The Stumbling Monk

IMO it’s unacceptable for a Belgian Bar not to have any belgian wheat beers. They didn’t. They also had a lack of non-​alcoholic beverages, except for orange Fanta.. (??)
Salty bar tender. No Thanks.

My favorite bar in the universe. Monk, I have been drinking your beers for years. You’re the first bar I’d been to that didn’t have a TV on or a TV at all. You’ve got music, sometimes, and that’s alright with me. You’ve got board games and tables for them — that’s OK too.
But god damn have you got beer!

This place is pretty great. My friends and I go when it’s raining, cold and when we’re in need of some serious beer. Their beer and wine lists are both impressive and the staff is very knowledgable. I’ve had many good suggestions come from the bar tenders. The service is quick, the company is always cheerful and the beer is excellent!
The décor is something like an old world pub. The dark wood booths are dimly lit and perfect for a conversation or a board game, which they have.

This place isn’t too bad. About 10 beers on tap, maybe 1 cider, and some wine. They don’t serve food, though you might be able to bring your own as I witnessed a table have pizza delivered to them; don’t quote me on that one.
There’s a lot of board games to choose from in a nifty display around the door. We went in on a Friday night and all things considered it was pretty chill. Not entirely packed, but busy. Noise level was fine, easy to carry a conversation.

Limited selection on tap, kind of dirty and smelled like a dirty mop in there. But that said, the bar had a fair selection of board games and seating.
Pretty straightforward bar, which I would not give a 4-​star rating. If I were back in NYC, I’d come here to pound a couple of quick ones, then move on to nicer, more expensive places to chill.

This is undoubtedly a must-​stop location for any beer enthusiast living or visiting Seattle. While Seattle-​ites are fortunate to have a bounty of great local brews on tap at many area bars, The Stumbling Monk’s selection stands apart as one of the best curated in town.
There are usually only about 12 beers on tap, and a cask or firkin that gets tapped on Thursday’s and goes until it runs out. The beers on tap usually include Belgians, sours, local specialties like a double IPA… But it’s always different. This is not a place to pound Rainier’s, nor are Mac n’ Jack’s or Manny’s standards here. There may be a couple of standards (I think? At least they always seem to be available) like St. Bernardus ABT 12, and Duchesse de Bourgogne, but maybe I don’t stop by frequently enough. There is a bottle list too, but the taps are so good and unique that I usually don’t make it to the bottle list.
The beers on tap are generally pretty rare, so no taste tests. Seriously, this has to be said because it seems like every group that comes in has a bro who asks for a sample. Not going to happen, get over it.
Plenty of board games are available if that’s your thing.
Décor and vibe is a bit … Um… Not good, but if you’d rather go to a nice, clean, modern looking bar, there are plenty of them in Seattle for you to choose from. As for me, I’ll stick with the place that has ripped vinyl booths and awesome beer!

Bar with a great selection of beers. The tap is limited to around 10 taps it seems, but the variety there is great if you’re interested in Belgian beers. The bar sits on the corner block, with a large window facing the street. From the outside it doesn’t look like much of a homely bar, but it was quite nice inside.
There is a selection of board games available to play while enjoying your beer, and the prices were very reasonable. I would definitely return to this bar, since I love Belgian beers.

Had beers and played board games here the other night. Delicious beer and fun board games. There’s probably around a hundred to choose from. I had one of the sours that was on tap, which was delicious. The bathroom is a bit sketchy and cold, but the bar more than makes up for it. Would definitely come back.

Great atmosphere. Had a drink on the deck and it was very romantic. Great view, great beer.

Some reviewers hate that they don’t do tasters. That’s just because they have seriously exclusive, awesome beer on tap, which they and you have to pay for. I’ve never seen a draft there for more than 7 $, most of them are actually 5 $ or 6 $. For an imported and seriously great beer (like most recently, an aged sour from the Proef in Belgium) is unbelievably cheap. Their beerselection features some of the best and smallest breweries in Belgium, which you can’t find anywhere else in the city. They also serve the classic Belgians and the top of the crop of local beer, for really great prices. The bartenders know their stuff better than most beergeeks or bartenders in the city, without being snobby. They’re superfriendly! It’s a quiet place to sit and read or write or talk with someone sitting at the bar. They play lots of mellow jazz. People that come here generally aren’t douchebags. It’s the best.

I like this place. Not sure how crowded it gets later at night, but during the day — right when they opened — it was great. Chill, laid back. Great beer selection. Really nice.

Beer beer and more beer.
They have cider too and wine available.
Bartender is super knowledgeable and friendly.
Fun place to play games or catch up with friends.

One of my favorite bars in the city. The owner brings in an amazing selection of beers at great prices, a lot of which I’ve never seen elsewhere. The rotating tap list has some favorites you can count on, along with a wide variety that’s always changing. I’ve seen everything from mainstays like saisons, trippels, and sours, to seasonal lagers and fruit beers, to oyster stouts and Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA (to this day the only place I’ve ever seen that on tap). The bottle list is exceptional as well, with all the Belgian friends you’ve come to know and love, and several new friends waiting to meet you.
A few things to keep in mind:
–They have a few lovely ciders and a wine or two, but that’s it. Beer’s what they specialize in, so not a place for folks who don’t like beer. If a beer nut friend drags you here though, try the Aspall cider.
–Aside from chips, they don’t sell food. Takeout is welcome though.
–It’s a dive. I mean that in the best possible way, but something to keep in mind. None of the furniture matches, the paint’s peeling, and the bathroom is to be avoided if at all possible.

Won’t do tastes of beer even for a fee ($ 1/​$ 2). Not my favorite beer bar. Will go to beer junction or chucks hop shop in the future.

Diviest bar I’ve been in. Surliest bartender I’ve interacted with (elitist beer cavalier is an understatement). Don’t ask for a sample, and don’t inquire as to the purveyor’s favorite beer. Walk in, confidently place your coins on the counter, and choose from the ample selection of some of the finest beers this side of the Meuse. This place is truly beer nirvana, and boasts an amazing selection of Belgian beers (had 5 sours on tap when we went this weekend). Board games on hand and ambrosia on tap. Not a Seattle native, so I’ll be making a pilgrimage here as often as possible.

Nice place.
This place specializes in craft beer and all the choices are great. Most of the beers and barley wines have higher alcohol content than most people may be used to, so be careful. The atmosphere is nice, it is not pretentious, looks a little rustic. There is a real nice mix of people here too, from younger business types to hipsters to straight-​up strange people (who were, nevertheless, quite friendly).
I don’t think there is food here, but there is a lot of food in the area you can grab in between beers.

Beers, artisans, craft, and bar stools. Wide variety on tap and draft, I especially enjoyed the sour beer selection.

One of my favorite bars to sit and talk or play games.
— It’s quiet (er) since they don’t play loud music
— the atmosphere is relaxed; an old public house style. Others have interpreted this as divey but it’s a nice change a pace from the new bars on Capitol Hill.
— the staff are friendly and patient, considering it always takes people awhile to order unfamiliar beers.
— I found the beer selection to be really impressive. Whoever is choosing the beers knows what they are doing
— They care about the glass used to serve different beers. This might seem snobby but I think it’s cool.
The fact that a small corner bar in can know Belgian beer so well and take it seriously enough to serve it in the right glass is neat. It’s something you can’t find very many places, which makes this bar pretty special.

I came here with expectations. I’ll admit that after reading all the hype on the interweb. The Monk is not a great bar. It is a meh place at best. The glasses are dirty as the head dissipated in record time, the Chimay was served in a 12oz glass that they call a pint and charge pint prices. The only way the bartender was able to get a head on the beer was by burping the tap handle. The 6 choices of on tap beer was good but not varied. The bar décor was that of a typical neglected place and not much else. I hate that bloggers have to build up a bar to be a great place when it is not. My time was better spent walking around the neighborhood.

One of my favorite bars in all of Seattle. Great beers, lots of games to play, really chill vibe. It’s like you went to your friend’s living room who happens to have great beer. It’s really small, and can get crowded, but never like the bigger Cap Hill bars. Great spot to go and hang out with friends and actually be able to hear them.
They do not serve food, beyond chips, but you are welcome to bring in anything you like.

Ah, what’s not to love about Stumbling Monk? It’s a block away from my apartment, and it serves delicious, delicious pints of Chimay for $ 6 (I’m kind of a sucker for Trappist beers and this price in the US is quite the steal). Don’t fret if you aren’t obsessed with Chimay quite as much as I am – a pretty impressive array of other Belgian brews and American-​made Belgian-​style ales is always on offer. Hell, there was a Belgian-​style brew from Japan on tap last night. Colour me impressed.
I’ve never strayed from the tap list because I’ve always found something intriguing on it (and, you know, there’s always Chimay), but their bottle selection is nothing to scoff at. I’d probably hit that up if I had more money I was willing to burn on a beer. Heh. Oh, and if you tire of either your phone or present company to entertain you while you sip your beer, there’s a great selection of board games for you to try your hand out. Sadly no Cards Against Humanity (hint hint, bartenders), but something to whet every appetite.
In short, just come here if you live near Olive Way and like beer. It’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ll have a good time.

This place is great! It’s in a tiny one story building hidden in plain sight on olive, which you’d likely miss unless you’re looking for it. Customers are greeted by a great wooden door which looks like it came straight out of some castle guard tower. Once inside the first thing that catches your eye will likely be a table (or two) of people playing board games. This place has a large selection for guests to play while they drink, and it’s always a blast.
As for the main attraction, the beer, let me get one thing out of the way: IT IS AMAZING. Stumbling Monk always has a great selection of rotating Belgian styles. I am a huge fan of trippel and quadrupel ales and this place always has at least a few. If you like strong belgian beer then this is the place to come!

I thought this place was okay. Smells a little funky though. It’s nice to get away from crowded, loud places but wish they had a larger selection. Went here once but they only had either really strong beers or sour ales. :/​they do have games! No cards though so we had to buy our own at a convenient store nearby. I think it’s a nice spot if you’re just looking to grab a drink and catch up with someone or work on something by yourself.

I understand that The Stumbling Monk is supposed to have a laid back vibe that sets it apart from all the fancy, overpriced, pretentious hipster bars popping up all over Seattle. And I can appreciate that mindset. But I would never choose to actually return to this place. It felt like someone opened up their garage and started serving beers for $ 6 a pint. It’s not that I didn’t like the atmosphere, it’s that there was no atmosphere. Peeling linoleum floors, dusty crumbling ceiling spots, plastic folding chairs, and tables smashed against each other near the bathroom. There was one person working, which wasn’t a problem since they only have about 6 – 8 beers on tap and no food. His personality was as riveting as the paint peeling off the walls. A few dusty chip bags hung near the ceiling, looking like they hadn’t been touched for eight years. The entire bar smelled like the stuffing you put in rat cages.
If you want to take «I’m not trying to be cool» to the next level of «I’m not trying» and then pay excessive amounts of money for it, this would be the place. I’ve had more interesting encounters at the DMV.

No draft beer samples? At a bar that only has beer? Ok. Beer pours are hideously overpriced. Would recommend tap house down the street for a better experience.
Staff is like a typical dive craft beer bar experience. Out of some of the more basic beers like ipa.

Stumbling Monk is such a welcome change of pace from the «bro-​grammer» dominated bars you’ll find everywhere else in Seattle.
The décor at typical Seattle bars may change, but it’s generally always the same story. There’s TVs showing sports. There’s mostly dudes who work for one of the big tech companies roaring about how they’re changing the world. There’s a crusty barkeep rushing to keep everyone’s glasses filled.
Stumbling Monk is an oasis of respite in the sea of all this chaos.
Generally, you can walk into Stumbling Monk and enjoy a nicely curated (but extensive) beer selection, play a board game with a friend in a medium-​to-​low noise setting, or read by a lamp while you sip your favorite brew. Meanwhile, the great Jazz of 88.5 KPLU plays in the background, and, yes, there is no TV playing sports to distract.
It’s laid back. It’s relaxing. It’s my new favorite place to go and read the newspaper after a long, stressful day.