Fragrance comparison

L'Eau du Navigateur vs Cafe Ambre Noir

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 19 Oct 2026 628 ratings analysed

L'Eau du Navigateur

L'Artisan Parfumeur

4.18527 votes

Rank #4,328 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

53%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Cafe Ambre Noir

Sultan Pasha Attars

4.32101 votes

Rank #2,336 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cafe Ambre Noir takes 5 of 7 categories.

L'Eau du Navigateur
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Cafe Ambre Noir
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

L'Eau du Navigateur2/7

Cafe Ambre Noir5/7

Ratings & consensus: Cafe Ambre Noir
Community sentiment: L'Eau du Navigateur
Longevity: Cafe Ambre Noir
Sillage & projection: Cafe Ambre Noir
Value for money: Cafe Ambre Noir
Versatility: L'Eau du Navigateur
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Cafe Ambre Noir

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

L'Eau du NavigateurL'Artisan Parfumeur

Cafe Ambre NoirSultan Pasha Attars

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.18/ 5 · 527 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

4.32/ 5 · 101 votes

Have 24%Had 7%Want 68%

Category winnerCafe Ambre NoirRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

43%Love

44%Like

2%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

527 votes

56%Love

26%Like

6%Ok

10%Dislike

2%Hate

50 votes

Category winnerL'Eau du NavigateurMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity90

〰 Sillage74

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

LongevityCafe Ambre Noir

SillageCafe Ambre Noir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price value57

Category winnerCafe Ambre NoirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

woody92%

amber84%

tobacco77%

coffee69%

balsamic61%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

coffee84%

amber77%

cacao69%

sweet61%

Scent match53%Some overlap · both warm spicy, woody and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Notes

SpicesRumTobaccoWoodsy NotesCoffeeResinIncenseLeatherMyrrhCedarFloral Notes

No top / heart / base split published

Top

CoffeeRum

Heart

TobaccoSpicesCambodian OudTea RoseHyacinth

Base

CacaoMaltBeeswaxLabdanumPatchouliCade oilSiam BenzoinGuaiac Wood

InformationalShared notesSpices, Rum, Tobacco and Coffee. Durations are only published for L'Eau du Navigateur, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring35

Summer25

Fall100

Winter74

Day56

Night100

Spring25

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerL'Eau du NavigateurMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men49

Unisex49

Women3

Casual 35%Date 30%Work 19%Party 16%

Men60

Unisex40

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,328

PerfumerJean-Claude Ellena, Jean-Francois Laporte

Launched—

Reviews34

Overall rank#2,336

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews41

Category winnerCafe Ambre NoirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

L'Eau du Navigateur opens with an immediate kick of dark roasted coffee beans, sweet pipe tobacco, and aged dark rum. Created in 1979 by Jean-Claude Ellena and Jean-Francois Laporte, this pioneering woody spicy blend smells like the hold of a historic wooden trading vessel packed with dried spices, resins, and leather…

Reviews →

Cafe Ambre Noir by Sultan Pasha Attars is a dense, unapologetic gourmand centered on rich coffee and dark rum. This attar leans into heavy, resinous base notes like cacao, patchouli, and oud, creating an intense profile that demands cold weather. It is a bold, long-lasting scent designed for those who appreciate deep,…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, L'Eau du Navigateur or Cafe Ambre Noir?

Cafe Ambre Noir takes 5 of 7 categories. L'Eau du Navigateur is rated 4.18/5 from 527 votes; Cafe Ambre Noir is rated 4.32/5 from 101 votes. Choose L'Eau du Navigateur for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Cafe Ambre Noir for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, L'Eau du Navigateur or Cafe Ambre Noir?

Cafe Ambre Noir lasts longest (Cafe Ambre Noir 90/100, L'Eau du Navigateur 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, L'Eau du Navigateur or Cafe Ambre Noir?

Cafe Ambre Noir projects furthest (Cafe Ambre Noir 74/100, L'Eau du Navigateur 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do L'Eau du Navigateur and Cafe Ambre Noir smell similar?

Some overlap: a 53% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and amber accords. Common notes include Spices, Rum, Tobacco and Coffee.

Is L'Eau du Navigateur or Cafe Ambre Noir better for summer or winter?

For summer, L'Eau du Navigateur is the stronger pick. For winter, Cafe Ambre Noir is the stronger pick. L'Eau du Navigateur suits evening wear; Cafe Ambre Noir suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in L'Eau du Navigateur and Cafe Ambre Noir?

L'Eau du Navigateur features Spices, Rum, Tobacco, Woodsy Notes and Coffee. Cafe Ambre Noir has top notes of Coffee and Rum, heart notes of Tobacco, Spices, Cambodian Oud and Tea Rose, a base of Cacao, Malt, Beeswax and Labdanum.