NOIR (CLOSED)
203 SE Grand Ave Portland, OR 97214Phone: (503) 231.2925
Located in: Southeast Portland - Visit Website
BarFly's Review of NOIR (CLOSED)
See East End. Review saved for posterity.
Passers-by glancing through floor-to-ceiling windows at the nondescript, unattended booths seemingly held over from the old Rabbit Hole days wouldn't ever presume a Gothic danceclub lay underneath. Friday nights are the only officially-designated Goth nights (first Fridays spin ’80s with a selection of more-macabre ’80s classics on the turntable and, confusingly, ’80s drink specials - Sweet Tart, etc.) but an industrial-tending crowd requesting their soundtracks haunt most evenings.
The notoriously dark hallway to the disconcerting bathrooms is better-lit now than previous years but still features the odd door hand-labeled "B 12: Artist's Studio NOT A RESTROOM”?. It's home to a novelist of local legend living midst a deluge of books and paraphernalia far scarier than anyone dancing beyond.
B-Side Tavern, Beaker & Flask, Biwa, Bossanova, Branx, Doug Fir Lounge, East End, Kir Wine Bar, My Father's Place, Produce Row, Rontoms, Rotture, Side Door, Slow Bar, The Slammer
but the cash macheene be a tad bit sketch...if there ain no tape it don mean it ain taxin...
Not a bad subterranean lair on a Saturday night. There were some non-pretentious people there. The music was good sometimes. The music at places like this is all that matters to me.
First time in the place and it was fairly enjoyable-Friendly types and reasonable latrines to piss in but the three rotating djs varied and really 2 of the 3 were prefered(i dont recall who any were) but goth/industrial and classix of the 80s were the menu and that was kinda fun. A nice fellow complimented me oln my way out of the toilets...not intrested but still nice...im sure in time Noir will build to be a great place...I would and WILL be going back again....check it out sometime
The old Sunday subterranean poetry night was the only place in town to hear real poetry from people you wouldn't want to run into outside of the place. The late night basement feel only added to the effect. Poetry and sobriety should never mix.
This place is a goth/techno, pathetic and sorry excuse for a drinking facility. Went there for new years and they never even counted down the new year because everybody in there was high on all kinds of manufactured drugs. I wouldn't go there again if they bought all my drinks. Service was good though...shitty thing for them
They made the dancefloor way bigger so Saturday nights can rock more! Personally, I think they should put one booth back in across from the bar. Nobody dances there anyways and it relegates non-dancers to the other room so it looks slow half the time. But I think it totally rocks otherwise!
The Noir has a very intimate atmosphere and is a great place to either hang out with old friends or sit at the bar by yourself. Besides the long walk to the bathroom I can't think of anything that needs improvement.
