April 12, 2012
While it’s as out-of-place as a polar bear in the jungle, The Trappist is easily one of the Bay Area’s best beer bars. Downtown Oakland is a sobering place; lots of bums and few enjoyable experiences await any visitors. But The Trappist eases the stress with its Belgian finishes, great selection, and friendly servers. The food is the only downside to a visit, but the beer is so enjoyable that most will forget to eat. The bar’s focus on Belgian-styles seems so have waned since my first visit, with more international brews popping up in recent trips. But all-in-all, there’s nowhere I’d rather drink in Oakland than this place.

April 8, 2012
Extensive, with two main bars and a smaller one between the two. Wonderful selection, as Mikkeller, Evil Twin, and their wide selection of Belgians are collectively difficult to find in these parts, more so on tap. Service is okay, seemed somewhat knowledgeable.

March 9, 2012
A short walk from the 12th St Oakland BART station and great stop before or after Beer Revolution. Initially I thought the place was just one small bar, but then found out they had a garden area and a much larger bar are adjacent. Broadly Belgian beer cafe feel, with exposed brick and beer bottles lining the shelves. They had 25ish beers on tap when we visited which covered Belgian, US Belgian styles, Mikkeller and Evil Twin. I had the Evil Twin house beer - Wet Dream, which was good. The bottle list changes monthly apparently and at this time included 32 beers from mostly Belgium and Denmark. Being from Europe I didn’t see anything too unusual on the list. Decent snacks also on offer. Great place all round.

March 7, 2012
Great selection, but the layout of this place is a little annoying; too cramped and noisy for my taste. More upscale crowd than at Beer Revolution down the street, which for me is a big negative but might be a plus for folks turned off by the punk rock vibe at Beer Rev. I had decent service when I came here, but then, I knew exactly what I wanted. The friend who was with me was treated extremely rudely when she asked a few questions about their selection. Prices are a bit higher than I’d expect, but like I said, it’s a fancier setting than most bars I frequent.

March 4, 2012
appearance of this bar is understated hipster spot. I visited for the first time and went for 3 consecutive days. The staff was wonderful for the most part. There was one bartender that thought a bit much of himself and it put a damper on the time that I was spending there. Overall one of the best bars I have been to on the West Coast.

February 17, 2012
A very serious Belgian beer bar that takes itself very seriously. Really divided into three parts, there is the small, quaint, pub style bar that is open in the late afternoon, then there is outdoor pic-nic table seating, and then there is the giant bar that opens at night that has a separate entrance but is connected in the back. The two bars actually have different draft lists which makes it fun. I was there for a big Stillwater and Evil Twin tap takeover night that was berserk people wise. Ultra crowded, booming with beer nuts, but still was organized, fun, and the low lighting and old timey decor really make this place special. Bottle list was impressive. We scored a RR Framboise for a Cure 2011 for $18. They also had stuff from 8 Wired, Cantillon, Vapeur, Fantome. Very impressive place. Food is limited to Belgian beer bar style snacks like cured meat medley and cheese medley. Well made and tasty but no "meal time" size food.

February 11, 2012 [ Updated February 12, 2012 ]
This place looks small at first, but there are a a lot of nooks and cranies, as well as a large patio in the back. The taplist is very solid, and the bottle list was amazing. Two brewers were present when we were there, which of course doesn’t hurt. Great place.

December 12, 2011
An absolute must when in Oakland! Food menu was minimal but the Tuna Melt was incredible. Beer list is relatively short but extremely "European" with a Belgian preference. Bottles ate available for off premise consumption. Would come back again in a heartbeat!

December 3, 2011
great spot, deceivingly large. Great line up in both bottle & draft. proper glassware, impressive place

December 2, 2011
A great place I frequented often when I lived in Oakland. A recent visit tells me it’s only getting better, with more seating and a wider range of styles (mainly Belgian types). A knowledgeable staff and a few nice menu items make it one of my favorite beer bars in the Bay Area.