The invention relates to a grid burner 1 having a distributing plate 5 and a burner surface with at least one first fiber braid 3. The grid burner comprises a mixing chamber 11 from which a fuel air mixture is guided to the burner surface via the distributing plate 5. The invention also relates to a method for monitoring the formation of a flame in a grid burner. The objective of the invention is to achieve the formation of a definite flame in a monitoring area and thus to achieve accurate monitoring and particularly air coefficient adjustment. The grid burner is characterized in that the distributing plate 5 comprises a monitoring area 4 and a main area, wherein the fuel air mixture flows through the first fiber braid 3 in the main area 6 and is not influenced by the first fiber braid 3 in the monitoring area 4. The method of the invention is characterized in that the formation of the flame is monitored particularly by a monitoring electrode 14 in the monitoring area 4, wherein the fuel air mixture in the monitoring area 4 passes by the first fiber braid 3 covering the main area 6.