The Best Jazz Clubs in London
With its long winter nights, perfectly mixed cocktails and illustrious history of producing talented musicians, London is a great place to hear some live jazz. From the classic to the avant-garde, we’ve rounded up a list of the best spots to inspire any jazz lover.
1. Nightjar, City Road
Bar, Cocktail Bar, Cafe, Contemporary
If you’re looking for a combination of some of the best cocktails in the world and some of the best jazz in London, this is where you’ll find it. Nightjar is one of the finest examples of the speakeasy-type bars that London does so well. Head through the discreetly marked door after booking in advance, go down the stairs and into the intimate, dimly-lit basement. The bar hosts a variety of live acts, most frequently jazz and blues, and have pulled in an impressive array of artists since being open. While you’re not likely to hear anything avant-garde, Nightjar is ideal if you want a night out listening to jazz and a guaranteed good time – everything always runs like clockwork.
2. The Jazz Cafe
Concert Hall, Music Venue
Not a place to sit in silence and appreciate the groove, Camden’s Jazz Cafe will get you up and dancing in no time. You can catch some of the funkiest acts from around the world, with bands like Royal Southern Brotherhood, The Suffers and Jocelyn Brown treading the boards. It also has regular club nights, a sizeable dance floor and a restaurant serving southern American classics.
3. Pizza Express Live
Pizzeria, Restaurant, Nightclub, Italian, British
5. 606 Club
Music Venue
6. Cafe Oto, London
Concert Hall, Music Venue
7. Ronnie Scott's
Bar, Nightclub, British
This one needs almost no introduction as it has jazz club legend status. Open since 1959, it’s hosted the biggest names in jazz, from Chet Baker and Ella Fitzgerald, to Katie Melua and Jamie Cullum. For an evening in the original club on the ground floor, you have to book a table and eat dinner in the venue, but for the less committed there’s a club with dancefloor on the first floor. You can’t call yourself a jazz fan in London if you haven’t been here at least once.
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