.
Food rundown:
Eggplant toast: comes with 3 for $8. I was impressed
Seabass entree: Usually fish can be very plain as I was trying to be somewhat healthy, but my dish was a serious winner. The sauce complimented the fish very well and the vegetables were on point.
Rabbit entree: Pretty good, but I enjoyed my bass much more
I have made a few visits to the Monarch room over the past few months. Often times, Meatpacking restaurants are a lot of sizzle and not a lot of substance. Not so with the Monarch Room. This place is fantastic.
This a great place to have a drink at the bar with friends without a lot of the Meatpacking madness. For dinner it is even better. I have had the roast chicken on a previous visit and it was very good. For my latest visit, a special occasion with my wife, we had some steak dishes. I had the strip steak and my wife got aggressive and ordered the mixed grill, meant for two people. We also got a side of broccoli. Everything was excellent. I was impressed with how everything in the mixed grill was delicious in its own way, especially the duck. The broccoli was amazing, too. I have no idea when the last time I thought broccoli was "amazing", but it is here.
The service was excellent. We were warmly greeted at the door, were well taken care of at the table and for desert, they brought us a piece of cake with a candle – on the house. We had a great dining experience overall.
For my actual birthday dinner in November this year, I went to the Monarch Room. The Meatpacking district did not disappoint. We had a reservation and while we had to wait several minutes to be sat, once we were seated, we had a great experience. We ordered a bottle of red wine (Malbec) and had the grilled octopus for an appetizer. I've never had grilled octopus before so I was a little hesitant, but it was fantastic! Even the bread that came before the meal was wonderful.
My date had the pork, and I had the duck. I tried both, and they were absolutely delicious! The actual place was nice, but the food is really what made the experience for me. If you've only been there for a drink, you're missing out. For dessert, we had the Baked Alaska. One of the best dinner experiences I've had. It was a special night for me for several reasons, and I left completely satisfied and full (although there were no leftovers if you were expecting this meal to satisfy you for days).
The price is expensive, but typical for this area. Complimentary coat-checking at the front of the restaurant.
Monarch Room is a beautiful, typical meatpacking restaurant. The prices are more or less what you'd expect for this area as well.
We tried the ribbon pasta app with short rib had amazing flavors and the beef was super tender. We also had the gnocci to start, which I did not really enjoy. I guess I'm just not a fan of kale (somewhere a hipster is gasping).
The bf liked his pork shoulder, but in case you thought you were going to stuff your face here, it's a smaller dish. I had the steak, which was just eh. They served with it shaved fried potatoes. For the price, I would have expected a flavorful mash instead. It's worth going to once. Don't get too drunk because the bathroom is on the second floor and you'll embarrass yourself if you fall down the stairs because it's smack dab in the middle of the restaurant.
Came here for a company holiday party and was pretty stoked to be able to try a fancy dinner spot all without paying a dime. The place is extremely nice, with a dimly-lit large center room and even a complimentary coat check (take that pennypinching clubs).
The free bread to start tasted like soft pizza bread sticks (that's a good thing). Drinks came at a reasonable pace considering the crowd, with each specialty concoction well presented and very strong.
Appetizer was a kale salad (normally $16) – candied nuts, pear shavings, and powerful blue cheese that offset the thick kale taste. Main course was the amish chicken (normally $28) – probably the most tender rotisserie chicken I've ever had. Dessert was this odd white flan mash that I didn't care much for; others did however.
Once again, want to say the service was very good despite how much work they had to put into our group. This restaurant is definitely someplace you want to go for a special occasion as the prices are extremely high, but the quality is there.
IN SHORT: A less discussed, but equally swanky and dramatic restaurant in the West Chelsea/Meatpacking area, whose industrial, cavernous ceiling somehow lends the feeling that you're inside a nuclear reactor.
THE STORY: While the large bar inside this massive, multi-story space is typically the focus for the roaring after-work and pre-nightlife crowds, the food is nice enough for a large business dinner, and should be given some credit.
The Spiced Duck Breast with braised leeks, sweet potatoes, and hibiscus carries an impressive amount of flavor, while the Arctic Char with peas, yukon golds, and bacon in a light, creamy sauce is well-balanced and expertly cooked, if otherwise unsurprising. The Roasted Cauliflower truly shines, however, and should not be overlooked as simply a vegetarian dish. With a crispy charred crust accompanied by wheat berries, golden raisins, and almonds, it makes you wonder why all restaurants don't offer such an elegant and hearty meatless dish.
At a formal dinner I attended with work, the Red Pepper Gnocchi was also raved about, with broccolini, stracciatella, and toasted hazelnuts complementing the creamy puffs, as was the Ribbon Pasta with braised short ribs, calabrian chile, and a hearty dose of parmesan.
Service is always, always slow, but in such a large space you wonder if it might be because they're understaffed and dealing with a particularly raucous group at the bar. Otherwise, for a chic scene with a slightly more professional crowd than the area expects and with food that feels more appropriate to a hotel, The Monarch Room is the trendy choice du jour.