Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City's music rooms are where the city's evening voice actually lives. A working editorial ranking, refreshed every quarter.
Downtown · $$$
Salt Lake City's most awarded cocktail bar.
Downtown · $
Beer hall next door to Bar X (also Ty Burrell).
Downtown · $$$
Whiskey-focused cocktail bar with one of the country's longest American whiskey lists.
9th & 9th · $$$
Boutique cocktail bar with a tight rotating menu.
Downtown · $$
Cocktail-and-American-food bar inside a heritage building.
North Salt Lake · $
Heritage live-music dive bar in a converted gas station.
Salt Lake City rewards drinkers who scout neighbourhoods, and the spread below reflects that. You'll find spots in Downtown, Sugar House, 9th & 9th, and beyond — each picked for what it does best, not how loud its marketing is. We focus on jazz trios, listening rooms, late-set bands, dedicated stages; we ignore venues that prioritise volume over craft. The order is a working ranking, not a leaderboard — number one isn't always your number one. Read the notes and pick the room that fits the night you're planning.
Best for: jazz lovers, late-set listening, midweek atmosphere. Most rooms here run from late afternoon until 1 or 2am; the busier ones lift their door policy on weekends and we've flagged those where it matters. Save the page, send it to whoever you're meeting, and let the rest of Salt Lake City take care of itself.
A working editorial ranking. Numbers are guidance, not gospel. Pick the room that fits your night.
Looking beyond Salt Lake City? See our guide to the best live music bars worldwide, or compare live music bars city by city.