Bars
The 6 Best Jazz Clubs in London
Six London rooms where the music is live, the lights are low and the night runs late.
In short: our top picks are Ronnie Scott's, The Jazz Cafe and PizzaExpress Live Soho. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
London does jazz the way it does most things worth doing, in basements, on backstreets and well after the last train home. These are the rooms we send people to, from a world-famous Soho institution to a tiny Dalston square that punches far above its size. Book ahead, sit close to the band and let the evening unspool.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Ronnie Scott's | Soho | £££ |
| The Jazz Cafe | Camden | ££ |
| PizzaExpress Live Soho | Soho | ££ |
| 606 Club | Chelsea | ££ |
| Vortex Jazz Club | Dalston | ££ |
| Nightjar | Shoreditch | £££ |
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Editor’s choice
Ronnie Scott's
Why we pick itThe Late Late Show after the main set, when the room loosens up and the playing turns properly loose.
The grande dame of British jazz, open since 1959 and still the room every touring great wants to play. Two shows most nights in a red-lit Soho basement, with cocktails and dining that run as late as the music.
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The Jazz Cafe
Why we pick itBooking a mezzanine table for dinner with a clear view straight down onto the stage.
Camden's restless, genre-hopping hub where jazz bleeds into soul, hip-hop, funk and Afrobeat. A mezzanine restaurant looks down on the floor, and club nights carry the room through to the small hours.
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PizzaExpress Live Soho
Why we pick itBig-name programming at gentle prices, dough on the table and the band an arm's length away.
Better than it has any right to be. A serious, much-garlanded jazz room hidden in the basement of the Dean Street pizzeria, running world-class bookings since 1976 in an intimate, low-ceilinged setting.
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606 Club
Why we pick itNon-members are welcome, and the kitchen and bar keep going as late as the music does.
A Chelsea basement devoted almost entirely to British musicians, seven nights a week, opposite the old Lots Road power station. Dinner, low light and a fiercely loyal crowd give it the feel of a members' room that happens to welcome everyone.
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Vortex Jazz Club
Why we pick itThe square spills out in summer, so the night often starts with a drink outside before the set upstairs.
Dalston's beating heart of adventurous, leftfield jazz, a small first-floor room above Gillett Square with sightlines you cannot beat. Unpretentious, artist-led and the place to catch the music's next direction before anyone else.
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Nightjar
Why we pick itNightly bands from 9pm paired with one of the best cocktail lists in the city. Booking is essential.
Worth knowingA cover charge after 8pm, mid-teens drink prices and booking-only seating add real friction, and the speakeasy format is no longer novel.
A Shoreditch speakeasy where the cocktails are as considered as the bookings. Live jazz, swing and blues from 9pm every night in a dim, 1920s-styled basement off Old Street roundabout. Seated only, and all the better for it.
Before you book
Most of these rooms are small and table service is the norm, so book ahead, especially for weekend late sets. Music charges are separate from food and drink at several venues, so check the night you want before you go.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
Ronnie Scott's is our editor's choice: The Late Late Show after the main set, when the room loosens up and the playing turns properly loose. Ronnie Scott's, The Jazz Cafe and PizzaExpress Live Soho lead the guide, with 6 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
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