(212) 982-3388

148 W 4th St (nr. Sixth Ave.)
New York, NY 10012 40.7315 -74.0007

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Neighborhoods: Greenwich Village, Downtown

Hours:

Sun-Thu 4pm-2am

Fri-Sat 4pm-4am

Last updated 4.14.11

Category:

Bars & Pubs, Bars & Clubs, Singles Bars

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, MasterCard

Bar & Pub Special Features:

Bar Menu

Bar & Club Special Features:

Outdoor Seating

Smoking Permitted:

On patio

What People Are Saying About Vol de Nuit

Featured Review

Katie Heffernan

Contributor

In Short – It's easy to miss this Belgian tavern hidden off Fourth Street. But through its low tunnel entrance lies a spacious open-air atrium reminiscent of a European sidewalk cafe--and the door to a sultry singles scene. Inside, dim red lanterns barely illuminate the mingling-friendly layout, roomy with a few velvet couches. A strong selection of Belgian beers--the most on tap in the city--eases the approach, and mussels and frites help settle the stomach.

Editor's Tips

Where to Sit:
Find someone you like? Get closer in the atrium's smaller offshoot room, where antique couches are arranged more intimately.
On the Menu:
Belgian fries arrive in a paper cone with sauces like bourbon, tartare, aioli garlic and andalouse. Beers hail from each of the Belgian breweries, including Orval, Lindemans, Chimay, Westmalle, and Rochefort.
When to Go:
Don't expect a bustling singles scene early evening on weekdays. If you go then, bring a friend you want to chat with.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. Less crowded, it would be a nice atmosphere as long as you're prepared for Do It Yourself.
  2. the ambiance is excellent, relaxed, and easy, unlike the overloud pretentious joints vying for their share of posers.
  3. Good smokers' courtyard and a great location.
  4. It could get crowded,but if you can get there at the right time,it is a great,semi quiet-comfortable place to have a few drinks.
  5. Great atmosphere although a little sticky at times; happy people who are usually very friendly hang out here.
  6. fantastic selection of German beers, tasty salty 'frites' served in a paper cone and a relaxed den-like atmosphere, this place is a hidden tresure!
  7. There was a great selection of beers, and a nice atmosphere.
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. it was very crowded, but we found a quiet table upstairs to enjoy a few beers and her birthday cake.
drinks
84.44000244140625% positive
  1. It could get crowded,but if you can get there at the right time,it is a great,semi quiet-comfortable place to have a few drinks.
  2. Go early, go often; service is great at the bar or even near it; don't sit down outside and wait though - just get your own at the bar.
  3. fantastic selection of German beers, tasty salty 'frites' served in a paper cone and a relaxed den-like atmosphere, this place is a hidden tresure!
  4. it's a shame, because the beer at the bar is pretty good, though whenever this guy is working, the bar is mysteriously out of palm speciale (the bartenders have to go outside to the other bar for it, and i suspect he just doesn't feel like it).
  5. There was a great selection of beers, and a nice atmosphere.
  6. here you can meet people, talk, and share in some fantastic beer in a setting where the music is interesting, but not too loud, and the faces pleased to be in each other's company.
  7. the beers on the menu are largely Belgian (not German) and the fries are still fairly good, but, no longer the prinicpal reason to enjoy this place (mussles ok).
  8. it was very crowded, but we found a quiet table upstairs to enjoy a few beers and her birthday cake.
  9. good beer, terrible
  10. Well if you can't at least you will have drunk the best beer like a Petit Prince!
  11. Decent place, bad beer
  12. After about an hour, it started to fill up, and the manager came up and grabbed all of our glasses and full beers and told us to get out, because there was a party that reserved the table.
  13. best beer and fries!
  14. As I just mentionned, if what you are looking for os good belgian beer and fries, this is the place.
  15. After having an excellent Hoegaarden at another bar, we thought we'd go to a proper Belgian beer place.
food quality
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. Finally catching some poor busboy who had to deliver into the cold, we waylaid him and hijacked someone else's food.
  2. They are also famous for their fries which are very good.
  3. best beer and fries!
  4. the beers on the menu are largely Belgian (not German) and the fries are still fairly good, but, no longer the prinicpal reason to enjoy this place (mussles ok).
  5. As I just mentionned, if what you are looking for os good belgian beer and fries, this is the place.
  6. fantastic selection of German beers, tasty salty 'frites' served in a paper cone and a relaxed den-like atmosphere, this place is a hidden tresure!
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. There was a great selection of beers, and a nice atmosphere.
  2. fantastic selection of German beers, tasty salty 'frites' served in a paper cone and a relaxed den-like atmosphere, this place is a hidden tresure!
  3. the beers on the menu are largely Belgian (not German) and the fries are still fairly good, but, no longer the prinicpal reason to enjoy this place (mussles ok).
overall
100.0% positive
  1. the beers on the menu are largely Belgian (not German) and the fries are still fairly good, but, no longer the prinicpal reason to enjoy this place (mussles ok).
  2. As I just mentionned, if what you are looking for os good belgian beer and fries, this is the place.
  3. It could get crowded,but if you can get there at the right time,it is a great,semi quiet-comfortable place to have a few drinks.
service
73.33000183105469% positive
  1. Great atmosphere although a little sticky at times; happy people who are usually very friendly hang out here.
  2. it's a shame, because the beer at the bar is pretty good, though whenever this guy is working, the bar is mysteriously out of palm speciale (the bartenders have to go outside to the other bar for it, and i suspect he just doesn't feel like it).
  3. here you can meet people, talk, and share in some fantastic beer in a setting where the music is interesting, but not too loud, and the faces pleased to be in each other's company.
  4. After about an hour, it started to fill up, and the manager came up and grabbed all of our glasses and full beers and told us to get out, because there was a party that reserved the table.
  5. Go early, go often; service is great at the bar or even near it; don't sit down outside and wait though - just get your own at the bar.
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. Less crowded, it would be a nice atmosphere as long as you're prepared for Do It Yourself.
3 Star Rating: Average

06/08/09

Decent place, bad beer

by amangla007

I was here this past Saturday night with a friend. After having an excellent Hoegaarden at another bar, we thought we'd go to a proper Belgian beer place. However, much to our disappointment, the Hoegaarden we were served tasted horrible. We left our drinks there, more than half full, and moved on to a different place. This is really pathetic. I have enjoyed going to this bar for years now, but this last experience makes me wonder if the owner is trying to cut corners during the economic downturn by serving old beer.

2 Star Rating: Below Average

06/18/08

place is crawling with c0ckroaches

by Carmen81

I have been coming to this bar for about six months. I really like the selection of beer and the place is right down the street from me. However, I agree with the past posts about the owner being a nut. Worse, the place is crawling with c0ckroaches! A HUGE c0ckroach fell into my boyfriend's beer! Quite unsavory. I haven't been back since.

  • Pros: great beer and fries
  • Cons: nutty owner, c0ckroach problem
1 Star Rating: Poor

05/26/08

good beer, terrible owner/bartender

by natalie4485

just got back from vol de nuit where i was treated like a kindergartener by the bartender/owner, Sham.

it's a shame, because the beer at the bar is pretty good, though whenever this guy is working, the bar is mysteriously out of palm speciale (the bartenders have to go outside to the other bar for it, and i suspect he just doesn't feel like it).

today, he asked me for my ID (which is fine, i happen to look very young for my age), but then instead of actually checking out my ID, he asked me if it was my "true ID" with about as much attitude as an 8th grade girl, and then started asking me questions like "do you know how many fake IDs we get here? 80% of IDs are fake!" and then muttered that i "must not be from new york". funny thing is, if he'd spent as much time reading my ID as he did grilling me about it (since when do bartenders do anything but check your ID then serve you?) he would have seen that it was from NY state with my downtown address on it, and everything would have sailed along fine, just like every other time i'm there and served by any of the other bartenders.

then, when my fiance asked me what the problem was (sham probably didn't realize that he was with me since he was in the bathroom at the beginning of all this), sham shot back "who are you?" then threw my ID at him and told us to get the "f" out.

as we were leaving, he started slamming all the windows shut.

and that is the kind of experience you can expect any time sham is working, even though he's the owner.

just wonderful!

  • Pros: good beer, good fries
  • Cons: terrible service from owner, sham, he will actually curse at you if annoyed at all
4 Star Rating: Recommended

05/26/08

I'd just like to say...

by MaureenMIah

>_> Okay, here's a little tip for you guys who gave this bar 1 star.

1) My DAD (the bar owner) is NOT only winning A BUCK OR TWo (as i read in a review) ._. he has at least 1000 in his pocket. He buys me ipods ,phones, wii, gameboys. >_> Go look in YOUR pocket poor hoboe.

2) Im pretty sure the bar owner wouldnt swear at you =D

3) The service isnt that bad, and its crowded obviously cause it has success, if you cant wait a couple of minutes then get out and never come back..

THANK YOU

1 Star Rating: Poor

12/31/07

Terrible Management

by shiner335

I've been to Vol de Nuit a few times now, and the previous few were good. There was a great selection of beers, and a nice atmosphere. This last time I took my girlfriend out for her birthday with a few of her friends. it was very crowded, but we found a quiet table upstairs to enjoy a few beers and her birthday cake. After about an hour, it started to fill up, and the manager came up and grabbed all of our glasses and full beers and told us to get out, because there was a party that reserved the table. We said we were leaving after we finished our beers, he told us to get out now and cleared off our table. We continued to question it, and the manager began cursing at us and threatening us. We walked downstairs, and on our way out the manager cursed at us again, and told us never to come back. I promise, I won't. But I'll have the nice Hoegaarden glass we took as a reminder of the terrible night.

  • Pros: good beer selection
  • Cons: terrible customer service. terrible management.

The Details on Vol de Nuit

Place Categories:

  • best belgian beer
  • very good fries
  • great semi quietcomfortable place
  • relaxed ambiance
  • not too loud music
  • good mussels
  • nice atmosphere
  • great service
  • happy people
  • excellent hoegaarden
  • flat lager
  • cold courtyard
  • great scene
  • tasty frites
  • nice hoegaarden glass
  • enjoy few beers
  • enjoy birthday cake
  • good flair
  • terrible ownerbartender
  • great location
  • poor hoboe
  • bad beer
  • poor busboy
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