El Mono | Fresh Flavors of Peru - El Cerrito, California

melissa H.

Food & drinks were great- good ingredients, very flavorful, well plated. Gem in the area. Good date environment. Do yourself a favor & get the fried plantains!! First time here & will definitely be back to try more dishes.

Amanda D. C.

Food was amazing! Staff were warm and friendly and the service was quick. The restaurant is clean and the ambiance gives the comfort of family and authentic culture. The portions were large and literally everything was tasty. We can’t wait to come back with friends. This a gem and it’ll become a staple for our family.

Zoe R.

Tldr; food is great, splitting fee felt sneaky.

The food is great and the portions are huge - so big that the last time I was here with my mom (we are both smaller women) we shared an entree (we also ordered an appetizer, two desserts, and two coffee drinks, so the bill was still close to $100 for two people).
The restaurant charged a splitting fee for the entree (not listed on the menu or website), but they didn’t separate the food onto two plates or even provide an extra plate. This would be totally fine without the splitting fee, but if you’re going to charge a fee when less than one entree per person is ordered, at least provide an extra plate.
I would much rather pay a higher price for their giant portions or get less food at the current rate than be charged a splitting fee - particularly when the extra cost isn’t reflected in the service. And if you are going to charge a splitting fee, be transparent about it (put it on the menu) so it doesn’t feel sneaky.

Nirk Q.

I was there for the good reviews and the food was amazing. So far, I have tried ceviche, lomo Saltado and Aji de Gallina. All great flavor, spices were in the right combination as back in Peru. From drinks the miti miti was very tasty.

Irma I.

We had reservations for 6 of us.

Menus were on tablets that were on the table for guest to view

We order appetizers plus 6 main dishes.
Every dish was beautifully presented and very delicious.

Our waiter was funny, helpful and polite in our likes and dislikes.
He was very attentive to our needs which made our first time very memorable.
.
The Flan dessert was so good and tasty.

I will definitely go back.
Extra points for having easy parking too.

Angelica M.

I had an amazing experience at this Peruvian restaurant! The food was bursting with flavor, and as cooked to perfection. The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive, making us feel right at home. As a lovely surprise, they even sent us home with a delicious dessert treat. I highly recommend this gem for anyone craving authentic Peruvian cuisine!

Cherryl R.

My friend and I went there to celebrate my birthday. We came on on a Sunday, early evening, and the restaurant was just starting to fill up, but we were seated immediately. The ambiance is lovely, with decorations of Peru. We ordered the trio del Mar as an appetizer. It was so delicious. I am not a bug fan of squid, but it was tender and had so much flavor.
For an entree, I ordered the Aji de Gallina and my friend ordered the Lomo soltado. We also ordered the Pescado ala Macha to share. All three dishes were fantastic and will definitely come back. We did nit get any dessert as we were stuffed. I love Peruvian food and it has been a feat to find a restaurant as good as this. I can only assume that the person who took our order was the owner. He was very kind and kept checking up ok us.

Lorena C.

The food was great! The atmosphere was lovely! Really made me miss Peru! We went there with two small children and they loved eating my tallarín Verde de lomo too. The ají de gallina was amazing! Causa and Ceviche are flavorful!