Located in the heart of Soho, Cafe Noir, part bistro, part tapas bar, has become a cherished neighborhood institution. With its Mediterranean ambience and reputation for hip-rattling world music DJ sessions, Cafe Noir has kept a diverse crowd of "in-the-knows" moving and shaking for over ten years.
An inspired menu featuring a wide selection of small mix-and-match plates and solid Mediterranean entrees keeps the diners coming. They nestle in the arcaded nooks or ham it up with the DJ, noshing on perfect grilled calamari, delicate goat cheese-laced Moroccan pizzas, baked brie, or seared tuna. Or all of them: the Chef's Choice of Tapas, presented with the regality of a raw-bar tower. Shrimp skewers and tuna tartare keep good company with hummus and merguez, salmon roulade and spicy lamb meatballs.
When weather permits, the bar area opens to the street. The front doors are flung open to the air, and crowds gather to converse at the windows. A tangible neighborhood vibe takes over, people mingling and interacting, fluid and inclusive.
But no matter the season, there is always the smell of espresso, the envious impulsive inquiries for extra forks for a friends' Paella, and the sense that one has truly landed somewhere special.