Best Restaurants with a Tasting Menu in Old Town Scottsdale

Amazing first time experience!!! When we arrived our private tasting was ready and set up for us. The gentleman who helped us with our wine tasting was very thorough with the wines and the selections made.

Cafe Monarch was a outstanding experience. Starting with free valet parking, the restaurant has a peaceful fountain by a French door entrance. The hostess greeted us kindly and showed us to our seats at the bar. We prefer bar seating as we can sit side-by-side and have a more personal experience with the staff. The bar has an amazing assortment of liquor including full ranges of gin, vodka, whiskies and scotches and accompaniments. Our two bar tenders were very friendly without being intrusive. They let us get settled in with complementary bubbles and explained the dinner menu. The menu is a Prix Fix offering with a choice of either four or eight courses. The quantity of food on the two menus is nearly the same, so we chose the eight course dinner with more small bite choices on offer. As we needed to make modifications due to gluten and caviar allergies, the kitchen did an excellent job of adjusting the courses. We had chefs treat oyster, the autumn soup; sesame tuna; shrimp with grilled pineapple, avocado and radish; diver scallop with squash and pine nuts; a pleasant palate cleanser with lemon sorbet, berries and hibiscus; pork belly with apple, current, peppers and goat cheese; lamb chops with carrot, spinach and brioche; and A5 Wagyu filet mignon and short rib, bell pepper, and broccolini. Desert was a Chocolate cream with cookie. We had the Petite Fours with coffee and tea. At $290 it was a worthwhile and outstanding feast. We are planning to return to Cafe Monarch when next in Phoenix.

Delicious tapas and paella! There was not one bad dish! The only issue we had was the noise level. We sat outside and there was live music - which was great - but it was played so loud we could not carry on a conversation. We asked the waiter to have them please lower the volume and I think they just cranked it up louder.

A wonderful evening to get out and have an incredible dinner with some pasta and a couple of drinks. Always great.

A "one of it's kind" dining experience with a energetic vibe, excellent food and drinks, and a relaxed atmosphere when enjoying time with family and friends.