The Iridium

On our lists of the best live music venues and special-occasion restaurants in New York.

The Iridium started at Lincoln Center before moving to its current basement space at Broadway and 51st Street in 2001. Les Paul held a standing Monday-night residency here from 1996 until shortly before his death in 2009, packing the 180-seat room and staying afterward to sign autographs and talk with fans one by one. The club kept the guitar series going after he died, folding in guests like Jeff Beck, Steve Miller and Zakk Wylde and later naming the room for Paul. The kitchen runs a full dinner menu alongside a 450-bottle wine list.