Bar Noir

Very nice hotel bar. Small, intimate, beautifully designed, friendly staff, love Doreen the manager! The drinks are very good and reasonably priced, especially for the area. One of the best things is there is free parking here.
Only star loss is that it’s not open to the public. You need to be a guest of the hotel to go to the bar.

Very classy place to have a drink! I loooooooove it. My drink was aweeesum :) Love the couture and mature vibe. It’s very pricey though. I am in love with interior of this place. Though we have to check in here to get in… I really don’t think so but okay. Over all this place is beautiful. Love the bartender. Watch your bill though if I’m watching my budget and still wants to have nice drink… this place is the wrong place for me to be in.

Very low key place to grab a drink and catch a classical, Hollywood film. The drinks are priced well and the bartender made them right. I definitely recommend!

Ben is great. The hotel is great. Drinks are great great great. Part of the reason I will continue to stay at Maison 140 is this cute little spot. It’s perfect for a night cap.
I have to take one star off for a less than stellar beer selection. Improve that craft beer offering!

I loved the atmosphere in this place! The hotel was just beautiful and I loved the modern mixed with vintage décor they had going! The bartender seemed to be attentive, I just ordered a dirty martini which tasted good to me! I would go back here!

I love it here for a quiet evenings drink in a nice, boutique bar atmosphere
Yeah, the hookers may buzz by, but ya get that all over Vegas too, so what?
Harrison Ford and that Ali McBeal chick were having a quiet drink after what looked like a day of shopping.
See Helen Hunt in here from time to time too.
It’s pricey as in very expensive, so eyes wide, wide open.

Great French and Chinese Décor for such a small place (it is a Bar in the Bed & Breakfast Maison 140) if you are into Franco Chinoiserie stuff which I am. The Parisian Martini was great: Vodka; Chocolate Liqueur; and Espresso. My only complaint with the Cocktails is that they are small especially for the price (about $ 14). Still, a great little hole in the wall off the beaten path. A great place to go after work and or to start your evening but a bit small to spend the whole evening there. The last two times I was there a nice tall, pretty, sexy Blonde Lady Bartender. They also have appetizers. The Hummus plate was okay. Last time I went, French music was gently playing in the background which enhanced the ambience. For you Hollywood History Buffs, Actress Lilian Gish used to own the Hotel where Bar Noire is located. Yes the place is that old and Classic

I went here and fell in love in more than 1 way… Very quaint, private, out of the way, quiet, sexy and great bartender.

If I could give zero stars, I would. I went here for my birthday. I was told they have no real food, but could do a few platters. I ordered two platters — one with cheese and fruit, the other with quiche. I paid… are you sitting down…$ 300 with the service charge of 20% and tax added. Now for $ 300 wouldn’t you expect a HUGE platter of fresh items, lots of cheese, lots of fruit and a gorgeous arrangement? No. How about, four slabs of «half» cut goat cheese rounds, two small bunches of grapes and 12 almonds scattered around a handful of raisins. Oh, and of course, water wafer crackers you can buy for $ 1.50 a box at Trader Joes, of ehich there were not enough for my guests, and we had to ask 4 times before we got more. The quiche? Clearly frozen, stale and soggy from having thawed out at room temp, but not warmed up.
Seriously, if I had spent $ 50 I wouldn’t have cared, but $ 300?! Highway robbery. They wanted to charge me $ 90 for a bowl of hummus, but thank goodness I had the smarts to see that ridiculousness before ordering.
Oh, and that’s not all. Though we were there for 3 hours… not once did anyone check on us, bring us water, napkins or clean up. My guests spent the entire evening going to the bar themselves to get drinks and clean up dirty dishes.
When we complained, we were told no one else has complained before so it’s you, not us. Huh?! Um… customer service 101 lessons alert!
Next day when I called to speak to the general manager, I was told she was with a guest. Two hours later I called back and was told she was on vacation. The catering manager told me it was up to her to rectify this matter with me, not him, and then he accused me of having guests who skipped out on their drink bill. Right. My professional, 40+ year old friends, drank and dashed in a bar that is as big as a shoe box and so easy to sneak out of. That’s how we roll. To say it was a memorable birthday is one way too look at it, but I definitely wish I had spent my money and time differently.
A huge disappointment in every way.

UPDATE: I revisited Bar Noir for a business meeting with my lawyer last Wednesday (don’t worry it was a good meeting). We arrived at about 7pm and were surprised to see this intimate bar to be almost fully packed! We lounged in the corner and discussed our business over a few specialty bourbon drinks that the bartender had created. As a whiskey/​bourbon neat drinker I rarely venture off into «cocktails» but was pleasantly surprised with what they are offering at Bar Noir.
We were able to enjoy our drinks served along side some gourmet popcorn from Popped Las Vegas (they do fresh deliveries a few times a week). We had the Jalapeño and also the White Cheddar flavored popcorn which were both awesome and had us wanting more and more.
Around 7:30pm a live band started to play, first with just 1 guitarist /​singer then followed by a few more members. Live music, great drinks, intimate bar and staff, and some gourmet popcorn have me wanting to make the drive and come back every Wednesday!
~~~Please see original review below~~~

This place is neat, intimate, and secretive. It’s right next to the Peninsula. Unfortunately on my first visit there I was discussing with my friend the prostitution problem its neighboring establishment had just as two Johns came in followed shortly by their plaything. All was made entirely evident as the bars intimacy and closeness made it impossible for us to discern otherwise. I felt a bit guilty for my conversation! It’s a little teeny bit of the Edisons vibe here in beverly hills serving absinthe, a full bar, and projecting old movies onto the wall. It’s neat and I like it. Just keep your conversations low!

It took over 10 minutes for someone to come to us and that was after getting up and asking for service. So 0 for service.
Only drink on Happy Hour is absinthe for $ 5 vs $ 10. It was OK but the staff really misses the presentation mark by not making it at the table and for not taking the opportunity to talk about the absinthe. And since we were only the second set of customers at the bar — there was adequate time. 0 for the HH specials.
Food; We tried the Hummus and it was VERY unimpressive. Pass. 6 pita rounds sliced in half and a dollap of what tasted like pre-​made hummus $ 12. Booooooo! To top that, he brought us paper towels (like the kind out of the restroom) for napkins – classy! 0 for the food.
So essentially they totally struck out on all accords. But I gave one star for the cool décor and for the B&W movie projected on the wall.

Went for a going away party. I had read about their special happy hour Absinthe which I was kind of apprehensive about since my last experience with it wasn’t so great. Apparently the way they make it here with the sugar cube and the water is only one of 2 places in LA that does it this «authentic» way. Last time, I got it as a shot and almost threw up. This time it was sweet and smooth.
The place is really small so if you do go with a group, make sure to reserve a area. Parking is really easy with the lot right next door.

My favorite bar in the world right now.
Cozy, sexy, chic, inviting, great bartender, décor to die for and an overwhelming feeling of pure bliss supplied by the beautiful absinthe service. They pour it exactly as one would in France. The only other establishment that follows protocol is Bar Marmount according to my fave rave bartender Jake.
There is an absinthe happy hour everyday from 5−7pm. $ 5 for each serving. Wow. This place is my new home away from home.
Plenty of parking out front after 6PM.

This is a SUPER adorable place. I planned a surprise birthday party here and it turned out wonderful. The staff (Eric the coordinator and Ben the Bartender) made this event memorable and perfect!
Don’t expect this place to be full on a Saturday night. If you want something loud with tons of people then this isn’t the right place for you. We actually were the only party here on Saturday night – which was perfect. I think another couple came by the bar at one point. I liked the fact that not many people were there because I had invited about 20 people and when everyone showed up we had the whole place to ourselves. It was nice and intimate. The bar section of the hotel is very small. It probably can fit a total of 30 people if even that. The pictures on Unilocal and the website are accurate. The décor is more Asian than Parisian, I liked it! The drinks were really good and prices weren’t bad.
Parking isn’t bad at all. They have a lot next to the hotel, but we ended up parking on the street, literally in front of the hotel. The hotel looks like it’s in a residential area kind of tucked away.
We will definitely return, especially if we are looking for a quiet night. My friends loved this place!!!

it’s a small bar at the front of the boutique hotel Maison 140. The décor is black and white with accents of red. Black and white films run on a small wall sans audio.
The night I went there was a minute dating social happening so they were using all the seats. There is only one bartender and she was frazzled. The first time I went down (from my room) it was taking forever to get served so I left. Went back 20 min later and the bartender wasn’t there. Someone from the event went behind the bar to get her own water. THen I saw the bartender delivering room service. Maybe someone called in sick.
They serve absinthe here so I was intrigued by this. I ordered it. She poured it over a cube of sugar, lit the sugar on fire and then poured in water. Kinda neat. Then she over charged me. Read the menu — it says $ 5 during happy hour 5 – 7 and $ 10 after. So I corrected her and she told me she was temporary.

In a little black dress and a 6-​inch pair of new stilettos, I wanted to go out and have a classy cocktail. After visiting the good ol’ Cat and the Fiddle the night before, I was really craving a new experience, but it was Saturday night and I refused to stand in a line in those shoes… or in any shoes, for that matter.
We wanted to check out a place with a good young-​professional crowd that wouldn’t be too tough getting into. Well, I got my new experience, all right. Never before in this whole damn city (or my whole damn life, for that matter) have I ever witnessed what I found that night at Bar Noir.
We found street parking way too easily. Almost hidden in a little strip between the Santa Monica triangle, the Maison 140 looks beautiful from the outside. The bar is right inside the entryway and it’s beautifully decorated, with cozy seating, bold colors, dim lighting and a friendly barkeep. Good thing he was friendly, because all the other bar patrons seemed to be playing hide and go seek.
No, wait, actually… there was just not a single soul in the whole place. Not one. Has anyone else ever entered an L.A. bar at 11 p.m. on a Saturday night only to find not a single patron in the place? The bartender welcomed us to stay (maybe he was begging) and, when we politely declined, he actually printed out directions to another bar nearby he recommended.
I gave the place three stars because it actually looked like a great atmosphere. Why in the world are there people lined up for blocks at Bardot in Hollywood and not a single soul at Bar Noir? I will never know.

LA truly has a bar for every person and their 140+ moods for wanting to go out and drink. And Bar Noir is the perfect place to go when you’re in mood number (…), or better known as your «classy», «I wanna hear all about your love life», «I’d rather sip my Stoli dirty martini» kind of mood.
Located inside the «somewhat hidden» boutique hotel «Maison 140», Bar Noir is perfect for these hushed occasions that accompany a nice cocktail. It’s small and dark, has red and «black & white» accents, is rarely ever too crowded, and has great looking bartenders that know how to mix a drink. Instead of scoffing, the bartender might just extend you a little «wink» when you order a mojito, which is rare in Beverly Hills! The décor is sort of French and Asian inspired, which really adds to an upscale, but quaint kind of ambiance.
I used to stop in to Bar Noir after work during the week when my girlfriends and I needed to unload on our loves lives (or lack thereof). Sometimes (if I liked the guy), I’d suggest it as a meeting place for dates. Whatever the occasion, it’s the perfect place when you’d prefer a stiff drink or 3 and the ability to engage in the person you’re with.
Yes, I’m told they have absinthe!
And if you’re an out of town guest, Maison 140 is a beautiful place to stay — Trendy, Minimalistic, but Cozy.
Overall, one of my favorite bars in LA.

What makes this bar great is the lovely antique absinthe fountain at the end of the bar. The base is a silver sculpted lady welding a large glass container. Four tiny spigots hang over four preordained glasses with sugar cubes sitting on top of fancy silverware.
Once you give the go, the bartender pours the Hulk green clear liquid into the glasses and torches the the cubes on fire; A blue goblet-​o-​fire flame envelopes the sugar and melts the cube like the wicked witch of the west. Slowly the blue flame fades and that’s when the faucet is turned and cool water morphs the chlorophyll into aqua.
As the sleek aqua-​fresh liquid went down my throat, hints of licorice, cinnamon, and spices hit my palate; like a seductive Goldschläger twin.. . without the damn gold flakes.
Oh yeah.

Not a bad little place to meet up for drinks but boy, the other reviewers weren’t kidding when they said tiny! I don’t think there were more than about 25 or 30 seats in the whole place. When I got there it was full and I had to stand awkwardly to the side for awhile until a spot opened up, and even then we ended up having to sit facing another group and sharing tables.
Still, the place eventually emptied out a bit more and we were able to move to our own table off to one side with no problems — so maybe it was just that we showed up at a rare busy time. The drinks were pretty strong, and even at full capacity it was definitely quiet enough that I could actually hold a conversation without having to yell, which was really pretty nice.