Shade
Categories: Bars, American (Traditional) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Manhattan/Greenwich Village241 Sullivan Street.
New York, NY 10022 (212) 982-6275
- Nearest Transit:
W 4th St (A, C, E, B, D, F, V)
Christopher St (1)
9th Street (PATH)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Outdoor Seating: No
22 Reviews for Shade
Good place to come on a date. I remember it feeling unpretentious and welcoming. The music was also relatively low so I could actually hear my date.
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Just came in here the other day for drinks on a bad first date. I loved the brick walls. It was a nice place to sit down and relax. Probably would have been a lot nicer if I was with someone else. I didn't get to eat but the food did indeed look yummy. I will be back.
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We sat around sharing a bottle of wine and trying to decide whether the weird lights on the wall looked gothic or '70s. Our impression of the lights seemed to follow the music, which was all over the place. And when I say "all", I mean it. Otherwise, this is a cool little place. I wish we hadn't planned on doing dessert elsewhere because the crepes smelled amazing. I'll have to go back to give them a try. Our waitress was great too (wow, showered with amazing service lately!). Bonus: I saw a girl that looked like Jen D. I don't even know her, but ... so hot!
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I like that this place is open late (the kitchen serves until 12:30 on a Sunday night), I like the decor and ambiance (comfortable, dark, gothic), and I do love crepes (organic, whole-wheat ones especially).
While I cannot complain about our waiter/bartender, who was attentive, friendly, and apologetic, I fail to understand why it took the kitchen nearly 40 minutes to produce 2 orders of entree-crepes in a nearly empty restaurant.
The crepes - the actual pancake-like part - were delicious when they came, very hot, tender and flavourfully eggy despite their whole wheat content. But both my friend and I found the fillings (goat cheese, grilled onions, and smoked turkey/grilled zucchini), though themselves quite good, to be seriously lacking. Skimpy, really. Some butter on top and a heftier sprinkling of parmesan would have helped somewhat, but not completely. We were also rather disappointed with the selection of meats, which were limited to cold cuts.
Not even the best crepes can redeem niggardly fillings and extremely slow food service. Maybe if I'm drinking and I've already eaten and got dessert crepes, but I wouldn't recommend the savory crepes for a meal.
Prices are $7.25 for two savory crepes plain or organic whole wheat, with up to 3 fillings and $6.25 for two sweet crepes, same deal ; $1 per additional filling.
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Crepes and wine at lunchtime. A nice selection of white wines by the glass and very nice crepes. The service was very friendly and fast, and it was a quiet place to catch up with an old friend over a lunch that was light and satisfying. And why doesn't every establishment hang a heavy curtain in front of the door to catch drafts? This is very smart.
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After a bit of drinking, my friend and I visited Shade. I ordered the smoked salmon salad which was accompanied by foccacia and drizzled with almonds. It was good and moderately priced ($8). For dessert we had the whole grain nutella/banana/chocolate crepe. Trying to earn some health points for the whole grain, but it would probably be better if it were regular. What's 20 calories anyway?
Our waitress was SUPER nice - 5 stars.
Minus a star for credit card usage for orders $25+
Been 3 years since I was back in the city. It's been that long, I know. So when I got confirmation that I'll be there for there for business, I immediately sent a text to a couple of friends I left behind for us to meet and catch up.
After a mediocre dinner at Alta (more on that later), although we did have a couple bottles of good red wine, it was decided that we still were not done with the 'catching up' thing. One of my friends recommended to go to Shade since it's just a couple of blocks away.
Unfortunately, NYC and LA have two different ideas of "a couple of blocks away" and add to that a wind chill factor of 40 degrees that night, my buzz was gone by the time we got to Sullivan St.
Catching up is never complete without a good buzz, you know? So, we ended up at the bar and imbibed more red wine. The stories flowed and it felt like it was the good old days reminiscing of the time the three of us used to share a small studio in the East Village. Good times.
Unfortunately, I didn't have dessert at Alta. A meal or dinner for me is not complete without dessert.
Anyways, I'm giving this place 4 stars because it's a bar that serves crepes. I don't remember if the crepe was even good, but a bar that serves crepes deserves nothing less than 4 stars, in my opinion.
Note to self:
Next time, instead of taking the A to 8th Ave, then the L to Union Square then the 6 to 51st Street, just take a cab.
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***Update... now a 2 part review
Shade (inside)
I had such a good experience at the window, that we decided to try the interior. I have to say I was even more pleased with everything. The staff was super friendly - especially one of the waitresses and a gentleman who made sure we had seats as soon as someone left, even though we did not request them. I really enjoy the warm, cozy interior here too. Fun place to relax and enjoy their excellent crepes and drinks.
Shade (Crepe to Go Window)
I had an incredible Nutella crepe the other night that was to die for. The guy behind the window was the friendliest man too. I had a flashback to my time in Paris where the bulk of my crepe consumption took place. It reminded me how nice it is to live in a city that has everything.
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This review is for "Crepes To Go" ONLY!!!
I absolutely love crepes. So, when my friends and I saw this cute little to go crepe stand, we couldn't resist. Our original crepe of choice was almonds, strawberry, and whip cream but they ran out of strawberries so we got bananas and asked the guy to slather on some nutella while he was at it.
We were oohing and awing while the dude made the crepe. One bite and we were so disappointed. WTH!!! This isn't a crepe...it's more like a tortilla. Crepes are supposed to be light and thin; not thick and chewy. And where did all the filling go?? He jipped us on the nutella. Herrroooo...nutella....where are you??
I'm off in search of the perfect crepe cause it sure isn't here.
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Absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the crepes at the to go window. I've been going here with my boyfriend for about 2 years now (made a pit stop there last week on Halloween). Always mouthwatering good. We usually stick with the nutella/banana/caramel (usually generous with filling portions) combo. Occasionally we will get the apple/cinnamon/caramel, once I tried some combo with strawberries...there are quite a few combos you can experiment trying which makes it great for almost everyone. If you desire savory they have ingredients to satisfy.
Maybe one day I will try the actual bar/restaurant out. Right now I'm pretty content getting my crepe to go and heading over to the park to sit and chow it down.
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After dinner, my friend and I went around for dessert. Sweet crepes it is! Up to 3 filling for $6.25. You can choose from items such as nutella, caramel, chocolate sauce, orange marmalade, banana, almond, hazelnuts, apple compote... You can also get those savory crepes, too.
Good selection of drinks as well. I enjoyed sitting at the bar, chatting it up. The bartender was extremely kind and awesome.
The dim atmosphere makes for a great romantic, after dinner spot!
I found Shade randomly a few years ago while wandering the village with a friend, looking for a quiet place to grab a drink, and I've continued to return to this place. Shade is a cozy little wine bar that offers delicious crepes (both sweet and savory). It's pretty crowded on weekends, so you might have to wait for a table, but it's worth it. Friendly staff and a dark romantic feel make this a great date spot.
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Somewhat of an oddity among the fratty college bars (aka right next door), I recommend this place in the same way I would recommend Dove Bar; to get a better, more West Village experience while staying within an earshot of falafel and the park.
There's a lot going on here in terms of the decor; everything is kind of jam packed behind the bar, the couches are nice but it's really dark so I kind of bump into something or someone everytime. If it's packed, say, on Halloween, it's a tough sell, but the spacing is perfect for a great tuesday or wednesday, or even thursday evening. As with the other reviews, the bartenders here are extremely professional and friendly. It's a much more laid back atmosphere and you're not really bound to see popped collars here or posturing. The 4 dollar bud lights are a cheap enough choice when I'm lacking bank but don't want to go to a tackier place like Wally's.
It's kind of the bar that can look or feel a bit sluggish or boring on the outside with the blah music and the fact that you can see it all from the street because the windows (a plus for people watching) are big and the corner is busy. But just try it, it doesn't really disappoint.
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One of the few Manhattan bars I adore. Shade has the best bartenders, the best music, the best low-key feeling, the best seating, the best food. It's quite simply, the best place to cool off after a shitty day and still make it home intact. ALWAYS buy the bartender a shot here. I'm not kidding.
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So Shade is open again. I've never meet to the bar or had dinner here, but the crepes are plenty divine. Considering all the places that people are putting eggs these days: in a bagel, english muffin, toast, pita(??), Shade has showed me that it works the best in crepe! The egg and cheese crepe is superlative in the morning and has turned into my everyday staple.
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Good wine selection, great crepes (from the place next door?), and the bartender lets you sit for hours without giving you an attitude. Now, the main reason I gave it 5 stars -- like a jerk, I lost my wallet that night. When I called 3+ hours later to see if it was there, I was told that it was, but didn't hold out any hope that the credit cards, much less the cash, would still be intact. Much to my surprise, everything was there. To complete the cycle of good karma, I now recommend Shade to everyone. ;-)
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This is a nice small bar to stop in for a drink. The space problem isn't that big of an issue since this isn't the type of place that gets crowded. It is nice to have a beer, stand by the massive opened window and talk with a small group of friends.
It would make a good footnote in the yelping book that would be a good night of barhopping. As in, it isn't my ultimate destination, but I like to pop in every now and again.
Went to Shade last night during a friends bday celebration.
Average prices Bud Light $4. Corona $5. Glass of wine $6 and up.
When we arrive at 9 there was tons of seating. Around 10, the waitress let us know there was a party with reservations coming to take our seats at 11. Which was fine. What wasn't fine was that she reminded us again every 15 minutes for the next hour. It's like okay - we get the point but we're staying here until they get here.
The music was all 80s, all night. Which I wasn't in the mood for.
...maybe I was just cranky last night.
At least they played Billy Jean and it wasn't too loud. You could talk to someone on the other side of the table. Not just the person next to you. I did like the layout. Small, cute. Funky pillows. Dark.
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Good wine in a dark and intimate bar. Great service, good tunes, and the yummy smell of crepes (next door) could knock a person out, definately need to try them next time.
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Whenever I'm in the mood for a crepe, Shade is one of my top picks. It's a great place to grab a glass of wine with friends. Plus the crepes are always fresh. I usually get the turkey and brie for my meal, and split a nutella crepe for dessert. It's not a large space, so I wouldn't recommend going in a group larger than 6.
I just love this place. It's small, dark, mellow and you can get fantastically savory (ham & swiss, my fav) or endulge in wonderfully sweet (nutella & banana for me) crepes until late at night. The music is good, it's never too crowded, reasonbly priced great drinks...some may call it heaven.
I've walked past this bar on Sullivan Street for years and never noticed it...and boy, I had no idea what I was missing. This is one of the best bars I've ever been to. The drinks are good, the music is fantastic (but not overwhelming...you can really carry on a conversation here), but it's really all about atmosphere at Shades. This is a small bar, but it has super-funky low lighting, and black leather banquets that are really comfortable. The BEST part is...this place is right next to a creperie and it smells FANTASTIC! I'll be back soon!
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