Monarch & Lion, A British Restaurant

Reviews

• AP

  Alan Powell

  Jun 22, 2026
  1.0
  Great food, great beer. Your barman was plain obnoxious, rude and disrespectful to his team and is costing this business revenue. Because he refused to empower his team to help he had to tell the hostess to stop seating people even though the place was 1/2 empty. We left because after seeing he was rude to everyone else too. Bald white barman, throwing tantrums like my 5year old. I feel sorry for the locals or those that have to work with him. My fault for not catching earlier, but I’ve noticed that me and my fellow patrons were all charged 20% auto gratuity for the privilege too! Unbelievable.
• CA

  Carlos Diaz Acedo

  Jun 21, 2026
  1.0
  I had a truly terrible experience at this restaurant. Despite ordering what was supposed to be a chicken tikka masala—a classic Indian dish—I was served nothing more than basic strips of chicken covered in what clearly looked like jarred sauce. There was no depth of flavor, no authentic spices, and nothing that resembled real tikka masala. For this disgraceful plate, they charged me $26. That’s absolutely shameful. If you actually enjoy Indian cuisine and care about quality, do not waste your money here. This place is a embarrassment to authentic Indian food.
• EM

  Elizabeth Moeck

  Jun 16, 2026
  2.0
  I wish I had read the reviews before dining here. We were staying at the Embassy Suites and, tired and hungry after a long day, decided to use our “room credit” at Monarch & Lion. Unfortunately, we learned that the credit only applies to lunch, not dinner. The service was disappointing from the start. The host acted as though he was doing us a favor by seating us without a reservation, despite there being open tables and no line. He mentioned our server was busy, which was understandable, so we expected some delays. To be fair, the atmosphere was pleasant. The décor, table settings, and overall vibe were attractive and more upscale than a typical English pub. The food, however, was forgettable. The fish was heavily breaded, and while the fries were good, the portion was surprisingly small. I didn’t even bother taking a photo because the meal simply wasn’t worth commemorating. What really soured the experience was what happened after we finished eating. We asked for our check three separate times before it was finally brought to us. Then we had to ask twice more before someone came to take our credit card. We weren’t lingering, requesting refills, or asking for anything extra—we simply wanted to pay and leave. Instead, we felt like a major inconvenience. The eye roll we received from the host when we asked about the room credit was particularly memorable—and not in a good way. I might have written this off as being tired or having an off night, but after reading other reviews mentioning inattentive service, it seems more like a recurring culture issue than a one-time mistake. I’d recommend skipping this place if you have other dining options nearby.
• IB

  ian burton

  Jun 14, 2026
  5.0
  Excellent portions, Flavor profile and service. Wings were just a little crispy, and not over sauced. My Cesar was perfectly dressed. Not to little not to much. Tortilla soup was absolutely fire. We got 2 crispy chicken sandwiches and a brisket burger. All of witch get a 6 out 5 for portion and Flavors. I added bacon. This was not skinny little strip bacon. This was thick cut pork belly. Even the fries were a treat. Crispy outside and soft creamy potato on the inside. One of the best unplanned walk- ins in chicago I've had thus far living here. All around, 7 out of 5 stars.
• CC

  Carlene

  Jun 5, 2026
  1.0
  I came expecting a hearty British pub feast and left feeling like I'd been served the emergency rations from Downton Abbey. Let's start with the chicken pot pie. At $25, I expected an actual pie. What arrived was essentially a cup of chicken and pea soup wearing a pastry hat. It was served in a tiny skillet that looked like it had been borrowed from a dollhouse kitchen. Somewhere, a real pot pie is filing a defamation lawsuit. The crust itself was fine, but underneath was a filling so thin, you'd think it was on a GLP-1. The prime rib sandwich wasn't much better. At $29, I was expecting something memorable. Instead, it was aggressively average—a sandwich so mediocre it somehow managed to avoid having any strong qualities whatsoever. It wasn't bad. It wasn't good. It simply existed. The fries, however, were perfectly respectable and ended up being the most satisfying part of the meal, which is not a sentence any restaurant wants in a review. To be fair, the atmosphere is lovely. The place has charm and cozy decor. The staff were also friendly, attentive, and genuinely pleasant throughout the evening. Unfortunately, charm and hospitality can only carry so much weight when the food prices suggest fine dining and the plates suggest a budget airline meal. On a slow night, with good service and a beautiful setting, I really wanted to love this place. Instead, I left feeling like I paid $63 + tip for a pastry-covered soup and a sandwich that peaked at "adequate."

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