Noir Tapas & Rendezvous Lounge

Came here on a weekday night. There was live music. It was a couple with a ukulele, and they were lovely! My friend and I just chilled and we had fruity delicious drinks on the couches. Bartender was super nice and accommodating/​helpful. I came here a second time with another friend, and we sat out on the patio. Service was okay this time, we had desserts and appetizers which were decent.

Very cool place, especially for dates. The tapas are very good and mixed drinks also good. The booths are difficult to sit in, however, and kind of put you at a bizarre height and distance from the other person across the table.

I went here with a small group (8) and while the food was good, the wait times were really, really long. The waiter replied, «it takes a while to make the tapas». Because of the wait times, we have removed this from our places to frequent while in Peoria.

New owner alert! Attended a gathering here in their upstairs private room (s) which was a really great area. Has it’s own bar and lots of tables and couch seating plus the whole balcony full of tables. The women’s room was out of order which made for some long lines later in the evening (poor guys waiting for the urinal!) and they ran out of the most common alcohol brands by the end of the party but once those items get straightened up, I would totally consider renting this space for something in the future.
We ate a few bites mid-​party downstairs and they seemed less expensive than my last review although maybe the selections are also different. I can’t find a menu now to look at and had already imbibed several tasty sangrias upstairs so couldn’t name the exact dishes we had except one was a veggie flatbread and one had shrimp wrapped in bacon. Our server was very energetic and helpful which made the night that much better.
So get back in here and give them another try!

Awesome drink selection. Great staff. The fish tacos are great (also on special Thursday nights). The Brie puffs were like a toaster strudel on steroids.

I have had the pleasure of dining here with friends multiple times, and we are always impressed. We recently got the experience of having a small wedding reception in the upstairs room and we were all very pleased. Our service was personable, attentive, and timely. The tapas were excellent, especially the hummus, feta bruschetta, and lamb. Our dinner was also wonderful. There was a set menu but I chose the 8 oz filet, which was cooked to perfection, excellently seasoned, and served with delicious potatoes and some asparagus. We had a wonderful time in a wonderful atmosphere. I couldn’t have imagined a more romantic spot for our party. Thank you Noir!

Killer place! The tres Leches cake is life changing. Loved the mango and bacon wrapped shrimp. Also, the service is top notch. I never had to ask for more water or beers.

Great vibe for date night! Low lighting and sheek décor. The food has been excellent every time and the drinks are mixed well.

I really, really want to love this place. I have been there about five times and the service has always been a bit spotty. The tapas that I have had are all very good, especially the lamb and the dates. But the one time I got the paella, it was bad… lacking authentic flavor and with uncooked rice. I feel Noir is a bit pricey as well for what it is.

Noir could get 5 stars for the amazing ambience. It is absolutely gorgeous and inviting and certainly not what you would expect to find in Peoria. That is, until it comes to the Fox news telecast that plays nonstop. Even when asked to change it, we were told that the owner insists on playing FOXNews all the time. This disappointed us, and it would have disappointed us if any news station was playing in such an elegant environment. We went here to relax, not watch the news! The evening we went, it has been particularly hot and the ceiling was dripping, so I ended up with an array of tiny bugs in my water! We hoped that the food would make up for all of this. However, it was just okay given the full-​size meal expense. I think it would be a lovely place for a glass of wine but then go somewhere else for dinner.

3^rd visit here. The place continues to impress. The variety and quality of food is way above average. They change up the menu on a regular basis but keep a consistent mix of ingredients. My wife and I went with another couple. Our plan was to share everything. You must order one of the paella dishes. We had the chicken and chorizo paella. The rice was a perfect texture and the chorizo had the right amount of spice. We also had several other dishes. Our favorite was the bacon-​wrapped chicken dates. The orange marmalade sauce was fantastic.
A big compliment to our server, Jeremy. He was attentive and asked questions before making suggestions. All of his suggestions were a hit with us, including the drinks.

Enjoyed a midweek dinner and music here recently. Note, there is also a listing on Unilocal for Noir Bar which is basically the same thing, but not… let me explain.
This Lounge/​Bar/​restaraunt are on the main social drag in Peoria Heights. Tucked in a bit, it is between Hearth to the south and the Publik house a bit to the north. It seems like the primary business, Noir Tapas and Lounge, is on the first floor, and upstairs is another lounge, bar, outdoor patio (that’s gonna be nice) and a place for musicians.
Parking is ridiculous, but anyone who does stuff in the Heights, at these hot spots, already knows that. For anyone new, plan ahead, you’ll probably have to look a bit.
When you go into the bar, it is nice, dimmly lit, fancy bar, impressive, and extensive, pricey wine and other drink list. I’m just a regular person who enjoys a nice glass of wine, and know my varieties, and that was too much for me. No doubt there will be many people who enjoy saying what they’ve had and comparing notes (and prices). I don’t have money for that stuff and there isn’t much else there for a regular joe. Since this was a bit of a special occasion and we opted for the next best thing, the red Sangria. That was delicious. Full of fruit and a nice, flavorful red wine, and thankfully not watered down with ice cubes! The point here is that you could enjoy the wine as well as the beverage.
We ordered our tapas, i ordered a shredded pork on polenta (I think, we didn’t get it, but were delivered hummus instead, which I enjoyed, nice and garlicy, good naan to go with, not enjoyed so by my co-​partier) we got some aoli drizzled potatoes, yummy, and some mushrooms. Also very enjoyable. Those 3 «tapas» and a pitcher of sangria and we were full. The pitcher of sangria was $ 35 when all was said and done, and that is about what was paid for the dishes. It was all good, and for our area, tasty. You have to have some bad hummus to notice the difference. They were just potatoes, not, and the same with the mushrooms. Were they worth nearly $ 10 a piece? No, but you wouldn’t think you were out doing «fancy» if they didn’t charge that much! There are so many little dishes it is hard to base a full rating on what we had. We enjoyed ours, even if one of them was a surprise.
Now, here is the think you need to know if you are going order eats for upstairs. This night they had a band upstairs and there is no direct route to upstairs from INSIDE. So, regardless of the shoes you have on and what you are carrying drink wise, you have to run outside, round the corner, and go up a flight of stairs. This will also be the route your warm food has to take to meet you upstairs. This isn’t a regular option, so keep that in mind. If you go any other time, get a reservation, there are just a few places to relax. And that is kind of the point, slow down and enjoy.
It was good, for here, glad it is here, not for kids, please, and there is an expectation of a certain dress and etiquette with the prices.
Went back again last week with a friend. We had the potatoes and aoli, always good. We had the meatballs too. 4 meatballs, flavored heavily with sage, a bit dense, and a bit pink still in the center. The tomato sauce was tasty, but we probably won’t get those again. We also had the bacon wrapped chicken bites. It was just a piece of bacon around a piece of chicken. Not worth repeating either. And definately not worthy of the prices.
The sangria was good. Be warned, the pitcher is $ 35.

Excellent all the way around. Went with my wife and friends. Had a great time. Food, beer, and sangria were spectacular.

Awesome tapas… You have to get the Scallops a la Mancha!!! Ask for Nathan, great service.

Great food and décor. Only tapas style restaurant in this area. Has a wonderful social environment. It’s a nice change not to order dinner and get a mountain of food that no reasonable person can finish.

Overall just not impressed. The tapas were small for the price, this is Peoria, not NYC. After living in Boston, S. Fla and Fairfield County CT and frequenting tapas style restaurants in all, I can say these were some of the most overpriced tapas I have ever had and for only average quality.
The service was beyond slow, ya ya ya, I know its Spanish style, but even in Barcelona, the service was faster. The sangria had no ice in it. The waiter didn’t know what a carafe was. Olives were below average. Didn’t try the Paella since we were floored by the price of $ 96 for a large mixta. (I love to cook and have been told i make a good paella, there is NO reason rice, meat and some seafood should ever cost this much)
On the positives side, decent beer selection. Bacon wrapped pineapple grilled shrimp and the Scallops in cream sauce were very good.

This place has great ambiance and good martinis, but the food leaves little to be desired.
We ordered a few things and of them all, the calamari in the spicy sauce and vegetables was the best. The fried cheese was oddly sweet and the crab cakes had a gritty sand like substance in them.
The asparagus was too salty and the tuna tartar was difficult to maneuver. Also the tuna had many tastes, none of which were pleasing.
I would not go here again if I was really hungry. Maybe just for snacks, martinis and ambiance.

I have had some great tapas here!
If you let your stomach get bigger than your head, the bill can easily creep up there. I find that 3 – 4 tapas are enough for a light meal for my husband and I, along with some wine.
I haven’t eaten scallops for years and was convinced I hated them, but after trying a bite of the scallops from Noir, I have a new appreciation… delicious!
Join their email club for a birthday goodie.

I currently live in a college town in Indiana that has no appreciation whatsoever when it comes to the style of Tapas eating. So when i visited my friend in Peoria I said we must go here! Peoria Heights definitely seems like the up and coming area.
This place is DARLING. We arrived on a Saturday night around 10pm. Noir is about ¾th full. Dimly lit, with black and white movies playing on the wall. Candles on the small leather sofa/​coffee table style dining tables. A few high top tables and 8 bar stools along a beautiful bar. The perfect intimate spot.
We are bar people, so we help ourselves to a seat. At the moment they must have been a bit busy with something, we waited a few minutes and who turned out to be the owner came over and ask us what she could get us to drink, supplied us with a great wine list, signature martini list and a great craft beer list. I’ve got a bottle of Ginger Vodka at home (from a liquor rep) that i don’t really know what to do with, they had a martini using it so i gave it a try. Different and Inventive.
We begin with the Cold Meat and Cheese tray. Good selection on the tray, about ¾ types of meat and the same of cheese. Seemed fresh, flavorful, quality and unique. I was a little upset because i was so curious what kind of meats and cheeses they all were. They were recognizable but all had something diff about them, she never came by for me bug her to explain them to us… I’m still curious about it.
The Scallops were AMAZING. I’m craving them three weeks and 300 miles away later. We also had Lamb Bites with a Greek Yogurt Sauce– very good! good flavor, cooked properly and refreshing with the sauce. Tuna Tartare was good, but nothing i havent had before. Beef and Blue Brushetta– yummy!
All in all a one of a kind Intimate and Romantic spot. Something i’d expect to find in Chicago. Cant wait to go back.

We stopped here late one night and had a great experience. The owner was very welcoming and entertaining.
The alcohol selection is of both standards favs as well as an equally wide assortment of boutique spirits.
The décor is modern and classy. There were four or so areas with leather couches for that ambiance. There were high top and short four-​top tables. The bar had about eight stools that were very comfortable.
We did not eat but had a few drinks. They were on the higher end of the price scale for Peoria. Worth it because this hidden hotspot is a great asset to Peoria Heights!
The bartender, Steph, was very cute and nailed the good pours.
There is also a patio that they use when it’s warm. They have doors that open the entire front of the restaurant/​bar up to the street in the summer.
This spot will provide me a nice spot to look forward to in Peoria. About time! :)