The 606 Club runs on a dine and listen model, so book a table and plan to stay for the set. Weekend nights sell out, so reserve ahead.
The 606 Club sits below street level on Lots Road in Chelsea, a few doors from the old power station, and it has booked live jazz seven nights a week since Steve Rubie opened it in 1976. The room belongs to the players first. Tables face a low corner stage, the lighting stays warm, and the evening is built around the set rather than the bar tab.
Anyone who treats the band as the main event settles in fast. The club runs on a dine and listen model, so the kitchen and the music share the bill, and Time Out files it among the city's essential jazz rooms. Guests who want a quiet drinks bar or a quick walk in for one round will find the format and the music charge a poor fit.
One long basement room carries a low ceiling and tables pulled close to the corner stage. The walls hold photographs of the musicians who have passed through, and the sightlines keep almost every seat within view of the band. The club seats around 120 and fills on weekends, so the back tables trade a clear view for a little more room to talk between sets.
Drinks follow the food here, since licensing means non members order from the kitchen to drink. The wine list does the heavy lifting and opens around 30 pounds a bottle, with pours by the glass for those settling in for one set. A live music charge of roughly 15 pounds is added to each bill, listed on the club's Times and Prices page, so the cost lands on the night rather than the cocktail. The Nudge calls it one of London's most romantic basements, and the room rewards a long sit.
The crowd skews toward listeners who know the bill before they arrive. Couples and small groups take the early sets, while the Friday and Saturday late slots run past midnight and pull a looser, music first crowd. Per Time Out, the room stays devoted to the music, with talking kept low while the band plays.
Anyone after a quick drinks bar or a rooftop view will be in the wrong basement.
Stay in the city with our Live Music Bars in London roundup, the wider London Bar Guide, and the best jazz bars in London edit.
