The Resy Guide to New York’s Best Bars and Restaurants with Live Music

Barbès has a fantastic variety of Latin musicians, and boasts having had live music “every night since 2002.” Come here willing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with your neighbor (who probably knows someone in the band or behind the bar) and ready to order drinks using your loudest (while still being polite!) voice.

For live jazz made famous by the underground São Paulo location of the same name, look no further than the Baretto bar at Fasano. Brazilian jazz, classic bossa nova, and sultry singers all find their place here among the plush, carpeted room and swanky food menu. Enjoy your music with a side of pao de queijo, tuna tartare, and torta della nonna. Visit their website for a look at the full schedule.

Can you really call yourself a New Yorker until you’ve spent the evening at Bemelmans? Come for the murals, designed by the artist of the same name who created the “Madeline” books; stay for the martinis with a stamped Bemelmans twist and the delightful jazz trio that plays every night. Take note: Bemelmans is located in the famously swanky Carlyle Hotel, which also boasts several restaurants. If you’re interested in a classic UES evening, try Dowling’s at the Carlyle for dinner before making your way over to the bar.

For a supremely decadent listening experience, we’re particularly partial to Caviar Russe. You can find live music here on Fridays from 6 until 9 p.m., leaning heavily on jazz classics from Richie Buzz. Do yourself a favor and arrive early for their Caviar Hour from 5 until 7 p.m. which offers a $25 martini or glass of Champagne with a caviar cone. Live large, at least for tonight.

The Django is everything you want in a bar — underground, swanky, and always with a stellar line-up (both onstage and on the menu). We recommend going all out here, with oysters Rockefeller, mac and cheese with thick-cut bacon, and butterscotch pudding. They’ve got a wide variety of jazz and local artists on the schedule Monday through Saturday, including the Mingus Big Band led by Sue Mingus herself, bassist Endea Owens, and J. Hoard. It’s perfect for impressing your date, or even just treating yourself.

This listening bar features a space designed specifically with acoustics in mind. They hope to host bring-your-own record nights and play a selection of ultra-rare, highly curated LPs and B-sides. From Thursdays to Sundays, you’ll also be able to hear live local DJs while you sip your “spritzioli” and munch on warm olives and chocolate olive oil cake.

A rotating lineup of resident pianists performs an all-request piano show and singalong at this subterranean, tropical-themed bar in the heart of the Theater District, Tuesdays through Sundays beginning at 9 p.m. (Do note that on Sundays the theme is Broadway show tunes). While you sing your heart out, do opt for a frozen painkiller and some Hawaiian sweet bun Cuban sandwiches. Pro tip: Show up a bit earlier and reap the benefits of happy hour from 5 to 8 p.m. 

Just like its musical namesake, Guantanamera is classic, romantic, and indelibly Cuban. Come here for a late dinner (tostones rellenos, followed by a pernil sandwich or their house pollo Guantanamera) and drinks (mojitos, of course). Then, put on your dancing shoes and prepare to forget that you have work the next morning, because the band is playing. Pro tip: Guantanamera, which has two locations — one in Manhattan and the other in Queens — also has weekly drink specials, including $6 mojitos every Tuesday. Check their Instagram for more details.

LunÀtico is musician-owned, and it shows. This spot has live tunes nearly every night, featuring a wide range of both local and national artists of all genres. But don’t be fooled: The menu is just as unmissable. Grab the housemade focaccia, red risotto with tomatoes, and a bottle of trebbiano.

For the lover of show tunes and bright lights in the big city, look no further than Marie’s Crisis. Don’t come here if you aren’t interested in joining in on the fun; you’ll most certainly have to sing (or at least hum) along at some point in your evening. Come ready to tip the pianist and ready to knock back a few well drinks. Pro tip: Marie’s Crisis is cash only, so prepare accordingly.

For reservations, call (212)243-9323.

The team behind favorites like Pasquale Jones and Charlie Bird recently opened a new underground cocktail lounge and live music venue beneath Bar Pasquale where you can sip on drinks inspired by the first-ever published Italian cocktail book, 1936’s “1,000 Mixture” by Elvio Grassi, and dig into small bites like fried chicken with Calabrian chile honey, and uni toast. Weekly programs of everything from live music sessions to DJ sets take place Wednesdays to Saturdays.

It’s always a party at Negril in Park Slope, especially when their live house band is playing. Go here on Thursdays at 7 p.m., when the floor of the restaurant turns into a dance party, or a little earlier for happy hour. We’re partial to the frozen coladas, island pasta, and shrimp mac and cheese, but the real draw here is the vibe.

The Nines manages to be both timeless and fresh, and it’s also one of the best spots in town for people watching, too. Come for the epicurean menu, with dishes like foie gras, shrimp cocktail, and caviar service (swoon), and then stay for the utterly charming nightly piano players. Order from their list of classic cocktails (we like a Cosmo or a Paper Plane) and sink into your velvet-tufted seat knowing you’ve arrived.

We’d go to Ponyboy just for the food and drinks, so the fact that they feature live music is one of the best cherries on top we’ve had in a while. Make sure you grab the daikon tostada and the poblano pepper hummus. Finish it off with one (or two) Giddy Up Pony cocktails (Tequila, mezcal, green chartreuse, lime agave, and habanero). You can check their Instagram for details on each night’s musical acts, but they often feature local DJs, house, funk, and R&B. Stay gold.

We’re pretty sure that if you live in Brooklyn you’ve likely been here, and if you live in Manhattan, all your friends who live in Brooklyn won’t stop talking about this place. Public Records is a famously chill café by day and restaurant and live music venue by night. Their food and drink menus are both fully vegan, with dishes like vadouvan-roasted carrots and oyster mushroom tinga tacos. When there aren’t live DJs or local singers performing, they play from an impressive collection of hard-to-find records. So, make a Resy, eat well, and enjoy being surrounded by people who can handle any vibe shift thrown their way.

If you’re at all interested in experiencing the 1920s (albeit with better plumbing, tastier drinks, and more advanced personal hygiene), St. Mazie is the spot for you. Upstairs is the jazz bar, with nightly live music playing on a delightfully quaint stage that guarantees you a spot right next to the action. For sustenance, go for the truffle gnocchi, charred brussels sprouts, and deviled eggs. Pro tip: Don’t sleep in on their Sunday jazz brunches.

Transport yourself back to the Harlem of the Prohibition era with a trip to this renowned cocktail bar. Their drink list alone is decadent and over the top, exactly what we hope for when we dream of cocktails. The food, like the savory tartines and black truffle popcorn, is good on its own, but even better alongside a few of those drinks. It’s one of our favorite spots to listen to live jazz in the city — the perfect neighborhood and the perfect menu, for the perfect genre.

Sweetbriar is what would happen if your most put-together friend with great taste in food opened a restaurant. There’s nothing better than coming here with a group and ordering one of everything from each section of the menu: think stone-ground cornbread, potato wedges, and rosemary crisps with whipped ricotta. And this place is extra special since they’ve also got their own house band, the Sweetbriar Band, which plays every Saturday from 9 to 11 p.m., and knows how to keep the music danceable and fun.

Once a month, Tasca hosts a special flamenco night complete with live music and dancers that you don’t want to miss. Tickets include either a three-course prix-fixe menu in the lounge or a four-course prix-fixe in the wine room. The menus are subject to change, but always feature Tasca’s signature mix of Spanish, Latin American, and Caribbean cuisines; think juicy empanadas, croquetas made with plantains, grilled skirt steak with yucca fries, and a can’t-miss paella.

If you’re a fan of all kinds of live performances, make your way to Terraza 7 immediately. Not only do they feature excellent salsa, jazz, and cumbia, but you can catch live dancing and poetry as well. Plus, they’ve got something on the roster nearly every night. Sit back, tuck in to your “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez” quesadilla (the Congresswoman represents this district) and your café cocktail, and relax.

The Turk’s Inn has to be one of the most fun restaurants in New York; it’s designed like a midwestern supper club, with plenty of kitsch, fringe, and of course, relish trays. It also happens to be attached to The Sultan Room, a live music venue with some very cool offerings. Check out poetry readings, live bands, DJs, and more.

It’s always a good idea to spend your evening listening to Thai music at one of our favorite Queens spots, Zaab Zaab. They have shows Friday through Sunday, featuring artists that you won’t be able to see anywhere else very often. The food here is a draw on its own, with duck larb, nam ya pu with fresh crab, and more Isan flavors.

Founded by the jazz great Gerry Eastman, WMC is a perfect place to get a real taste of what’s going on in the genre’s scene today. Whether you’re a jazz newbie or a longtime listener, we can pretty much guarantee that you’ll find a new favorite onstage here. While they don’t serve food, WMC is located in prime Williamsburg, luckily just steps away from some of our favorite spots. So, make a Resy or stop in at Pies n’ Thighs, Aldama, Diner, or Misi for dinner before settling in here; all are just blocks away.