Monarch Restaurant

What makes it fun

Monarch Restaurant offers a majestic blend of ambiance and culinary delights that make it perfect for a date with your sweetheart. Located in the historic Grand Galvez, Monarch exudes timeless elegance with its soaring ceilings and oversized windows that bathe the space in natural light. Monarch serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which means it's always the right time for a delicious date at Monarch.

Google Reviews

Monarch Restaurant

3.8

Based on 83 reviews

Lee Wilson

3 weeks ago

Highly recommended! The oysters were fantastic. The gombo highly recommended….. Both the crabcakes and the lobster bisque the best I think I’ve ever had!

Jared Judd

1 month ago

Felt Upscale & Chill. Loved the combination of Galveston beach views and vintage hand blown glass, with the double white linens and classic American breakfast service.

Sarah Kollar

1 month ago

Brunch at the Galvez has been an at least once a year staple since I was a young child. It always exceeds expectations. Today though, Nicky went above and beyond. He gave me the down low on the renovations and what’s changed since I was a kid. (I mused a few years during the renovation) He also gave us some insight to the history and potential hauntings of the property. VERY cool!!

Herbert Helmbrecht

1 month ago

We were guests at the hotel and were looking forward to dinner in a stylish setting. After inquiring, we ordered salad and shrimp cocktail as appetizers, followed by steak as our main course. While it's usually standard practice in the US to receive a side dish with your meal, this wasn't the case here. The description of the side dish size also left me confused as to whether one or two sides were needed (one side dish was sufficient for two people). Bread and still water were provided. The drinks were fine, and the appetizers (the salad was good, the shrimp cocktail was simply shrimp on salad without any dressing or anything) were acceptable. After we returned the cutlery with our appetizers, the staff reluctantly and seemingly without any preparation cleared the table with new cutlery from another table and handed it to us. And of course, it was upside down. The steak arrived and was truly excellent, but the side dish took about five minutes to arrive. Furthermore, I wanted some pepper, so I had to get up and get it myself. All in all, the service was poor, with some highs (the steak) but unfortunately many lows. For $200 (for two people), I think one can expect significantly more than this.

Mike White (Sharpen Right Services)

2 months ago

The food was great. The atmosphere was fantastic.The service was terrible. Our waitress was horrible. She was completely non attentive. Had to ask for water. Never asked if we wanted anything but Mimosas.......I asked for a bar menu and she said they didn't have one! Had to ask her to clear off the plates. Took forever to get the check and had a forced 20% for a table of 6 for a buffet. We will not be back. I hate to give a bad review but I spent $700 for lunch!

Shannon Lop-Alma

3 months ago

A little pricey, food was okay. Service was great.

Chad Alex

3 months ago

Service could have been better. Server took our order, brought our food, but didn’t see him other than that.

Maria P

3 months ago

Perfect spot for a date night. The restaurant is beautiful. The food was delicious and the service was outstanding. We made reservations, there was no wait time when we arrived. Will definitely visit again.

K King

3 months ago

Walking into the Grand Galvez for Sunday Brunch always feels like stepping into a bit of old‑school Gulf Coast glamour — polished serviceware, a terrace that looks out over the water, and a buffet that’s unapologetically extravagant. The food really is the highlight. Raw oysters come out cold and clean, the kind that make you stop for a second because they’re that fresh. The prime rib is carved to order and surprisingly tender for a buffet line, with that slow‑roasted richness you hope for but don’t always get. The omelette station turns out made‑to‑order plates with plenty of fillings and cooks who actually pay attention to what you asked for. And the chicken and waffles — hot off the iron, crisp, sweet, and genuinely satisfying — are worth the wait every time. Then there’s the dessert room. Not a dessert table, not a dessert corner — a full room dedicated entirely to pastries, cakes, mousses, tarts, and confections. It’s theatrical in the best way, and it’s one of the reasons the brunch has always felt like a special‑occasion splurge. But the disconnect comes from something the hotel itself emphasizes. On the brunch reservation page, the dress expectations are printed clearly and prominently — essentially no shorts, no swimwear, no hats, and gentlemen should be in collared shirts or similar attire. It reads like a firm standard meant to preserve the elegance of the dining room. Despite that, we saw plenty of guests in beach shorts, cutoffs, t‑shirts, baseball caps, and even a someone with a chain running from a facial piercing to one of the studs on their shredded jeans. No judgment toward anyone’s personal style, but it’s noticeably at odds with what the hotel says it requires. For a brunch that runs close to $100 per person, in a historic hotel that prides itself on refinement, it’s hard not to feel the mismatch. The staff seems more focused on getting bodies through the door than maintaining the ambiance they themselves advertise. It doesn’t ruin the food — the food is excellent — but it does sour the overall experience enough that, even after enjoying it on several special occasions, it’s no longer something we plan to keep in our rotation.

Amy A

5 months ago

First off, compliments to Johnny! His service was amazing and was very nice to me and my mom. We weren’t going to get a table because the lady at the front didn’t want to? She didn’t have the best attitude, and that’s when Johnny gave us a completely vacant table and greeted us with a smile. It’s not our waiters fault that he couldn’t attend us though, they were short staffed but he still did an amazing job. The food was okay, the fish and chicken didn’t really have that much of seasoning but the veggies were great. They give complementary bread which was eh, little hard and butter was a little weird tasting. Everything else was good but I suggest taking a first date here instead, as a way to impress her haha

Kyle Sistrunk

5 months ago

T Boz

6 months ago

This was an amazing meal. I was a bit hesitant on the mixed ratings but because we wanted to stay close to the hotel, we wanted to give it a try. Oh my gooooooodness the dinner was spectacular. The service wasn’t lightning fast but it was consistent and, when I’m in a nice restaurant I don’t want to feel rushed anyways. The restaurant was quiet and I can’t help but think how many people might be missing out on a great plate. We were there on a Monday so, it’s to be expected. Don’t sleep on this restaurant, trust me, you’ll have a wonderful meal in a beautiful space

Jack Moore

8 months ago

Phenomenal service! Our waiter / Bartender / Master of Customer Service - Braden - exceeded all expectations during our dinning experience. We celebrated our 20 wedding anniversary here over the weekend. My wife has a gluten sensitivity and Braden made sure that she did not miss out on the amazing offerings at Monarch. He truly went above and beyond, injecting creativity and customization into our dining experience — it truly felt like a custom meal, just for the two of us. Six out of five stars.

Sky Glover

8 months ago

Amazing experience and just the vibes that catch the early 1900’s. Will definitely go back to experience it!!

Bernada Rubasingham

11 months ago

It was a great experience to go there. We got breakfast and they gave us a coffee at the start. The continental breakfast was great, same with the shrimp and grits. Definitely recommend going!!! :)

Indrit Molla

1 year ago

Tongji Philip Qian

1 year ago

Good food. Could be great. We wish: 1) Specials were introduced, just like the next table, instead of being told “you seemed very ready to order;” 2) Sauce were on the side, like requested; 3) The plates for appetizers were taken away before the entrees arrived. We certainly appreciated being offered a free drink at the end, and hope our feedback could be appreciated.

Don Sheara

1 year ago

There was initially a longish wait for service, and it took a few minutes to get in sync with the waiter. The reviews prepared us with low expectations. However, drinks from the bar were excellent and the food and service did not disappoint. Large but not excessive portion size and generous seafood portions. Only negative was a very strong perfume scent of unknown origin.

Maria Saavedra

1 year ago

I go out a lot to fine dining restaurants, even in Europe (Denmark, Italy) , and I was afraid cause I saw some bad reviews, but the steak I had is one of the best ones I have ever had, (the scallops were really good but didn’t match the description of the menu tho), the oysters were delicious, and the service was amazing, I loved how attentive and nice my waiter was

Jesse Vera

1 year ago

We had an amazing dinner. Staff was helpful and attentive. The hotel is gorgeous with a view of the ocean that can only be appreciated in person. Our food was perfect and we paired it with a great wine. We will definitely come back.

Charm Prigmore

1 year ago

Omg. This is my husband and i's favorite place in all of Galveston, Probably in all of Texas!! We noticed that the food was better than ever last night. We came Here on a quick trip to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We had the best drinks, appetizers, Dinner and key lime Pie. The shrimp brochette were the best we've ever had! Crunchy and juicy, cheesy and flavorful work a bba reduction! So good; the filets were cooked perfectly and tender, so juicy and tasteful!! The crab cakes were perfect and the key lime Pie was outstanding! Our server was as sweet as could be, the ambience was amazing and we will be back for every special occasion!! We got to meet the Chef, Chef Sean!! He is as nice as can be and wonderful! Thank you for a

Greg

1 year ago

Chef Sean was absolutely welcoming. Haley was an awesome waitress. The chefs specials were fabulous. Just the right amount of seasoning super tender fish. Can't recommend enough!!!

Anytime Pretty Time, LLC.

1 year ago

Bacon and coffee is sooo good! Can’t wait to visit again!

Mac Coleman

1 year ago

The BLT was hard and cold. We sat ffo an hour waiting for our food. The atmosphere was splendid.

Chase Austin

2 years ago

Burger was great! Service was a bit slow but nothing horrific. Food and atmosphere were great.

Alicia Baumgartner

2 years ago

Excellent service! John and Cristina are wonderful servers! Came here for dinner and breakfast. Definitely recommend!

Joey Eff Ballgame

2 years ago

As guests at the Grand Galvez, we had 4 breakfasts and a dinner at Monarch. Food and service were excellent and the hostesses were very nice. I docked it a bit on atmosphere...the weather was unusually cold in Galveston that week and the motel couldn't keep up. I'm sure there's no issue in the warmer months.

The Ethos School

2 years ago

The food here is absolutely incomparable. The first night of our stay we had the daily catch, red snapper. It was the best prepared snapper I’ve had in decades, and the chef paid attention to every detail. Even the green beans were cooked to a perfect al dente and flavored so well. The next night we returned and l had the filet. It was a perfect medium rare with a gentle outer grilled crispness that melted into tender flavor. And it wasn’t sullied by the light and flavorful horseradish sauce. This is a hidden gem in Galveston. It should be packed every night.

Andrew Pye

3 years ago

We had an incredible dinner with great service, thanks to our server Poppy! Overall, a great option, especially for an excuse to see the historic Hotel Glavez. The kitchen did run out of one of the sides, so we all had to substitute. It was a Monday night and not very busy, yet service was still pretty slow.