Scottsdale’s Cafe Monarch named third-best fine dining restaurant in US

PHOENIX – Valley residents don’t have to get on a plane for one of the best dining experiences in the country, according a leading travel website.

Scottsdale’s own Café Monarch checked in at No. 3 in TripAdvisor’s 2018 list of the best fine dining restaurants in the U.S.

In fact, the family-owned establishment at 6939 E First Ave. in Old Town was the rated as the best American fine dining restaurant outside of New York. The Big Apple’s Gabriel Kreuther and Daniel are Nos. 1 and 2, respectively.

The list, which was released Tuesday as part of the website’s 2018 Best Restaurants in the U.S. Travelers’ Choice Awards, was compiled using and an algorithm that weighed the quality and quantity of TripAdvisor reviews over a 12-month period.

And then on Wednesday, dining website OpenTable put Café Monarch on its 2018 list of the 100 best American restaurants. Steak 44 in Phoenix also made the list, which isn’t numbered.

If you want to taste what all the fuss is about, plan ahead. Diners must make a reservation for a table at Café Monarch.

The restaurant serves extravagant meals that change every week and feature local organic ingredients. Gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options are offered.

You might need to plan ahead to save up for the experience, too.

On the main menu posted on the Café Monarch website Tuesday, four-course meals were priced from $80 for the Maple Leaf Farms duck breast main course to $165 for the Snake River Farms Kobe ribeye.

The TripAdvisor awards included the top 25 spots in each of three categories: fine dining, everyday dining and fast casual.

Tucson Mexican restaurant El Guero Canelo was the only Arizona business other than Café Monarch to be honored, ranking 19th in fast casual.

Follow @KTAR923