Fragrance comparison

Sidi Bel-Abbès vs Cafe Ambre Noir

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

Updated 18 Oct 2026 318 ratings analysed

Sidi Bel-Abbès

Serge Lutens · 2025

4.34217 votes

Rank #2,945 LeatherTobacco

Full profile Similar & dupes

12%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Cafe Ambre Noir

Sultan Pasha Attars

4.32101 votes

Rank #2,335 Warm SpicyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Cafe Ambre Noir takes 5 of 7 categories.

Sidi Bel-Abbès
Choose it for a leather and tobacco character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in winter, evening wear.
Cafe Ambre Noir
Choose it for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Sidi Bel-Abbès2/7

Cafe Ambre Noir5/7

Ratings & consensus: Sidi Bel-Abbès
Community sentiment: Sidi Bel-Abbès
Longevity: Cafe Ambre Noir
Sillage & projection: Cafe Ambre Noir
Value for money: Cafe Ambre Noir
Versatility: Cafe Ambre Noir
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

Sidi Bel-AbbèsSerge Lutens

Cafe Ambre NoirSultan Pasha Attars

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.34/ 5 · 217 votes

Have 24%Had 8%Want 68%

4.32/ 5 · 101 votes

Have 24%Had 7%Want 68%

Category winnerSidi Bel-AbbèsRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

52%Love

36%Like

6%Ok

5%Dislike

1%Hate

166 votes

56%Love

26%Like

6%Ok

10%Dislike

2%Hate

50 votes

Category winnerSidi Bel-AbbèsMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate84

⏱ Longevity90

〰 Sillage74

♥ Love / hate86

Category winners

LongevityCafe Ambre Noir

SillageCafe Ambre Noir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value35

¤ Price value57

Category winnerCafe Ambre NoirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

leather100%

tobacco92%

animalic84%

beeswax77%

vanilla69%

sweet61%

warm spicy100%

woody92%

coffee84%

amber77%

cacao69%

sweet61%

Scent match12%Clearly different · both sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Tobacco

Heart

Beeswax

Base

LeatherVanilla

Top

CoffeeRum

Heart

TobaccoSpicesCambodian OudTea RoseHyacinth

Base

CacaoMaltBeeswaxLabdanumPatchouliCade oilSiam BenzoinGuaiac Wood

InformationalShared notesTobacco, Beeswax and Spices. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring45

Summer21

Fall0

Winter100

Day75

Night100

Spring25

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerCafe Ambre NoirMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men28

Unisex55

Women18

Men60

Unisex40

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,945

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2025

Reviews41

Overall rank#2,335

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews41

Category winnerCafe Ambre NoirHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Sidi Bel-Abbès by Serge Lutens offers a distinct, arid profile on the skin. This unisex fragrance blends raw tobacco with sun-drenched sand and warm spices. It is a compelling choice for those seeking an atmospheric, non-sweet scent for crisp autumn days, providing a steady and grounded presence that lingers throughou…

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, Sidi Bel-Abbès or Cafe Ambre Noir?

Cafe Ambre Noir takes 5 of 7 categories. Sidi Bel-Abbès is rated 4.34/5 from 217 votes; Cafe Ambre Noir is rated 4.32/5 from 101 votes. Choose Sidi Bel-Abbès for a leather and tobacco character. Wins on ratings & consensus and community sentiment. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Cafe Ambre Noir for a warm spicy and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Sidi Bel-Abbès or Cafe Ambre Noir?

Cafe Ambre Noir lasts longest (Cafe Ambre Noir 90/100, Sidi Bel-Abbès 74/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Sidi Bel-Abbès or Cafe Ambre Noir?

Cafe Ambre Noir projects furthest (Cafe Ambre Noir 74/100, Sidi Bel-Abbès 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Sidi Bel-Abbès and Cafe Ambre Noir smell similar?

Clearly different: a 12% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet accords. Common notes include Tobacco, Beeswax and Spices.

Is Sidi Bel-Abbès or Cafe Ambre Noir better for summer or winter?

For summer, Sidi Bel-Abbès is the stronger pick. For winter, Sidi Bel-Abbès is the stronger pick. Sidi Bel-Abbès suits evening wear; Cafe Ambre Noir suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Sidi Bel-Abbès and Cafe Ambre Noir?

Sidi Bel-Abbès has top notes of Tobacco, heart notes of Beeswax, a base of Leather and Vanilla. 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.