June 21, 2009
Finally visited this place after reading/hearing about it for several years. Cool atmosphere with the bar and bottles of beer taking center stage as we entered. There are no stools directly in front of the bar which gives it a service counter type feel. A small ledge extends around one wall and a few hightop tables are located there as well. A picnic type table reminiscent of German beer gardens is in the center of the room with a ledge and more hightop tables on the other side of the room. Smallish place, as we arrived 10 minutes after opening on a Saturday and 2/3 of the table and chairs were occupied. The beer selection was strong and heavily weighted toward the Belgians, although there were at last 2-3 tap handles with American beers out of the dozen or so they have. Tastefully decorated and trendy in ambiance, the main drawback is that this is a bar -- that is, for people who try to avoid people who smoke while they drink, it is hard to do so here given that the place is so small. Definitely worth a stop when in the area.

April 26, 2009
a sort of trendy bar/beer garden hybrid. interesting, but id prefer more tables and stools, and the place can fill up quickly. and the AC needs to be on so you can feel it. but otherwise, a decent little place, especially if you are into good beer and want to avoid the usual sports bar crowd like i do. the bartenders know their stuff and how to do a correct pour. some unique stuff on tap and obviously their bottle selection is great, and lovingly displayed. prices are a little steep, but you get what you pay for. all in all a nice adddition to downtown st pete, and this was something it was sorely lacking.

February 23, 2009
Really nice place to sit and drink beer. Especially when it’s nice outside (most of the time!) and when it’s a non-peak day. Staff is knowledgeable. I’m a fan of Belgian and German beers -- those can get pricey -- so I like the Independent. Pint of 8 Ball Stout was $6, reasonable.

February 13, 2009
A very solid establishment in downtown St. Pete right near the Pier and Vinoy. I very particular draft and bottle selection. You’re only going to find top notch Belgian, German, craft, and microbrews. The staff is very knowledgeable and was able to recommend some awesome beers even for the connoisseur.

December 9, 2008 [ Updated May 10, 2009 ]
The ambiance is very urban-modern in a small beer bar. The service is great. Neal was very nice and loves to talk beer. The selection is sure to please everyone with all the bases covered. They don’t have very many exotic or hard to find beers but still good stuff all around. There is no food there but there are two places right next to it with good food. Its pricey and that is my only beef. Great place to drink downtown.

June 9, 2008
Good little gem hidden away in St. Pete. Decent selection with a very smart staff. Can get a little busy but if you go on non peak hours you can really pick the bartenders brain and try some great beers.

May 20, 2008
it’s been a while since i’ve stopped in here, first of all it’s really pricey, second of all it’s only imports mostly being belgians when i go out i want a broad selection if i’m paying premium prices, if not i can go to the store a cut the cost almost in half. It has a damn cool atmosphere though better than a lot of places i’ve been the only objection i have is the crowd that was there, i just think people were overdressed and also i felt like people were watching me and wondering why i was there that just seemed to be the vibe kind of snooty so to say. I was with a few friends at the time but everyone seemed to stick to their groups compare to other bars where you can just talk to anyone. If your in st. pete you could stop in or maybe go to a friends house and just buy the same stuff and save lots of money!

December 20, 2007
Very small hole in the wall bar. When you walk in it reminds you of being in a cellar or cave. Nice beer paraphnalia on the walls as decoration. A very nice selection of European beers mostly. The bartender was very friendly and offered to tap a keg of St Barnadus Abt12 that had just come in if we didn’t mind waiting a few minutes. All the beers were served in the proper glass. We were able to get a table outside, which there are a few of and people watch while we had a few. If you are in the downtown St Pete area it’s worth dropping in.

December 2, 2007
Very good European style pub. There is a good selection, and the bar staff are quite knowledgeable about the beers. It’s up there pricewise, but at least it’s not full of screaming kids drinking buckets of badly made slush!! I go there regularly when I’m downtown, good luck to them, and keep it up.

November 6, 2007
Stupid expensive. I had 4 beers and the bill was $33. A place for yuppies who just switched from Corona to Chimay.