Editorial
Zurich takes its live music seriously, with two jazz rooms that draw international names and a clutch of clubs that have programmed the city for decades. The drink is rarely the headline, so we judged these on the room, the bill and whether the bar holds up while the band plays.
Six made the list, from the lakeside Rote Fabrik to the jazz cellars of the Old Town. Our full Zurich live music bars money list and the wider live music bars worldwide guide go deeper, and the Zurich bar guide covers the rest of the city.
For one room, make it Moods for the calibre of the jazz bookings. For a night, start with a set at Bird's Eye and move to Mascotte when the music turns later and louder.
Zurich rewards checking the listings before you go. The bill matters more than the bar here, so pick the night by who is playing, get there early for a seat, and let the room do the rest.
Sources: Zurich Tourism; venue official sites and programs; Google Maps reviews; local listings.