The Stumbling Monk

The Stumbling MonkThe Stumbling Monk
The Stumbling MonkThe Stumbling Monk
Bar, Beer-to-go

1635 E Olive Way
Seattle, Washington, 98102-5612
United States

(206) 860-0916 | map
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.35
Reviews:
40
Ratings:
55
pDev:
9.43%
View: Place Reviews
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Photo of snaotheus
Reviewed by snaotheus from Washington

4.2/5  rDev -3.4%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25
Visited last night (2022-01-22, Friday, close to peak omicron). They don't answer their phone, and at the moment Google thinks they're temporarily closed. I had seen Facebook comments indicating they might be open. Conflicting information about hours, most indicating they open at 6pm. We arrived at 6:30, the lights were so low we thought they were out, and there was no one inside. I checked the door and found it open. As I was calling loudly into the dimness, someone came up behind us who turned out to be the bartender and told us if the door is open, they're open.

Selection at the moment is small (like, roughly 5-6 taps with something on them, and maybe 12-15 bottles). The quantity is not impressive, but the quality of that selection is impressive. I would have been excited to try any one of those beers. We ended up having some unfruited Lindeman's lambic, 2006 Beersel Framboise, De Ranke Vieille Provision, and a couple more.

We chatted with the guy about beer for a while, and he knows his stuff. He told us the selection is pretty small right now because it's hard to get stuff due to coronavirus.

We were there for maybe an hour and a half (we brought in dinner), and a couple and another guy came in while we were there.

The place is small, dimly lit, music was playing but not too loudly, no TVs, maybe a bit dingy. Not a flashy place to take people, but I would *definitely* go back due to the unusual and hard-to-find beer selection.
Jan 23, 2022
 
Rated: 4.18 by slasich from Pennsylvania

May 17, 2020
 
Rated: 5 by psoriasaurus from Thailand

Feb 25, 2017
Photo of EdwardAbbey
Reviewed by EdwardAbbey from Washington

4.33/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25
The focus, as you'd expect from the great name, is Belgian style beers. And on that mark, it will not disappoint. No food, and a bit dingy, but that only adds to its considerable charms.
Feb 07, 2016
 
Rated: 4.03 by cryptichead from Illinois

Dec 21, 2015
 
Rated: 4.3 by Highbury09 from North Carolina

Aug 06, 2015
 
Rated: 4.18 by HoppySeb from Washington

Mar 17, 2015
Photo of flagmantho
Reviewed by flagmantho from Washington

4.35/5  rDev 0%
I have been wanting to visit the Stumbling Monk for years now, so now that I work in the area I made it a point to finally check the place out. I arrived shortly after opening at 6 PM and was the only guy in there for half an hour, so I had a good conversation with the staff (who'd been there since 1998 and 2001, respectively, so could be the owners for all I know). There are only about 8 taps available, but what is on tap is quite good; the bottle selection, though, is outstanding. Magnum of Rochefort? Check. 8 year verticals? Check. Sours, quads, saisons, tripels; it's a fool's paradise in there. Prices on the taps and the rarer bottles are a little on the high side, but for the most part the bottle prices are quite rasonable for a bar.

The atmosphere is dark and old and kind of dusty. It's kind of divey, but I think that atmosphere works great. Most of the other patrons who showed up sat at solitary tables, reading books and sipping goblets of top-echelon beer. One couple came in and got a cider and a Stella, respectively, so there is something for the non-snobs too. I will definitely be going back.
Dec 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by DCLAguy11 from California

Nov 14, 2014
 
Rated: 2.76 by core42 from Michigan

Oct 09, 2014
Photo of rdespain
Reviewed by rdespain from Washington

5/5  rDev +14.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
The beer here is amazing and the only thing for sale in the bar besides the occasional bag of crisps. Food is welcome. The atmosphere is so cozy. No loud music. No overpriced beers. No pretension.

This is one of my favorite bars in the world. I have been away from Seattle for a few years and am so glad to be moving back soon.
Oct 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by nobelk18 from Massachusetts

Aug 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by LBittman from California

Jul 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by strongaf from Washington

Jul 10, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by brien from Washington

Jun 23, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by dipso123 from Oregon

May 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

May 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by crowbar540 from Tennessee

Dec 19, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by bram325 from Texas

Oct 24, 2013
Photo of Smurf2055
Reviewed by Smurf2055 from Washington

3.81/5  rDev -12.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75
Kind of out of the way, not a real attractive place. The selection is mostly Belgium style beers, so not a big variety, but they do have a consistent line up of great beers. Bottle list is nothing special. Honestly, some of the stuff I’ve found here is awesome. Great place.
May 30, 2013
Photo of fsck
Reviewed by fsck from Washington

4.64/5  rDev +6.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75
A bar any Belgian fan in Seattle needs to go to. Every beer is top notch, always finding new beers I love. Atmosphere is very minimal, just bring friends and enjoy the best beers you can find. No food served, but you are free to bring anything or order delivery from the menus they have. Staff is super knowledgeable and you never have to wait for a beer.
Apr 13, 2013
Photo of HardTarget
Reviewed by HardTarget from Texas

4.62/5  rDev +6.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75
Atmosphere: A small corner bar, seems ancient, vinyl seats have long ago shredded, Mostly clean hard wood table lacquered and aged supported our enthusiastic choices.

Quality: All beers in fresh good working order. Taps seemed clean and well rotated.

Service: The good man tending the bar was knowledgeable, friendly and helpful with suggestions and information. Didn't allow us to have a sample before making our order, but an understandable policy.

Selection: This is a Belgian bar, a wormhole between Seattle and Brussels. I had Gregorius, the 8th Trappist brewery from Austria. There's aged Rochefort 8 from 06 on the menu. While the offerings are very heavy on Belgian styles, there are a few hometown offerings.
I had cask Elysian Dragonstooth Oatmeal Stout on cask which was most enjoyable. You would be hard pressed to find many bars in Belgian with this kind of selection of Belgian offerings.

A great bar!
Feb 16, 2013
Photo of arondee
Reviewed by arondee from Arizona

4.26/5  rDev -2.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
If you're a beer geek in Seattle, this is the place to go. Located on Capital Hill, the clientele is a little err "alternative". It's a dark little hole in the wall with board games and books at the front door even including the Bible and the Dictionary if the mood strikes you. The rare beer quality here is nothing short of amazing. The day I was there (7/27/2012) they had Pliny the Elder on tap and bottle, a 2000 bottle of Gales Prize Old Ale, various Belgian bottles from 2004-2006, plus about 5 different sours including the best from Russian River. They had some amazingly rare stouts and all sorts of other stuff as well. The selection was awesome and the prices were reasonable considering how rare some of the stuff was. I don't think they have food and if they did I don't think I'd eat there. The bathroom was pretty gross as well. I'll be visiting every time I go to Seattle.
Jul 30, 2012
Photo of trail77
Reviewed by trail77 from Canada (BC)

4.36/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
...super austere and minimal beer geek's dream... a few earthy booths and stools at the bar... chill choice tunes and a small but excellent selection. prices were totally reasonable... not noisy... no wifi, homey and intimate... made conversation with the bar tender who was a super rad dude and we connected on the mid-west, which is where we are both from... a must stop for anyone "beer-geeking" in Seattle... maybe a bit too obscure for the casual/non-adventurous/green craft brew drinker, but a rad stop for anyone who wants a cozy spot and a really delicious, smart brew... focus on the smart brew... the house knows their stuff... slightly aloof, but I appreciate that... minimal, discreet exterior, across from the most amazing vegetarian noodle shop ever: http://inthebowlbistro.com/

!!! DO THIS !!!
Jun 06, 2012
Photo of dirtylou
Reviewed by dirtylou from Oklahoma

4.06/5  rDev -6.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
stopped in on the stumbling monk for the first time after an interesting dining experience at nearby Poppy

Very cool atmosphere, which was especially appreciated considering the Capital Hill neighborhood can be a bit fratty and annoying. Dark and cozy - a little lively on a Friday night but there were lots of board games around that probably lead to a pretty chill weeknight atmosphere

the selection was just OK unforunately. about 12 taps - half domestic, half belgian with nothing particularly fancy or *gasp* rare. I went with a very large 5$ serving of la folie. bottle list was ok, but not a very large cooler really.

I liked the spot, but absolutely not worth leaving ballard/fremont/etc area for.
Sep 03, 2011
Photo of beerandcycling88
Reviewed by beerandcycling88 from Washington

4.56/5  rDev +4.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
Went to to this place last night and was not dissapointed.
It is a bit of a hole in the wall, its dark and kind of dirty, but its quiet as they don't play music, and they don't have a TV. This bar has a very laid back atmosphere which is really nice.
The service was alright not great but not bad.
Now to the beer. The selection here was excellent with lots of Belgians on tap or in bottles plus it was all served in correct glassware.
The prices seemed reasonable for what you were ordering.
Overall I really liked this place. It is really quiet place whither great beer where one can spend a few hours relaxing with great beer.
Jul 04, 2011
Photo of ThePorterSorter
Reviewed by ThePorterSorter from Oregon

3.86/5  rDev -11.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5
This is a place very easy to walk by. However, you would miss a great establishment if you didn't turn around and stop for a drink.

Getting to this bar was the largest hassle. I can't remember the bus line we took to get out from "downtown seattle," but the last thing I want to do is have to take a bus in a city that prides itself on being "completely walkable." If we had tried to walk (which I wouldn't recommend) it would have been at the expense of our entire next day because of how steep the surrounding landscape is...and how tired our legs would have been.

After walking past the bar and being re-directed we finally reached our destination. The place has approximately 15-20 people inside, not packed, but not empty either. Two stools were available at the bar, easy choice in seating, but the drink selection became a challenge.

The bar's tap list was small, but well thought. There were several beers that I wanted to try on the night's list. Unfortunately, this bar didn't offer samples, so I had to choose a beer on a whim. They were all fairly priced.
I hadn't tried the Sierra Nevada ovila, so that's what I started my evening with.

The bartender was nice, he answered our questions thoughtfully and promptly. We were sitting close to the bar's tiny glass steaming/sanitizing unit, so there were approximately 30 empty tulips and goblets next to us. Other customers were playing board games and enjoying themselves. I felt like this bar must have a cult following.

I enjoyed my time there at this bar, glad I ventured out.
Apr 23, 2011
Photo of aaron12
Reviewed by aaron12 from Washington

3.93/5  rDev -9.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
ive been enjoying the stumbling monk for years. this is a beer drinkers bar. the atmosphere is one of the best in seattle. dark, dank, cozy, and on a cold laid back night there are few bars i'd rather be in. they have a great belguim beer selection on tap, with both belguim and american choices of the style. they also have tons of bottles and cans that range from affordable to very rare and pricey. the bar tenders are nice for the most part, there's a bit of snobbyness but it's not too bad. i also really like how they switch their taps around a lot, so you can often try new beers. the music is very low, and usually soft blues or jazz, no blaring rap or dancing frat boys to ruin your good time. this place is great!
Mar 10, 2011
Photo of barleywinefiend
Reviewed by barleywinefiend from Washington

4.43/5  rDev +1.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
A: Nice, dark and laid back. I almost thought the place was closed on a SUnday evenining because it was so dimly lit. Good, laid back vibe. I dug it. A selection of board games for people to play, old wood. Cozy.

Q: Nothing but good stuff here. I had the DuPont Saison. Offerings from Cascade and locals were there as wellas a good Belgian selection

S: Our server was nice, prompt and talkative. He took the time to talk about beer scenes with us.

S: Selection was very good.

F: No food there, just beer! But with beer this good who needs food. Order in.
Jan 10, 2011
Photo of robertfulwiler
Reviewed by robertfulwiler from Washington

4.72/5  rDev +8.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
The Monk has the perfect atmosphere for me. No loud music, no TVs (probably the only bar in Seattle I can think of without one) and really good beer. Taps are always rotating, and every time I come in there is something new I want to try- even if its only been a couple days. The pricing for beers is always great- well within reason.

The bartenders are usually a little quiet, but they are all real good guys and extremely knowledgeable if they open up a little bit.

They don't have food for sale except some potato chips, but you are free to order delivery or bring your own.

My favorite place to go out to in Seattle, hands down.
Dec 24, 2010
Photo of compass40204
Reviewed by compass40204 from Kentucky

3.64/5  rDev -16.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
Roughly 50 beers on the menu today - 12 taps and a beer engine among them. Dark, sparsely decorated, very noisy for the number of people here. So noisy I can barely tell if the radio is still on. Friendly bartender. A bit run-down looking, but clean.

The menu is mostly Belgian or Belgian-style beers. Very reasonable prices on sour ales and various monastic brews. Appropriate glassware on hand for most styles, though very few styles are actually available here.

Overall, this is an unpretentious hole in the wall. This is the sort of place where folks don't fight and your business is your own. Not terribly extraordinary, but comfortable. Come with friends, tho, as it seems a better place for meeting up than meeting new.
Sep 23, 2010
Photo of TastyTaste
Reviewed by TastyTaste from Minnesota

3.69/5  rDev -15.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2 | selection: 4.5
This was definitely an interesting place. The atmosphere was dank and slightly grimy, but this somewhat added to how unique this was. The selection was amazing. Not being from the area the array of Belgian style beers available there was wonderful, and very reasonably priced, most offerings were less than $6. The bartender seemed disinterested in the beer, more interested in texting than seeing to our needs. The bathroom was hidden behind a curtain, not very clean, very dive-y. I would like to spend more time here, this was a place where I need to get a little more involved in there beer selection.
Sep 14, 2010
Photo of TheStove
Reviewed by TheStove from Illinois

4.86/5  rDev +11.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5
Easily one of the best beer bars I have ever been to.

Such a relaxed atmosphere and if the conversation isn't doing it for ya, there are plenty of games and books to enjoy.

The real reason we're here is for the beer and Stumbling Monk does not disappoint. They only have about 8 - 10 taps but each is something I definitely have not seen anywhere else including Mephistopheles, New Belgium Imperial Beliner, Dick's Grand Cuvee, Ommegang Zuur and a few more (I wish I could remember them all, boo). If none of thsoe do it for you, then there is definitely an extensive bottle list, certainly one that could keep any Belgian and Microbrew beer lover happy.

I can't say enough about this place and maybe that's a good thing. You need to come here for yourself and enjoy.
Sep 12, 2010
Photo of mrunseen
Reviewed by mrunseen from Washington

5/5  rDev +14.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
This has to be my favorite place in Seattle to go and grab a brew.

I am a bit biased here, since my beer tastes fall towards that of the Belgian ales, so this place is absolutely perfect for a guy like myself.

The bar itself is dimly lit with adequate seating in booths and tables. There are a variety of board games (chess, checkers, battleship, crib. etc) available to make your own as you sip your brew.

The selection of beers, as I alluded to earlier, are mainly of the Belgian variety. The tap list is split two ways, between Belgian ales and more often than not, Belgian "style" ales. There is also a hefty selection of bottled beers as well.

As mentioned in previous reviews, there is no food offered at this establishment aside from bags of chips. This is fine by me, since you can bring your own food in if that's what you're looking for. I am usually fine with just sipping on some select ales.

Again, probably my favorite local place in Seattle to grab a tasty brew. Another nice touch, is the glassware that compliments the beer that you happen to be drinking.

I would highly recommend checking this place out if you're interested in Belgian beers.
Jan 04, 2010
Photo of hpitlick
Reviewed by hpitlick from Washington

4.74/5  rDev +9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
The Stumbling Monk is the quintessential beer bar: all beer, no pretension. They have a great selection of bottled and draft beer, with 10-12 rotating beers on tap and probably 50 more in bottles. It's mostly Belgian-style ales, though they have decent domestic offerings too; everything from what you expect (Chimay, Dogfish Head, etc) to some of the smaller local guys.The atmosphere is no frills: no food (but you can bring your own), dim lights, low music, but it's clean, reliable and a good place to talk with friends or play a board game. Even if it wasn't just around the corner from where I live, I'd probably still drink at the Stumbling Monk.
Aug 21, 2009
Photo of LilMatrix
Reviewed by LilMatrix from Washington

4.56/5  rDev +4.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
A little hidden Belgian bar in plain site. No big flashy sign out front ... just some steamed up windows.

Great chill place to hang out and grab a great Belgian brew at very reasonable prices. $1-2 less than other bars around the area. They specialize in Belgian brews as well as some local NW stuff. Very decent selection, wonderful atmosphere... no blaring music (no music at all actually), games to play, nice ppl.

Way more chill than Brouwers and not as pretentious, this might be my new favorite place.
Jan 25, 2009
Photo of Trailmix242
Reviewed by Trailmix242 from Nevada

3.9/5  rDev -10.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
Kind of a hole in the wall place that is really easy to drive pass. The pricing of the beers compared to some of the other places I visited this past weekend in Seattle was very reasonable. Their selection is not as wide as some of the other bars such as Uber or Brouwers but what they have is of high quality. The bar tender was a little stand offish at first but once we began talking beer he opened up. One of the gems I was able to have here was Cascade's Vlad the Impaler, which was just an awesome beer. If you are anywhere near the place it is worth stopping in.
Jan 21, 2009
Photo of gboyd
Reviewed by gboyd from Michigan

4.3/5  rDev -1.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
I found this place on a recent visit to the area. I went in open minded and was happy with my experience.

It was around the holiday blizzard, so it wasn't very busy. The draft selection was small, but a good list of Belgians & Belgian styled ales. The bottle list wasn't huge, but again a very good list.

The place was kinda hole in the wall but kitschy...in a good way. The neighborhood kinda seemed like a college area, lots of Chachi bars in the surrounding blocks.

The bartender was attentive and easy to talk to. Again we were his only guests, but he made the effort to engage!
Jan 09, 2009
Photo of sprucetip
Reviewed by sprucetip from Alaska

4.44/5  rDev +2.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
I had a long layover at Sea-Tac. Like get a room and hit the town long. So after heading out to Brouwers in Green Lake, I returned to downtown and walked up toward Capitol hill and the Stumbling Monk. If I lived in Seatle, the Stumbling Monk would be my bar. The atmosphere is reminiscent of local a neighborhood pub in Belgium, to some extent. Dim lighting. spacious when I was there, late on a Thursday. Not pretentious or fancy in any way. Books and board games stacked here and there. I believe there are two owners, who are also the barkeeps. Only one, Rob, was there the night I was. There were about 12 taps and an extensive if not prodigious bottle list. Everything was very high quality, and all taps were either Belgian or Belgain style. There was one local-ish cask beer, Dick's IPA for 3.50 a pint or 10 per pitcher. Where I live in Alaska you can't get a pint for less then $5. An approximately 12 oz pour of St. Bernardus Christmas Ale was $6.50. The same was $10 at Brouwers, for comparison of value. Rob indulged in my beer geeky conversation and questions. Ask him to tell you his story about riding a motorcycle through Germany and coming upon a town called Ayinger. There is no food served, but plenty of options within a stones throw of the place. For the beer geek visiting Seattle, this place is a must. And if you live in Seattle and haven't been there, you are missing out.
Dec 06, 2008
Photo of GJ40
Reviewed by GJ40 from North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
I stopped in on a business trip to Seattle. I'd been meaning to visit for a while now but they open at 6 PM so it's not a convenient stop after leaving meetings at 4 or 5 PM. But it was very quiet at 6:15 PM so I guess they know they have to wait for the crowd.

The Stumbling Monk is a small, unassuming corner bar that wastes little on decor and focuses heavily on the quality of the beer they serve. They don't offer the numbers that some pubs do but the quality is as good as any other. On tap, they had six true Belgians, five American brewed Belgians and one Chezc beer. I went with s Russian River Salvation and a Duchesse de Bourgogne. I really enjoyed the Salvation.

The two guys behind the bar were helpful and responsive. While not challenged by a crowd, I still thought they added to the place.

The Stumbling Monk is a great stop in the Seattle beer scene. It wouldn't say it's the best but it is certainly among the best.
Oct 16, 2008
The Stumbling Monk in Seattle, WA
Place rating: 4.35 out of 5 with 55 ratings