LAReview

Monarch review image

Monarch

$$$$

1212 S Baldwin Ave, Arcadia
View WebsiteEarn 3X Points

Walking into Monarch, a Hong Kong-style cafe in Arcadia, feels like you accidentally crashed the Mad Hatter’s tea party. The maximalist dining room is a technicolored dreamscape with plush, tie-dye chairs, wavy blue wallpaper, and a waterfall mosaic created from thousands of glass beads. Even the monogrammed dinner plates with ethereal butterflies will have you pulling out your phone. The man behind the magic is Humberto Leon, fashion designer and owner of the equally maximalist Chifa in Eagle Rock. But just like its sister restaurant, Monarch is more than just aesthetics and vibes. The food is great, too. We love the salty, slippery egg crab fried fun and the curry noodle with briny squid ink noodles. Even simpler dishes like the steamed beet cake and spiced okra in Szechuan sauce pack flavor-heavy punches. We’ve never seen an upscale, party-like restaurant quite like this in the SGV, and Monarch pulls it off.

Sign up for our newsletter.

Be the first to get expert restaurant recommendations for every situation right in your inbox.


By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Featured in

Suggested Reading

Chifa review image
Review

Chifa is a tremendously adorable Chinese-Peruvian restaurant in Eagle Rock.

Yang’s Kitchen review image
8.9
Review

Yang’s Kitchen is a modern Taiwanese restaurant in Alhambra with food that everyone needs to experience.

Joy On York review image
7.8
Review

Joy On York is a fast-casual Taiwanese spot in Highland Park with solid noodle and rice bowls.

Infatuation Logo
2023 © The Infatuation Inc. All Rights Reserved.

FIND PLACES ON OUR APP

Get it on Google PlayDownload on the App Store