Burp Castle

We weren't suppose to stop here. The subway is close by. Is that smell coming from in there? Let's... keep... walking... please.

We step in & are immediately smacked by a rank, thick, & humid patch of stale air. There is no ventilation here. We adjust ourselves & find two seats right at the bar. Oh look, free frites & mayo sauces; cold. That explains the rank smell at least. The place was uncomfortably warm. No one else seemed to notice. The pleasant lady behind the bar was beading down her forehead, but took some convincing to crack the front door open. Apparently they're going to be doing a crossword puzzle night. She was studying up & hadn't been paying too much attention to the patrons fermenting around her. All in the past.

Opening the front door did break the silence inside periodically though, with street sounds crashing through the gate every little while. Just a few grimacing looks from the regulars; they adjusted. At least we could breathe in there. Might stay for some beers now. :)

Taps were in short supply, & I had a problem choosing the first time around. The two Southern Tier labels(Unearthly & Hoppe) taped to the middle taps weirded me out a little. Didn't really fit the vibe. Got caught up staring down the googly eyes in the mural behind the bar too. Lots of debauchery & dark humor on the walls. Lots of charm in the "Roseland Ballroom-esq" vintage look to the place.

First place I've seen Lindeman's Pomme on tap(always Fram), but I opted for the Harviestoun Ginger & Lime bitter which I really enjoyed. I believe it was $6 for what goes for an average pour these days. Passed over the Ommegang Chocolate at $9, but I was planning on it later.

We noticed a man coming in & out of the place & came to find that the cellar was downstairs. He was sort of the super of the building & one of his duties was hand delivering bottles. Me & Big Texas took a curiosity in the man & began snapping shots & ordering off their limited(double spaced) bottle list just to get the man a little exercise. The last cider I ordered tasted less then fresh though, so I learned my lesson & quickly stopped fooling around.

Once the lady behind the bar became the topic of conversation, with her solo excursions through South America & the like, we got bored, slurped up the last of our drinks, & called it a night.

Just enough to bring me back I think. :)

My spouse, our son and his girlfriend, ventured out to NY City on a December Saturday. We encountered a phenomenon known as "SantaCon". Literally hundreds of Santa-themed revelers crowded the streets (and some bars). We entered Burp Castle about 6:00, when it was almost empty. We found a table in a quiet corner and ordered beers at the bar. There are about a dozen well chosen draft beers, emphasizing Belgian styles. It's a pleasant place that wants to be fairly quiet. When about eight (fairly well behaved) Santas came in and had lively conversation, there were some shushings from the management. There is only limited food (occasional bar snacks). Burp Castle is just down the street from McSorley's. Burp Castle is worth a visit for the low-key ambiance, the beer, and the murals. Jimmy's 43, next door, is closed indefinitely, but that would be worth a visit if it reopens (they served food). Years ago, we had a glass of cask dark mild there (US craft-brewed) that was gravity-fed from a pony keg sitting on the bar.

 

 

It is worth a trip to this subterranean drinking hole just to see the murals.

 

Shhhhhhhhh.
The beer list (draft and bottle) could be a little more expansive. Nothing too unusual or daring for a bar that specializes in Belgians.

 

I came here with my dad at 4:00 p.m on a Saturday afternoon. They were late to open, however, as soon as they did, the place got filled up with about 10 customers. It's a tiny place, so it's good to come during slower hours. What a great vibe if you are looking for a more serious and quiet hang. No obnoxious frat boys and loud music here! A mostly older and mature crowd engaged in quiet conversation. The place is darkly lit with great murals of Belgian monks and renaissance laymen getting sloshed on beer. Yes it's true that the bartenders sush the crowd when it gets loud. It's not done in an overtly rude way and is mostly amusing. The service is adept. The bartender was not overly friendly, she mostly kept to herself and did not interact with customers. However, she was prompt in service and seemed to know her beer. Being that it's a tiny bar, the selection is not huge, however, it is all of the finest quality. Mostly Belgian beers along with some American craft beers. I had a Lucifer and a Tripel Karmeliet; had both on tap and in a goblet and enjoyed them. I will definitely go back!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gone are the days when the bartender wore a monk's robe, much like the Gregorian chants. Still this little bar is a nice place to venture for a quiet drink. The bartender will shush you when you get loud.

This little hole in the has a dozen beers on tap (mostly Belgian ales). I don't know if they still have a bottle selection as I usually drink from the tap.

The atmosphere is laid back and quiet. There's no television to watch 'the game.' THis place is meant to be an escape from the city and it does a good job with this.

Definitely worth a visit.

I loved the theme/atmosphere of this place. My girlfriend hated it. We spent the better part of our time here debating the appropriateness of shushing. I think in this setting it's totally warranted and I got a kick out of it. Where my argument fell apart was with the bartender (I would have scored the service even lower but I'm giving the other bartenders the benefit of the doubt). She spent the whole time talking to one patron and largely ignoring everyone else. When she poured me the Saison Dupont instead of the Dupont Monk's Stout, I heard her say to her friend that it was my fault for not enunciating properly. My feeling is that if you listen to more than one word of someone's order you'll have more success. So in her case, I agree with my girlfriend: being shushed by this particular bartender was very annoying. But with a different bartender I bet I would really really like this place. I generally prefer quieter bars. Lots of hipster college kids here though. The selection was small but high in quality. A bit pricey, too. Side note, this place had some of the best/nerdiest bathroom graffiti ever. Doctor Who references, Harry Potter references, math nerd humor. Great stuff.

During a recent (January 2012) East Village Pub Crawl, I sought refuge from the frigid night in here; though called Burp Castle, this unique little venue seems more like a monastery. Beer and monks!

You enter a hushed and dimly lit room adorned with murals and a well worn Persian rug. In the background is the melodious hum of a Gregorian chant. The weathered wooden bar is small, yet intimate. Garbed in the trappings of a monk, the alert bartender solemnly inquires as to which one of the twelve taps of Belgian elixir you will have. I whisper, “Maredosus tripel, please.” This procedure is to be done sotto voce as Burp Castle is a place that mandates a quiet contemplation. “Sssssh,” admonishes the bartender-monk to any patron daring to interrupt the solace of the Castle with loud conversation. This will not be allowed. Sssssh!

It may be considered over the top by some; however, if you consider drinking excellent beer to be a religious experience, then this is your venue. Is Burp Castle a unique place to quaff great beer in a truly unusual atmosphere? Yes! Ssssh.

Very cool, very unique beer bar. Very small and quiet. Always interesting selection of maybe a dozen taps from the US and all over the world (this week they have Hitachino Nest, Mikkeller, Delerium, Allagash and bunch of other stuff I forget). Bartender dressed in Monk's robes. Fair prices. If you're a craft beer fan you definitely need to stop by here at least once. More likely often if you can because the tap list changes frequently and you never know what's gonna pop up.

First time I was here (last year) I came with a fairly big group (about 10) and there was another big group here of really touristy/fratty disposition. My group was pretty mellow but the bartender had to repeatedly tell the others to quiet down, not something you see very often in a bar in NYC. Needless to say they started getting louder and flat out bullied the bartender, a slight/hipster sort of fellow. These brawny frat boys intimidated this guy into the ground. Also not something you see in a bar anywhere really. My friend who tends bar downtown had a similar situation, and though his large size didn't hurt, the baseball bat he pulled rapidly and menacingly from under the bar did the trick with alacrity.

Not quite the most clever name ever, but this is a clever, quaint little place. And I mean little. In the Lower East Side, NYC, adjacent to two other beer bars (Standings and Jimmy's No. 43), this place is almost unnoticeable from the streets, but serves exclusively good craft/micro beer, though not too many selections. I didn't see a menu when I was in there, so I don't think they serve food at all. Nice atmosphere, but the bartender was pretty inattentive...I was one of about 4 people in there, but the others were regulars and got all the attention while I was left in the desert. I'd like to pop back in here at some point, but if the quality of the service hasn't changed, I'll have no problem passing it over.

We visited the Burp Castle after seeing a Saturday night show. We got there around ten, and came into a busy environment. The front door opens to the florally carpeted bar area, which is enclosed in but a single room (excluding a small, gated outdoor patio). The bar itself is on a corner, and creeps around the room at a ninety-degree angle. Seating between twelve and fifteen, the bar is wooden, with ornately carved structural elements of support, and accents of patterned metal shapes. The rest of the room is taken up by roughly fifteen two-person wooden tables, which each have a thick lip, so as to, presumably, curb any spillage. The walls are decorated in sweeping frescos of various scenes, including a Belgian beer cellar with monks and patrons, and a shipwreck scene. The wall behind the front door is painted in castle stones, with a small stone gargoyle sitting in the only window. Decoration is otherwise sparse, with a placard behind the bar reading, "No loud talking allowed. -Whispering Only- By Order of the Brewist Monks." The lighting is moderate, with low hanging lanterns, lamps on the bar, and candles on the bar and tables, bringing light to the space.

There is really no food to speak of, but they do have free Belgian style French fries on Sundays, Mondays, and Wednesdays from a local eatery, for an hour and a half.

The beer menu is quite respectable, with twelve taps and about three times that in bottles. The taps are predominantly Belgian, in going with the style of the place, with a good variety stretching across the spectrum of Belgian beers. We each started with a glass of Gouden Carolus Tripel. We must have kicked that keg, because they wiped it off the board and immediately replaced it with something different. In the time we sat there they replaced three different beers that had been finished, and each was replaced with something entirely new (and Belgian!), which is super cool. For the second round we got the St. Bernardus Christmas Ale (me), and a Young's Double Chocolate Stout (the fair lady), respectively. They also serve some wines, but that selection looked rightfully meager. The bartender was quite knowledgeable, and was dressed in a traditional monk's garb. Thinking back, he actually seemed to be the only one working there.

Overall, we had a great time at the Burp Castle. The selection was great, if you are a fan of Belgian beers. Although there was no food, it seemed appropriate. The environment and atmosphere is quite unique for a first timer. There is no music, so the sounds are composed of conversation. If the volume of the crowd, or of a particular individual, gets above a reasonable volume (as is warned by the plaque), the bartender immediately, and loudly, shushes the patron/s. He is quickly joined by the rest of the crowd, which makes for a fun, and strangely awesome, ambiance.

I can't believe this is the place that my homebrew club meets and i've never reviewed this place.

Very interesting place and on probably the best beer block in new york, which also inlcudes McSorely's, Jimmy's 43 and Standings. Burp Castle is the simplest of the bunch in terms of decor. One very dark, relatively small room. Very interesting but not too big tap list. Not even sure they have bottles.

The place is very belgian, serving a majority of belgian beers and keeping the place monk-quite, actually shushing patrons every few minutes.

A definite must on anyone's manhattan short list.

I ventured to Burp Castle on the Friday after New Years, following the great reviews of so many.

What I found was a great spot, with a really calm and cool atmosphere, a nice place to hang out and enjoy beer. I loved the sign to halt loud conversation. This place carries some really unique beers, stuff I'd never heard of, to create a very diverse selection.

What it had in diversity, it lacked in top quality beers. Clearly I had time things incorrectly, because a couple of the top beers were out of stock (Nocturnum, St Bernardus Christmas Ale), and the tap list lacked the top tier beers I've come to love. I settled on a Marsedsous, but reluctantly.

What was most disappointing was the service, which was disinterested and, if knowledgeable, not interested in sharing that knowledge. Obviously I rate this place on the scale of a normal bar, hence the decent score, but I was truly disappointed. I'd go back after checking the tap list and ensuring a better selection (and with an appetite for pommes frites).

A great place with a good selection on tap, a plethora of bottles, and a very laid back warm atmosphere - doesn't seem to have any air conditioning but that doesn't matter. Interesting attentive staff, good people - a good time altogether.

This place is not like most bars in manhattan that feel they have to blast your ears off with music and make it so your voice is always hoarse at the end of the night from shouting at the person six inches away from you. The music is kept in the background for mood, and the regulars will all concurrently let go a loud shhh! if the bar gets too loud and they can't hear the conversation.

Now for the beer: small bar, yet they have 12 respectable taps, last time I was there they had a framboise on tap, some wittekerke white, which I had never had before and is interesting to say the least. They had a fair amount of german pilsener's and true german oktoberfest styles, some belgians from chimay and delirium. Some micro american ales and a couple of stouts. The list of bottles is very diverse and they might have a selection of about 40-50. So not too shabby. But I stick to the taplist usually, which has always been a nice eclectic mix.

Prices are a little better than average for this quality of beer in NYC. Highly recommended...stop by for a drink.

Located in the east village is Burp Castle.
The bar is not an incredibly large one, but an interestingly decorated one with murals of monks on the walls.
They have 10-12 taps I recall, they had Samichlaus, Tripel Karmeliet, Youngs Double Chocolate Stout, Corsendonk Brown, and Allagash White, among others when I was there. Bottles from Belgium, the U.K. and Germany are also available, Sam Smith, Kwak & Rodenbach are some that they carry. As mentioned by other reviewers, the bar promotes a theme of not raising your voice or yelling, so it is nice for a mellow conversation with a chum. I did enjoy my brief stop here, in which I enjoyed a Delierium Tremens, which was pleasant as always. If you find yourself in the East Village, this is a good spot to check out.

(From notes)

Like some other reviews I've done lately, this one has been a long time coming. This is one of my favorite places in Manhattan. Quirky, unique, and terribly shitty bathrooms. Love the murals of monks in funny situations, along with the somewhat interesting 'hushing' of the crowd.

The selection on tap is quite nice, and while it certainly can skew to Belgian and Belgian-style brews, there are several lines devoted to quality US micros. Bottled selection is nice enough, but won't find anything really rare.

Brews are kept well, but tend to be a bit pricey relative to other beers bars in the city. But what the hell, I'm not really concerned because the pull of the place is in the personality.

Quality place in more ways that one, and do yourself a favor and keep walking on past McSorley's and enjoy that portion of your evening at Burp Castle.

I go to Burp Castle for the beer, the company of other beer geeks, and the fact that you can have a mellow conversation with your drinking companions without having to scream. The beers change pretty often and they offer a lot of Belgians that one doesn't often see on tap as well as some well-chosen American microbrews like Southern Tier Unearthly IPA and Weyerbacher Slam Dunkel Weizen. Had a nice session the other night where I started with the Southern Tier, followed up with La Rulles Tripel, and finished with a Gouden Carolus.

In spite of the prices (which are higher than almost any other beer bar in the 5 boroughs, and the murals, and the monk theme, the place is really a dive. Bathrooms are SCARY, coasters are scarce, and the glassware is haphazard. But being able to drink good stuff and converse at the same time goes a long way!

Burp Castle is kind of my barometer of what type of person the people I know are. If you totally slam this place and find no redeeming qualities...well, I'm not sure how I feel about you anymore. Sure it is hokey with the murals and everything, but who cares. It's a great spot. Even though it's themed and all, I still find it genuine and real. And the beer? I have seen things here I have never seen anywhere before on-tap. Beyond selection, everything is always as it should be as far as quality goes. The service is good as I have always found the staff here to be nice and ready to chat. Everyone here is just down to Earth and keeps it real. The only down side is the prices as I have seen some beers go for $9 or $10. And that is before all this ridiculous upswing in prices. But for my money, I'll take Burp Castle any day.

Definitley an ontriging little set up in the East Village. An ivy covered, glass store front with a fenced off outdoor area and a cozy area with some tables and a small bar.

The tap selection, along with the bottles were in great number.

The baretender and other employees appaered to know what they were talking about, the bartender not as much as others.

At first they were quite friendly, but that soon dissipated, and the friendly welcome soon denatured into a slightly noticable arrogance. Torwards then end of the engagement my friends and I had here, it felt as if we were bothering the barkeep when asking for a drink, or if we attempted to start up a conversation.

Maybe it was busy, maybe it was the wrong time, biut I feel they could have been a bit more personable, and less condesending.

I hadn't been to Burp Castle in many years, so we decided to stop in during a recent visit to NYC while pub crawling in the East Village. It's a cozy little bar with a few tables inside and a small outdoor seating area in the front - there were 3 tiny tables outside and smokers gravitated to this area. The tap selection was quite good, mostly focused on Belgians and Belgian-inspired beer, but with a couple of IPAs on as well. I didn't really check out the bottle situation since there was a good selection of taps. Prices were reasonable for NYC - some domestic pints were as cheap as $6 while some Belgians were around $9. Rather than having monks behind the bar (something I remember from my last visit), the bartender was a hipster dude that was in constant conversation with patrons while efficiently pouring the suds. He was quite knowledgeable about their offerings and made some good suggestions for my friend. It's the kind of place that I could spend some time in, especially if I lived in the neighbourhood. I'll definitely be back again.

I was interested in Burb Castle as a Belgian beer mecca hoping to find some rare gems on tap or in bottles with perhaps some vintage selections worthy of digging deep into the bank account.
As I stepped inside it was a cosy little space with some tables around a short bar with one employee handling all the orders. On the wall was a cartoonist mural. SHUUU...SHUuuu...shuuu... of monks drink large beers at long wooden tables with the odd girl in a bikini dancing on the table.
The 6 or 7 tables were run of the mill Belgian beers and I asked what was new on tap. An she recommended the strong bock. I was thrilled to be drinking a Belgian strong bock beer, wow I had never heard of such a SHUUU...SHUuuu...shuuu...fusion beer. Upon further examination of the menu, I noticed that it was from Hofbrau. After finishing that beer, I asked if there were any new or interesting beers that didn't make it on the menu. The bartender recommended Bombidier, which I tried. It was actually a English beer after I looked it up on BA. They had no real sour beers or wild ales so it was time to find more New York craft beer instead of Chimay and Unibroue. Don't get me wrong I like both beers but I was looking for something I couldn't try in other bars.
As you have guessed by now they shuush you every five minutes witch is cute for the the first five minutes but then it just gets annoying. If there was a great beer selection I could have put up with it but that was not the case.

I really liked the vibe in this place...when I first walked in I was super intimidated because I felt like I had walked into a private club or someones strange living room. Super mellow vibe, lots of dark wood, Monk Murals wrapping around the whole room. I was there at Happy Hour and was so stoked at how mellow it was, compared to the Blind Tiger where I was the night before which was packed to the gills, my buddy and I easily got seats at the bar.

Service was pretty average, I asked who the brewer of my Blanche was and the woman didn't know. Other than that she knew her stuff, seemed to have a great pallette and could really talk well about beers.

Maybe about 8 taps, not a huge amount to choose from but pretty much all were well thought out selections

If I'm in the area I will definitely stop by again

I stopped here on a Saturday night I spent in the East Village in July 2007. It's easy to miss from the outside, but worth the effort to spy out. The atmosphere is about as comfortable as you could hope for, dark wood walls and tables, large art work on the wall depicting some beer monks at sea on a barge, chalkboard full of draft beers (about 10), and nice quiet ambience. The bartender was really friendly and helpful, making us feel at home while we contemplated the beer and discussed our plans for the next day in Manhattan. The drafts were mostly Belgians, nothing too outstanding but you're almost sure to find something for anyone (from Framboise to St. Bernardus ABT 12). The bottle list was none too shabby, about 100 bottles sporting USA and Belgium names predominantly. Overall an easy choice, and worth a stop on the beer crawl including Hop Devil and Belgian Room in the East Village.

My most recent trip to NYC brought me to Burp Castle, a place that I'd long sought out but never seemed to be able to arrive at. I walked right past it and stopped at Jimmy's # 43 (which was awesome), and then went a few blocks more before I realized I was almost at Zum Schneider and must have missed it... it's kind of hidden like that. But it's worth finding. I like the murals the best. Replicas of famous paintings that have been altered to include lots of beer drinking (and other things). Is that Gericault's "The Raft of The Medusa" on the left? Or is that in the footsteps of some post-modernist work that I've missed? And I think that's Bruegel on the right? It doesn't matter, the reference is noted and that makes it fun. The tiny tables are cute too. The bartenders are semi-knowledgeable in a "taste" kind of way, and the overall feel is comfortable and relaxed. There aren't that many beers on tap (it is a small place), but the selection is good. No food. Smoking is allowed on the tiny caged patio (or it was when I was there). I'll give it one thumbs up, but that's partly because I've got a beer in my other hand. It's a fun place to visit!

I have been drinking here for years. It is so much fun. It is steps from Mcsorley's which I consider Mecca. The place is just Belgian Monk Ale heaven. The selection is outstanding. The staff know their stuff too. If they are not busy they love to talk beer. They enjoy a glass too.
They also have a good wine selection.They have a great choice of drafts and a huge selection of bottles. They have things I have seen nowhere else in the US.
I highly recommend this place. I don't think they have food, but if they did I think it would be good. The location is great if you are on the crawl. Mcsorley's on 1 corner. The standings next door and Hop devil etc not far.

It started off kind of slow, since the place either opened at 4 or 5 depending on which review you read on which website. I went with 4, so I caught a cab from midtown, got there right at 4 and of course, the posted hours for this odd little place said 5 pm. After walking aimlessy around the neighborhood and opting not to go the McSorleys root which was right down the street, the bartender arrives, opens up the cage in need of a paint job that encircles the tiny front entrance and let me in. Very intimate setting. Gotta figure the guys that created the church-like design are some interesting dudes. Darkish, certainly had the looks of a church with the hanging missionary style lamps like the ones you see in the older Catholic churches. Beautiful hand carved, small L shaped bar. Watch the carved supports underneath...not good for the knees. Interesting murals depicting scenes of monks enjoying copious amounts of beer and the like with small tables lining the walls. Place probably holds 30 or so. The bartender was very pleasant. Asked me how my day was, what I did for a living, what brought me to the city, etc. I noticed the "quiet" sign on the rear wall. She said it is normally a quiet bar, but the whole employees wearing robes thing is no more. I would've lliked to have seen that. Then of course, the beer selection was special. Eight on tap, including Urthel Hop It, which for whatever reason is a rarity in my world, so I had to enjoy one right off the bat. Not overly impressed by the glassware, as it was served in a smallish wine glass, not the large goblet another reviewer referred to. Also had the Tripel Karmeliet. Noticed Delerium Tremens was also on tap. Several bottles, but I usually don't do bottles if the tap selection is good. Turns out it was cheese night, being the fourth Thursday of the month, so I munched on some wonderful cheeses to go along with the drafts. By 6:30 when I walked out the door there were only three others at the bar. I would definitely return here, but given the company at the bar, local NYU students I surmized, who were interesting in their own way, will make sure I bring friends along. The location is perfect given the proximity to Hop Devil, McSorleys, and Zum Schneider the latter of which is where I ended up next. Again, worth the visit.