Bar Noir   

Eclectic to the core, this small nightspot works hard to offer variety and has been very successful in keeping the crowds coming. Weekends are usually packed with partyers, while weeknights feature live music -- everything from hip-hop to funk, jazz to cabaret, heavy rock to acoustic singer-songwriters, even some theatrical performances -- in order to pack 'em in. The beer selection is basic, but the martinis are recommended. Nothing is cheap, except the food, which is a good mix of paninis and salads. Two small bars are stationed at either end of the narrow room, and tiny TVs play noir-genre movies with the sound off. One wall has been incongruously redecorated with a cruise ship theme, while the other remains appointed with the framed noir movie posters that once hung throughout. Waitresses are attractive -- although perhaps not as lovely as the black-and-white vamps from the '30s and 40s, but it's hard to remain fresh when you're forced to squeeze through the press of human flesh.