Monk's Cafe has been the reference point for serious beer drinking in Philadelphia since it opened in 1997, and it remains one of the finest Belgian beer bars in the United States. The list runs to 200 bottles and a rotating selection of draft handles, covering the full range of Belgian styles — Trappist ales, lambics, saisons, gueuzes, quadrupels — alongside a well-chosen American craft selection. The staff knows the list and is glad to help navigate it without being condescending about it.
The kitchen is unusually good for a bar: the moules-frites are made properly, with good mussels and real Belgian frites, and the carbonnade flamande (beef braised in Belgian ale) justifies the trip on its own. The cheese selection, served with mustard and bread, pairs well with the lambics. Monk's is in an unassuming building on 16th Street in the Rittenhouse area, and on a cold evening the combination of wooden interior, amber light, serious beer, and legitimate food makes it one of the more satisfying places to spend two or three hours in the city.