The Trappist

8/17/2008 9:14:38 PM, sunday, august 17, 2008
Stopped in on a weekend afternoon. The place was about half full, with a couple open tables in the back, and a couple open stools at the bar. Luckily the bartenders weren’t too busy and it was easy to strike up a conversation about beer. The two young women both knew exactly what they were doing. I was very impressed with their knowledge about various Belgian styles and beers, and their impeccable serving technique. The place itself definitely feels new, and this clashes a little with the worn in Belgian wood look that they are going for, but in a few years it’s going to wear in quite nicely. The beer is split between a draught list up on a high chalkboard, and a thick leather binder showcasing a vast array of bottled offerings. Though most Belgian brewers’ ranges are a little shallow, with only several offerings, the amount of different brewers represented is astounding. The draught list would be enough on it’s own though, with stuff that I’ve certainly never seen anywhere else, and they update a list of it every week on their website. While nothing is cheap, you’ve got to consider what you are buying. Many bottle prices are barely marked above what you would find in many retail shops. They had three Russian River sours available for only a dollar more than retail price. Adding to the value is that every beer is served properly, with most in their own glassware. I’ll definitely be stopping in every time I’m in the east bay.

8/16/2008 4:38:42 PM, saturday, august 16, 2008 [ Updated saturday, august 16, 2008 ]
Great place! They have a great selection of bottled Belgians, as well as some good beers on tap. I didn’t have much time here and landed here on a Friday, so service was sub par - but that’s to be expected. In addition to all of the bottles, they also have some great cheese and meat pairings to go with said beer.

7/29/2008 11:30:10 PM, tuesday, july 29, 2008 [ Updated tuesday, july 29, 2008 ]
Stopped by over the weekend with bulletrain76, service was great, selection was fantastic. Hard to believe it is downtown Oakland! seems more like a Berkley or North Oakland type of place. Great glassware, coasters, etc... If in Bay Area, it is a must go to kinda place.

7/29/2008 12:18:30 AM, tuesday, july 29, 2008
I visited this place with Grant a few weeks ago. It’s only located a couple of blocks from the BART station, which is a definite plus. The interior has many bottles on the walls with lots of wood mahogany decor. There are about a dozen seats at the bar on the right, maybe a dozen more at small tables, and then room for about another couple dozen in a cramped back room. Very small and very intimate. The bathroom was very clean and very well kept. Wonderful selection of mainly Belgian beers with a few American renditions on tap and in bottles. Prices are about what I would expect at a bar. I did not have the food. Staff was attentive and seemed to know their stuff. Proper glassware, which was very impressive. I am curious to see if these start walking away as time goes on. My big pet peeve is that they will add sales tax onto the price of the beer if you have a credit card tab, yet they won’t tax you if you pay cash.

7/26/2008 3:12:23 AM, saturday, july 26, 2008
WOW!!! This place was rockin’ the other day when I stopped by for the first time. Found it by accident while searching the Celebrator Beer News. Its a postage stamp of a place and can’t believe the City of Oakland hasn’t got on their case about being too crowded. Prices are EXCELLENT when you consider how much it would cost to buy some of the beers they offer. They have a gazillion different styles of glasses and serve whatever is right for what you buy. Very friendly waitress behind the counter. She’s either German, or perhaps, should I say it...Belgian? :-) Food got the low rating because they really don’t offer a whole heck of a lot. Will definately be back since its such a chore to get over to Toronado these days, and these guys have a fairly great selection.

4/19/2008 5:24:35 PM, saturday, april 19, 2008 [ Updated thursday, may 22, 2008 ]
Great place. There was a slight hint of pretentiousness. (I actually saw a guy with his Polo shirt collar flipped up!) Knowledgable bartender. A tad snooty as she explained what a certain style of beer was that I ordered, as if trying to talk me out of it, as if I wouldn’t appreciate the complexity and style. Great beers on tap and a very thorough bottled list. Quite small. I got there @ 4:15 thinking seating wouldn’t be an issue, but there were only two stools left and no tables. I will definitely make this a regular stop. Maybe I’ll get a little respect on 2nd or 20th visit!

1/18/2008 12:00:12 AM, friday, january 18, 2008
What do you know - a touch of Belgium in Oakland. This is a sign that the redevelopment of downtown Oakland is making good progress. A cozy bar in a meticulously remodeled building designed to look and feel like a Belgian beer cafe. There are enough stools and tables to accommodate about 50 patrons. The barkeep/owners are friendly and knowledgeable. There are about 10 good beers on tap and a very long bottle list of mostly Belgians. During my visit, the customers were very friendly and some were quite knowledgeable of Belgian beers. There is no food (just cheese), but there are many great restaurants within a few blocks.

1/6/2008 11:09:48 PM, sunday, january 06, 2008
The difference between good and excellent can sometimes be in the little details. This place understands the little details. Things like pre-rinsing your clean glass before pouring your beer, to having a huge variety of correct glassware to serve your beer, the Trappist understands beer, and the little things to make the trip a great experience instead of just a great one. The bartenders and staff are knowable and willing to talk about the beers. A large and diverse tap and bottle list makes this a must stop place in the Bay Area. The setting is cozy and the place is quite small. The night I was there the place was packed, but the sound level was quite enough to have a normal conversation with the folks near me. Very nice, I am sure to visit this place often.

1/3/2008 11:13:31 PM, thursday, january 03, 2008 [ Updated thursday, january 03, 2008 ]
I finally went here on December 22nd, after hearing all of the hype, and I was not disappointed. The ambiance of the place is really outstanding. Good people, good decor, good bartenders. It can get very cramped, but that’s ok. The bottle list is as good as you can get at a beer bar in the Bay, and the tap selection is awesome for imports. My only complaint would be not enough micro love, but honestly I don’t go here for the micros. Excellent place, and being that its a short bus ride from my place in Alameda I expect I’ll be a regular here.

12/13/2007 11:48:33 AM, thursday, december 13, 2007
I have only been on opening day, what a crowd. This place is awesome with a great selection of mostly Belgian beer. The beer is not cheap but considering the flight to Belgium and the strength of the Euro, I’d say the prices are reasonable. I can’t wait to go back.