Construction of Monarh started in 2013 in the former kitchen in the semi-basement of a monastery, called Missiehuis.[2] That monastery was used by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (locally called "rooi harten", meaning "red hearts") since its completion in the 1890s.[3] It was later designated as a rijksmonument and was sold in 2010 after its closure in order to be transformed into a residential and office complex.[4] Monarh opened on December 5, 2014, and its name is a contraction of Monastère Rooi Harten.[5]
The restaurant is owned by Danny Kovacevic, and the chef is Paul Kappé.[2] His brother, Ralph Kappé, is the sommelier.[6] Monarh serves both lunch and dinner, and the dishes belong to the French and international cuisines.[2] The white interior of the restaurant is characterized by groin vaults, that are supported by square columns, and arch windows.[7] Monarh has an open kitchen and an outdoor section and can seat over 60 people.[5]
The restaurant received attention after announcing a floating amuse-bouche in 2016. This dish is served on a superconductor, that is cooled with liquid nitrogen and levitates above a magnet for up to three minutes due to the Meissner effect.[8] Subsequently, the owner and chef made an appearance on the talk show RTL Late Night.[9]
Monarh plans to open a second restaurant with a capacity of 150 in Plan-t, a planned office building in Spoorzone. The owner said that restaurant, that would offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner, is aimed to be more affordable and would have a more extensive menu.[10]
Reception
On December 17, 2018, Michelin announced at theater DeLaMar that Monarh was among the restaurants that would receive one star in the 2019 Michelin Guide.[1] Head inspector Werner Loens called it a notable entrant in an interview with Misset Horeca and lauded the maturity of the recently opened restaurant.[11] Restaurant guide Gault Millau gave Monarh a score of 14 out of 20, saying the chef cooks with courage and turns "every dish [into] a painting (...) and a feast".[6] Monarh first appeared in the Lekker500, a list of 500 Dutch restaurants, in its 2018 edition.[12] Mac van Dinther wrote a review for the newspaper de Volkskrant in 2015, describing the food as well-prepared and well-presented "but not extraordinarily creative".[7]