Mona's Bistro and Lounge

04/01/2008 Posted by espelund

I decided to take my girlfriend here for an anniversary dinner based on the reviews and its recommendation as a great date spot. They were pretty much dead on a Monday night. Our server seated us in the picture window by the door, presumably to show passersby outside that people actually dine there. I have no problem being used as a marketing ploy, but the big picture window and adjacent door made the space a little drafty. I should have asked to be moved to one of the dark corner tables. The space has a nice warm glow to it, but the bar in the middle of the room takes away from the mood. I would say it is a good friendly first date spot, but have a hard time calling any restaurant "romantic" when a television is in plane view from my table. Our server was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. He even brought out three different wines for my girlfriend to sample when she asked him for a recommended sweet red. For appetizers she ordered the cheese flight, which was very tasty and included homemade crackers with a touch of honey, a fig compote, roasted nuts and three cheeses (one of which somehow tasted exactly the way a farm smells, if you're into that sort of thing), I had the arugula salad, which was good, albeit it extremely oily, even for me. For our entrées I ordered the lamb shank. I'm not a huge lamb fan really, but I found it to be tasty. My lady had a seasonal dish: cheese and pea stuffed ravioli with asparagus. I found it to be very tasty, but it could have used a few more ravioli for the price. Both entrées were also a bit oily, which seems to be a theme at Mona's. Total cost of the meal (which also included one glass of wine and one very reasonably priced beer) was $103 with 20% gratuity. I would recommend going in for drinks and apps or maybe wine and desert (we didn't get any, but it sounded very good), I thought the entrées were a little prices for what you got. Also, a very small selection on all menu items.

03/05/2008 Posted by yumyum77

We go out twice a week to Seattle restaurants with a mission to try every bistro in town. Our evening at Mona's was 2 hours 45 minutes of life gone and never to return. Waited 5 full minutes for anyone to speak to us at the door. This next part I swear is true - after being seated it was around 20 minutes before anyone spoke to us. That doesn't sound like a lot, but it is absurdly long -a Seattle record. The server acted like she had done us a favor so we could "get familiar with the menu." We made the wrong decision of just ordering appetizers and drinks when she finally came. After the apps and drinks came (another 20 minutes) we ordered our mains. Please note this is a "cozy, neighborhood bistro," which sounds to me like you should be able to enjoy a full course meal and drinks in no more than 90 relaxed minutes. Please note we left this place almost 3 hours after arriving. After we were finished with our salad (very good with arugula and a slice of cheese) and oysters (average) we waited 40 minutes for the mains. When my "lobster" ravioli arrived - $28 - I was over halfway through when I wondered aloud if I had been given the proper dish - no lobster to be found anywhere. 5 raviolis = $28 and one decent lobster bite in the last one. An entire evening gone - there was going to be a movie later...

Pros: If everything else on the planet is closed

Cons: service, lobster ravioli, service

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

03/05/2008 Posted by onemoretime33

I took my girlfriend out to Mona's last Friday night for our weekly date night. When we arrived (around 6:30pm) the lounge and dining room were already busy, but we were greeted immediately, and we fortunately were able to get a table. Their wine list looked pretty extensive, but we decided on cocktails that night. The martini was one of the best I've had in a while. The food was excellent, too. You HAVE to try the arugula salad. They drizzle truffled honey over it, and the slice of goat cheese over the top was to die for! All in all I'd say we had a great experience at Mona's. Since we went in on a Friday, it was a little loud, although still relaxed. If you're looking for something quiet, maybe earlier in the week would be better.

Pros: Ambience, Service, Food

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

03/03/2008 Posted by northwesternwines

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary at Mona's this weekend. It was our first time and everything was wonderful. It was difficult to find parking but that's just part of urban living. Our waitress was attentive and friendly, our cocktails were unique and delicious and the food was perfect. After appetizers(bruschetta), and salads, and an amazing Lamb Shank and Tuna, we simply could not eat anything else, but we will be back for dessert and more very soon.

Pros: Romantic, Great Food, Save room for dessert!!!

10/27/2007 Posted by julieshull

The first challenge is to find a parking space. Parking is on the street and may require several laps around the block. My husband finally found a spot in a church lot a couple of blocks away. We were all a bit disappointed in Mona's after reading the reviews describing it as "romantic" and "darling." The atmosphere was loud enough that we sometimes had trouble hearing each other and the service was definitely lacking. The four of us felt that they were severely understaffed. I was the first to arrive in our party (we had a reservation) and waited quite a while before I was even noticed. The mojitos were very good, as were the salads and bruschetta appetizer. The entrees were OK, not great. My pork loin arrived lukewarm and a tad overcooked and dry. The roast chicken with balsamic sauce was edible, but nothing special. On the other hand, the dessert with bananas, milk chocolate ice cream and hazelnut cake was wonderful. They offer a well-balanced menu of wines by the glass. No part of the meal was really stellar. Perhaps if the service had been more attentive, we would decide to go back to give it another chance.

Pros: appetizers, salads, desserts

Cons: parking, service, very average entrees

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful

10/07/2007 Posted by mrmummum

Seems like Mona's just started with their Sunday brunch offering. Went there recently and we were alone with one other couple in the restaurant which isn't a bad thing if you're tired of hectic brunch settings with cramped tables and poor service. The brunch menu is reasonably priced and the food tastes great. We even received a complimentary house made donut which was fantastic and I'm pretty sure the owner waited on our table which was a treat. Give the Sunday brunch a try. You won't be disappointed.

09/30/2007 Posted by rblumentjkrug

My wife and I were a little thrown off when entering the restaurant, expecting more of a romantic, intimate venue. The interior is dominated by a rather large bar that sits squarely in the center of the room. The very good, but too loud, jazz music was not our cup of tea either. The waitress, who was as sweet as can be, immediately turned down the music and we proceeded to our seats. My wife and I are both vegetarians, though we do eat fish at times. There is a separate vegetarian menu at Mona's consisting of four entrees. Our meal turned out to be one of the finest we've had in Seattle. My wife's polenta with greens and a red pepper sauce was simply divine, as was the butternut squash ravioli that I had. The salads were tasty, fresh with just the perfect amount of dressing. The service was just great, our waitress being extremely friendly and very accomodating. So, to wrap up, the place is essentially a bar with a rather funky interior with food and service to absolutely die for. We will, for sure, be back--many times I'm sure.

Pros: Outstanding food and service

Cons: A little loud and too much of a bar scene

07/15/2007 Posted by full_throttle07

I'd nver been to Mona's before, but was looking for a good dessert date restaurant. The online dessert menu looked great, so my husband and I went with some friends. The environment is fabulous, very urban. The desserts were AMAZING!!! It was as if they had hand-crafted each one to look and taste phenomenally good. We will definitely be back here, and are going to try Mona's for dinner or happy hour sometime soon. My friend said they have a great happy hour with tapas.

Pros: The Bananas Financier Dessert, Coffee is Great Too

Cons: None

07/04/2007 Posted by miss__e

Mona's is a darling little bistro. With great cocktails and tasty tapas served late, it is the perfect little romantic date place. The food is quite good, the artisan cheese plate has a wonderful selection and the calamari is just perfect. The interior is lovely. Check out this little neighborhood place, you wont be disappointed.

02/18/2007 Posted by phaedrus30

My girlfriend and I went to Mona's for Valentine's day. When we walked in, the place was packed with couples. Even though they were extremely busy, we felt like we were well taken care of right away. The ambience was perfect, and the five course tasting menu was delicious. They gave out roses to all of the ladies, and the chocolate covered strawberries delivered with the check were a great added touch. Excellent dinner, service, and overall experience.

Pros: great atmosphere, food, drinks

Cons: difficult finding parking