EBG Rating: 8.1/10

Choice/Quality of Drinks:
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
8 taps with a strong bottle selection. Highly specialist wares. Excellent, uncompromisingly focused on the best from around Europe and beyond. Monschambacher Kellerbier, XX Bitter. They know their beer.

Style/Décor:
❤️❤️❤️❤️
3 rooms with a front room sometimes used for a stage, a small space opposite the bar, then larger tavern like back room. Casual furnishings and sepia tones. Rather camp medieval theme, with swords & shields, and a portcullis style gate above the bar. It isn’t so over the top as to veer into theme pub territory though.

Atmosphere/Character:
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Friendly service, and a casual environment once seated. Reservations let it down for the usual reasons, and appear completely needless, particularly given some communal tables and ample space.

Amenities/Events:
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Food, snacks, live music, board games, events, limited outdoor seating.

Value For Money:
❤️❤️
Undeniably high prices due to the location and wares on offer. Overall justified but a few more offers and deals wouldn’t go amiss.

Description:
Opened in 2010, the Master at Arms seized on the surging popularity of specialist beers in Northern Italy, choosing a suitable location with a naturally tavern-like interior.

Inside it is pretty casual, although unfortunately table reservations (again, just why – here? in here? really?) can create dead space and spoil that.

However, that is really the main criticism.

Outside of that, the beer selection is indeed excellent, uncompromisingly focused on the best from around Europe and beyond. Monschambacher Kellerbier, XX Bitter. They know their beer. You’ll pay for the high quality produce too, it isn’t cheap.

A hard-rock soundtrack fits the rather camp medieval theme, with swords & shields, and a portcullis style gate above the bar. It isn’t so over the top as to veer into theme pub territory though.

They often host live acts in the front room and this is something where it peaks and becomes at its most easy going.

A pub that definitely has its moments and in and around those offers excellent beers. Some points of contention aside, if you’re looking for great beer in Trieste centre, this is where to begin.

(Added January 2026)