I find super hard to find speakeasies in Boston, and this one is definitely a great option. Noir is a hotel bar, very quiet, low lights and great bartenders. Good for a date or have a low key night with a group of friends. Sitting at the bar you can interact with the staff and also other people around. I like it a lot. read more

I love Noir for the older academics you can overhear doing their awkward best trying to get into one anothers' pants, the ice cold shaken Cointreau a la beautiful Tuesday night bartender I never remember the name of, and - above all - Alice. Alice is nigh fabulous. I don't love Noir for the younger set makes the managers such total creeps come last call into 2p. (The same dudes who seems to have tried to hook up who they believe to be the "sexiest" ladies with bar hours on Friday.) This is the best place for me to get some serious work done at most hours after Noon. The din can be readily eavesdropped on or ignored and the company tends to be intriguing should you reach out or they reach for you. read more

Nice enough location. Didnt eat so cant comment in the food selection.Coctail selection was interesting but the coctail I got (black dahlia)was -OK and the second one was bleugh ( la vie en rose)And Definately a concept bar they have noir movies playing on a project or so that was interesting. The only reason it's 4 stars is because the service was exceptional. read more

We went to Noir because it was listed on Boston City Search's website as one of the top 10 best bloody marys in town. And since we were on a bloody mary bar crawl, that seemed like the place to go! This place does not serve bloody marys and hasn't, according to our server, in at least a year. Bummah! So we had a cocktail instead, more specfically I had a pear martini. They were tasty, for sure, but I still have a tough time accepting a $12 drink. Call me crazy. We didn't eat, so I can't really comment on the food. The atmosphere is dark, appropriate for a place called "Noir", wouldn't you say? There are reddish lights giving the little illumination that there is. The dark lighting makes it a great place to go if you are on a first date, especially if you have had an unfortunate break-out of a nasty pimple the day before. Your date would hardly notice it. Noir also feels very sleek, sort of a Eur-asian mix. Minimalist decor, small candles, and most the tables and chairs are black. It was empty when we were there, so it was a little boring. I actually liked the atmosphere quite a lot. I felt cool and hip as I slid into the black leather booth. But, remember, I had been drinking bloody marys all day. I'd go again to try out more drinks...when I get a raise. read more

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i came in here one evening already full of delicious libations to meet up with a young gent. Located in the middle of Harvard Square 'twas convenient. While dark and rather quiet (although it was a Tuesday), Noir's got class with its own modification. The crowd (for lack of a better word) there was certainly made of various individuals. None of which seemed to be of a "certain type", which in my opinion was great that there was such differences in one location. They do have an open patio which we didn't get to sit on because it was already past the hour. However, I did get to enjoy sitting in a Frank Sinatra-like booth and enjoyed the company I was in over light conversation without overly bearing music blaring or college kids screaming at each other. It was nice to not be in the hustle and bustle. While enjoying their atmosphere, my drink on the other hand could have used a few extra pours, but that could again also be the fact that I've been drinking for awhile and just needed more. read more

This is a cool little lounge done completely in black and red, with several slinky and classic cocktails that pay homage to the eponymous vibe. My office went last night for our holiday party and it was perfection. The happy hour meal prices ($5 for flatbreads, $4 for sandwiches, $3 for snacks, $2 for salads, $1 for sweets and $0 for peanuts) make it easy to justify dinner and several $12 drinks. Service was extremely friendly and efficient, and the myriad cocktails and wines we sampled were fantastic. We shared a few tasty appetizers and that was enough to satiate us. So why four stars for this rave review? The lame giant TV screen they pulled down to show some game. People don't go to sultry lounges to watch sports. Total atmosphere killer. read more

Noir is a relatively small space and can easily get crowded, but if you get lucky and it's not packed, it's an excellent choice for an evening of drinks and light grazing. The staff are on top of things without being intrusive, the music interesting but not deafening, making relaxed conversation across a small table feasible. We got a couple of appetizers -- the artichoke and parmesan dip was very satisfying. I enjoyed Noir's perfectly concocted Red Hooks (cousin of my favorite, Rob Roy) while my companion sipped Torontos. Great night. Good for dates or small groups. read more

This bar has a film noir theme, which (aside from the names of the cocktails) means that it's small and dark and there are old movies projected in grainy black-and-white in one corner. Good music, though the music seemed a bit at odds with the decoration. The drinks are very good. The food was good, but not as good as I'd expect, given the price. The service was lackluster. To be fair, it was very crowded that night, the bar was host to an event that probably should have reserved the whole venue. So perhaps if I'd been there on a less crowded night, they'd end up with a more positive review. read more

Noir is somewhat of a disappointment. I've had a couple of trips there and although the first was rather mediocre, mostly due to a very inexperience and incompetent bar staff, my second one last night was much better albeit inconsistent. Located just a short walk from Harvard Square, in the lower level of the Charles Hotel, under both Henrietta's Table and Jody Adam's Rialto, the bar itself is rather small. It is also dark, with a modern look to it, which itself isn't bad. I do somewhat feel that they've put more efforts into the décor of the place than into quality control. Whether on my first or second trip there, the drinks have been extremely inconsistent - some of the cocktails even tasted extremely weird, having some umami-like flavors which were unexpected. One of such culprits is their Matinee. Although I can't pull up the ingredient list from their outdated website, I was expecting some bold flavors from the rye base and instead tasted curry powder - curry wasn't one of the ingredients in there though and after just two tiny sips, I couldn't finish it. A real shame. Other cocktails I had there were decent, such as the Toronto which features Rye whiskey, fernet branca, simple syrup, orange zest and angostura bitters. But while decent, $12 for it is a bit steep, especially since I could have a much better drink at... Drink for cheaper. In many ways, I feel like while the bar's location, décor and atmosphere is great, it somewhat feels pretentious that they'd charge that much for a poorly executed cocktail. Sure, maybe if the staff was well seasoned, then maybe, just maybe, you could pull it off but unfortunately I didn't feel like it was the case after much observation. Sadly for them, there's some strong competition in the area, such as Russell House Tavern and their very own Aaron Butler who's a master of his craft and could mix this staff under the bar. And because of such, I'll probably skip Noir and head there instead for some drinks in the area. On the upside their cocktail list is seasonal which is a plus, and one of the reasons why they are keeping three stars in my review - They have some interesting ingredients that they mix with, including some Belle de Brillet (a pear liqueur), egg whites, pom pomegranate juice and even some Ruby Port. read more

I've been here a couple of times now and on a repeat visit last night, I finally sat down to write this long overdue review. I love noir during the summer, when the patio is open, especially during happy hour, when you can sip yummy (yes, and expensive) drinks and taste the amazing bar food at a pretty decent price. I loved the bacon and cheese dip! Yumm, so extra stars for that! Some complaints are that when the patio isn't open, the bar is really small, and seating can be confusing...a first come first serve thing? basically you're fighting for your own seats. Though, the waitress did kindly signal me and my friends to an empty table on a crowded night once. And the drinks ARE pricey. So all in all, a great place to chill out during happy hour when the weather is warm. read more

While the air might be a little thick with pretentiousness, this smaller lounge has one of the best happy hours around. I've often been here for networking or interviewing events, and it definitely adds to the experience when someone else is picking up the tab for the $15 cocktails. That said, their happy hour deal is amazing with really good deals on appetizers. read more

Inside it's sophisticated. Outside, on a warm summer night, this is a great place to hang out. Sit on the patio and have a fancy drink or just a beer. Good service, and dog friendly (on the patio). Food options mainly run to inexpensive little flatbreads, sandwiches, and salads. read more

Noir - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I am a big Noir cheerleader. Their drinks are pricey but you get what you pay for - they are good tasty and strong! The atmosphere is enjoyable as well. I am not a fan of pretentious nightlife, but I like to step it up from dive bar lifestyle sometimes, too.Noir accomplishes the atmosphere without the attitude. A perfect balance. I like coming here for a drink after dinner, or early evening before "bar rush hour"... but really, any time I have been here, I've had a great experience. The crowds are never too overwhelming and the patrons are respectful of each other's space. The bartenders and servers are friendly and accessible without hovering too much. Really, this place is a gem and I keep going back! read more

Nice atmosphere. Love the corner with movie projection on the wall. Drinks are great and strong enough. Love the honey bee cocktail and the one featuring coffee. The missing one star is for the waitress who gave us check before we wanted to order more. (And we did) It's just not polite. read more

Noir - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

If you wanna get extra trashed and spend extra money, go here. It's open later than most places, has a cool crowd (especially for a hotel bar), but is also quite pricey and gets pretty packed late at night. The bathrooms are up a bunch of stairs and by the kitchen so when you are really drunk it makes for a difficult run. Most people I know who make this a last stop, including myself, end up regretting it the next day for the amount of unfortunate events that slowly creep back into our minds. read more

Dark and Brooding Noir is that bar you go to when you want to quietly have a drink alone or with a couple of friends. Grab a seat at the bar and be Bill Murray... For relaxing times, make it Suntory time. read more

These guys are wannabe Euro-Chic! The drinks are a bit above average and very creative but definately not worth $12 - $16 for a glass of martini. It's crazy that people pay that amount but I can guarantee you that outside of the Cambridge-Harvard area - these folks would be toast! The crowd is odd - I agree. You will meet VC's, iBankers, Lawyers, Students, professors and yoru average joe car salesman. Food is of course lame like any other place of their caliber. You can get better tasting food at Wendy's . . so go for overpriced Martini's and raising capital for your next venture. Not for food or a date. read more

The strawberries w/ brown sugar and creme fraiche is my new favorite dessert and the sangria is second (IMHO) to Legal's. Until now, I wasn't sure who would take the coveted number two in my sangria list... Anyway, came here for the Boston Noir event, a reading by four authors from the Boston Noir compilation. Sadly, it only lasted around a half hour and the authors leave a lot to be desired in the professional speaking/reading department. Thankfully, I got a seat at the bar. I ordered the smoked turkey & avodado sandwich sans goat cheese (cause it's just nasty to my taste buds). Looks like the sandwiches come with potato chips, but unless they're made from sweet potatoes, they don't go in my mouth. Sorry, white, white spuds, I like it when you go tanning. I fed them to boyfriend and he ate them happily. The sandwich was bordering on gluttonous because of the greasy bacon but it sure tasted great! But like I said before the strawberries w/ brown sugar and creme fraiche.... OMG. read more

This is only a review for drinks, I've never ordered food before. I've been to Noir twice and enjoyed myself both times. They have a nice cocktail menu with one page of house drinks and one of classics. I wasn't in too boozy a mood so I opted for the prosecco with a dash of chambord and I was a happy camper. That's a favorite drink of mine so it would be hard to disappoint. Other members of my group were similarly happy. One thing I really like is that the bar never seems to get too crowded. It's a trendy, dark little spot that's great for a small group who actually want to chat or maybe a date night. I wouldn't come here if you're looking for a hopping bar scene where you'll meet dozens of people. Disclaimer, they are in the Charles Hotel so you do get some random hotel guests which can make for an odd crowd. They do include the tip in the bill so be sure to read what you're paying for before you sign. read more

Good sangria... and on a nice night, the outside patio is the place to be. A lot of the specialty drinks sounded great but I can't bring myself to pay NYC prices for a cocktail in Cambridge. Some of the appetizers sounded interesting... wasabi peas? Maybe I'll try you next time... if there is a next time. read more

My 5pm-sharp-drinking-buddy and I headed into Noir on a weeknight recently, Groupon in hand. I had never been in the bar before, so I didn't know what to expect. It was super dim and sleek inside -- I can imagine it being a hot late-night spot. While we were there though, the crowd was mostly suited-up Harvard types having meetings over drinks. The drinks here are both delicious and super strong, which is really all I ever ask of a cocktail. My black dahlia (vodka, triple sec, blackberries and pomegranate juice) was one of the sexiest looking beverages I've had in a long time. My friend got a periodista. I forget all the ingredients, but I know there was apricot involved, and I also know that it was highly delicious. Win win. (Win) Of the two flatbreads we ordered, I definitely preferred mine: white sauce with red onion, mozza, boursin, roasted tomatoes and prosciutto. The other flatbread was good too though: prosciutto, pineapple, mozza, and tomato sauce. I think the tomato sauce on that one just threw me off a little bit. The flatbreads are the perfect size for one person, so if you come with friends, I highly recommend that everyone get their own. The service was fine, though the typical start-of-night cursoriness was in full effect. I think I have to dock a star for that. Really though, the experience was a good one overall. After seeing their snack menu deal ($5 flatbreads? YASSS), I am extra committed to hanging out in Noir more often. read more

I dug the red lights. I dug the cocktail titles: "A Cry in the Night," "Black Dahlia," and "Noir's Boudoir." And dug the way that they tasted. I also dug the Macaroni and Cheese with tortilla chips. Literally. read more

Great food and great drinks can this place get any better? Love it! Mike makes my drinks right

The bartender was awesome and made me a speciality drink based on The Berning on the menu. The atmosphere was quiet and calm and the room was rather dark which we wanted. I really loved the area of town, way less transits than the city. I strongly recommend this place if you want relaxed. read more

For me this bar is excellent for that cocktail you want to get before or after having dinner or seeing a movie in Harvard Square. The bar is extremely small so you may experiece a wait for a seat at the bar or a table and when you get one it can be a bit cramped. It's very dark in here, like something out of a old detective movie (Oh! Noir...now I get it!) and there is a projector showing black and white mysteries from the 40s and 50s. I'm almost surprised they don't have some machine pumping in fake cigarette smoke. The drinks are fantastic. My Dirty Harry martini was great, right down to the buffalo bleu cheese stuffed olives. It's a little pricey, but the quality is there. It's not great for sitting down and drinking a lot with your friends, but I would recommend for a pre or post date cocktail. read more

The service at this place has always been great though the drinks could use a bit of a stiffening up for me if it's going to be that pricey. Though, having said that, I've never had a bad drink. It's a great place to decompress after work; grab a flat bread and a drink and chat it up with friends. The outdoor seating in the summer is great as well. P.S. Definitely ask about the happy hour options. We might not be able to get discounted drinks but they more than make up for it with the food. Definitely worth it. read more

I love this place. It's open 'til 2AM on Sunday nights. It has a patio. Drinks are pretty tasty and fairly priced.* There are fresh strawberries with creme fraiche and brown sugar, and they are delicious. *As long as you don't have too many, in which case you can easily kiss that $100 good-bye! Be especially careful when treating friends to drinks here. Chances are you'll end up here when you're already tipsy and you may have the urge to be generous...you should ignore that urge. read more

I thought this place was very cool. Great music. Great vibe. Cool people. Very good cocktails. And a great selection of specialty drinks that they make. Inside of the Charles Hotel, Noir has a very deep dark old school feel to it. Then they have a cool patio to sit out and admire and people watch from. Definitely the best place that I went out to on the couple of days I was in Boston. And I would return again. read more

Dark, cozy lounge that wasn't terribly noisy at all even on a busy Saturday night - perfect for kicking back with friends over a couple drinks. The beer selection is seriously limited, but they seem to do a pretty good job with cocktails as evidenced by my friend's well-executed Old Fashioned. read more

Noir is part of the Charles Hotel and it's a nice little spot for drinks. Its great for big groups and small parties. Prices are reasonable. The only thing that stuck out at me is that the bathroom is three floors up. read more

Noir is fine. Service was good, and so was my drink, but it's very small, and seating runs out quickly. No one asked us if we wanted to sit, despite the fact that we we kind of awkwardly standing near the bar, and the one server ended up seating a group who arrived after we had first. The music is very good, but I'm always a little confused by lounges that play only dance music. I didn't try the food because there was nothing that especially appealed on the menu. read more

3.5 stars. The waitress was pretty agreeable to the fact that our group kept growing and growing and causing her to find more tables and chairs. She had a bit of trouble keeping track of whose drink was what but that's because we kept moving around the table, so it wasn't really her fault. Still, $13 cocktails? They were pretty delicious and not too shabby in the liquor distribution but they took awhile to come out. I had the French 75 which is what I order when I want to feel classy and I did, except the glass it was served in was extremely sticky. Not so classy. Later on I felt a bit peckish so I had the macaroni and cheese, which was quite a bargain for $6 - it was a good sized portion for one person, or if two people who weren't very hungry wanted to share. It was extremely gooey and rich and cheesy, which was fabulous, except it was floating in a pool of oil. I don't know if they used a really fatty kind of cheese for the sauce but I had to be careful that I was spooning up cheesy pasta and not a spoonful of oil. It came with a side of tortilla chips which didn't really go well with the pasta, which was too substantial to be scooped up by a chip. Good for romantic drinks location? Yes. Girly gabfest? Not so much. read more

Noir was voted the best hotel bar in Best of Boston 2016. The atmosphere is definitely upscale and trendy. I really like the elegant interior design with a cool, darkish red hue. Love the corner with movie projection on the wall. The whole place gives a classy but not pretentious kind of feel. I came here in the beginning of my first year at GSD. It is right next to the Kennedy School and inside the Charles Hotel. The cocktail drinks are tasty and it is a nice place to get to know new friends because the environment is nice yet calm enough for you to want to discuss some interesting topics and stay a while so you won't waste this beautiful setting. read more

I'm surprised at the number of reviews for this place, I have to say I don't think it warrants so much commentary, but then again, here's my addition... I only really go for dinner and drinks on weekdays. They have mediocre to blah drinks. I've never had a drink that I liked all that much here. Their wine also seems mediocre. The prices for their drinks are not mediocre and represent what you'd expect in a hotel lounge bar in Cambridge (their brut is way overpriced even compared to really nice restaurants as far as I'm concerned), then why do I keep getting drinks here? Well, they do half off apps until I forget.. like 8 or 9pm. I'm sure someone here has mentioned it and to get the half off apps, you need to order a drink, but seriously, it's a nice deal. When it's not crowded, it is chill but for some reason the acoustics are horrible or the clientele is horrible, I'll give the clientele the benefit of the doubt, but basically, there can be a really small group but somehow it's like EXTRA noisy. Other than that, the staff can be pretty nice. I vote for the caramalized onion/portabello flatbread and anything else I've had has been sort of mushy or flavorless, but that pizza seems to be a sure bet so far. Other than that, for dessert, they offer a fresh strawberry, creme fraiche and brown sugar treat. Pretty yummy man. If you haven't tried creme fraiche, try rocking it. Umm and if you're like my boyfriend, I'll explain how it works, you should dip the strawberry in the creme fraiche AND THEN in the brown sugar. MMMMMMMMMMM. read more

Things have changed since I last came here. I came for the happy hour food specials. The service was great and nice, but the food was terrible. I got the spinach bacon dip and it was covered in an inch of grease. The pita chips were old/hard. I like pita chips, but these scratched the roof of my mouth and it hurt! Then I got the arugala something flatbread. Not only was it burnt, but it tasted like cardboard. The goat cheese arugala dried peach salad was decent, but not memorable. Finaly the only saving grace were the brown sugar strawberries. Even the gin and sin cocktail tasted like tang. Not the way I like to spend $13 on a single cocktail. If you come here for cocktails and happen to get something to nibble, then the bad food shouldn't deter you. However, if you come here for something closer to a meal, beware. One star for the decor. Dim and trendy. read more

Truly the last refuge of the desperate. I know from experience. Noir at 1 a.m. is a random assemblage of a few people from every other bar in Harvard Square, all mixed together, looking for that one last chance. You never know what you're going to get, crowd-wise, except that they're mostly pretty wasted. At least this makes things entertaining. However, it's open, which is really all that counts sometimes, and if you really don't want to go home before that extra drink or two, it fills the need. Other than the fact that you can sit outside, I can't really see going there earlier in the night. The loungey decor is what it is -- nothing new. And yeah, the drinks are too expensive. That's the price of convenience, I guess. read more

Both of my Noir outings have had unexpected, random outcomes, but this just makes me want to keep going here. Sure, the drinks are a bit pricey, and my friend last night even had to ask for more alcohol in her rum and Coke. So I suggest sticking to the heavy hitting martinis to get the most alcoholic bang for your buck. And yes, the ambiance is noisy. Talk louder? I like the dim atmosphere and the fact that there is a "nice" bar in Harvard Sq open until 2 AM. Because of this, there is a stream of people coming in after last call at surrounding establishments. It is key to grab a booth or a table outside in the summer. Considering this is Boston and it is cold/snowy/rainy 10 months out of the year, I love taking advantage of outdoor seating. As far as the randomness, last night, a middle-aged man (specifically, the dad of the 25 year old guy who was buying rounds of drinks for my friends and me) toasted to "long, prosperous lives!" and gave me travel advice. How could we have a bad time? read more

swanky hotel bar with a scattering of outdoor tables now that the weather is cooperating. Food (apps and flatbreads) were good, but consistently greasy. service was sweet, but flighty (orders mixed up, bill inaccurate, decent waits for next round) - but really hard to slam when hanging out in sublime weather drinking well-mixed drinks. even in the middle of winter, it's a cool spot to grab a drink. But it is a hotel bar - and unlike places like Jurys, Liberty, etc, it's not big enough to likely draw a huge local presence. which loosely translates to..... you might be dealing with tourists trying to make it a bar it isn't. For example it isn't a European cafe, so hovering over tables to push people away to steal a table to add to your gaggle - yeah, not going to work here. and it's not Chuck E Cheese, so bringing your kids and allowing the 4 year olds run around the patio and deck....yeah, not appropriate. Someone said "well, but they serve food....". Yeah, it's BAR food. The IHOP across the way serves food. Legal Seafood serves food AND drinks. But this is a BAR and your 4 year old shouldn't be here. but that's not the bar's fault, per se. read more

I was lucky enough to get a parking space in Harvard Sq when meeting a friend after work, so we took advantage and had an early dinner at Noir. Walking in I easily see why they call it Noir. It was very dark in here. So dark I had to use the electric candle to read the menu. Tanya N is right in that there's not much ambiance, just a lot of blackness. I'm sure they could jazz it up somehow while remaining true to the black motif. Rather than individual entrees, my friend and I decided to order a slew of appetizers and share. Let's review. The happy hour flat bread special with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and bacon was nice and crisp. Kind of small but for $5 how can you complain? The marinated olives were a nice cheap snack. Mac and cheese was served as a dip with tortillas. I'm not a health nut, but I'm not sure I love the concept of dipping carbs into cheese laden carbs. The mac and cheese was a little on the thin side and had a what I believe was a nice subtle onion flavor to it. The cream cheese dip was good but nothing remarkable. It also would have been nice if this were served with vegetables for dipping instead of pitas. To top things off, we split the chicken sandwich which had a nice spice to it. After reading through the food rundown, I'm sure you're thinking to yourself, "Wow, what a couple of fatties to have ordered all that" but I assure you we did take some leftovers. We just couldn't help ourselves from ordering because the food prices were so reasonable. The drinks are another story. The $13 price tag on my martini with blue cheese stuffed olives kept me to ordering just one. Our server was darling, paid just the right amount of attention, and most importantly, did not mock us for the excessive amount of food we ordered. read more

My review only pertains to the indoor part of this bar-I have yet to visit their patio. This place has pleasant staff, great mixed drinks, and a great sultry, 40's style vibe in the decor. The appetizers are more creative than the usual bar food and are as well made as their drinks. However, the sultry vibe is a little ruined by the music they play, which is always hip-hop or the top 40. It's in a hotel, and the bathrooms are on the second floor-less fun in heels. Overall, I'd recommend it for a date or for a pre-dinner drink on a more upscale night out. read more