Monk's Cafe
European restaurant · Rittenhouse ·
Belgian brews, mussels, burgers, and award-winning fries
Belgian brews, mussels, burgers, and award-winning fries
"It brings us great sadness to say that there are few things we recommend at Monk’s (in recent visits, even their beloved mussels have been sub-par). But these fresh-cut, double-fried frites never miss. They’re served with a spicy bourbon mayo, and soak up any of the Belgium beers on tap." - alison kessler
"Way before there were gastropubs with 100 taps, Monk's was bringing in hundreds of Belgian, European, and local beers. The cafe is notoriously known for its massive collection of beer offerings, and the bottle list is so long it's been deemed the Beer Bible." - J2 Design
"Monk’s is not only an award-winner for its beer selection: The Belgian bar has also won a number of contests thanks to its burger. It comes with a generous side of frites and toppings with international flair, including caramelized leeks, sautéed mushrooms and Gruyere, and broccoli rabe." - Maddy Sweitzer-Lamme
"Monk’s Cafe is the place for beer nerds in Philly. With 25 Belgian brews on tap and over 200 beers — often rare — in bottles, this always-buzzing spot is frequently recognized as one of the best beer bars nationwide. Monk’s is the OG: Founders Tom Peters and Fergus Carey opened it more than 20 years ago, before beer bars were cool. Grab one of the Beer Bibles and ask the bartender for ordering advice." - Tierney Plumb
"The iconic pairing of mussels and French fries (known as moules-frites) has origins in Northern France and Belgium, but a flight isn’t necessary to get a taste of them in Philly. Center City’s Belgian cafe, Monk’s, has a menu full of mussels ready to be enjoyed alongside a fresh plate of its pomme-frites." - George Banks-Weston