Blue Note

On our list of the best live music venues in New York.

Danny Bensusan opened this Greenwich Village room in 1981 with a debut set from the Nat Adderley Quintet, and the stage has since hosted Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson and Tito Puente. The room runs cramped, so anyone without a table should arrive at least half an hour before showtime for one of the few bar seats. A full dinner menu is served at every show, with a required food-and-drink minimum at the tables and bar, and seating is first come, first served regardless of when a reservation was booked. The current lineup leans toward younger jazz musicians who work hip-hop, soul and funk into the sets.