The Bear & Monarch

What a cute little find! Was looking for a happy hour spot to check out with the bud, who was in from out of town. The Bear & Monarch is inside of the Loews Hotel, and just the right amount of swanky that we needed for a few drinks before dinner. Tbh, their HH menu aren’t amazing deals ($2 off a handful of cocktails), but the drinks definitely lived up to its price point. We each had two drinks, and they were all flavorful. Staff was quite attentive throughout, and even came by before the HH was going to end to ask if we wanted another. Additionally, we didn’t order any food since we were heading to a dinner reservation afterwards, but they swung by to give us a few snacks to nibble on. Would definitely return in the future. 4 stars.

Reliably great service and equally great cocktails and food. The team here know their product well and I'm never disappointed with their recommendations. They have an odd (and new) custom of asking your name before they let you in, but the food, drinks and service are still too notch. Not super cheap but always good value. In a city literally awash in craft cocktails, it's nice to find highly skilled bar tenders more interested in pleasing customers than in wowing them with complicated concoction. Simple, classic cocktails often baffle less skilled bartenders - that's never the case here.

First of all this review is 5 stars just for David's hospitality. He's fantastic, and made us feel very welcome. The drinks are well made, and they have a good selection. I did not order more food than this picture so I do want to go back. However I left feeling kind of sick because we ordered their bread and spreads (The Full Spread) which had a lot of salt and fat. I would recommend asking if they can do low salt or no butter on the bread because it's too much when you have the bone marrow, truffle butter, and chicken liver mousse.

Great upscale restaurant. Highly recommend the squash flower pork appetizer. We both had the burgers and they were high quality with enough of a portion to keep you satisfied. Prices are on the higher side, but you're paying for the ambiance and the quality of the ingredients. Would recommend for work dinners or date nights.