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    The Archives

    4.7 (37 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

    The Archives Photos

    THE ARCHIVES ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - The Archives

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    Field Study
    Maya B.

    You have to find The Archives inside a real estate office.... but that is all part of the fun surprise! The Archives is the best craft bar in the area, by far. This is a "must stop" if you are in Amherst! Their carefully curated cocktail menu is filled with so many creative drinks. The interior of the bar is whimsical, cozy, and charming. The seating is definitely better suited for smaller groups, especially at peak times. Parking is available on the street or in a lot nearby.

    Touch of grey. Baysider
    Caroline L.

    Very fun hidden bar! Love all the decor inside. We got the touch of grey and baysider. We wanted something light and these are exactly what we expected. The touch of grey is very smooth. The baysider is citrusy and very refreshing. You order at the bar and they'll bring you the drinks. Service was quick and attentive.

    Lucid Dream
    Lauren G.

    I got the Lucid Dream and it was excellent! The drink had a very "clear" taste with a hint of chamomile. It was very easy to sip and refreshing as well. The bartender was incredibly knowledgeable about alcohol which I appreciated. Cocktails range from around $16-20 with a few outliers but I can definitely say I got what I paid for!

    a lounge area
    Charlie D.

    Interesting selection of curated drinks. Will appeal to brown and clear drinkers as the absinthe drinker

    chill?
    Nora S.

    Very delicious dedicated cocktails! modern ambience informative cool bar tenders- little nooks to hang out in

    menu
    Clarissa H.

    The Archives is a new swanky little speakeasy in Amherst! They have a fun list of fancy cocktails and a quirky space. There's one booth, bar seating, low table seating, and a cute other room with seating. I think if we had the booth or the cute little room it would've felt more private, but it was kind of hard sitting by the door people had to walk by. Also the bench is just kind of uncomfortable. The cocktails were so fun, and I love the big ice cubes. I had the touch of grey, which was a very light summery drink. I loved it! Risky business was really good, but the espresso martini was a bit too odd with the mezcal for me. The pink squirrel was a great dessert cocktail, can't even taste the alcohol! (Hint: look for the realty sign)

    Alpine Martini, Birds of Paradise
    Khaing W.

    Cozy vibe and good drinks. perfect place to stop by after a dinner date for couples. The drinks are both pretty and delicious.

    Dip
    Angela L.

    Haha @ the person who reviewed this place 1 star and doesn't understand the concept of a speakeasy. This bar is as its address states, in the basement. We were a little lucky and had another group go in before us so that kinda gave a clue as to where the bar was. But once we got closer, the music was a giveaway. The entrance, which looks like a wall of filing cabinets (it's just wallpaper so it's obvious) holds the hidden door. We tried 4 cocktails, the milk punch being my fav. Also tried the crème brûlée (fall flavor) and the potato potato dip. Potato chips with potato salad dip....what a creation.

    Sharon D.

    Read about the speakeasy that opened in Amherst, and confirmed by Yelp and Atlas Obscura, so we had to go find it when we were out there. Located at the old Twisters (if you know you know). We went with another couple from the area who knew nothing about it. We get to the lobby and for a moment, couldn't figure out how to enter, but you look to the left by the file cabinets and it becomes clear. You become transported to a very dark, pretty and comfortable bar with booths, high tops and plenty of little living room nooks for seating. Order at the bar and enjoy your very creative craft cocktails. Very enjoyable experience and I'm

    Shelly F.

    Everything was wow factor! The one app I almost didn't order ended up being my addiction and newest favorite.... The celery! Service was great and the drinks were just amazing! Can't wait to go back soon! This will be a frequent spot now that we found it! Ambiance was great too just wish they had a tad more comfy seating. The bench style is cool but not comfortable for people with back issues.

    Three cocktails, Risky Business in center
    Sue S.

    Loved the vibe, although the table next to us was suuuuper loud. The seating wasn't very comfortable, but the cocktail menu was amazing. It was hard to choose, but everyone loved their choice. I got the Risky Business, which was a smoky twist on a Negroni.

    Charlotte M.

    How cool! Once we found it that is! Lol we had been calling the phone number over and over and over again and no answer. So we decided to jump in the car and take a ride. We followed the directions to the address. And there was no indication whatsoever of The Archives! There was no signage at all. But remember, this is a speakeasy. And of all the speakeasies that I've been to, you always had to find it! That's part of the whole idea. So we continued to walk around the building. All of a sudden, we got a text message from The Archives. Asking us if they could be of assistance as they saw that we were trying to call them. And we said yes, where are you! And they gave us directions and guided us. You park in the bak muni lot. Walk around to the front to what you think is a real estate brokerage house. Until you walk in the door. That is, if you can recognize the door. Look for the "A". We sat at the bar. The bartender was amazing. The decor is awesome! Just love it. We went out to dinner afterwards and I think I told everybody that I walked by on the way there as well as in the restaurant. I wish them nothing but success.

    A is for The Archives
    Lorraine G.

    If you can find The Archives, you're in for a mixology treat. Craft cocktails, wine and beer to delight. After finding this speakeasy (good luck), you will be surrounded by an ambiance of botanical wonder. I had the Orchard Blossom, a combination of vodka, elderberry and other delights that results in a drink that is exhilarating. My husband had a Manhattan - also delicious. Service was excellent - warm and inviting. The Archives is a great place for date night, a business meeting, or a gathering. It checks all the boxes.

    Pablo Santo Boulevardier MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE

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    3 years ago

    Such a cool spot to find out in the middle of Amherst. Won't give away the entrance but head down ;) Amazing drinks and friendly bartender

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    3 years ago

    Expensive drinks for where they are and kinda pretentious scene. The staff were mostly nice. Metal stools really uncomfortable after awhile.

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    Ask the Community - The Archives

    Review Highlights - The Archives

    The atmosphere was polished, cozy, and grown up, which was a relief after the 21 year old crowds on the main street above.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Monkey Bar & Grill

    Monkey Bar & Grill

    3.0(36 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Stumbled upon this restaurant after a long move-in day at UMass and following a very strong street…read morerecommendation from some random dude who looked like a local (probably the owner's brother!). It wasn't until I was seated with my wife and 13 yr old son that I read other reviews here and it was too late to abandon ship. Oh well. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Service was very pleasant and attentive, although our waiter forgot our appetizer platter and just brought dinners, and had trouble getting our drink orders straight. This aside, the food was very good and fresh. I had the iron steak with gorgonzola, wife had the seafood risotto, and son had the "tour of italy" chicken parm (owner is from Naples). Although I found my portion to be lacking in size (as with my starter salad), it was very tasty and well prepared. Wife and son loved theirs. My house salad with lemon vinegarette was extraordinary. I am already looking for a lemon vinegarette recipe. Happy enough to have made a reservation for a sweet window booth for the entire family when we return for Family Weekend in Oct. Net net....good chow, nice atmosphere although I HATE seeing TVs (over bar) when I dine, and a diverse menu for all palates. Wish I had some rawbar and time to have dessert. And I'm sure all would have improved if I didn't have to pass on more vino due to a impending drive home to eastern MA.

    Decent place to hang, love when my room mates dj there and bring all the people, oh but the staff…read moreand bouncers are absolute losers, throw drinks at them. Lie about being on the guest list and are disgusting to women.

    Photos
    Monkey Bar & Grill - Monkey bar action

    Monkey bar action

    Monkey Bar & Grill - A different angle.

    A different angle.

    Monkey Bar & Grill - Mango tuna tartar, hint of wasabi on top, perfect.

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    Mango tuna tartar, hint of wasabi on top, perfect.

    Amherst Coffee - Craft cocktails

    Amherst Coffee

    3.6(192 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Amco is an excellent cafe/bar that I would recommend to almost anyone…read more I've been coming here for around three years now. The atmosphere is excellent: lots of natural light, brick walls, plants, light woods, stainless steel. Sound travels softly, so other conversations rarely interrupt your own thoughts or discussions. Music is usually low-volume and unobtrusive. The coffee is high quality. Baristas steam milk properly, pull good espresso, and clearly know their craft. My fiancé is a tea nerd and admits their selection and brew process are both superb. Pastries are good, though not something I actively seek out. Their original cocktails are inventive while still accessible, and they'll happily make most classics at market price. Beer on tap is local and consistently solid. Prices are certainly on the higher side, especially for coffee drinks and original cocktails. That said, I've never felt cheated by what I received. Still, there are occasional moments where friends look down at an iced latte and do a double take at the money that just left their bank account Their Service is great in my opinion. I've had the pleasure of becoming a regular for some of the evening crew. I couldn't find anything to comment on, they are attentive, patient, and clearly enjoy their craft. And watching them work is inspiring during some rushes. I like to try to get work done here, but it's not the most accessible place for that, and I imagine that's partly on purpose. Regardless of time of day or day of week, there is no guest WiFi; I'm unsure if it's a logistic issue, as I know their own POS WiFi is finicky at times, or perhaps they simply don't want to provide it. Nevertheless, if you want to work online, you will need to have a hotspot or equivalent. There aren't many wall outlets, so ensure your devices are charged if you want to camp. But that's okay! At its core, Amco feels more like a gathering space than a work cafe: somewhere to converse, debate, celebrate, drink good coffee or cocktails, and spend time with people. It's also a great place to bring a physical book, journal, or board game. The nights can be unpredictable in the best way. Sometimes there's live jazz, sometimes a special event takes over half the bar, and sometimes it's nearly empty and you end up having an excellent conversation with the bartender about this or that. Either way I'm always satisfied, and I imagine you would be too.

    Yeah dawg rolled in, vibes are solid. It's a cute brick&mortar coffee shop. Nice jazz playing and…read morerustic feeling. However, I ordered a hot chocolate - it's literally just milk and powdered chocolate. Paid $4 for it. And there's no wifi and like one outlet. So basically, solid vibes but little functionality.

    Photos
    Amherst Coffee - Cold brew

    Cold brew

    Amherst Coffee - Inside

    Inside

    Amherst Coffee - Menu board

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    Menu board

    Amherst Oyster Bar

    Amherst Oyster Bar

    3.4(39 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    I went for Valentines day and the experience was just okay. The service was very slow, which is not…read morea huge deal to me, but the waitress was very kind. For appetizers we had oysters and the grilled octopus. Both of which were delicious, but the serving size on the appetizer was very small. Next was the arugula salad. Really nothing special here. Very basic salad and portion size again was small. Then our main courses. I got the monkfish. The flavor was good, but again, SUPER small portion size for a main dish. My husband got the duck and same story there. Great flavor, very small portion size. For dessert we got the cheesecake and the chocolate raspberry torte like bowl. I thought these were both pretty decent. In terms of the ambiance, my husband and I both noted they needed to dim the lights by about 50%. It was very bright in there. Otherwise, the building is beautiful and they've done a good job. Overall, food is good, I would just love to see larger portion sizes and faster service time. Im happy to see a new place in town, so this feedback is not meant to be harsh, just some suggestions on how to improve.

    This was my first time visiting Amherst Oyster Bar, and while it's a super cute addition to the…read moremain street, I don't know if I'll be going back. I'm a vegetarian, and although a couple dishes had the option to swap the seafood for tofu, veggie options were lacking. The sesame cauliflower was very good as an app! I had wanted to try the burnt end mushrooms but they were no longer on the menu. Service was incredibly slow. I know the waitress was hustling and it's not her fault, but I'm not sure why it took 45 minutes for our entrees to come out. She kept apologizing and saying it would be out soon but we were there for a full 90 minutes before we got our entrees which was weird. I ordered the harvest bowl with tofu and it was fine. It was a big portion size, great variety of veggies, and the pesto was good. But there wasn't enough pesto for the whole dish and without the pesto, nothing else was seasoned at all. It was so bland. The tofu was just big chunks of lightly seared plain tofu. I saw on the menu you can order fish and chips with tofu instead, but it seems silly to come to a place known for seafood and swap their fish for tofu. Especially after eating the harvest dish, I don't know if they would even know how to properly prepare the tofu. Maybe this is a good spot for drinks and oysters but that's about it!

    Photos
    Amherst Oyster Bar
    Amherst Oyster Bar
    Amherst Oyster Bar

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    The Archives - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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