"Atlas's Harbor East brasserie pairs $62 Wagyu steak frites with live cabaret — book it for a birthday worth dressing up for."
About Monarque
Three nights a week the lights drop, a singer takes the floor between the steak courses, and a burlesque act follows the dessert. Monarque is Atlas Restaurant Group's French brasserie and dinner theatre at 1010 Fleet Street in Harbor East, Baltimore, opened in 2022 and built around a Belle Epoque fantasy of jazz, cabaret and dry-aged beef. Executive chef Devin Parks runs a kitchen of brasserie classics and in-house dry-aged steaks, backed by a list of more than 500 French wine labels.
The Kitchen
Executive chef Devin Parks cooks a brasserie menu that takes its steaks seriously. The dry-aging happens in-house, and the headline plate is the steak frites built on Wagyu bavette with pomme frite and béarnaise at $62. Above it sits a 14oz dry-aged New York strip steak au poivre with green peppercorn sauce at $76, and a 6oz beef tenderloin petit steak with pomme purée and diane sauce at $58. The dry-aged Monarque burger, $29, comes with miso-cured bacon, a truffled egg yolk and crispy onions, and is the smartest order at the bar.
Around the beef there is a proper raw bar, French classics and a beverage program that goes deep on cognac and armagnac alongside those 500-plus French wines. The cooking is not chasing Michelin stars and does not pretend to; it is built to hold its own next to a floor show, which is a harder brief than it sounds. Parks's menu has to be good enough that you remember it but paced so the kitchen never upstages the cabaret, and it mostly lands that balance. See how the grand brasserie format travels in our guide to the best French restaurants worldwide.
The Room
Monarque is dim, plush and deliberately theatrical, with a performance floor that the room is arranged around rather than tucked beside. The sound level is loud by design once the acts begin, the lighting is low and candle-bright, and the seating runs from banquettes to tables angled toward the stage. Dress is smart and dressed-up; there is no jacket rule, but cocktail attire reads as right. From Thursday through Saturday the room is adults only, which keeps the late seatings closer to a supper club than a family brasserie.
Best for a Birthday
Book Monarque for a birthday because it does the work of making a night feel like an event so you do not have to. The live cabaret and burlesque turn dinner into a show, the Belle Epoque room flatters a celebration, and the steak-and-Champagne format gives a table something to toast around. Take a Friday or Saturday performance seating, order the Wagyu steak frites, and let the floor do the rest. For more rooms built for the moment, see our best restaurants for a birthday and the wider Baltimore dining guide.
Not for
Not for a quiet conversation or guests under 18 on weekends — Thursday through Saturday the room turns to cabaret and burlesque, runs adults-only, and stays loud until 2 a.m.
Frequently Asked
Is Monarque worth it?
Yes, if you come for the full evening rather than just dinner. Monarque is one of the few rooms in Baltimore that pairs serious cooking from executive chef Devin Parks with live cabaret, jazz and burlesque, and the dry-aged steak program is genuinely good. Treat the show as half the ticket and the $62 Wagyu steak frites stops feeling expensive. Come for a steak alone and you are overpaying for the spectacle.
How hard is it to book Monarque?
Weeknights are easy; Friday and Saturday are not. Reservations run through Resy and OpenTable, and the weekend performance seatings fill one to two weeks out, especially the later tables when the cabaret and burlesque acts take the floor. Book midweek for a quieter dinner, or lock a weekend table early. Monarque sits at 1010 Fleet Street in Harbor East and is closed Sunday and Monday.
What is the dress code at Monarque?
Smart and dressed-up. There is no jacket requirement, but Monarque leans into Belle Epoque theatre, so guests turn out in cocktail dress and tailoring rather than jeans and trainers. On weekend nights the room is adults only after Thursday and the mood is closer to a supper club than a bistro. Dress as if you were going to a show, because you are.
What is the average meal price at Monarque?
Plan on roughly $90 to $130 per person before drinks for a full dinner. Steak frites with Wagyu bavette is $62, the 14oz dry-aged steak au poivre is $76, and the dry-aged Monarque burger is $29, with a raw bar and starters on top. The wine list runs past 500 French labels, so a bottle can move the total quickly. Tuesday's Cut drops steak frites to half price.
Is Monarque good for a birthday?
Yes, it is one of Baltimore's strongest birthday rooms. The live cabaret, the dim Belle Epoque interior and the steak-and-Champagne format make an occasion of the night without any effort from you, and the kitchen will mark a celebration. Book a Friday or Saturday performance seating for the full effect, and see our best restaurants for a birthday for more rooms built for the moment.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at MonarqueVia Resy / OpenTable · weekend shows book 1–2 weeks out
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address1010 Fleet Street, Baltimore, MD 21202
NeighbourhoodHarbor East
CuisineFrench brasserie
SignatureWagyu steak frites · $62
Per person$58–$130 before drinks
Dress CodeSmart / cocktail
HoursTue–Thu 5pm–12am · Fri–Sat 5pm–2am · closed Sun–Mon
