Stumbling Monk
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Best Nights: Tue, Fri
- Happy Hour: No
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
69 Reviews for Stumbling Monk
I can't believe last night was my first time at the Monk. Three cool boys and I went to the Monk to rehash our Montana adventures and drink my favorite beer. Except, when I spotted Delerium Tremens in the case, Duvel didn't have a chance.
After my first 8,5%er, I noticed the games above the door. Loved the way the sunset shot directly into my eyes. I envy the bartender his job.
Look forward to coming back here again and again.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
The Stumbling Monk is poorly lit, poorly furnished, and adorned with poorly groomed people.
No distractions from Belgian beer.
Dig it.
Bare bones. Come here for the beer, the weird bathroom, and maybe some D&D action. Do not come here to see and be scene.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (3)
Cool (1)
Stumbling Monk is an example of a decent idea completely wasted. Personal tastes aside (Belgian beer tastes like puke), it's clear that absolutely NO effort went into the interior design of the place. I'm not talking about the ferns and brass rails you find in most places that cater to beer snobs; I'm referring to the basic necessities that make a place of business even remotely tolerable, like proper ventilation, lighting, and restroom facilities. The circulation in this bar is so bad that during the winter the windows fog up, generating a musty locker-room funk. Horribly dim florescent lights, made even worse by their positioning, turn your entire drinking experience into a deleted scene from Jacob's Ladder, and the single bathroom (also with no ventilation) assures everyone can savor the heady nose and floral accents of everyone else's Belgian beer shits.
People thought this was:
Funny (2)
I just went here for the first time last weekend and I loved it. The bartender was really friendly and after I told him what I liked, he recommended the Brother Thelonious beer to me (a "fancy beer" novice) and I really enjoyed it!
The atmosphere is not anything fancy, but if you're looking to be swept away in some kind of great club or fancy atmosphere, go somewhere else! This is just a corner pub and they aren't trying to be something that they aren't.
I agree with a previous poster: i wish that we could smoke in there.
I like this place. I'm a big fan of belgian beers, it's low key, and it's on capitol hill. Try the Delirium Tremens if you go. Don't expect anything fancy, they didn't even have any music playing when I was there. It's worth checking out though, you'll either love it or hate it. If your really concerned with looks and extravagance, you'll probably fall in the latter category, and you'd probably much happier being in Belltown anyways.
If you love Belgian beer and Belgian-style beer, which I do, then there are few bars better than the Monk -- in the entire country. This is a bar for an older, quieter type, or at least older-quieter-at-heart. If you are looking for a place to lose yourself in loud music, cocktails, and either girls or guys in silver, shiny outfits, you will hate the Stumbling Monk. The music is never loud, often classical, and I have found the staff (which, to my understanding, consists of the two co-owners, who are the two bartenders) to be helpful and fun to talk with. I try and visit the Monk at least once each time I am in Seattle.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
This is one of those places that makes you regret the smoking ban. It's small, it's dirty, it smells and it only serves beer and a couple of wines: it's perfect for sitting in a corner, angry at your friends for going where *they* wanted to go (and not offering to give you a seat, buy you a beer, or anything else "birthday-like"), while puffing like a stack.
I guess if my boyfriend and I had been *expecting* this for his birthday party it would have been one thing, but we weren't, and the servers didn't make it easier. When the boyfriend asked if they had soda, the bartender said "yeah" and then acted offended when boyfriend asked for a Coke/Pepsi. "Well, we don't have THAT." Um...k...anything with caffiene? "No. Just Thomas Kemper." Oh. Well fine then.
My attempt to purchase a glass of wine was also fraught with frustration. By the time we got our drinks (and were pressed into the barstools, ignored by our friends at an actual table) we'd given up. I downed that (mediocre) glass of wine, boyfriend finished his soda, and we politely made our exit.
I can see beer-snobby hipsters loving this place (hence the three stars), but sadly, I'm not one of them.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
Ahhh the Monk.
The place is nothing much from the outside and the inside is typical dark dive. This used to bother me until I accepted Seattle into my heart and am a born again dive-r.
It also really helps that I love Belgium beers and they have a standard few on tap, as well as really fun ones in bottles. The prices are decent (I base this on the fact that Hoegaarden is $3.50...pretty fair) and the bartenders were surprisingly nice and helpful. I didn't get any rolled eyes when I asked for a recommendation and even turned down a few that didn't seem a good match.
I ended up covering a fair amount of beers under 25 bones and that made me a very happy girl.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
I haven't even been to the place but I had to add a great quote from the late Michael Jackson, the "Bard of Beer."
He was bothered by persons who would say to a bartender, "Gimme a beer." Americans? Yes, some.
He asserted, "It is a bit llike telling a waiter, 'Gimme a plate of food'."
What this place lacks in atmosphere it makes up for in amazing beer. Most of the stuff they have on tap you won't find anywhere else in the city (except maybe Old Town in Ballard and a few others). Their chalkboard lists the current varieties on tap, the price per glass, alcohol percentage and even the style of glass it's served in. These folks know their Belgians. Even if you don't consider yourself a fan of Belgian beer you will find something you like here.
relaxing atmosphere, nice large tables/booths for friends to join you, and a great selection of board games to get drunk and play all night long.
Red wine + Scattegories + lots of friends = awesome time at Stumbling Monk.
Definitely a must-try if you're a capitol hill-ite
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
This place is great! I'm not much into beer, but a friend suggested that we head over one night when we were wandering about the Hill looking for a place to park ourselves and talk. We each hooked ourselves up with a Framboise, plopped ourselves down, and spent a couple of hours merrily chatting.
The Stumbling Monk reminds me of someone's well-loved rec room, where people can drop in to chat, drink some beer, and play board games. (There are a selection of board games available.) It isn't super clean, but neither is it pretentious. I can easily imagine stopping in wearing my rattiest outfit and not feeling out of place or unwelcome. This is where you want to go and casually hang out with friends, not cruise the scene.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
Chances are this review is going to echo many of the others, but I don't care. I love this place. Fantastic beer for amazing prices. My girlfriend and I showed up here one evening as soon as they were opening. We spoke to, I believe, the owner and he was an extremely nice guy. One beer and then off to dinner.
We came back later that night with a couple friends and had a great night. Drank excellent Belgian beer for non-Belgian prices. Very little mark-up here.
The atmosphere is outstanding. It's absurdly dark.
That said, it's not for everyone, but it sure as hell is for me. Can't wait to go back. Next time I'm playing scrabble goddamn it.
Amazing beer selection, completely unpretentious, and a perfect gathering place for friends. I will go here again for sure.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Beer snobs UNITE!!! This place is fabulous. Wide variety of different brews to appeal to all and all have such nice prices written in chalk after them.
This place is good for a nice relaxing evening to chat it up with friends and then stumble on home!
If I were ever to consider moving back to Seattle The Stumbling Monk would go in my "pro" list.
An astounding list of unique domestics and delicious imports and a staff who's not only knowledgeable but really friendly about it.
The skinny hipster behind the bar ran a table full of drunk ass clowns out on a rail and then came back and recommended one of the best porters I've ever tasted.
What else do you want?
This place is almighty. It's not just a pub. It's not just a bar. To quote my bosomed girlfriend, this is a "Beer Parlor". And that it is.
No super loud music so you can't hear what your friend or cohort or esteemed colleague is saying. No fancy lights. No pretentious flair or decor. No "Asian Themed Tapas". (:P) It's a great hole in the wall with an absolutely phenomenal beer selection - especially the great Belgian beers on tap and in the bottle. I'm particularly keen on the Sour Red. But they've got local stuff too with reasonable prices.
Just a great place to hang out, enjoy a great beer, and relax if you're not into the thumping techno, metrosexual, Banana Republic mania of the "trendy" bar scene.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
if you and your friend ever meet up with two hipsters from Cornish from a personal ad, you should definitely bring them here and talk about henry miller and the beach boys.
seems obvious.
oh, how i miss the stumbling monk. the days of drinking beers I had no idea about and playing scrabble til i couldn't think straight.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (4)
Cool (3)
So, my friend Joe and I stopped in the other night wanting to grab a few beers and have a nice chat. Neither one of us had been in before and, since Joe lives on the block, we decided to check it out. Joe's a bit selective about most things in life. Snooty? No. Just knows what he likes and doesn't hesitate to express it. Maybe just a hair snooty. (But that's one of the many reasons I like him: I feel flattered that he hangs out with me.) So, we walk in the door and there goes Joe's nose up in to the air...
P-U, it smells in here!, he whines.
Joe! I say, in my best keep-your-voice-down tone.
Wellllllll, he drawls out as he concedes to my request to pipe down.
We move up to the bar, noting that many of the patrons seated around at various tables look relaxed and comfortable and don't seem to be bothered by any odors. But they are looking at us rather oddly. It feels like we've sauntered into an old western saloon and aren't being received well. I picture an old, gray, leather-vested, dusty piano player in the corner abruptly halting his performance as he spins around on his stool, tipping the brim of his hat up to glare at us. The bartender leans over the bar, We don't serve yer kind here. Now youz git outta here right quik. OK, that didn't really happen. But hey, maybe we're just paranoid. Anyways, the beer list looks inviting and we start to discuss it, but wait...what IS that smell?
Uh, Joe? What is that?
God! It smells like a locker room in here!
Yeah, like dirty socks.
A really ripe high school locker room.
In the ghetto.
On a hot day!
We laugh, yet try not to breath in. (That's actually really hard to do.) So now we are both dissing the place, waving our hands back and forth in the air in front of our faces, as it that's going to help. And we're not using our "inside voices".
God, this is awful! Doesn't anyone else notice it? Maybe they're all drunk.
Or high.
Good lord, it reeks in here. What the hell is that smell?
Jesus, it's putrid. Are we staying?
Hell no Joe, we're not staying! This is nasty!
Outside we enjoyed sucking in deeply on Olive street's finest exhaust filled atmosphere. Despite the stench, it was worth going in there just for the laughs. I wanted to stand on the corner and double-dog dare people to go in. I'm sure the patrons were happy to see us leave. I admit, we were rude. But good lord people, in the words of the great Yelper Tim O: "It's like if your friend opened a cool-vibe bar with really good beer. But he opened it in your parent's basement. Their musty, lame-ass basement." No wonder the Monk is Stumbling: he's about to keel over from the STANK. Two stars for the bravery of having a unique beer selection. If you go, take your scuba gear, a big cowboy hat and your six-shooters and you'll be fine.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (4)
Cool (2)
I fell in love with this place and ultimately in love at this place. That's how often I went. Maybe it was the particularly high alcohol percentages at screamin' deal prices, but I took everybody here at one time or another, and it's a piece of Seattle I miss. They have board games. Plus there are all of those really great conversations I had with the owner. They generally happened on my third or so beer, which means I would forget the contents of each one until the beginning beer on a subsequent trip, where the owner would drop a personal tidbit of mine that it seemed inexplicable he knew. High alcohol percentages people.
*Accessibility note: yes to get in; yes to use the bathroom, but someone has to stand guard in front of an outer curtain.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
This place is small and unpretentious, which is great because I don't dig the "bar scene" so much as I really just dig a good beer. This place does not disappoint with it's large selection of fine Belgian beers. It's a perfectly reasonable place to bring out of towners for a great beer experience.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
The Stumbling Monk is one of those peculiarly Seattle places I loved so much when I first visited that I decided to move here.
It's a beer bar, but -- oh -- what beer. The Monk features a unique selection of Belgian brews and similar styles; think Hoegaarden, only more and even better: grand crus, dubbles, tripples ... I'm a fancy beer kind of guy and I rarely know much of what's on their menu. Keep in mind that this stuff often has alcohol content upwards of 6%. Since U.S. law generally defines beer as having a maximum alcohol content of 5% (thanks for mediocrity, Anheuser Busch lobbyists!), it's technically considered "malt liquor." Not that that's a bad thing ...
Don't expect much in the way of atmosphere. It's a bit like "Mad Max IX: Seattle the Day After", but it's mellow enough that if you're prepared for it, you'll be charmed. Feel free to bring your canine companion, too.
Finally, while the Monk doesn't really serve food, they usually don't mind if you bring some with you (I've even ordered pizza to be delivered here). Probably best to check with the barkeep first and make sure that's okay.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (3)
I don't know why this is the last bar I end up at after a night of drinking. Their delicious, strong Belgian beer is not something you should pour on top of a night of drinking Olympia and whiskey.
That being said, there have been a number of times that I stay only at the Monk, and that is what I recommend. Grab a book, or a friend and a board game, and relax here. The thing I most like about this is that it does not seem like a bar, but almost like a cafe. Each table has two people sitting at it, having a real, live conversation. Music is not blasting above your voice, so you don't have to shout. The service is great, and so is the beer.
This place kick-ass. It is so unpretentious and so not full of itself I love it.
It has some of the best beer in the city next to Prost, Brouwers, Duck Island..
The beer is cheap, you can drink high quality belgians for white trash beer prices.
Yeah there is a slight smell, but not bad. Really you don't notice. The setting is nice and fun.
For good beers at great prices this is your place.
My number one complaint about this place is that it does not open earlier. I wish i could stop by after work at like 4 for a beer, but I can't.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I do not care what this place smells like, they have the best freaking beer in the city!!! They have their priorities totally correct.... High quality product is paramount to anything else in their business model... Its all about the beer and If you cant hang around for ten minutes to acclimate to the "unique" nose of the place and let a strong belgian ale melt your apprehensions ... then get ye gone!!!
Awesome beer, cool ownership... no complaints!!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
It's like if your friend opened a cool-vibe bar with really good beer.
But he opened it in your parent's basement. Their musty, lame-ass basement.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (7)
Cool (1)
Well, that bathroom is pretty freaking scary and ga-ross which is a minus when you're filling your belly with delicious, delicious beer. Eh, at least I was tipsy enough to just rock it. I loved the dark look of the bar, the patrons were laid back bearded types, and I thought the beer list was freaking fantastic-- the bar wasn't crowded around 10:30 pm on a Friday night, major plus, and when I come back to Seattle, I'll be sure tot hit this great Capitol Hill haunt again. I had some great conversation with great friends with a cool, tasty Belgian in my hand without haven't to shout at the top of my lungs.
oh boy, is this place fun to be.
when you first step in, you fully expect the bartenders and clientle to be as pompous and pretentious as the beer list.
surprisingly [and delightfully], they're not. it's usually a very laid-back kind of place, with constantly foggy windows and limited seating. the bartenders, a pair of scruffy-looking gentlemen, are extremely courteous and will help you out with your selection if you're not too into beers.
their prices aren't off-the-wall and the beer list is usually extensive, with a wide array of beers for all types of palates.
if you go, i suggest the "trois pistole" by unibroue or the "brother thelonius" by idon'tknowwhothefuck for the dark ales, because they're cheaper than most ($4.50 last i was there) and taste just as good, regardless of what the prick-who-wishes-he-were-from-europe behind you tries to tell you. if you're into lighter beer, the du pont is pretty good and the "120 minute IPA" by dogfish head is insanely good and a whopping 21% abv. did someone say b.o.m.o.?
the biggest downfall of the place is that is gets crowded pretty early in the night and stays that way on all the days you really want to go drinking with your friends (weekends, thursdays), so you're left standing around a lot, trying to look cool while sipping your delicious beer.
Hey- I like the Monk just as much as the next drunk, but they HAVE to do something about their ventilation system, or lack there of.
Can't go there when it's rainy- the windows are all fogged up and it smells like a gym sock.
Forget the summer- it's friggin' 90 degrees and everyone inside ends up sweatier than Richard Simmon's taut loins after a "Sweatin' to the Oldies" marathon.
But hey, if you can get past that, they've got a great beer selection and great bartenders. Get 'munk' on the Hoogarden or the Chimay. Thems excellent!
Two more pricey imports please!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (6)
Cool (2)
This is probably one of my favorite bars in the entire world. Amazing amazing beer, incredible atmosphere. I've been offered free pizza from fellow patrons. Free pizza is a great way to my heart, as is sweet and highly alcoholic beer. Seriously people, when drinking Belgium remember that one beer = two in terms of drunkenness. No one does when I first bring them here, and they always regret it the next day.
Still- delicious and wonderful
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
This is a good place to bring an old friend you have not hung out with for a while. You will almost always have a place to sit, it is not too loud and after two of their beers you will be drunk, yapping about the old days.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (1)
One of my favorite beer bars in the city....plenty of great belgian selections with a few rotating taps. Every once in a while you can find a real treat that you can't find anywhere else in the city.
Sure, it's a dive. But, it's relaxed with lots of cool people and great bartenders.
If you're watching the wallet, they always have 2 or 3 "cheap" beers at $3 or less. Last time it was a Dick's Stout and Elysian IPA....good stuff.
Also, you can get any of their bottles to go if you want to bring the party on home.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (1)
Go to the Stumbling Monk and be initiated into the order of holy, wholly delicious beers of both outrageous and subtle qualities. Get your baptism on, Belgian-style! They've got a flavor for everyone: try a sweet quadrupel, a sour gueuze, an acidic Flanders red or brown ale, a troubling dubbel, or a nuanced tripel. If they have poperinge hommel bier, try that, it's the best! Beers every bit as good as Brouwer's but cheaper, because you're not paying for a warehouse space expensively converted into something meant to impress; you're paying for unpretentious service and surroundings, and of course, wonderful, soul-saving, spirit-lifting, beers!
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (1)
Cool (4)
Dark and a bit damp with a low hum of noise and whispers makes this pub seem a bit intimidating at first. If you can make it through all the people, you are then confronted with the mother lode of beer menus. If you are a novice, prepared to be confused, unsure, and a bit dizzy from all the choices. Ale, porter, lager - oh my! If you are a beer drinking pro, inhale deeply and appreciate this moment where the universe has rewarded you for drinking many skunky, flat, untasty beers in your past by allowing you to choose from the best of the best.
For those who not only locate but pass the humming gates and pass the beer choice challenge, you will be rewarded handsomely in the form of a mild buzz with a great aftertaste. For beer drinkers, this is heaven. Wine drinkers will also find some juice to indulge in.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (4)
Cool (7)
This and the Elysian are the only places in Capitol Hill that serve Belgian ale, as far as I've been able to find. (The QFC in the Harvard Market has a rockin' selection if you'd rather drink at home though.)
The location is good, but the place is tiny. During the winter, if the windows are fogged up, it's usually a good indicator that you won't be able to sit inside.
If you homebrew, they put their bottles out for recycling on Tuesday nights, if I remember correctly. (The Grolsh style ones can be hard to find/expensive locally otherwise.)
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
This place is filthy and dank. The lighting is awful, and the furniture looks like it was scavenged from a shelter for homeless youth. But, for some reason, that this type of place is on Capitol Hill, pleases me. In my imagination, every single bar on Capitol Hill is filled with obnoxious twenty-somethings in work clothes; pretentious tattooed artists, and teenagers who shop at Hot Topic.
The beer is good, of course, though I rarely judge a bar by the liquids they serve. That's really tangential to the true quality of a place to hang out and relax. What I'm trying to say is: If you're on the Hill and want a real drive to hang out in and drink good beer, go here.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
Don't come here if you are a: yuppie, frat-boy degenerate, super-hipster or other massive tools that seem to have infested Seattle like some kind of fungus.
No, sorry we can't do anything to pretty up the interior for you! This bar is for real drinkers! Look at the name for pete's sake! Pull out a board game and try to make it halfway through before you run out on the sidewalk to lose it all over some bush why don'cha?
In fact, I would love it if people in general didn't go here unless they are super-awesome friendly people.
Oh yeah, and the beer's okay. If you like Belgian beer. If not piss off!
P.S. Tip your motherf**king bartender well; St. Patrick will thank you.
Jablomy out.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (3)
Cool (2)
It would be difficult to beat the combination of awesome beer supply, laid-back atmosphere, and great prices at Stumbling Monk. The beer selection is almost entirely Belgian styles, which was a refreshing change from the standard beer lineup.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Love the Monk!
My good buddy lives around the corner from the Monk, so I hit this place about once a month or so. If you like Belgian beers, this is the place. The first time I went in here I only recognized a few of the beers in the cooloer, but now that I have been educated in the ways of Belgians, I still don't know more than a few.
Mainly I come here because they have the Duchesse de Bourgogne on tap, which if you have to ask, you are missing out on one of the pure taste treats in the beer community. It's the only thing I drink anymore without making a fuss about how shitty they taste.
Anyway, the Monk isn't big on decor or atmosphere. It sort of like a clubhouse with second-hand furniture and second-hand board games with some of the pieces missing. It is the reverse image of any Cap Hill "Smile pretty, chicky!" place.
Also, bring your wallet as the beers here are all imports and they all carry a pretty hefty pricetag, depending on how jiggy you care to get.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
Seatle Bars for beer…
My favorite places to spend my hard-earned cash… -
Places to Warm Up
Warm atmosphere and warm drinks are how I get… -
My Neighborhood
My Recommendations for other fellow Capitol Hill… -
When the Lights Go Out
"When I flick da switch, Make ya hips wanna dip… -
Drinking in Seattle
Sometimes I get sick of coffee and need to find… -
Don't do it...for the…
Yuck, ugh, pooey. Learn from my mistakes and skip… -
I'm Lazy!
Here's a list of places that are pretty much… -
My Neighborhood
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
Hot and New
- Pike Place Chowder
65 reviews
Neighborhood: