(212) 979-2733
240 E 9th St
New York,
NY
10003
40.7295
-73.9882
Neighborhoods: East Village, Downtown
Hours:
Monday To Saturday From 06:00 PM To 02:50 AM Sunday From 06:00 PM To 12:50 AM
Last updated 8.16.11
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express , Visa , MasterCard
Bar & Pub Special Features:
Cuisine:
Bar & Club Special Features:
What People Are Saying About Sake Bar Decibel
Featured Review
Karen Hudes
Contributor
The Scene – The basement locale and outside buzzer lend Decibel a speakeasy feel, and the inside is a charm. A crowd with a high street-style quotient makes noise over the pop soundtrack, while waitresses in gorgeous hapis shuttle sake to the tables. The dark, wooden interior contains red paper lanterns, framed gold fans, kitschy good-luck kitties and shelves of Japanese bric-a-brac. – – The Draw – The accessible, in-the-know staff may offer guidance in navigating the extensive sake list, divided into categories based on the brewing process and ranging from mild to…
Editor's Tips
- The Extras:
- Check out these other great bars in the East Village.
| ambiance | 88.88999938964844% positive |
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|---|---|---|
| drinks | 85.41999816894531% positive |
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| food quality | 88.88999938964844% positive |
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| menu variety | 100.0% positive |
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| overall | 85.71000099182129% positive |
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| return potential | 100.0% positive |
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| service | 65.38000106811523% positive |
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| value | 87.5% positive |
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| wait time | 66.66999816894531% positive |
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Horrible Waiter
by SakeExperience at Citysearch
I've been going to Decibel on and off for more than 8 years. It's a good place but yesterday (March 9,2009) We had an embarssing moment. After spending 2 hours at the place and spending around $50 per person, we left a customary gratuity of 15%. The waiter took the money and asked "is there something wrong with the service". I said no and asked what's wrong. He demanded another $5-$10 more, totalling 20%-25%. He made a big stink and said something in japanese that didn't sound very nice. Furthermore, he said "Dont come back here!". We tried to reason with him as we like Decibel very much. I have tried contacting the management to resolve this. I'm not sure if the problem with only the one waiter. Apparently, all the other waiters sided with him. He was very loud and embarassed all of us in front of all the patrons and staff. How can a wonderful place have such horrible staff.
- Pros: Wide Selection of Sake
- Cons: No Happy Ending
if you're prissy, don't come here
by lightfantaastica at Citysearch
not for everyone, cramped and grungy but i wouldn't have it any other way. good music, service, recommendations by staff. authentic sake, authentic feel. great place for that right kind of friend to bring and just sit and chill.
please, if you're from out of town or want to bring out of towners here, don't expect 5 star hospitality. it is cramped and "dirty". don't complain that it "smells"....it is a BAR. please, don't take your bridges and tunnels, highlights and juicy couture here. thanks. we appreciate it.
- Pros: bad*ss
- Cons: not for everyone, cramped
Transport Yourself
by NinthStreetNYCdotcom at Citysearch
I see other reviewers had issues with service here, but I can't say I have had problems. The vibe and setting of this unique spot keeps me coming back, along with great cold Japanese beer, and interesting saki (hot and cold). The food is what I consider Japanese bar snacks, and they do the trick - tasty and simple.
Astoundingly Rude Service - It's not ATMOSPHERE...it's OBNOXIOUS
by SmokeChewerMD at Citysearch
This place came highly recommended, so we went being super excited...Three of us got there, on a Saturday night at around 6:30-7pm...the place was completely dead, and we asked to get seated at a four top. The waitress rudely told us "NO" and put the three of us at a tiny little table that would barely fit two people...we grabbed another table (remember, it was completely empty) and slid it over so that we had enough room for our food and drinks. They came over almost immediately and glared at us telling us we would need to move it back - when I said "but it's empty in here" the guy said, "ok, but if it gets busy..."... Two of us wanted to leave, but we stayed because of the recommendation we'd received...We ordered food, it took a while to get there. And the waitress was super rude. It was a pain to track her down to order additional food, drinks, anything. And then when the check came, we paid and left a small tip - because the service was terrible...
The waitress STOOD over me watching me tip, and then said "no...you didn't leave the minimum tip" and tried to snatch the copy of the receipt out of my hand!!! I pulled it away and she said "you can't steal my pen". I gave her the pen and started laughing...she went and grabbed her manager, who then told me "you didn't tip enough...don't ever come back."
I won't be...I thought it was just a fluke until I came here to look at the reviews...
Bottom line - there's other places to spend your money...places where they won't treat you like garbage...
- Pros: Definitely makes you think you aren't in NYC anymore
- Cons: Staff is openly hostile, inflexible, and horrendously rude...food isn't good enough to make up for it
To sudogenki716
by koko81 at Citysearch
Since you work there perhaps it would be better to stop writing your own review and start thinking why all these customers (half of the reviewers actually in this site) have the same problem with your EXTREMELY RUDE STAFF! We all work our asses off in ths city, so the whole thing about you & your exhaustive work hardly touches anyone. So, if a customer has a problem perhaps it would be a good idea to respect him and if you cannot grant him what he wishes then you should learn how to explain him the situation in a nice manner. For example you may tell him that 'unfortunately it is the policy of restaurant to reserve the large tables for groups of 4 people or more' instead of an giving him a cold and authoritative 'NO' when he asks for a table. If there is a mistake with the order perhaps you should consider the probability that your waitresses, who hardly speak a word of english, might had made a mistake instead of yelling to your customers repeatedly 'we cant cancel it - you have to pay it'. And if a customers leave the place without giving you a tip (as i did, because i have never been treated so bad in my life at any restaurant) because you told him to 'leave and dont come back' about ten times within 2 minutes, it is rather stupid to run behind him and asking for a tip again and again. And the fact that a member of your staff took pictures of me and my friends with his digital camera on our way out is just unheard of. RESPECT YOUR CUSTOMERS AND LEARN SOME CODE OF CONDUCT
- Pros: unique place, very 'underground' urban atmosphere
- Cons: worst service EVER
The Details on Sake Bar Decibel
Place Categories:
- great japanese place
- very helpful wait staff
- good polite service
- great food
- cold sake
- great little spot
- never bad experience
- really interesting nice crowd
- bad place
- good music
- good saki
- decent group
- simple trick
- extensive sake menu
- clean bathroom
- delicious plum wine
- nice manner
- great cold japanese beer
- horrible staff
- big bucks
- friendly realistic place
- great drinks
- not good poor service
- nice servers
- delicious oh