By Paul Mann

The walls are a dark wood. The couches are leather. Light bulbs are dimmed and candles are burning. The air is thick with smoke. Cigar Masters is one of only a few Boston bars to survive the smoking ban.

Cigar Masters has been in business since 1996 and has recently moved to its current location on Boylston Street. The store’s primary focus is on the sale of fine cigars and tobacco.

On May 5, 2003 a smoking ban was enacted in Boston, eliminating smoking in approximately 700 workplaces, restaurants and bars. Only a few businesses sidestepped the law, and Cigar Masters is one of them.

“We charge a ten dollar ‘light-up’ fee,” said Mike Higgins, one of Cigar Masters’ humidor and cigar specialists. “That way we can show that tobacco is the main source of our income.”

As long as that holds true, patrons can legally smoke in the bar. Patrons can bring their own cigar if they wish. However, the light-up fee is waved for visitors who purchase their tobacco in the Cigar Masters’ humidor.

Cigar Masters’ walk-in humidor is the largest in Boston. Inside, there are several dozen cigars to choose from, each labeled with a price- ranging from $4.75 to $22.50- country of origin and a short description of the cigars’ flavor, which vary from medium to deep to rich. The tobacconists in the humidor are helpful in finding patrons the “right cigar.”

The couches are crowded with businessmen in loosened neckties and ruffled hair. The atmosphere is noticeably more relaxed than an average bar. Customers greet the staff by name when they enter.

The alcohol prices may be a little steep for college students, with draft beers averaging $7 a pint and wines ranging from a $7 glass of white zinfandel to the $235 bottle of Opus One, a 1997 Napa Valley reserve. Ports are also served and range from $7 to $60. Soft drinks and drinks from the espresso bar range from $2 to $5.

“That place is the best,” said Mark Diperna, a junior philosophy major. “The people are kind of snobby, but it’s cool to just lie around in those big couches and smoke stogies.”

Some Northeastern students, however, are happy about the smoking ban, and frustrated that there are still smoky bars in Boston.

“I wouldn’t go there,” said Katherine Striano, a senior biology major. “I hate smoke.”

Cigar Masters permits 18 yearolds to enter solely for the purchase of the tobacco. However, patrons must be at least 21 years old to remain in the bar after making their purchase.

Cigar Masters is loacted at 745 Boylston St. and is open from 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday and noon to 11 p.m. on Sundays.