"There was absolutely nothing as cool in Salem as Archive, a coffee-shop-plus-cocktail-bar with a speakeasy vibe, when it opened in 2014. Anchored by a double-sided bar, it’s loaded with Instagram-ready stacks of old books and other library aesthetic ephemera lining the slate-hued walls. A project of local Jesse Hayes, the coffee-and-cocktail bar remains a heavy-hitter in the city’s downtown scene. Daytime, visit for espresso beverages made with their own roasts; one signature is the Bee’s Knees, a latte with house-made honey-rosemary-lavender syrup. At happy hour, Archive’s original drinks are the best you’ll find in Salem’s increasingly vibrant cocktail scene. Pre-pandemic, the bar was also known for incredibly ambitious theme parties, and a monthly Formal First Saturday that invited guests to dress up in cocktail attire." - Emily Teel
