Editorial
New York has always been a music city first. The bars that matter here are not just backdrop — they are venues in the original sense. From the jazz rooms of the West Village that have been running since the 1950s to the vinyl-only bars in Brooklyn where the turntable gets more attention than the cocktail list, this city offers a spectrum of music-focused drinking that is unmatched anywhere in the world.
We spend a lot of time in these bars. What follows is our honest assessment of 12 of the best — organised by music type and neighbourhood, with notes on what to drink, when to go, and what makes each one worth your evening.
New York's jazz scene remains the deepest in the world. These are not nostalgia trips — the musicians playing these rooms are among the finest working today, and the bar programmes have improved significantly in recent years.
Brooklyn's record bar scene has developed into something genuinely distinct from what exists anywhere else in the US. These are bars where the music selection is curatorial — staff who have been collecting for decades choosing what plays and why. For the full picture of what's happening in this scene, our guide to the best bars with vinyl records worldwide gives context on how New York fits into the global landscape.
"New York's jazz scene remains the deepest in the world. These are not nostalgia trips — the musicians playing these rooms are among the finest working today."
These are not music venues with a bar attached. They are bars that happen to have outstanding live music — the distinction matters because it means you can turn up without a ticket, sit at the bar, and stay as long as you want.
New York's music bars operate on different calendars. Jazz clubs typically run two sets a night at around 8pm and 10:30pm. Live music bars in Brooklyn often start later (9pm or 10pm) and run until 2am. Vinyl bars are generally an all-evening affair from opening until close.
Most jazz clubs charge a cover plus a minimum drink spend. The Village Vanguard is $30 cover with no minimum. Smaller rooms like Barbès operate on donation. Budget $60 to $80 for a full evening including drinks and cover at a serious jazz room — and consider it excellent value compared with any other live music experience of comparable quality in the city.
For the full picture of what's available in New York by occasion, see our complete New York bar guide. Our best jazz bars New York guide goes deeper on the jazz rooms specifically.
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