Monki Breakfast Club & Bistro

Huge fan of Monki! Aside from it feeling like a sauna inside on hot days, it’s a cute intimate spot with great service, good coffee and delicious food. Make sure you are there early if you want a seat without a long wait. Nice little patio too!

The best burger in town, hands down!!!
If there is a wait to get in, it’s a great investment of your time, as the reward is so worth it!

Food is great — comparable prices to similar spots, but the ambiance is nice. I bring my girlfriend here all the time. One of our favorite brunch places!

Came here Wednesday around 1PM for brunch with my friend and we were seated immediately. We noticed the place was small, offering around 7~ tables and seats available near the chef area
I ordered the smoked salmon benedict and my friend ordered the chorizo benedict. Both benedict was topped with alfalfa and fresh dill (which gave it a nice flavour). The hollandaise sauce was amazing; it was rich, creamy and savoury that did not overpower the other ingredients in the benedict.
It also came with their potatoes, which was covered and fried with sugar. The sugar made it look brown on the outside, and gave it a nice texture. Adding sugar to the potatoes is a new taste to me, and I quite enjoyed it. However, my friend would have enjoyed it to be more savoury than sweet.
Server was attentive, and filled our water right away when she noticed it was half empty.
It is a neat brunch place, offering range of hot sauces and fortune cookies at the end of our meal. It is more on the pricier side compared to the portion you get.

Fabulous breakfast, it is also consistent, always good, no matter what you order.
The wait is not fun, … but it it is worth it.

The food is amazing!!! Definitely worth the 2 hour wait :)
The ambience is casual/​cool and the prices are comparable to brunch in the downtown area. Just make sure to put your name on the waiting list and give your phone number and they will phone you when they have a table ready for you. The restaurant is very, very small so a waiting period like this is to be expected with the amazing quality of food. Highly recommended!!!

This was the first restaurant my friends and I ate when we landed in Calgary. Thankfully Unilocal led us to this great restaurant.
Parking: There is street parking or free parking for 2 hours at the Co-​Op market next door. Yay for free parking!
Setting: The first thing I noticed when I walked into this restaurant is that it is very small! The walkway is very narrow and we had to either wait in that area or outside. Since it was too cold to wait outside, we stood in the narrow walkway waiting to be seated. As many Unilocalers have pointed out, the wait can be very long. You were warned! We waited for a good 45 mins until we were seated. The décor and setup of the restaurant is very cute and definitely hipster. There was a chair hanging in the middle of the room haha. The restaurant has probably about 10 tables and the bar area. The tables can sit about 2 – 4 people max. Maybe 6 if they combine them.
Food: Monki offers benedicts, frittatas, salads, paninis, mac n cheese, burgers, steak, etc. They also offer drinks such as juice, coffee, tea, cocktails, mimosas, beer, spritz, etc. Sides include fruit cups, hashbrown & aioli, bacon, toast & housemade jam, grapfruit brulee and Spolumbo’s breafasta & sausage. I ordered the prosciutto, brie, fig jam, & balsamic reduction panini with a side salad. Omg… it was so delicious!!! It was the perfect blend of sweet and salty. I’ve never really eaten fig flavored dishes but after this, I was hooked. The side salad was also really good. Fresh and lightly flavored. The prosciutto did get a bit salty at times but other than that, it was perfect. The dish cost $ 15 CAD. My friend ordered the morning sundae which consists of coconut granola, fresh fruit, lavendar honey & organic yogurt with toast ($ 13 CAD). It looks sooooooo goood!
Service: We only talked to our waiter but he was very friendly and efficient. I can’t see mean people working at a place like this haha.

Da bomb! That hollandaise is crack! Super nice server let us try 2 different bennies in 1 order. Good tunes too

«Where should we go for brun-​» «Monki». It will always be Monki.
If there is every a reason to go to this place, you do. Actually, you honestly don’t need a reason, just an empty stomach. While their bennies are unreal, if you were to go here for the first time I would probably say to get the Brisket Hash. Unless you really like bennies, then get a benny, you wouldn’t be disappointed either way. Their hash browns are kinda unique in the sense that its almost like there’s a bit of a BBQ sweetness to it? I can’t really explain it, but all I can say it that is was delicious and that you have to try it for yourself. Also get the chipotle aioli on the side.
Bonus points to the fact that their fruit cup are not just stupid melons and cantaloupe, but actual different fruits!
Wait times can be quite long, but I assure you its well worth it. You can either just walk around for a bit and work up an appetite or, if you need to do some light grocery shopping, there’s a Co-​op a block over. Two birds with one stone!

It’s a tiny place can fit 26 people. The staff very relaxed, friendly, easygoing yet professional. The food is definetly worth the wait. Perfectly cooked eggs, fresh ingredients. Delicious. One of top places for brunch in Calgary.

Brunch has to be the best meal of the week. You get to enjoy coffee, alcohol, delicious food, and great company. Monki delivers on all accounts! A quaint restaurant downtown with a reggae feel. All the servers are incredible. Even just looking in their general direction brings them to the table to help you with the next step of the meal or refill your drinks.
Brunch isn’t brunch without mimosas and coffee. The orange and raspberry mimosa are out of this world. The subtle sweet flavor with the dry crisp taste from the champagne is perfectly balanced. The coffee is great too. And you can make it even better with a shot of baileys.
As great as the drinks are, the food is what makes this monki! We ordered the procuttio and fig panini and the breakfast hash. Holy crap, were they both delicious. The procuttio and fig panini was served with a wonderful salad and the presentation was perfect. The balance between sweet and savory was just too good. The crispy bread had that perfect crunch you just can’t get at home. The breakfast hash was just as good. The brisket was so flavorful and fell apart with a fork. When you mixed the hollandaise sauce, fried egg, and potatoes with the sausage and brisket it was like a marriage made in heaven. You have to try them both!
Can’t wait to come back to try the burger and bacon panini!

Well I have to say
Unilocal you nailed it again!
Not sure what I would do without Unilocal in my life as much as I travel!
This place was cute, farm to table type of fresh and amazing little atmosphere!
I would recommend this place and tell you if benedicts are your thing, try the Chorizo — you won’t regret it!
Then there is the fresh fruit that was so amazing and a perfect sampling and the sweet potato home style fries where a perfect ending!

So I don’t know if this is usual for Monki, but I had just had breakfast there and the music was SO LOUD I could hardly taste my food.
Colour me old, but I actually like to hear what my breakfast companion has to say.
The food was okaaay, but loud blaring dance music at 9am is so not my thing — I won’t be returning.

This place is fantastic. Yes there is a wait, and it is worth it. Robby and the crew were so nice to us and even remembered us by name when we came back the next day. (Yes, we are here two days in a row.). Try the Steak and Eggs, French Toast and don’t forget to booze it up with the Bad A** Ceaser. Great spot, great vibe, awesome food.

Breakfast is probably the most important meal of the day. Monki Breakfast club brings it to the next level.
I had an A-​MA-​ZING beef brisket. Congrats monkis!

This little gem has a very cool and breezy vibe that feels right at home across from Community Foods. It is a tiny space, but still has lots to offer. Good music, clean and simple décor… with a monkey or two hiding in plain sight.
Kudos to Monki for having a delicious gluten-​free biscuit for people who want to enjoy a Benny! I opted for no eggs today, but did have the biscuit (how could I resist?) instead of toast with my breakfast. It was soft and tender on the inside, and the house-​made jam was delicious! So delicious, in fact, that it tasted like another…
I was a little perplexed when I received my granola and yogurt though. It arrived in a Mason jar mug and appeared to be more of a layered yogurt-​granola-​fruit parfait type deal. From the description on the menu it just wasn’t what I thought it would be. I did have a chat with them about it, explaining that I’d expected more of a separate bowl concept where I could mix the ingredients at will (especially that fantastic coconut granola and lavender honey!) All I have to say is more granola, more honey, separate bowls so you can see the colorful fruit…
Next time, my mission will be conquering the hot sauce bar with some delicious eggs. Monki, I will be back!

Monki is one of our favourite brunch spots. So much so, in fact, that we meandered our way over after the Scotiabank 10k and had brunch before even changing and showering (I’m sure fellow diners were charmed).
One trend that we’re loving is the callback method of waiting. You leave your number, they give you an estimated wait time and you’re free to do whatever you want until you get the call. To be honest, we usually just browse the aisles of the store across the street, and spend way too much money, but it’s nice not having to stand in the doorway forever. One downside? The doorway is tiny and if you opt to wait there in the winter, it’s cramped, or freezing outside. In fact, the whole place is pretty tiny, so expect a wait.
We keep eating pretty much the same things every time we come. My dining partner loves the french toast, and it’s not as sweet as one would think. I’m a fan of the frittatas. The hash browns are amazing. Everything is so fresh and tasty.
Sure, the price is a little higher than some of those places ending in y’s but the quality is worth it. Plus, they have every hot sauce under the sun and then some. How can you lose?

I went to Monki for the first time and I have to admit I didn’t love it. Maybe it’s a victim of it’s own success and my expectations were a bit high but I found the food acceptable and better than say Denny’s but nothing I’d really go out of my way for and since it IS out of the way and you pretty much are doomed to wait even on the average weekday at a strange time it’s one of those places I’ll probably leave for everyone else that’s obviously in love.
Hubs got the Monki brisket and thought is was OK but had too much going on with no star of the plate. At least he was satisfied. I have stuffed french toast and although the cream cheese should have been flavored with heavenly hazelnuts it tasted sour (not gone-​bad sour… but the natural sourness of the product with nothing added) and honestly that consumed the dish when I cut in and it spilled out. No amount of nutella and condensed milk compensated for that and it just fell flat to me. Even the side of fruit was just ok… I’d had more delicious fruit from the grocery store the other day. Presentation is nice and the atmosphere is cool.
Alright but not memorable is about the bottom line and if I want to test my patience before eating breakfast one day I’d probably pick half a dozen other places in Calgary first.

MONKI see, monki do. Grabbing brunch on a Sunday afternoon, you know you’re in for a wait. Especially when your 10am plans turn into 1pm instead. Oops, blame it on the U & Me late night eats. We put our name on the list and we’re told to expect a 25 to 45 minute wait (just plop your number down and they’ll call you once a spot opens up). We crossed the street to grab some drinks at Community Natural Foods while we waited.
I wonder how much foot traffic they get from the Monki brunchers. I’d wager a ridiculous amount. The place was bumping with people sitting out on the patio and others lingering outside waiting for a spot. Calgarians sure do love their brunch. Reminds me of Montréal so much!
Several chairs and benches are set up for people who decide to wait outside. The patio looked pretty sweet but it was jam packed. We ended up getting a table inside where a warm, cozy albeit tight space awaits you. It can fit about 25 people if you include the high chairs wrapped around the bar.
It wasn’t a big deal but some water started leaking from the roof and dripped right by one of our friend’s shoulder. Gheeeeetto. It also took quite awhile for our food to arrive. We ordered way before a couple sitting beside us did but they ended up getting and finishing their meal before any of our food arrived. Yikes, another reason for me to never jump on the brunch bandwagon.
— Mac and cheese ($ 18.00) — lobster, crab, bacon, jalapeño and truffle-​scented bread crumbs. The mac and cheese was good but I probably should have went with something else. This dish is better shared than consumed by one person. It would have been nice if they gave a side dish of salad or fruit to balance out all heavy carbs you’re eating. Decent but the eggs benny was better.
— Brisket hash ($ 17.00) — brisket, hash, vegetables (instead of fried eggs). My sister went with the brisket hash and thoroughly enjoyed her dish. The brisket was intensely flavourful and magically tender. No hollandaise sauce or eggs for her but they let her substitute for vegetables (good choice) and a sauce I don’t recall.
— Chorizo eggs benedict ($ 16.00) — Spanish chorizo, caramelized onion and goat cheese. Comes with side of potatoes and bowl of fruit. Our one friend decided to put her faith in the hands of our waitress (aka. she couldn’t decide what to get as she wanted everything off the menu). Lo and behold, the waitress picked the chorizo eggs benedict dish for her. I had a bite and the eggs benny was perfectly fluffy, yolky, whatever brunch descriptors people use to describe a decadently done eggs benedict. They do it well here.
— Capicollo eggs benedict ($ 16.00) — grilled capicollo, tomato and pesto. Same side of potatoes and bowl of fruit. That prosecco hollandaise sauce just oozing down the biscuit is pure gold.
You randomly get fortune cookies to end your meal. Interesting bit of Asian-​ness thrown in for good measure. Overall, if your looking for a place to grab some grub on a lazy Sunday morning/​afternoon and don’t mind waiting, MONKI has all the elements of a good brunch place. Outside patio next time…

I’ve been holding off writing a review of Monki because I wanted to keep this place a secret. Sadly the word is out that this place is THE best place for breakfast. I’ve been coming here every time I can because I’m seriously addicted to the amazing food these guys come up with. Brothers Ty and Jaret own and run the place and you couldn’t meet two nicer guys. They essentially grew up in the restaurant business and cooking is in their genes.
I’ve tried everything on the menu and each item is a perfect 10 out of 10. If you’re only here once for breakfast, you gotta try the brisket hash or French toast. For lunch you have to have the burger or lobster mac ‘n cheese.
The place is small (820 sq feet?) and there’s always a line up on weekends so expect to wait a hour to get in (you can leave your cell# and walk around if you want). Better yet, take a morning off work and walk in on Wednesday through Friday. There is no better way to start your day!