Burp Castle — Restaurant in New York

Let me give the full overview: first off, Burp Castle is themed to be some old monastary, with murals of monks drinking on the wall, monastary-like music playing, and the sole bartender in monk's garb. It isn't that big; maybe it seats 25ish people seating, with a little more standing room. There is a code of silence in here. Literally, if you and/or your friends are talking too loud, you will get shushed. I don't know for certain, but I've never heard of any other bar that will kick you out for talking. It is a cute novelty that gets really annoying after awhile. The trade off is that Burp Castle has a diverse and consistently great rotating tap selection of about 10 beers, with more on bottle to boot. This include Belgian standbys, high level American microbrews, hard to find Euro beer, and of course--following the theming--some Trappist brews. The bartender is also very nice so long as you follow her rules. More importantly, she is a very knowledgeable veteran of top beers, and can guide you along well whether you're an expert, novice, or somewhere in between like me. Prices can be slightly high on some things but ultimately you get what you pay for. As much as this place irks me in so many...

If you’re looking for a contemplative, peaceful, serene place of dwelling look no further than Burp Castle. I myself have ventured only twice into this fine establishment, and first I was greeted by a monk who goes by the biblical name Andrew. However; the second time I stepped into Burp Castle, expecting the same loving experience I was stopped by the unfortunate circumstance of feeling like a burden of society. Firstly, hoping that the heavenly sounds of Gregorian chants would bring wonder to my ears, I was surprised to know that I heard the annoyance of everyone’s voices louder than the streets of Manhattan itself. Then, as I was with my friend who I am introducing for the first time to the grand Burp Castle, I stepped up to the place and ordered two fine beers at the bar, to what my astonishment looked like someone who was almost picked from the glory of Skid road itself, and greeted my friend with the most unkind, despicable look I’d ever seen a bartender give. With a long head of hair and the forest of upstate NY on his face, I’d probably had the worst experience of bar service in my life. Nevertheless it’s a crackin’...

This place is awesome. I was here for the first time on Saturday night. The bartenders at Burp Castle make it a priority to keep the place quiet to the extent that the bartender literally shushes people when it starts to get too loud. The result: you can speak at a normal tone of voice (or even quieter!) and still have a good conversation where people can hear each other. It's wonderful.

The result of the quiet is that people become more polite. Standing in line at the bar waiting for beer was pleasant and not the obnoxious jockeying for position at most bars in the East Village on a Saturday night.

I haven't tried the food so can't comment on that, but they had a good selection of US microbrew beer, Belgian ales, and at least one or two other decent European beers (I tried the Wurtzburger Pilsner which was good). Prices range from somewhere around $5-9 per beer with $7 probably being the median.

I can't decide whether this is my favorite bar. It's certainly up there. Right next door is Jimmy's No 43, which is another good one. But not...