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Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sun. 6:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Van Gogh's is a cute, artsy, unique cafe in downtown Union. They have live music during the week and add an extra charge to your meals. I went there on a Sunday night and it was a bit difficult to hear my friend.
I usually come here for dessert. My favourite is the Peanut Butter Mousse pie. I could eat two of those! I wish there was a coffee house like this closer to my house! It's a great place to get dessert, to chat or for date night.
They also have a small parking lot in the back in case you have a hard time finding street parking.
We love Van Goghs Ear!
Nice place to have a cup of joe or a hot cup of cocoa. Plenty of seating and the staff is great. They have live jazz bands and some nights they have open mic.
The dessert menu is really a nice touch. I haven't had anything bad, ever! Van Goghs Ear is a nice place to sit back relax and enjoy your date with plenty of conversation.
Ah Van Gogh's. My brother's been there, my friends have been there, and I've been on dates there. Its a rare Jersey gem - where we have no other place like it.
Its not a 'central perk' really, though, more like a restaurant with an 'artsy' interior. It has games (i always play Uno with the girl) and the food options are all perfect. The low lighting is charming, and nothing, not even the black-painted office drop ceiling deters one from going.
My only lament, and the reason my brother never goes back, is that musical performances are $4 (which can be added to your check). His was added because he entered the place the last 30 seconds of the musicians' set and was charged the full 4. The business model there works, because it keeps the acts coming, but it could be better. They arent even on a stage, really, which sucks.
Again, I'm rating this purely on the cafe experience, which is full of weird quirks like that, which is 100% positive. Bravo - and I hope to see more of its kind here in Jersey.
This place is simply one of a kind! I wish there were more places like this in New Jersey!
Some nights are moderately loud and crowded with a wait, but it's worth it. The desserts are delicious! There is a band on some nights, and it actually doesn't get deafening loud! It's has a very cozy, artsy vibe to it. My first time here ever was for a 1st date, and that was the best 1st date ever (not the guy - but Van Gogh's ear!)
The reviews for this restaurant were promising and I'm certainly glad that we checked it out. The atmosphere was cozy, the service was pleasant.
The menu features a lot of fresh ingredients with both classic and original dishes. They also offer some great coffee drinks. I had an iced coffee drink, and finished off the meal with a double espresso. I should have asked more about their coffee, but rest assured that it's a great bean with a well rounded flavor, and not over roasted which seems to be a common theme these days.
The only disappointment is that the olives in my friend's Greek salad were not pitted, which could have been real trouble especially given the dim lighting in the restaurant. He had to learn this the hard way, quite literally.
The desserts were a real delight, and while perhaps a little on the small side (alright, so I'm a glutton when it comes to dessert) they were appropriately priced for the size. They have a great selection of desserts so this would be an ideal place to visit for coffee and dessert after dinner or an event elsewhere.
Overall, this was a great visit and I'm sure to go back as long as I'm working in the Newark area.
Love the food and miss it so much. When i go back to NJ i'm going to go there and order a toasted almond coffee while i wait to eat the salad with the awesome house dressing. then i'm going to get the chicken sandwich i can't remember the name of and top it off with a tollhouse cookie dessert. mmmmmmm.
when i lived there, it's most likely where you would find me, as well as my friends, before after or even during school/work.
besides the food, what keeps me coming back is the smokin' hot staff. !! haha i love you guys!
ps - for the alcohol section, they let you bring your own wine but each person drinking it must order an entree.
We were staying with relatives in this little burb and stumbled across VGE and what a find! We have a number of food allergies to contend with in our family and the selection here was fantastic. We were able to order yummy food for each of us without feeling like we had to sacrifice a good time (typically eating out for my kids consists of boiled pasta and steamed veggies. Good for you yes, just not always very exciting). I had the honey mustard chicken pita and it was seriously delish -- not just grilled chicken with some sauce slapped in there. My husband had the chicken + portobello wrap and he wolfed it down in no time (even with our 2 year old on his lap).
We had just taken a trip to the Middle East and VGE had a number of middle eastern options that were on par with some of the food we'd had there. The hummus was good (could have been a little creamier) and the pita was very good. The baba ghannoush was nice, not too garlicky (which I prefer).
The iced tea was actually tea --not some nasty mix. And the juices were really good too, quite a variety. The peach was tasty. My husband had a latte that he enjoyed.
Not ultra family-friendly (no high chairs or boosters) but not overtly family-unfriendly either.
The decor is just funky enough, without being tragically hip. The service was attentive without being intrusive and the music was in the background so you could actually hear others at your table.
If I'm ever in the area, I'd definitely go back.
Loved this place.
Murals on the walls? I'll take it.
Calming atmosphere? Ah, yes.
Awesome tea/coffee/whatever menu? I want it again.
Tasty food? Indeed.
If I lived closer, I'd be here all the time. What a perfect place to spend time with friends and catch up on each others' lives. Intimate chairs, couches, and tables... all different from each other. Book shelves that I could stare at all day. Loved the drink menu. The staff wasn't the greatest, but I didn't want them there anyway- too involved in catching up with a good friend in a nice surrounding.
I just found out about VGE a few years ago, but it's become a great place to hang out even for "old" folks like me and my husband. The coffees are excellent and food and desserts are yummy.
Sunday nights offer live jazz and there's no cover.
A friend had her sister's bridal shower here so it's open to a variety of occasions.
This is a really cute place for a casual date with a guy or a friend. In warmer days, they have tables set up outside. Inside, they have an eclectic mix of seating with a very warm and cozy feel. The food is surprisingly delicious for a cafe. And they have board games and card games readily available. Reasonably priced and open late. I can't wait to go again!
This place is definitely important if you grew up in the Union area. With it's funky, mismatched decor. (Book shelves, oversized mismatched chairs, dim lighting.. you get the picture) it definitely says "sit here and enjoy the ambiance for hours." There's art from local artists, jazz, open mic nights, etc. It's most definitely a chill spot.
Onto the staff. Laid back, attentive and not overwhelming. Helpful and dare I say hip? I do dare.
The food is always on point and their specials are different and always well thought out. One of my favorites was a goat cheese and roasted vegetable lasagna paired with mixed greens.. really good. The all-time menu is usually a simple fare of soups, wraps/sandwiches, etc.
Another plus side of this place? You need to be 18 to even eat here (i think you can come with a guardian if you are under 18?) but it keeps the atmosphere low-key, personal and maybe a little romantic.
Yep. I'm biased. I've been coming to Van Gogh's Ear for years now and some of my friends and boyfriend work here, too. It's a chill, cozy hangout where you can enjoy random & hip music and gaze at the work of local artists that grace the walls.
All that aside, come to this cute little cafe for some neat sandwiches, special specials (last night I had some yummy shrimp toast). I've had everything from lamb curry lentil soup to iced passionfruit green tea and fresh squeezed lemonade and I keep coming back for more.
The atmosphere is cozy and eclectic and it does tend to get crowded here later on in the evening, so don't get upset if there's a bit of a wait. But, whatever you do, when you come in, WAIT FOR A HOST. Don't seat yourself - especially if you're a party of two or three and you decide you want to sit on a couch. It's one of the few ways to ultimately piss off the otherwise chill and friendly (and haha, hip. ) staff.
Great place to bring a date - and you can BYOB (only catch is you have to order an entree to get boozed up).
PS - Tuesdays are Open Mic night and Sundays are Jazz Nights and in the spring/summer, there's outdoor seating.
I've been coming here for years. Comfortable ambiance with local art decorating the walls. Local bands frequent on Sunday evenings. Coffee, tea, and food is always tasty. Desserts are also delicious (Brown Derby being my favorite!) My only gripe would be that sometimes the service is a tad slow since there are only several wait staff. Perfect for a romantic date or a night out with friends.
Van Gogh's Ear is one of my favorite eating places in NJ. I just love the subdued, artsy atmosphere, the mismatched, comfortable furniture, and -- of course -- the food! On my last visit I enjoyed a BLT on a pita with pesto mayo -- delish. And this is a wonderful place for dessert. My favorites are the Chocolate Saucy Cake and the Peanut Butter Mousse Pie. Yum!
Since me and hubby started a date night every week, we are happy to add Van Goghs Ear Cafe to the list of places we'll frequent. We went here for some dessert before we saw Tropic Thunder and was thrilled with both. Great ambiance, mood, with bookshelves filled with books and board games (connect 4 anyone?) I had the white chocolate mocha and the brown derby, which was a hot fudge brownie with vanilla ice cream. Was great, but would probably opt for a coffee drink next time, had a taste of Rick's cappucinno which was excellent. We'll have to try dinner here too, but it was perfect for dessert.
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