Where the concierge points people first
- The Blue Note, New York City — The Greenwich Village club on West 3rd Street with the famous names. Two sets most nights, a cover charge and a food or drink minimum; late sets are usually easier to get into. (40.7518, -73.9766)
- Zinc Bar — A low-lit basement nearby in the Village with a Latin and Brazilian streak to the programming. Intimate and cheaper than the headline clubs. (40.7297, -73.9989)
- Rue B — A tiny bar on Avenue B in the East Village with live jazz most nights. No stage to speak of, so you are sitting almost beside the band. (40.7279, -73.9792)
- Sistas' Place — A Bed-Stuy coffeehouse known for Saturday night jazz concerts with serious players and a community feel. Worth the trip if you want to hear jazz outside Manhattan. (40.6833, -73.9503)
- Tomi Jazz — A small, Japanese-run basement bar in Midtown East, easy to miss from the street. Good drinks, live music, and cramped in the best way. (40.7571, -73.9678)
- The Appel Room — Part of Jazz at Lincoln Center, with a glass wall behind the stage looking over Columbus Circle and Central Park. A concert hall rather than a bar. (40.7684, -73.9830)
The rest of the jazz bars in New York — every one we hold
- Blues (40.7181, -74.0029)
- Bobby's Nightclub (40.7198, -73.9931)
- BrownstoneJAZZ (40.6815, -73.9470)
- Cleopatra's Needle (40.7925, -73.9734)
- Cotton Club (40.8177, -73.9602)
- Hot Club of New York (40.7400, -73.9925)
- Jazz 966 (40.6823, -73.9622)
- Jazz Loft Project 1957-1965 (40.7464, -73.9906)
- Jazz NYC by Eleonor England (40.7530, -73.9925)
- Nyc Jazz Tour (40.7664, -73.9815)
- Patrick's Place (40.8268, -73.9394)
- Rose Theater (40.7687, -73.9828)
- St Mazie Bar and Supper Club (40.7126, -73.9558)
- St. Nick's Pub (40.8264, -73.9431)
- Terremoto Jazz Room (40.7420, -74.0055)
- The Royal Roost (40.7596, -73.9848)
- WeBop (40.7681, -73.9819)
- Williamsburg Music Center (40.7113, -73.9632)
- Winnie's Jazz Bar (40.7522, -73.9854)
- WMC Jazz (40.7113, -73.9630)
- Zirzamin (40.7271, -74.0001)
Expect a cover plus a minimum
Most New York jazz clubs charge a cover per set plus a food or drink minimum per person, and the headline clubs sell seats for a specific set time — often an early and a late set. Small bars like Rue B may have no cover at all, only the expectation that you buy a drink. After the last set, some clubs host late-night jam sessions that are cheaper and often livelier than the main show.
Questions people ask
What are the best jazz bars in New York?
The Blue Note for big names, Zinc Bar and Rue B for small rooms, Sistas' Place in Brooklyn for Saturday concerts, and The Appel Room for a concert-hall evening.
Do New York jazz clubs have a cover charge?
Most do, usually with a food or drink minimum on top. Small bars sometimes have no cover but expect you to buy drinks.
How many jazz bars are there in New York?
Num's directory maps 27 jazz and blues venues in the city.
Ask Num who is playing tonight at a jazz bar in New York
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