Jazz Standard

Celebrated my 20^th wedding anniversary here and it was awesome. Food was good, entertainment was outstanding. Very diverse crowd, atmosphere was romantic. Just a beautiful establishment

During last year’s trip to NYC, I came to Jazz Standard twice. My first visit was 5-​star, but the second suffered from a very sub-​standard server. On this visit, we’re back to 5-​stars. Came for the Mingus Big Band (they were great — though this evaluation is not of them. They play most Mondays). I couldn’t figure what to order and finally settled on brisket with mac n cheese and a side of beans. The brisket was heavenly with one big edge of a burnt end that I saved like frosting for my last mouthful. Both sides, mac n cheese and beans, were very good. Great beer selections. Very comfortable venue. No minimum on food and drinks, but you’ll want to get both.

Romance for the soul!
Superb live music with the best ambiance. We watched the show for Sinatra’s 100^th year celebration and it blew me away. Vocals and band were outstanding… I wished it would never end.
The drinks were really yummy & service was friendly and accommodating.
Definitely a must! Call for reservations the day before & come when doors open to get good seats/​order food.

Overall a great experience for the jazz music and BBQ food and I will definitely come back to Jazz Standard! I came on a saturday night for the Sinatra 100^th birthday tribute performance and dinner. I came with a friend, and it would also make a lovely date night (there were lots of couples there). The band, vocalists and conductor were all outstanding — for their music and entertainment, especially the main vocalist Sachal Vasandani who sang Sinatra songs.
For dinner (which comes from the upstairs Blue Smoke restaurant) I got the 3 course prix fixe at $ 39. Had the BBQ shrimp (delicious sauce!) for first course, BBQ chicken (also great, and comes with yummy sweet potato mash topped with crunchy pecans) for second course, and key lime pie for dessert (especially like the passionfruit sauce and graham cracker crust). I saw a couple near us were given a piece of chocolate cake with happy birthday written in chocolate syrup on the plate. I think the birthday was mentioned to the staff ahead of time and I thought that was a nice touch as it was a surprise for the girl whose birthday it was.
Service was also excellent. The staff were courteous and attentive without being too intrusive while the performance was going on (Jazz Standard is more the type of jazz club where people don’t talk during the performance) and were good about refilling water as needed.
The only small critique I have is that the check in process was very inefficient. As other reviewers commented also, doors don’t actually open at 9:00pm as advertised and when they do start letting people in it was extremely slow and other people behind us were also frustrated (not sure if it was just that night). We arrived at 9:00pm for 9:30pm show. We were probably around the 15^th party in line and ended up seated around 9:30pm. We were seated in the front area of the stage. The show didn’t start exactly at 9:30pm though — we were able to place our dinner order and get the first course before the show started.

One of my favorite places. Great place to bring friends visiting NYC. Get there an hour before showtime and order your dinner right away (they are downstairs from Blue Smoke BBQ and offer their food) because once people start showing up closer to showtime the kitchen gets slammed, plus you’ll be eating in the dark while trying to enjoy the performance. They have an amazing service team, all the wait staff are wonderful and warm people. Love love love this place.

I am a big fan of the Jazz Standard. Good acts, good sound, and –unlike most music venues — very good food. BUT (hence the lack of the 5^th star) — if you sit at/​near the bar you will constantly hear the sound of the bartenders vigorously shaking drinks in a metal shaker that is extremely loud. This is a jazz venue not a «trendy» bar, so there is no need for the bartenders to put on a show by shaking a drink over their shoulder 10 times. A simple 2 or 3 pours b/​w glasses will suffice for most cocktails, and if it needs actual shaking then get shakers made out of a different (quieter) material and do the shaking below bar level so the sound does not carry.

This is a classic and wonderful place. Saw Kenny Werner, the great jazz pianist, there last night with two other amazing musicians. The space feels good— Feels like there really would not be a bad seat in the house. And the food was QUITE good. I had the pre-​fixe— really nice selections. And the server was fantastic, too. Just a really great place!

I am giving it 2 stars for the music however the food was horrible. The Mac&Cheese was way too salty. I couldn’t have more than one bite. The chicken was dry and salty however the bbq sauce took a little out from the salty taste. The wine we ordered was not fit for the price we paid. My first time experience was not that great. I won’t be going back there again.

Dafnis Prieto Sextet is performing tonight, AND this place has 2 Balcones whiskies among other greats; the Baby Blue & the Single Malt! The food is good, music amazing, friendly staff all around (who are EXTREMELY patient when dealing with the seating whims of high maintenance folks!), and a great night out. The ticket, line, Will Call, etc. experience was fine, and not as some other high maintenance reviewers described, although it is true that «doors open» closer to 6:30.

New York has something for everybody. There are clubs with no cover, clubs with drinks but no food, and clubs with drinks and mediocre food. But if you want good food and a top notch show, this is the place. Drinks are creative, the BBQ is delicious and we have seen some of the best jazz musicians here. Really enjoyed their smoked Maker’s Mark. It’s a great night out. It’s not cheap, but we keep coming back.
Only quibble: the published «doors open» time is not when they open. You end up standing in the lobby and then on the stairs for quite a while. Doesn’t seem like it should have to be a big deal to update the web site with the correct time. If you want to open the doors later, fine. Just tell people the actual time.

Fun date night idea! BBQ + Jazz… who can say no to that?!
The BBQ was tasty! We ordered the BBQ chicken (delish, and my fave of the night!) and the crispy chicken sandwich (good, but the BBQ chicken was better). We also had the mac n cheese — creamy & the perfect accompaniment. My only critique is that I wish they included sides with the large entrees (you have to purchase them on the side).
The jazz was excellent! They played for a solid hour and kept us entertained the whole time. My husband and I didn’t have reservations but were still able to get in 5m before the show started on a Friday night — though we didn’t get the best seats in the house, we were able to enjoy the music and food.
The cost is $ 35 per person + dinner… it was worth it for a special treat!

We had a great experience here. First of all, I could take my music-​loving 14 year-​old son. That’s not easy to find in any city. The atmosphere is perfect for the music: underground away from the noise, dark and full of red décor accents. The tables aren’t ridiculously close together. The wait staff is efficient, and they seem to blend in when the entertainment starts. We had drinks and apps, and both were excellent. The Deviled eggs were silky and tasty without being overdone (and I am a Southern girl who knows), and the BBQ chips and blue cheese bacon dip was a perfect pairing. The music was AWESOME. Christian McBride performed the evening we went. It really was a wonderful night.

What a lovely experience! I normally don’t listen to jazz on a day to day but the show was great! We had appetizers and drinks at the bar upstairs which we were able to take downstairs. We saw the Houston Person Quartet. They were so good and the songs were very romantic should you choose to bring a date ;)
We initially sat close to the stage but moved to the bar and enjoyed it just as much. I got a chance to meet Mr. Person and he was a very lovely man. I would definitely go back!

A wonderful combination of great jazz, delicious food and attentive service!
A NYC favorite, never disappointed here!

There are some aspects about the Jazz Standard that are five-​star, primarily the music. I’ve seen great artists here, such as Joe Locke and Azar Lawrence. The sound is also great in the venue.
A few things are four stars: The food is quite good – the ribs, brisket and mac and cheese were all delicious (as you’d expect for a jazz venue associated with a BBQ restaurant upstairs – Blue Smoke.) The venue itself is good but not great, with a number of blocked views thanks to a sizable support pole near the stage. Get there early to secure a good seat, but know…
That the Jazz Standard publishes a «Doors Open» time and then does not open its doors at that time. The doors open time does not mean you get to enter and sit down but instead you get to line up in a cramped, uncomfortable stairwell and wait another 15 to 30 minutes until they let you in. My last two times, we’ve arrived just before the published «Doors Open» time and waited a combined 50 minutes on the stairway before being allowed in. Personally, I’d think the management would WANT all those waiting people sitting down and ordering drinks!
Also, a word of warning: The booths near the kitchen door seem desirable because they have a good view of the stage, but beware: There is noise from the kitchen that, for me anyway, reduced the enjoyment of one show. The next time I want to the Jazz Standard I selected a seat fruther from the kitchen, and I found that preferable.
I was very pleased when the Jazz Standard responded to an email I sent with some of the suggestions noted above (don’t keep people waiting on the stairs after «doors open» time and please keep the noise from the kitchen down.) This business cares about its patrons, and I always appreciate that!

Fun atmosphere. Get there early, get a bite, then a cocktail for the show.
Speaking of which, Vijay Iyer trio was phenomenal.
Loses a star for a poor mezcal cocktail, but I’m touchy about my mezcal, that’s just me. Bourbon next time. definitely going back.

Ambiance: located in the basement so it’s quite cramped. They try to fit in as many people as they can. Definitely make reservations! They have two main shows on the weekends.
Food: southern food isn’t really my thing, so I was surprised at how satisfied I was with my chicken and waffles! Food is on point but takes a while to get to you. You may get your food in the middle of the performance.
Jazz: wonderful and eclectic! The performer was great! Unlike Dizzy’s, you won’t find an uppity jazz crowd at this joint. People just wanna enjoy good food, music and good company.
Will be coming back! Bön apetit!

The live music here is amazing, the food was just okay. I came here for New Years and there was a prix fixe menu. The oysters were okay, I didn’t care for the dumplings but I really liked the dessert. The band was great but there wasn’t a dance floor. I would’ve given it 5 stars if the venue had a tiny dance floor.

If you want to conjure up a possibly perfect date for a southern woman: convince her to attend Mingus Mondays and place some amazing fall-​off-​the-​bone short ribs, collard greens, and pulled pork in front of her as she takes in the music. I hope you like meat in your mouth, because you’ll find it here.
Beautifully dim, The Jazz Standard lends the perfect atmosphere for painstakingly honest jazz to traverse with passion in the air between the stage and the audience.
Yes, and my fingers were sticky with barbecue sauce while it happened. Blue Smoke’s hot sauce included. Now, this is southern-​girl-​classy, folks. Don’t worry, there are white cloth napkins. And wetnaps at the end.
The salty/​spicy aftertaste lingers memorably, but most of all, the aftermath of soul-​reaching music.

Un bon endroit pour manger des ribs et des wings! Les portions sont conséquentes sauf pour les desserts et les mac&cheese. D’ailleurs $ 9 pour une petite portion de mac&cheese c’était un peu cher, elles étaient assez grasses qui plus est.
Mais sinon vraiment bien et rien a redire sur le service

The Jazz Standard is one of the biggest jazz clubs in New York, and unlike some of the others, there’s no minimum tab requirement. That having been said, it’s located beneath, and paired up with, a BBQ joint called Blue Smoke, so you can not only order drinks, but you can also order from the entire Blue Smoke food menu as well.
Service is super friendly, especially Katherine D., my server, and there’s excellent acoustics and sight lines throughout. The whole club features cozy, modern décor. If you’re lucky to snag a seat up front, you’re literally sitting amongst, or in front of, band members. If you’re a fan of the big, beefy Charles Mingus big-​band style, you’re in for a treat, as the Mingus Big Band, among other groups, performs here frequently.
Great music, great food, and extensive drink selection — a winning combo that can’t be beaten.

good jazz!