Monk's Cafe opened in 1997 and has not needed to reinvent itself. The bar on 16th Street is Philadelphia's most serious Belgian beer destination, with a list of over 200 bottles and 30 rotating drafts that would hold its own against any specialist bar in Brussels or Amsterdam. The mussels have been on the menu since the beginning. The regulars have been coming almost as long.
The bar occupies a warm, dark dining room that functions equally well as a drinking destination and a proper restaurant. The beer list is organised intelligently by style, which rewards the systematic drinker. The staff are genuinely knowledgeable about Belgian brewing without requiring you to match their expertise. Ask for a recommendation with enough context about what you like and you will receive a useful answer.
What sets Monk's apart from most American craft beer bars is the depth of its Belgian focus. The Trappist and abbey ale selection alone could occupy a serious drinker for an evening. The gueuze and lambic options are among the best available in Philadelphia. For anyone who has been to Delirium Cafe in Brussels and wants something comparable on Rittenhouse Square, this is the closest equivalent.
Philadelphia's craft beer scene has expanded dramatically since Monk's opened, but the original destination retains its primacy. Return visits consistently reveal something on the bottle list that you missed. The bar earns its status as a 27-year institution with every pour.
What to order
- 01
Tripel Karmeliet on Draft
When available, the Tripel Karmeliet on draft is a different experience from the bottle. Lighter, more effervescent, perfectly cold. One of the world's great Belgian ales in ideal condition.
- 02
Cantillon Gueuze
Brussels' most revered spontaneous fermentation brewery, available by the bottle at Monk's. Dry, funky, extraordinarily complex. Buy a bottle if you have never tried it. Buy two if you have.
- 03
Orval on Draft
Trappist ale from the Orval monastery in Belgium's Gaume region. Dry-hopped with a distinctive funk. Available in bottle everywhere; on draft in very few places. Order it here if it's on.
- 04
Mussels (with any Belgian ale)
