Bars : USA : CA : San Francisco : La Trappe
Bars : USA : CA : San Francisco : La Trappe
About La Trappe
Trappist monasteries are renowned for their contemplative silences, during dinner in particular, as well as for their beer-brewing. To get a sense of how these conflicting tendencies work themselves out in the great world, all you need to do is step into La Trappe Cafe, which could be the city's only Belgian restaurant and whose signage describes it as a "Trappist lounge." If this is true, it's certainly in the beer sense and not the silent sense. Of course, beer does not conduce to silence, especially in the young — at least not right away — and La Trappe is nothing if not a haven for the young. And it's in North Beach! North Beach has young people, tons of them, not just aging Italian tailors. They come pouring through the door in groups of two, three, and more and head immediately downstairs.
Downstairs is where the action is at La Trappe. Upstairs, on the main floor, is a perfectly nice North Beach storefront restaurant with lots of windows and an exhibition kitchen. But descend the curvy stairway and you find yourself in a moodily lit realm that's like a cross between a speakeasy and a medieval monastery — only louder. St. Benedict, the sixth-century figure whose rules guided Trappist monks from their beginnings in 17th-century Normandy, surely would not be pleased by the din. But he might well approve of the many varieties of beer on offer; some of the labels, such as Chimay (brewed by "pères Trappistes"), are among Belgium's best-known exports.
La Trappe Review By Chrissy M. : San Jose, CA
This place is known for it's beer selection... as far as that goes, this place definitely get's five stars. They always have tons of choices and they always have something new to try. My friend was very excited to find a beer that he hasn't been able to find since moving away from the east coast. It is a belgian ale called Bornem Double. I had it for the first time here and loved it!
The fries here are awesome! Would you expect anything less from a Belgian place? They have a ton of dipping sauce choices.
One time, we went here right when the place opened. We got really great service and the bartenders were all incredibly knowledgable about the beers. This is definitely a place where you can just describe a style or taste you enjoy in a beer and let the bartender pick something for you. Another time we were here when they were incredibly busy. It took awhile to even get seated and our server was clearly very busy, so she wasn't around much. Since this is a bar, that's not entirely unacceptable. It's still worth coming here whenever you can make it because the food and drink selection is wonderful, but the best experience will be had during off-peak hours.
Contact La Trappe
Address 800 Greenwich St., San Francisco, California 94133 | Phone (415) 440-8727
Contact SF Bay Guardian
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