"Vol de Nuit" is translated from Drinking Student's french as "cheap good beer".
In the summer their outdoor seats are a bit difficult to navigate unless you are paper-thin, but provide a wonderful spot for people-watching. as the crowds flock from Saint-Laurent boulevard onto rue Prince Arthur, maybe on their way to classy and francophone rue St Denis.
In winter the indoor bar can get full, but it is hardly ever crowded. It is a big plus for this place: a crowded bar with people both seating and standing around ruins the night.
Vol is not a bar worth standing in without somewhere to put your pint down, but for those seated it offers relative peace and comfort. Their tables are spread out sufficiently wide along the walls, while nothing obstructs the middle area except a few high tables. The conversation can flow very smoothly due to the music not being too loud and a few conversation starters hanging from the walls.
Their Sangrias weren't very inspiring last time I tried, but feel free to give them a shot. Do yourself a favour and skip the commercial big-brand beers. Get yourself a pitcher of dark hemp beer (the white one isn't up to scratch, but I'm a dark beer lover myself). Follow up with a pitcher of any Quebec beer except Boreale they have on tap. I think Cheval Blanc is a regular there.
$5 pints and ~$10 pitchers can't be beaten easily. Go to Vol for a decent drink with your friends after dinner or before hitting the clubs.