Live Jazz
39 bars that New York on Tap listed under “Live Jazz” around 2008, with what's licensed at each address in 2026.
Manhattan
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735 10th Ave. · Hells Kitchen
Closed; now HaSalon NYC
Low key hotel bar attracts a crowd almost as diverse as New York itself.
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55 BarPick
55 Christopher St. · West Village
Closed; now Love Thy Neighbor
Friendly and low key Jazz bar that rarely charges a cover.
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5C Cafe and Cultural CenterPick
68 Ave. C · East Village
Closed
Relaxed and inexpensive jazz venue way off the beaten track.
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156 Rivington St. · Lower East Side
No license found in 2026
Artist collective, community support space, and Punk and Hardcore venue.
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57 Grove St. · West Village
Still pouring
No cover and a 1 drink minimum means this soulful jazz and blues joint is almost always packed, but thanks to the good the service and the friendly vibe it never seems a problem.
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Baggot InnPick
82 W. 3rd St. · Greenwich Village
Closed; now Zinc Bar
Warm environs, cheap beer, and nightly live music, you'd never guess you were just a block away from Bleeker Street.
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315 W. 44th St. · Hells Kitchen
Still pouring
Unbeatable talent, accoustics and sitelines make this famed jazz joint a popular tourist choice. Steep cover charges and drink minimums mean you'll leave with the feeling that you've gotten exactly what you paid for.
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131 W. 3rd St. · Greenwich Village
Still pouring
The lines are a block long and the prices are exorbitant. Unless you know and love the band there are better jazz venues all over NYC.
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308 Bowery · NoHo
Still pouring
Not just a venue for readings this is a venue for poets. Coffee, sandwiches, WiFi, and perhaps most importantly a bar, create a space to unwind when writers block sets in.
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1813 Amsterdam Ave. · Hamilton Heights
A different business is licensed at this address: Bleu Room Restaurant and Lounge LLC, The
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CachacaPick
35 W. 8th St. · Greenwich Village
Closed; now Mace
The live music at this Brazilian samba joint fills the place with more than enough latin heat to overcome the nondescript décor.
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156 56th St. (CitySpire Centre) · Midtown West
Still pouring
An elegant and sophisticated slice of classic New York. Enjoying a perfect martini while soaking in the sounds of an 11 piece orchestra featured on Saturday nights is an experience well worth the $30 cover.
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10 Columbus Circle · Hells Kitchen
Still pouring
This polished and classy venue is one of the best places to catch modern jazz in the city. The soul food is above par and the view of Central Park is nothing short of spectacular.
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9 Ave. A · East Village
Closed; now Wiggle Room
A bi-level jazz joint decked out in cheapskate 20's glam from the owners of the Gallery Bar and Plan B. For now the emplasis seems to be on contrived exclusivity rather than the music.
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Knitting FactoryPick
74 Leonard St. · TriBeCa
No license found in 2026
Great place to see a show. And an all ages policy means this is the bar to take your underage niece/nephew to give them a taste of New York.
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Lenox LoungePick
288 Lenox Ave. · Central Harlem
Closed; now Wells Fargo
Opened in the 30's and recently renovated this Harlem institution has hosted all of the cities greats from Davis to Coltrane. The ribs are to die for and the jazz is still some of the best in the city. Attracts a mix of students, tourists, and neighborhood locals.
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649 E. 9th St. · East Village
Closed; now The Cabinet
There's free jazz 7 nights and a good wine and beer selection at this homey village haunt.
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34 W. 22nd St. · Union Square/ Flatiron
Closed; now Honeybrains
Cabaret and jazz bar inhabbiting the former Gotham Comedy Club space.
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206 W. 118th St. · Central Harlem
Closed
This once world famous uptown jazz club had been shuttered for 30 years, but was reopened in the Spring of 2006 and is well on its way down the long road to regaining its former glory.
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Next Door at La Lanterna di VittorioPick
129 MacDougal St. · Greenwich Village
Still pouring
Head to the back and down the stairs of La Lanterna di Vittorio to find a wine and jazz bar that's about as warm and romantic a location as you could imagine.
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355 W. 41st St. · Hells Kitchen
Closed; now Red Eye NY
Cheap pitchers, free hot dogs and free full sized pool tables. Oh, yeah, and randomly the bartenders wear bikinis. It might even be reason enough to go to Hell's Kitchen.
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St. Pauls Chapel · Morningside Heights
No license found in 2026
Enjoy a Pop-Tart with some coffee, mulled cider, or beer at this music venue in the basement of St. Paul's Chapel . Not only is the music all acoustic, it's also unamplified, which hasn't deterred the likes of Jeff Buckley, Ani DiFranco, Lisa Loeb, and Suzanne Vega from playing here.
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ProhibitionPick
503 Columbus Ave. · Upper West Side
Still pouring
Candle light, dark wood and crimson walls set the tone for this sexy spacious lounge. And with nightly live music, a consistent kitchen, and a full menu it's no surprise that Prohibition is one of the most popular lounges on the UWS.
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Rue BPick
188 Ave. B · East Village
Closed; now Oddball
A seductive lounge that manages to be classy without being uptight. Attracts a diverse crowd spanning generations and continents with live music, an efficient bar, and a kitchen that could stands on its own.
Brooklyn
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111 Oriental Blvd · Manhattan Beach
A different business is licensed at this address: 111
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609 Grand St. · East Williamsburg
Closed; now Blinky’s
Grungy low key atmosphere + second furniture + back garden + pool table + live jazz - hipsters = A solid neighborhood bar.
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Stain Wine BarPick
766 Grand St. · East Williamsburg
Closed; now Brooklyn Standard
Just far enough from Bedford Ave to have retained its soul, Stain is a low key art bar supporting local artists and hosting a popular craft night - PAINTstain "talent optional".
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155 Atlantic Ave. · Brooklyn Heights
A different business is licensed at this address: Brado
There's good reason the Waterfront Ale House has been a Brooklyn Heights staple for over a decade. The food is consistently delicious and the 18 taps host a beer for every taste including cask conditioned ales.
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ZebulonPick
258 Wythe Ave. · Williamsburg North Side
Moved to Frogtown, Los Angeles
In Williamsburg where what passes for Bohemia tends to be deintellectualized, unsubstantive and culturally barren, a night spent in Zebulon can be almost disorienting. Patrons emerge at the end of the night as if from a darkened theatre where they've been transported by some strange fiction to a world bereft of pop culture references or tedious irony.
Queens
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32-05 Crescent St. · Woodhaven
Closed
Exposed brick, faux Louie XIV furniture, and wall of windows make the Crescent Lounge a neighborhood favorite.
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50-04 Vernon Blvd · Long Island City
A different business is licensed at this address: On The Seven
It's not easy to pull off relaxed opulence. Have a seat on a leather bound stool, lean over the marble bar, sample a few oysters from the raw bar, a little foie gras, and mull over the puzzle of how dissimilar class is to pretense.
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2314 Ditmars Blvd · Astoria
Closed; now Meri's Bakeshop Café
Coffee, wine, desert bar, and performance space. Poetry, Jazz, and hip-hop in a low-key space.
Already closed by 2009
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Bellevue BarClosed by 2009
538 9th Ave. · Central Harlem
A different business is licensed at this address: Blue Ruin
A once great dive bar driven into the ground by new ownership. But fear not former owner Jimmy Duff has opened a new bar in Williamsburg called, what else, Duff's.
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Blue Lady LoungeClosed by 2009
41 W. 57th St. · Midtown West
No license found in 2026
Jazz lounge on the 2nd floor of Shelly's restaurant.
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Le Jazz Au BarPickClosed by 2009
41 E. 58th St. · Midtown East
No license found in 2026
CLOSED AS OF JULY 18, 2006.
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Up Over Jazz CaféClosed by 2009
351 Flatbush Ave. · Prospect Heights
No license found in 2026
Temporarily closed
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VARJAKClosed by 2009
923 8th Ave. · Midtown West
A different business is licensed at this address: Barcelona Bar
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The West EndPickClosed by 2009
2911 Broadway · Morningside Heights
Closed; now Hex & Co.
Not just a Morningside Heights bar, The West End is the Morningside Heights bar. The beat generation was born here, dizzy Gillespie played here, and virtually every student to ever attend Columbia has passed through here.