The Belgian Monk in Norwich

Not sure where to start but it was a very disappointing experience. The food took ages to arrive , and when it did the chicken schnitzel had to be sent back because it was RAW! Mistakes can happen sure, but this level of mistake for a professional kitchen is difficult to forgive. Although we were partially compensated with a free round of drinks, overall the food was disappointing. The burgers were dry, the meat platter utterly tasteless and lacking in imagination, the tartiflett the least authentic I've ever seen, and mussels swimming in an ocean of wishy washy liquid.

We had lunch at this restaurant recently, and unfortunately, it was a disappointing experience. The wait for our food was unbearably long, and not a single waiter bothered to apologise or check on us during the delay. When the food finally arrived, it was nothing special for the price. On top of that, the restaurant itself feels outdated and neglected. The decor is old and unappealing, which only added to the overall unpleasant atmosphere. It’s clear this place hasn’t been modernized in a long time. Definitely not a spot we’ll be visiting again.

Staff could do with some lessons in customer service. Paid a deposit before attending, which they were unable to find a record of and therefore not taken off the bill. Showed payment on online banking, which clearly stated the amount in question and was told ‘I’ll see what I can do’. Not the answer we were looking for…. Then got questioned by another member of staff (rude woman, blonde hair in her 50s) in an accusatory way, who said we couldn’t have paid the deposit based on their dates. Was shown the bank statement again, then told us her colleague had told her the wrong dates. No apology at all. Like we were being held hostage at the end, whilst we waited for them to see if the bill could be reduced to reflect the deposit. Took forever! It’s a shame as up until that point the other staff had been very helpful and they ruined it at the end. Food was nice, but took an hour to arrive. Not as good as it used to be. Obviously asked to remove the 12.5% service charge and was told ‘yeah, well we are busy tonight’…..what, too busy to be polite?!

Just popped in for a cherry beer , very nice 👌 😋

Great atmosphere, Great authentic Belgium food and GREAT Belgium beer and a good choice of draft and bottled - Dave was a great server with a smile on his face and most helpful … Will make sure to visit again next time I am in Norwich 👍

A great range of Belgian beers, excellent food, ambience, and friendly staff.

Had a very hearty meal and a couple of lovely beers,will most definitely be returning soon hopefully.

Great place, their selection of stouts is unlike anywhere else, all very delicious, would love to sample every one!

To walk in and the manager to say only bookings and we make anoth money anyway is to say we dont need your custom...used this pub for years...never again off to st andrews bar...nice welcome friendly...unlike your pub..or restaurant...hope you make it good luck..

Fantastic food and beers - lovely place for lunch.

Excellent range of beer. You should open a bar, maybe a cellar bar I don't want to eat with my beer.

Nice pub with good choose of nice Belgium beer and food

Stumbled across this gem of a pub on our weekend away. Fantastic selection of Belgian beers all served in beautiful glasses. Lovely warm atmosphere and the wonderful South African proprietor made us feel so welcome. A definite hit for us and we will be back to sample the next few beers on the list!

Been a long term customer of Belgian Monk and this time (November 2024) sadly received awful service. Waiter was brusque, seemed upset to be here, refused dessert as they had another table coming (7 empty tables at the time- see pic) . Shame as food was not bad (although ironically took ages to come!)

Great beer .. food.. disappointing

An elderly lady alone - I used to live in Belgium so I was happy to find the restaurant and they made me feel very at home and comfortable. Food and beer/wine was excellent! Staff exemplary. Thank you so much.

Excellent selection of beers in a beautiful historic building

Last couple have been truly dire, I'll start with most recently, our table for 2 was seated right by the permanently open front door which is also the most high traffic area on a crossroads of the entrance\bar\outdoor seating\toilets and stairs, so constantly interrupted by varying degrees of traffic and unable to interact with my partner sat opposite me, then comes the food... Tough raw pork belly in a child's portion that was genuinely bleeding when I cut into it... Will admit that the waiter was apologetic and my meal was removed from the bill and replaced with a cooked version, being said it wasn't great and I felt ill all evening thereafter. Secondly, hearing the staff audibly snorting after every sentence and in and out the toilets makes for an uncomfortable atmosphere, and the previous visit our waiter was clearly still pissed from the night before, laughed in our faces whilst taking our order and had to ask what we wanted several times in the same interaction... Shame to write this review as I've been a loyal customer for years now but have to be honest on this one.

Lovely interior and great selection of beer. However I left feeling very underwhelmed with the food and service. I had been looking forward to trying out this place for a while but not sure what the hype is. Overpriced food for small portions. And beer is overpriced at average of £5 for a half pint. Left feeling hungry but didn't want to pay any more for dessert.

Amazing beers, very friendly and knowledgeable staff, thank you!

Great mussels, plus a vast variety of beers. excellent lunchtime.

Great simple food, great beer and convivial atmosphere. Chapeau!

Awful place don't bother trying it

I tried three excellent beers from the huge range. I hope to return soon to try some more and perhaps have a meal as well next time I am in Norwich.

Loads of choice both for the food and drinks is a great place to visit gir just a drink especially a beer so many to choose from and got a meal

Superb food, a fine range of beers and very friendly and attentive staff, a superb experience!

My friends and I, all in our 40s and longstanding patrons of The Belgian Monk, had a deeply upsetting experience last night. Within moments of our arrival, the owner baselessly accused one of my friends of being on drugs, refusing us service and effectively throwing us out. We are not, nor do we resemble, the sort of people who engage in such activities. After years of patronage and thousands spent, this unfounded accusation was both shocking and insulting. We will not be returning and strongly advise others to reconsider their support for an establishment where the owner displays such irrational and disrespectful behavior.

We are all friends who have connections to this Fine City and decided to meet up at the Belgian Monk. We had to pay a deposit and pre order (8 of us) which seemed a bit odd but hee ho.. Staff were friendly and helpful but food was mediocre to say the least. The chicken seemed to have been cooked hours ago, kept under IR lamps but still cool and very dried out. We mentioned it to a staff member as we left who, to be fair, said we should have mentioned it at the time - (true but we are British!) as they'd have taken it off the bill. Even better, might be not to serve almost inedible food. Isn't that part of a chef's job?

Great atmosphere and good service. Food was delicious but one of our party had liver and it was over cooked, tough and dry. All the other meals were lovely. Disappointed that plastic single portions of UHT milk were served with the coffee and the hot chocolate was served in a coffee cup not a mug as you would expect. Apart from this it was a lovely meal, love how the restaurant converts to a pub after service, keeps the atmosphere although the decor is looking a little tired.

My friends and I, all in our 40s and longstanding patrons of The Belgian Monk, had a deeply upsetting experience last night. Within moments of our arrival, the owner baselessly accused one of my friends of being on drugs, refusing us service and effectively throwing us out. We are not, nor do we resemble, the sort of people who engage in such activities. After years of patronage and thousands spent, this unfounded accusation was both shocking and insulting. We will not be returning and strongly advise others to reconsider their support for an establishment where the owner displays such irrational and disrespectful behavior.

Nice beers but VERY expensive. They don't serve pints, only halves, and at £4.55 for half a draught white beer it's ridiculous. Barman was very condescending to the customers.

Me and the wife where first time visitors to this place and will be the last, and we there with friends, and found the food rather bland and tasteless, presentation was nothing special at all, staff abrupt !

Great selection of Belgian beers

Great place for Belgium beer funnily enough 😁. Big selection of bottled beers.

Fantastic food and choice of beers.

Unique to Norwich. Always fantastic mussels- the excitement of the huge mussel pots adds theatre and the Belgium beer menu is out of this world. Hosting and service exceptional.

Stopped here for a couple of drinks, really good variety of beers and cider, can definitely recommend the elderflower cider. Staff were very friendly and talkative. The atmosphere of the pub makes you feel like you’re on holiday, however when you leave sadly you are still in norwich

Great little pub, wasn't expecting to walk into such an amazing little place. Staff were attentive and sociable and gave great recommendations on drinks. All the beers were of Belgian origin and although we didn't eat, the food on other people's plates and the menu looked amazing. You forget where you are until you leave the pub! Would 100% recommend this pub.

Had no food but beer garden good atmosphere a buzz..thriving pub good range of drinks..favourite being the cherry beer..a hidden gem of norwich...

Great choice of beer however I’ve been here three times and each time found the bar staff to be rude and unwelcoming. Felt very uncomfortable and not valued so won’t be back.

Cannot praise this highly enough. Food, service, ambience - all amazing. Added to which, tremendous value for money. The staff were incredibly kind, and extremely knowledgeable about their range of beers, giving us really helpful suggestions of which ones to try.

Nice pub, we would have liked to try some of the beers and possibly eat something along the way. However, the lady wasn't very friendly when we didn't want to eat something right away. We didn't feel welcome.

Friendly and good service. Excellent food. Mostly baby friendly (met a friend for lunch, only mostly due to no changing rooms but that's expected) highly recommend!

Words are inadequate to describe this wonderful venue. Terrific selection of Belgian food, but the beer... oh wow. Died and gone to heaven. So many amazing Belgian beers, of every type. Glorious.

Great, tasty, delicious meals, service is prompt, and staff are quick to help you. Prices are quite good considering the location is right in the heart of the city, totally recommended 👌

Nipped in for food, Had burger which was beautifully cooked and very tasty. Service was quick and very polite.

Um...well the beers are good (though expensive) and lovely sitting in sunshine but don't bother with food if you are a vegan...not good. And, despite being a bar that services food (NOT a restaurant) they add service charge to your bill so watch out! Having said all that, the staff were lovely and very helpful.

Such a friendly pub, serving great beer (with recommendations from the staff) and fabulous Belgian dishes. Can't wait to return!

This place has a great atmosphere and an excellent selection of unusual beers, all served in half pint measures so that you can try a wider variety without getting too drunk. Just make sure you pay attention to the alcohol percentage when you order as some of them are really strong!

Such a wonderful find in Norwich and finally somewhere with brilliant mussels! The service and hosts were exceptional and food was tasty. Definitely coming here again!

Best place in Norwich for a nice cherry beer 🍒

Lovely little place, don't do many soft drinks, I had orange juice and only had about half a small glass given to me, mildly disappointed with that, but again, it is a pub, and everyone else enjoyed it so can't knock it :)

Charging full pint prices for half pints (£9 for 2 half pints) Beef roast dinner was very dissapointing the meat was full of fat and gristly the potatoes were stale however veg was good and gravy was meh. For starters we yhad the olives gerkins and pickled onions with tomato soup, both were great but agin seemed overpriced for what we recieved. Muscles were great but cant really go wrong there. All in all 3/5 lots of room for improvement but wont be returning till it does. oh and to add there was a discretionary service charge of 6.50 to be asked if food was ok 2/3 times per course...

Lovely place. Food is excellent beers r amazing as u would expect altho no Kwak Holder's n others same as glasses stolen or broken acc to the owner. Only downside was Toilets were worst seen in a while tho ! Sadly as love going there.

Had the roast. Undercooked and fatty beef, no potatoes, roasted vegetables which had been microwaved to warm up, a shared cauliflower cheese which was overcooked and where the cheese sauce had been microwaved causing the oil to separate and it looked like an oil slick. Zero seasoning and vastly overpriced. Dreadful

Casual and relaxed, friendly knowledgeable staff and a friendly atmosphere. Perfect if you like Belgian beers or just wish to try some.

Lovely place to enjoy beer. Pancake is awesome!

This is now the last time we use this pub Although we love Belgium beer's and food the service is dier greeted at the door by I think an employee who said and I quote beer or food no hi welcome can I help you After being shown to a table with a grunt I went to the bar to order drinks as obviously Mrs personality of year, couldn't be bothered only to be showered by drink from a soda syphon as the so called barman attempted to pour it into a glass under a hail of foul language Not a sorry sir kiss my butt nothing needless to say we left what's happened to this onetime favourite venue of ours

Great place to eat and drink, great beers.

Went on Saturday during the mayors parade around Norwich. Went into the entrance and was met by a abrupt man standing behind a host podium stand. Thought I was a contestant on a game show it's so out of place. . He greeted me with a stearn " can I help you" I asked if I was allowed in for a drink and he awkwardly said yes. I was told that I was not allowed to sit on any of the empty tables apart from the ones in the outside area or 4 seats opposite the door. I made my way to the bar ordered and then did as I was told and sat in a billy no mates seat opposite the door. The place had lots of vacant table apart from what I could see was 3 table were being used by customers eating. Later a large party of drinkers arrived with the same cold welcome and was told to move away from the bar and go in the outside area. Unfortunately the outside was full and therefore this group had no wear to drink the beer they just bought. Don't get me wrong. I understand that they need to make money from food. But stopping people drinking at tables when the whole indoor restaurant table area is empty appears to be sheer madness or just bad management. As I was leaving more drinkers (no food eaters were entering the pub) were entering. Beer was fine have no complaints, but will not be returning. despite the fact I was in there to check out the restaurant anyway. There a many bar/ restaurants that provide a warmer welcome.

Good selection of craft beers and fast service, the thick menu has about every great belgium beer around..

Good beer, good atmosphere, interesting place, though drinks a tad on the pricey side

Interesting range of on tap to try. Nice little place to meet the girls before hitting the shops.

Had a great Sunday lunch at Belgian Monk today , went for the Pork roast and it was delicious. Big portion too, so you won’t need breakfast beforehand! Service was top notch as well.

Food here is nice and the variety of drinks and food is excellent. Service is great too with friendly personnel! The atmosphere could do with some more cleaning and maybe some new furniture! Nice touch having a TV screen in the garden to watch football!

Just popped in for a drink. Overpriced and staff were quite abrupt and unhelpful. Shan't go back.

I do not go out to restaurants expecting to face abuse, but that's exactly what I got on my visit to the Belgian monk last week. Older lady shouted at me and my party and made us feel very unwelcome. Interior is dark, drab and depressing. Young lad who served us did his best to resolve how we feel but we will not return

Nice sharing players and lovely beer. Amazing selection!

Great variety of Belgian beers and some favourite meals in a historic old pub. For some reason when we tried to book in person we were told there were no tables, however we managed to book online for the same day/time with no problem. Staff were friendly and attentive during our meal.

The atmosphere is lovely, enjoy the different beers, but the prices are expensive, but nowadays everywhere is.

My ex manager and friend put us onto this place as we were staying in a nearby hotel for a visit to the theatre. What a little gem. Excellent food, including vegan option for my partner. Warm friendly staff and atmosphere. Prices good for a city venue. The Belgian cherry beer is a must try, (and very, very moreish). This is now our go to place to eat when visiting the theatre in Norwich. The city centre open market is literally around the corner, and the theatre is barely 10 minutes walk.

Had a really great meal, thanks so much!

We attended the Belgian Monk as a group of 41 for our annual staff away day. The service we received was friendly, very accommodating, attentive and knowledgeable. The staff went above and beyond to ensure all our staff members were well-cared for and no-one was left without an empty glass. We arranged a pre-order with the pub ahead of time and the food arrived promptly after our arrival which was well received on a cold and wet day. The food was piping hot and all dishes were very tasty, especially the mussels and tartiflette. We have no hesitation in recommending this pub and all staff members said they would return again personally.

Good food, good beer, what more do you need.

Enjoyed going back. Excellent food, beer and service. Recommend

Never been such a disgusting place in my life, complained about the bad hygiene and got told it’s “normal” and not to complain. Never left a bad review before but this felt necessarily.

Love this place. My wife and I had not been out on our own since our little girl arrived two years ago. The first thought was to book a meal at the Belgium Monk. Great food and great cherry beer.

Great Belgian beer bar. Fantastic selection and helpful staff.

Very overpriced. Firstly, the place was messy and chaotic. We ordered food and drinks, which we had to pay upfront including the 12.5% service charge. If we had a choice, we would not have paid the service charges. The food took over an hour while no explanation what is going on. Almost asked for a refund and left but because we had been waiting for over an hour, we were too hungry to go somewhere else. Despite waiting in hunger, the food was still disappointing. Bland overall but each dish had overly salty components just to make everything worse. Would not recommend the mussels. Ordered kwak but never got the full experience of the unique glass it should come in. There is unfortunately nothing good to say about this place.

Delicious meatballs with cherry beer sauce. Fries to die for!!

A bit different, nice food and drinks with a European twist. Lovely rear beer garden.

Fantastic range of beers. Tremendous food. A unique quality bar and bistro

I love the Belgian Monk. I mainly go for their excellent selection of reasonably priced Belgian beers. I've eaten there a couple of times and the food has been surprisingly tasty - big bowls of mussels and dishes of creamy, cheesy, carby things that go perfectly with a few glasses of tripel. For the reasons above, I go to the BelMo on a fairly regular basis and can wholeheartedly recommend it. But. There's something about the service that doesn't quite work... You come in the front door and there's a sign telling you to wait to be seated. You wait awkwardly for a couple of minutes, then eventually you get the attention of a staff member buzzing about behind the bar and you get told to sit anywhere and order at the bar. It's the same strange, awkward rigmarole every time. The bar staff, who are all personally very lovely and knowledgeable, always seem to be rushed off their feet and on the edge of a nervous breakdown behind the bar. Getting served at the bar usually takes a while and feels a bit stressy, this is mainly due to the wide selection of beers on offer, the novelty of the concept of "cherry beer" to many local folk, and the somewhat cramped (but beautiful) bar. I'm pretty sure it used to be all take service under the previous owner, and it really should go back to that. Yes, it might take a bit more training for staff, but it is much better suited to the kind of place the Belgian Monk is and it'll take away the awkward set up that currently makes for a slightly odd drinking experience.

Crispy pork belly is a must try.

Great pub, great beer. But every time I come here I’m subjected to the most appalling service from the lady that works here. She has a permanent scowl on her face and makes her customers feel extremely unwelcome. Everyone else is lovely.

Great beer selection and fanatic food!

Half of the menu is not available. Bad service, understaffed. The management doesn't plan the purchases. Menus are not accurate.

Bring back the modules en croustade! It was a good meal in all honesty. But Bob Magwire is very upset the Kwaq wasn't served in the traditional glasses and they didn't have any delirium. Up set is beyond words. I did get a free shot so I leave satisfied.

Only had beer, was nice, but prefer other places in Norwich

Popped in for a couple of glasses of Belgian Beer. Really nice place with a really nice atmosphere. Definetly not worth walking past...Get in and, get a proper beer at 11% or 22% alcohol proof if you like. Tastes are well nice. Did not dine here so, cannot comment about it

Absolutely fantastic oasis of Belgian beers with friendly and efficient service and a great range. Particularly excited to find Petrus Red in UK, so hard to find. Selection of food also wonderful and oh so tasty. I will always find my way here in Norwich. Thank you Belgian Monk

Loads of good beers and very friendly, helpful staff, basically planned our week out for us whilst away with work!

A great social lunch at The Belgian Monk on Pottergate today [pre-booked] with 10 friends from our women's group. The staff were amazing and organised a long table in the downstairs bar area as we had several ladies with sticks and nobility problems. Excellent lunch, good wine selection and helpful staff. Very reasonable prices as well. We'll be back!

The Mussels and fries are very good, very large portions

A wonderful experience, fantastic service and great food. Amazing selection of beers and really attentive staff.

Had an excellent meal of Mussels and fries, very large portions. Service was very good and pleasant ton only problem was the air conditioning was blowning cold air onto our backs where we were sitting had to put our jackets on.

Highly recommend the garlic and butter mussels. The fries are deliciously crunchy and you can dip it in the sauce after! I'm normally not a beer drinker but I loved their specialty, cherry beer.

Most expensive drink in Norwich, only do half pints that don’t get filled to the line. And charge the price of a full pint.

Came in for a quick drink. Lovely pub with incredibly friendly staff. While we didn't eat, the fish and chips smelled absolutely delicious. The atmosphere was really nice - we felt like we could have sat and drunk the afternoon away!

We were sat quickly which we were thankful for. Ordered a kids fish and chips, ox cheek and a burger. Waitress came back to say no burger. Not a problem. I ordered the ox cheek. It was the worst I’ve ever had. I could barely get my knife through it. It was like it was frozen and microwaved. Very very disappointing.