You don't have to be Jewish to have a fun time at Noir's pop-up Maccabee Bar for Hanukkah! The cocktails are delicious and have adorable names likes the Aperol Schvitz or Latke Sour. I love the Hebrew Hammer which is like a sugary jelly doughnut in a glass. Speaking of jelly donuts, the sufganiyot (doughnuts) are really yummy this year. They also have other savory Jewish snacks, and you can play dreidel with chocolate gelt. Check out this unique pop-up for a fun delicious night out during the holiday season. read more

Noir - Gelt Trip hot chocolate drink - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

It had been a long while since I went to Noir, and I forgot how small it is on the inside. There are 6-8 tables inside with a few seats at the bar, and it's definitely a cozy spot. They have a pretty extensive menu for bar food, and the food comes out super quickly. I ordered a beet salad and a glass of wine, and both were out within 5-7 minutes. Service was also very prompt and friendly. read more

Terrible experience here. Although the bartenders executed the Chanukah pop up cocktail recipes well, the place left much to be desired. It was crowded, and people were lingering a while at tables and at the bar. There was no bathroom there- only one in the hotel, on another level. The manager not only did not honor a Yelp check in offer, but was condescending about it. But worst of all, we were served an oyster that had gone bad. Top most disgusting food experience. Thankfully, only briefly tasted it (awful, fecal), and did not eat it. read more

Noir - Latke Sour (Maccabee Bar Pop Up) - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

A nice hotel bar, friendly service, ok selection of drinks. Nothing outstanding and a good choice if you're in there area looking for a quiet and convenient place to have a meetup. Note the space is downstairs and bathrooms are up a double flight of stairs. Good spot for medium sized groups (like 6-10). read more

Good drinks here and the selection is more than enough. Quiet enough to have conversations with your friends or date. Haven't tried the food but there is defined good beer and drinks. read more

My friends and I tried out this bar since we were looking for a chill place to do some catching up. The tables were a bit close together, but I didn't find it too loud. Drinks were okay, my one friend who does not drink appreciated their mocktail selection. Apps were okay, decent options our various dietary restrictions. Overall, I think it's a good place for a small group or maybe a date, but I was not expecting it to be a super exciting experience. read more

For a hotel bar so centrally located in Harvard Square and has the potential for being superb, I thought it was quite small and crowded and loud. The hotel lobby itself is quite nice but I thought the bar had limited seating and the tables were so close together that everyone in the room was pretty much shouting across the table to be heard. The drinks are fine and although I didnt sample their food, I assume it's on par. I just don't think I would go back bc of how "cozy" it felt and with the noise level, I was exhausted by the end of the night. read more

Great drinks, great service, better than average food. We went here because of a promotion so it was a very windy and rainy Monday night and the only patrons appeared to be guests at the hotel. The interior of the hotel is beautiful and the bar is very swanky. I like that they have a corner booth because it was date night. The service is next level-- like a $$$-$$$$ restaurant. The drinks were very good and appropriately strong. The food was the only area of improvement needed: the lamb meatballs were a bit cold and not fresh-- they looked like they had been sitting out and microwaved. However the lobster bisque, croque monsieur, and creme brûlée were all five-star. They have outdoor seating, but we sat inside due to the mini hurricane. Will definitely be visiting again! read more

Noir - two cocktails on a black table - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Stopped by for a drink with a friend after dining elsewhere. We ordered the espresso martini and White Russian. The espresso martini was not good because the coffee tasted stale, old. The White Russian was better. Ambience is dark. It was a Friday night and it mostly empty. Vibe might feel better when there's more people and energy in the room, otherwise it felt like a somber lounge. read more

Noir - Espresso martini, left. White Russian, right. - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Nice spot, very active for a small lounge attached to a hotel by comparison to other hotel bars I've visited. Certainly a solid option for chatting over drinks. read more

Review #1017 Great cocktails. The two times I was here, the place was not full but was still very loud. The first time I was here for a Wednesday night, some people were hovering near the bar, and the host told us there was a speed dating event going on and a large area is sectioned off for them. My friend and I decided to go upstairs to Benedetto instead. The second time I was there was a Friday evening. It was not busy at 9 PM, until like 10:30 PM-ish. A large group (15 - 20) of elder folks came to party! Well, it was the Harvard Alumni weekend, and I guessed that they were staying at the hotel. Well, I was almost done with my Friday evening around then, so me leaving as they were just getting here they made me feel old!! I cannot remember if they had background music, but it was not comfortable to hold conversations. The service was good since it was not crazy busy. They do have an extensive specialty cocktail menu to choose from. There is no bathroom inside, and you have to use the hotel bathroom upstairs. It is clean and fancy paper towels available to dry your hands. I am in no rush to return here. Actually, I'd much prefer the open bar upstairs at Benedetto because it is better lit and you don't feel crammed. read more

Love the ambiance of Noir Bar. It's dark and intimate and they have old Noir films projecting on the walls. Had the Black Dahlia cocktail - delicious and generous with blackberries - followed by a couple glasses of red wine. For bites, Noir Bar offers $1 oysters from Tuesday - Sunday starting at 5PM which was a pleasant surprise (because in Boston oyster specials are usually limited to one night a week and/or only available from 4-6) so I opted for half a dozen; they kindly serve your oysters with not just lemon but also lime wedges. My friend ordered the Three Italian cheeses, preserves, baguette. The cheeses were delicious especially the one drizzled in honey; the preserves were so delicious as well and not overpowering in flavor. We also split the Housemade veal meatballs, tomato basil sauce, sliced baguette. Highly recommend - tender meatballs and the bread on the side was a great touch for absorbing any leftover sauce. Overall, I enjoyed the space, the food, and the drinks - would definitely come back again for drinks with friends - it looks like when the weather is nice they might offer outdoor seating as well! read more

Noir - oysters in front and three italian cheeses + preserves in the back - Lounges Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Decent bar on the edge of Harvard. Just got drinks since the food menu is a lil all over the place but the bartenders are fun and humored my requests for their favorite drinks. Good place to watch the Celtics game but a ritzy hotel crowd for sure read more

We stopped by on our way to the airport. The service was friendly and responsive and the cocktails were out of this world. I look forward to my next visit. read more

Went here for Paint Nite and had a great time. Painted the city of Boston at night and had a great guide.

Happily it remains open , sometimes happily by loyal tasteful regulars, dining indoors outdoors or both while shifting positions enjoying independent mobility and meeting new and old friends and tasty filling menu delicacies despite the. Temperature outdoors . Staff are friendly knowledgeable supportive like family : fun, helpful , happy , talkative friendly - hooray! Like Chicago, et al : my kind of town! I'll be back! Byron read more

Refused to honor Yelp check in offer of $1.50 oysters. Waiter said "we're not affiliated with Yelp"

Nice bar for a late drink in Harvard Square. Staff seems to have some snobby Newbury Street attitude, which seems out of place in Cambridge. Nevertheless, service was attentive and efficient. They even insisted on replacing the drink that I knocked over. My verdict: I'd go back, but I wouldn't get out of my way to get there. read more

This was my first time in Noir that wasn't part of an event where we had the place to ourselves. For events, I think Noir has it on the ball, but just a group out, they are lacking. Service is friendly but slow and forgetful and drinks are quite pricey. This would be a great place for a quite date with a new love, but not for a night out on the town with your friends. read more

They didn't make us sit at the bar for happy hour! Yay! I get the privilege of being at a table on a chair without paying exorbitant dinner prices at the Charles Hotel! Love the Happy Hour Menu, hate the $6 minimum drink purchase you have to make in order to get it. That means either two sodas or a $13 cocktail. And I, being the spendthrift alcoholic, opted for the cocktail. Yeah, bad decision-making! I actually don't regret it. I got the LA Confidential and it was one of the best cocktails I've had in the city. Totally my kind of drink: fruity, slightly sweet, sugared rim, pretty yellow color. Mmm....Refreshing. The actual food is good and arrives fast. They know how to handle their HH crowd. I tried all the sandwiches and they're all fantastic (nicely toasted, melted cheese kind of sandwiches), the strawberries and cream snack is a steal and the salad with apple slices (forget the name) is delicious. Best of all, the prices all range from $1 - 5. Hey, wait a minute! Their Happy Hour menu is called 5-4-3-2-1! What a coincidence! read more

Our big group ventured out for drinks. It didn't seem as though they could keep up or knew what was happening which was a bummer. Their drinks are strong but for $13 a piece you would hope so. I was looking for a sweet fruity drink and tried the L.A. Confidential. It was good and I'd order it again but I also want to try the Naughty O'pear. I heard the Last Word was a strong slow sipper and I tasted the Stardust which was also strong but more sour with the lemon than I cared for. The room was cozy and would have been good for a small intimate group or a date. The place was humming earlier with a private party and I am assuming they had arranged and staffed that in comparison to our group of 15-20. I've heard about the 5-4-3-2-1 so I'll need to go back and hit that on the right night. read more

Why did I go? Stopped by this place looking for a craft cocktail when I was visiting Cambridge. Order: Slightly Honorable, which tastes a lot like a lemon drop. It's Citron, elderflower and pear nectar served in a chilled martini glass. Price: $12, which I think is slightly overpriced for the quality. Environment: Attached to the Charles Hotel, it is a nice, dark and intimate atmosphere. They also have a large outdoor patio with heaters, which is great for larger groups. They have a projector inside displaying the game. Service: Service was fine. Don't expect personalized service as we had three different people wait on us for our one drink. Return? Probably not. It was fine, but with so many other options around, I would probably only return if I stayed at the Charles Hotel. read more

Solid 4.5 stars. One of the best lounge/bar experiences I have had in Cambridge in a while! I came to Noir with a friend a few weeks ago, and was immediately able to find two seats at the bar. The ambiance was great, the oyster special was a steal, and I really liked the crispness of my digestif (after dinner) cocktail! Perhaps what notched it up for me was the service. The bartender (I wish I'd gotten her name - she was fantastic) quickly shared menus and was extremely responsive. She was extremely helpful in choosing a drink that fit my palate for the soiree, let me taste the liquor before she used it, and re-mixed my drink when I made a face (accidentally!) after tasting what was too sweet for my taste. It's a cozy, classy spot that's centrally located yet still tucked away. Can't wait to go back. read more

Came here to celebrate a friend's birthday this summer and sat in a patio table with a group of 6. That's where the good part of the evening ended. Coz then our waitress arrived and we got the worst service of our life. Drinks were mediocre, food was terrible. Our waitress kept throwing stuff from one end of the table to others (making a lame joke about her small "alligator hands"). The evening only went downhill from there, and is still a sore joke amongst all of us. Disappointed to find a 20% tip included in the bill despite the horrid service. Would give negative stars if I could. Do NOT recommend. read more

3.5 stars* DISCLAIMER: THEY NO LONGER HAVE $1 OYSTERS...even though if you Check-in on Yelp it says so. They are $1.50 each. Apparently, it was a mistake which they chose not to honor. Also, $15 minimum per person BEFORE Oysters...and 20% automatic tip for groups of 6+. Yesterday (Sunday), my friends and I were on the hunt for dollar oysters and ended up at Noir. Inside, it is very dark and sexy. My friend said it had a strip club feel which I can agree with. Haha. We opted to sit outside since it was nice out and their patio was in the shade. For drinks, my friend got beers and I got the Blood Money (twist on the Moscow Mule with blood orange). The Blood Money was really delicious and you could taste the ginger and hint of blood orange. My friends beers/ciders were served in the can or bottle which was strange given the vibe of Noir. They didn't give glasses for them and the beers were not as cold as they could be. All 5 of my friends agreed on that. At ~$8 a pop, you would hop for something really cold. For food, we ordered: 1. Chicken wings with chipotle honey BBQ, sesame seeds, scallions. 2. Three Italian cheeses, preserves, baguette. 3. Chicken liver pâté with pickled peppercorns, pistachios, house pickles, melba toast. 4. Housemade veal meatballs, tomato basil sauce, sliced baguette. 5. Mojo pulled chicken, avocado, and cabbage slaw in a wrap. 6. OYSTERS! Respectively,... 1. The wings were quite delicious. Basically an upscale BBQ chicken wing that was saucy and tender. 2. The cheeses were delicious and the baguette was as expected. The 3 cheeses we had were: midnight moon goat's milk cheese, gorgonzola, and ??? (I will edit with the name of the last one later). One was very similar to a semi sharp cheddar, the goat's milk cheese was pungent but soft and delectable, and the gorgonzola (loooks like bleu cheese) was pungent as well and creamy. 3. The chicken liver pate portion was MASSIVE. The melba toast served with it was perfect. Hard pieces of square shaped bread. The pate was salty and spreadable but it was a thicker kind of paste. 4. The veal meatballs were flavorful and we collected the rest of the sauce with the baguettes. They were a tad overcooked but not too bad. I still enjoyed it. 5. My friend got the chicken sandwich which came with potato chips, he really liked that and it looked delicious. 6. For 5 of us, we ordered 80 oysters which came with the cocktail sauce and lemons/limes. Limes were strange. I wish they had horseradish for that hot kick or tabasco sauce. I am not sure what kind of oysters they were but they were a small/medium size. Not incredibly meaty but not teeny. Though, for $1.50, they could do better. Service... The service was decent. The gentleman we had was new (overheard him talking). For someone new, he wasn't too bad though he didn't check on us once we received the first round of food and there was some delay cleaning off the empty plates. He didn't seem very enthusiastic to serve us but maybe that is how I perceived it. Also, we had only ordered 50 oysters first to start and then another 30 (all they had left). He cleared off the plates from the first set of oysters along with the utensils. He didn't give us more cocktail sauces or replacement utensils. He did give us extra melba toast when I asked for it since the pate portion was relatively big to the amount of toast we had. Overall, the experience here was decent. Would I come back? Unlikely. read more

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This bar is truly weak if you are looking for bespoke cocktails. I suppose it's a decent place to go if you're staying in the hotel and looking to stumble "home", but man. Huge chunks of ice from a hard shake floating on a drink that should be stirred, that kind of thing. And one waitress for the entire place? She was nice but this place is not small, nobody could reasonably handle that kind of traffic by themselves. It was so bad that bartenders were coming out to the tables to take orders. Good atmosphere, nice interior feel, but please please please get a new bar manager and someone to design a better cocktail menu. This great location is begging for it! read more

Cozy, chic, regular-friendly spot with a killer happy hour menu & cocktail list... plus, an out-door patio! I've frequented this place more times than I can count and I'll have to say it's a different creature from start to finish. On opening, it's suits. It's quieter, with a few work meetings going on. Late afternoon, early evening picks up with the happy hour crowd and can be fairly busy. There isn't a host/hostess so don't be shy about hopping to a table yourself if you see one available. There's a slight lull, which can be nice, come post-dinner and the rest of the night varies according to the day, local events, local clientele, and literally how the wind blows (the weather). Having the latest liquor license in the Harvard Square area, it's "last-call" reputation holds true. In contrast to the opening of the black velvet curtains, during last call (2am) you'll find anyone and everyone in droves here. Word to the wise: if you plan on making last call here for a few drinks, try to make it before 1:15 to prevent having to wait too long. As you can imagine, people are thirsty at this point in the evening! read more

Visited tonight for 25 minutes, sat outside. We're given drink menus and waters and then waited for ever for anyone to take a drinks order. The waiting staff were inexplicably attentive to the guy sat near us who needed an ashtray and an explanation of what a meatball is - he received three separate visits from different members of staff while we were just completely ignored. We finally gave up and just left and I looked back to see the waiter shrugging in confusion - perhaps next time he could consider taking drinks orders from all the customers? read more

Pathetic service, very disappointed with the waitress called Danielle. As the 20% tip was included in the bill she was very unprofessional and the service she gave was very bad. She kept on throwing stuff like bill. She threw the bill and gave it to us. She threw the mats. The food was also not good. Would never suggest this place especially because of the service we got. read more

Only reviewing the bar......and only been there once (so I'm hoping there's better bartenders that I missed out on). Went there at 6p on a Saturday. Came with high hopes, left with a sour taste in my mouth....literally. My drink of choice: whiskey sour...... 1st problem: Whiskey = Jack Daniels (WTF??? In a sour??? Without asking???) 2nd problem: no measuring of contents, attempted a count but shorted it...led to next problem..... 3rd problem: All lemon juice (atleast that was fresh) w/splash of Tennessee Whiskey.....no sugar 4th problem: Major heart burn (probably from my lemon juice w/ a splash of jack....just sayin') Watched the bartenders work behind the bar (having been a mixologists myself, I was interested).....they're better suited for a club rather than a bar purporting to have nice cocktails that cost $9+. Shook drinks that should have been stirred (ex: Martini), couldn't count pours properly, couldn't pour drinks properly when making multiple drinks (had to constantly repour), and generally sucked....atleast they refilled our water constantly. Get a new bar manager, revamp your cocktail list and then give me a call when you're ready to make proper cocktails. read more

Noir may be noisy, overpriced and often crowded, but you kind of would expect that considering it's trying to be Harvard Square's 'premium' destination. What it does offer are late hours, a wonderfully sexy ambience and good cocktails with an imaginative film noir theme. It's been said before that this is a great place for a date - with comfortable elegant booths that encourage intimacy - but really this is more a place to 'end up' if a date has gone well. It could be difficult to start a date here with the lack of lighting and the noise, but it's perfectly suited to the after-dinner drink and maybe a desert too. Disclaimer - I promised a sugar-addicted date I would remove one star from my rating as they didn't serve cake. She even shouted 'cake cake' repeatedly at the waitress but to no avail. read more

What has never failed to impress me at Noir is their low rate of staff turnover. How frequently is it that you go to a bar maybe 10 times a year and see familiar faces each of those times? If the familiar faces make a great cocktail, I keep coming back for more. Noir hasn't failed me yet, and I've tried a heckuva lot of cocktails here. Recently I've been on a kick of their crave-worthy dirty martini, aptly named a "Dirty Harry." Delightful. Does the trick. The atmosphere is also fun, with some space to lounge and an outdoor area. In the summertime, it's a great patio for a mojito. Not to be overlooked, the music is always on the poppy side of hip and at a level that is grooveable but also allows you to speak. This is a difficult balance, and I've never been there on an occasion where it has been otherwise. If I had my way, I'd expand their menu. I think there were lighter and more creative options at some time, but now it seems to be a standard menu of pizzas, sandwiches and starters. I've not had a bad meal here ever, but I also like options. Any bar with 7 different single-malt scotches must agree on that point, too. Regardless, because of location and quality of booze, I'm always sucked back in here, where a familiar face is always around to pour me a nice one. Cheers to that. read more

as far as spots to go and mack a date, noir is up there at the top... Its open till 2a and the drinks are fantastic. I also tend to end up there if I'm hanging out with my degenerate friends on Monday or Tuesday nights cuz we usually will get kicked out of the bars in central square. One time I went there with a couple friends on one of these nights and we we're drinking Old Fashions at the bar... So to get to the bathroom you gotta go into the Charles Hotel and up the stars past Henirettas Table... It was holiday season and they had this huge gingerbread house set up complete with a Marzapan (sp?) pig... Well my friend took one look at that pig and started pocketing candy. The security gaurd got really pissed off, but ended up blaming the wrong person for the crime... That was a stupid night, but the pig was pretty tasty... Oh yeah, order the kabobs son.... read more

Noir is such a welcome contribution to the Harvard Square scene that it's hard to capture in a Yelp review the qualities that it so wonderfully brings to the neighborhood. Noir leaves behind the kitsch and fluff of the area and instead offers clients (at the hotel and beyond) an intimate, calming, and truly elegant option for drinks. I've been on several occasions to this spot, and very much enjoy the bar, tastefully illuminated in an otherwise very dark room. Awesome! I stuck with a classic--Gin & Tonic, but did see some pretty interesting cocktails on the list. Service was appropriately thoughtful and responsive. Really, I don't know how this spot could be improved--generally excellent! Looking forward to having a drink next time I'm in town. read more

Noir makes a synesthete such as myself so very, very happy. Like dark purples edging into bold blues in slow, deliberate, delicious swirls. The ambiance is near perfect; it's sultry meets edgy. Think of the most naturally sexy person you know, who emanates such by a simple smile or way she or he walks, or puts themselves together. No, she or he does not necessarily work at - or frequent - Noir, but the same kind of allure runs rampant there, it nearly bursts at the seams. Both the food and the drinks are equally delicious, but not equally pricey. Drinks are more expensive than you'll find competitively, while the food can get up in price, but many food specials and happy hours can aid in bringing your dining totals down to something easily affordable, leaving you more money to spend on super-pricey drinks. You know, if that is something you want. If you have the opportunity to experience Noir, do not pass that up! And there is so much to enjoy that I think it will take you at least a few trips in order to really do it all. read more

You have to know what to order. Honestly, I would skip the grilled chicken flatbread (not a taste upgrade on Uno's...sorry, I said it). But the smoked turkey sandwich is awesome...and worth $11. And the cheesecake dessert is decent (and affordably priced). Go there! Kitchen closes at 11pm...so you can go at 10pm and still get great food. read more

Being open until 2 every night is a def. plus of this sultry, dark bar. I love the lounge type atmosphere--the hodgepodge of late night drinkers and smokers sitting outside on the patio. I've never eatten here, just drinks after the bars close but if you're not quite done with your night and have no idea where to go--you'll love the sexy martinis and cool atmosphere. It's also located right across from the 66 bus stop and 2 blocks (if that) to the Harvard T-stop. Cabs often go by here as well (great after the T stops running) read more

I really wish there were more classy wine bar like spots in this area which is why I was so excited to finally be able to try out Noir!!! But...It really wasn't as cool as it sounded. They did have quite the cocktail list, with all kinds of creative names and mixtures of all sorts of things, but the cheapest cocktail was about $11 and they just went up from there. The cheapest glass of wine was $9 I think, so you can't really come here and stay too long if you don't plan on earning some major points on that rewards credit card of yours. The decor and the ambiance does make it quite nice though, especially for a bar in the middle of harvard square. It adds that touch of class for the more sophisticated crowd that doesn't want to just go to Charlie's beer garden all the time. It is weird that you have to go upstairs in the building to go pee, especially for a bar, but I guess that is just how this building works. And the other weird thing, I think I would like to come back and try some food, because it looked pretty good and it actually was not too badly priced at all--way cheaper than the drinks! read more

Located in the Charles Hotel, Noir is a great place for happy hour and people watching. I came on the night that they were having their annual block party and it was packed. Free hor d'oeuvres, live jammin' band, and $6 drinks, what more could a girl ask for? I got to sample their goat cheese, pancetta, and caramelized onion flatbread. Very tasty! There was also a shrimp cocktail with pineapple salsa - a little too sweet for my taste. What I enjoyed the most were the watermelon margaritas. Refreshing, delish, and went down smooth! With happy hour available from Monday - Thursday 5 - 9pm, why wouldn't you give this place a try? read more

This is the place I go to when I'm feeling a little fancy pants (which isn't very often, as I'm a total dive bar, cheap beer whore). They have fun, delicious drinks on the menu, and the cheese platter is yummy. Bonus points for being really dark inside, sets the mood to create a little film noir scene of your own if you're wearing a trench coat and some sunglasses. read more