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Belgian Monk, Norwich

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user reviews of the Belgian Monk, Norwich

please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.

Dozens of Belgian beers, a few on draught but most in 33cl bottles. I tried a bottle of Maredsous Blonde at £4.65 mainly because it was "only" 6% (and therefore one of the weaker offerings). Service was a little dismissive last Friday afternoon but I blame the individual rather than the establishment. Worth visiting.
paul_d102 - 17 Jul 2017 12:17
First visit today. Amazing selection of Belgian beers and I had a cherry fruit beer, 4.5%, served nice and cold - all beers are sold by the half pint at almost the cost of a pint in a regular pub. A huge menu choice with plenty of vegetarian options. Service good, portions ample and food nice.
classic0904 - 26 Jul 2014 20:38
First ever visit - on my own - to see what was on offer. Started with a bolleke (de Konnick) and then decided to come back later with my better half. A couple of beers and we decied to eat here - well, terrific stuff. The starter (mixed ham with bits and bread and more bits) came on a slate and would have been a main course in many restaurants. Ann had the mussels and there were plenty of them even for a starter!
Another beer? OK. Main course - I had a salmon dish which was excellent. Anyway - no need to go on you get the message! This is well established Belgian bar with a great selection of beers and a good mix of customers. Bar staff were great and even though the place was busy they found us a table and gave us good service.
Price wise - worth it, enjoy!!
mcroyal - 23 Apr 2013 23:39
Very nice pub specializing in beligian beers. 8 or 9 on tap and loads more by the bottle but no real ale. Food looked good but a bit on the expensive side.
oldstein - 10 Apr 2012 07:39
confused about opening hours, but the selection of trappist ales is second to none, and the food, WOW, huge and lovely. Wild boar or wild mussels, you wont be hungry, plus they sell the glasses, which is great if you collect beer glasses like i do!!!. the taste of abroad in norwich, silght shame about the price but hey ho
jerome_uk - 16 Jul 2011 02:19
I always gravitate towards this place when I'm back in Norwich. Yes it's not cheap, but the range and quality of the Belgian beers and the knowledge of the bar staff mean that it's certainly good value. Try the Delirium Tremens
_pete_ - 13 Apr 2011 23:51
Agree with the previous comment. The food is excellent value, but the beer is not. As someone who isn't mad on Belgian beer, I'd only ever go here when having a bite to eat.
Northern_Ale_Monkey - 2 Mar 2011 17:57
Good value food, and very expensive beer - even the Jupiter is priced to make your eyes water; curiously the wine is relatively reasonable. Worth a visit if you like Belgian specialities.
biggles221 - 24 Oct 2010 21:03
never liked it..drinks pricey and bar staff slow and moody.
strawdog - 3 Oct 2010 15:43
The first time on any visit to Norwich that we have found this one open. A big beer list but not that many available, I asked for 3 before we found one that was available.. It did seem that the girls behind the bar were more interested in chatting about their boyfriends rather than serving. if you are going to do a Belgian style pub, then you have to the service that goes with it.
imdownthepub - 29 Aug 2010 18:28
This pub hasn't been reviewed for a while but I can confirm that it's still as good as previous reviewers have stated. Super range of Belgian beers served by very knowledgable, friendly and patient (!) staff. Not cheap, but if you'd pay �3.50 something for a bottle of Budweiser then you'll get better and stronger beers for a similar price here. I visited mid-week, though, and can imagine it might be a bit busy at weekends. If you're in the area this place is well worth a visit - just be careful of the ABVs!
ecksact - 13 Aug 2010 02:26
May not be to everyone's taste but certainly to mine! Great to have something slightly different in the centre of a city and with umpteen Belgian beers to choose from and a great atmosphere ... well try not to relax too much as a couple of the 10%+ brews will soon catch up with you.
psepo - 30 Nov 2008 16:32
Fantastic atmosphere on Friday night. Bar staff well briefed on the beers on offer. Golden Draak at 10.5% was very good. Kwack? also liked, there was another beer, but by this time the 10.5% was working
Andylk - 23 Nov 2008 22:45
I went in on a lunchtime and found the staff very friendly and welcoming. There was a large selection of draught and bottled Belgian beers. The food was reasonably priced, and I sampled the Belgian delicacy of chips with mayonaise which was very good. It's very nice pub that I would certainly drink in again when I'm in the area.
Fakenham - 20 Sep 2008 16:22
What a fantastic pub... No English ale but 8-10 Belgian beers on draft and numerous different bootled Belgian beers covering the full range of varieties. Lovely, clean and well kept interior and the food looked good. A great place to take a breather from walking around the city centre but probably not the best place to go for several drinks... it's all too easy to get carried away drinking the fantastic beer only to realise when you leave that the strength of the beer has removed your ability to stand or walk. :o)
Rod_Hariga - 5 Jul 2008 18:33
One of the best pubs on our pre and post football ale crawl yesterday. About 8 handpumped belgium beers on draught from what I remember Grimbergen Dubbel, Grimbergen Blonde, Kwak and Kriek.
A very friendly pub from the staff and manageress. There seemed a nice atmosphere last night whilst we were there. Quite a mix of customers visiting yesterday from young student types to more mature people.
I will definitely visit again when I return to Norwich later this year.
Love_good_ale - 23 Mar 2008 11:35
A bit on the pricey side, but the excellent Belgian beers and food are well worth it as a treat.
daveinbrum - 18 Jan 2008 16:16
top pub with about 20 belgian beers ranging from grimbergen blonde to kwak.
alundra - 21 Dec 2007 11:28
Great pub. The decor is interesting though could be improved. They serve a wonderful collection of Beers including Strawberry and Raspberry. Their tasty dishes include: Wild Boar Sausages, Meatballs, Mussels, and ofcourse the typical Belgian dessert: Waffles! Best of all the food is served in an assortment of bizarre crockery. The atmostphere is friendly and welcoming.

catg192 - 23 Oct 2007 13:20
Fun for the tourist, but pretty generic. Had those pretend plastic books you see in showhomes on the wall - that's a big no no, probably cheaper to buy actual second hand books! Interesting range of beer, but nothing to blow your mind. Felt very transient.
The_Ace - 30 Jun 2007 15:18
Been here a couple of times and almost never came back after the first, due to a poor experience of a complete lack of service, but glad I gave them another chance (largely due to my mission of having a drink in EVERY Norwich pub).
The first time we came in, it was quiet and we went to the bar, where one (of the many) staff was serving someone else. Nobody wanted to make eye contact with me and when they did claimed they weren't serving as they were dealing with a party out the back or something. Someone then entered the pub and stood behind us and the bar staff who had been serving when we came in then proceeded to take his order over our shoulder as if we didn't exist (or they hadn't heard us try to order off their colleagues). We promptly turned on our heels and left.
Upon trying again, it was even quieter (a Saturday afternoon, I believe), and this time I got served. I made it quite clear I wasn't sure exactly which Belgian beer I would like and thankfully the girl took this hint and suggested the popular glass. Which was lovely - and strong (they only serve halves in large wine glasses). They also directed me to the toilets without prompting when I was wandering around the back corridors, and responded when I said my thanks and goodbyes as we left.
Much better experience than before. Hence the decent rating (8). My missus isn't converted, but I'm willing to forgive (if not forget).
GingerBear - 5 Jun 2007 11:56
simply fantastic
norwchcasual - 14 Mar 2007 15:58
I just hosted a stag party at this pub with over 20 people on a busy friday and it was great. Great beer and food that was reasonably priced. The staff were good fun, friendly and accomodating. I strongly recommend it!
chasmcgill - 19 Feb 2007 18:56
I have just been recommended this pub by a friend, so rang it up to book a table, but I did not find either of the staff that I spoke to very friendly. Not a good start. I carried on to book a table as a surprise for hubby's birthday. The lady on the end of the phone then said there would be a booking fee of 5.00 per head and that she would send a contract out to me via a fax machine, which I would have to read and agree to the terms of, sign and then send back. I felt as if I was negotiating some important and serious life changing issue rather than arranging a pleasant evening out. What a performance. I can't really rate this pub as I have not been and turned them down. I really don't want to go to a beaurocratic crazy establishment for an evening out. i would not be able to relax, in case I am suddnely in breach of the contract I have signed!!
jayne0903 - 28 Nov 2006 17:20
Awesome range of beers and surprisingly reasonable prices. Didn't sample the food - it looked as though it would have been pretty difficult to get a seat on a Saturday night anyway. A must visit if you're in Norwich though.
burnsy - 20 Nov 2006 13:23
They have about 30 Belgian bottled beers for sale, plus another ten or so on draught. The beers are pricey, but no more so than in other pubs that offer them. I visited at 10:15 on a Saturday night and didn't have any problems getting served or a seat.
pubcollector - 24 Sep 2006 22:29
You have always been ahead of the game. Great pub, graet food, honestly served!
anonymous - 7 Jun 2006 02:38
My husband I found this delightful city centre pub by accident. What a great discovery! Thank goodness we were staying nearby, because what was intended to be a quick lunch, turned into an amazing feast, and an afternoon of beer tasting heaven! Great atmosphere, and friendly, articulate staff..... superb! We have already booked a hotel for the summer, so that we can spend our wedding anniversary at the pub...and to catch up on the shopping we forgot all about last time!
sprite - 2 May 2006 13:37
The Moules menu is almost as varied as the Belgian beers. Good food menu, and exceptional lunchtime 2-for-1 offers (if you like moules).

The pub itself is very old, nay, historic - and very nicely decorated. The belgian beer selection is awe-inspiring and ranges from the merely strong, to brewed-by-flemish-trappist-psychopaths brain freezers. Recommended, but a nightmare at weekends. Try Monday/Tuesday nights.
itfc - 11 Jan 2006 01:52
Really good atmosphere, whether one is out with a group of friends, or just enjoying a lunchtime drink. Good stodgy food, very amusing, knowledgeable and efficient staff and a good courtyard overlooking the Maddermarket theatre. Some of the beers are sublime, some (particularly that vile cherry concoction, and the red diesel-esque 13% alcohol brew) are downright dangerous.
Lt_George - 30 Aug 2005 16:02
I like this bar for all the reasons given above, but....
At weekends it's a nightmare. Too busy, too close to the rest of the city to avoid the chavs, and just a touch too small.

Get it any other time, though, and it's excellent. Top moules et frites as well.
itfc - 10 Jun 2005 17:39
Superb. Fantastic & very friendly
Andy - 3 Nov 2004 17:06
Friendly and genuinely knowledgeable landlord with well-trained staff. Beer is excellent
John - 26 Oct 2004 00:33
great pub great beer
david lewis-hughes - 19 Oct 2004 12:40
Fantastic small pub specialising in (surprise Surprise) belgian beers...fantastic selection, friendly staff and a small garden to enjoy the summer.....well worth a visit.....Just make sure you're not driving!!!
A Customer - 26 Jul 2004 21:26

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