A night of live music in Midtown Manhattan →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.3 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
0.8 mi
7:00 PMThe show
3
8:30 PMNightcap
← New YorkDate night guide · New York
Best live music venues for a date in New York
Eat early, catch the set, stay for one more.
98 spots · Jump to the list
Live music takes the pressure off a date: there's always something to react to, and nobody has to carry the conversation. The list runs from jazz clubs to bars with a band in the corner. Check the lineup before you go, eat beforehand, and leave time for a drink afterwards to talk about the set.
This guide ranks 98 live music venues in New York, from Midtown Manhattan to Harlem and Astoria / Long Island City. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
Nights people planned here
Published date nights with a stop on this list.
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Make a night of it
Routes around the top spots on the list, with the best-rated places nearby for the rest of the evening.
A night of live music in Harlem →
3 stops, all within a short walk
1
0.2 mi
5:30 PMDinner
2
0.7 mi
7:00 PMThe show
3
8:30 PMNightcap
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
Baretto
5.0(23)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Lucille's Coffee and Cocktails
5.0(6)Harlem · $$
Pete’s Candy Store
4.9(25)Williamsburg · $
DiWine
4.9(23)Astoria / Long Island City · $$
Purgatory
4.9(21)Bushwick / Ridgewood
The Flatiron Room Murray Hill
4.8(26)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
Sunswick 35/35
4.8(25)Astoria / Long Island City · $
Skylark
4.8(20)Park Slope / Gowanus · $$
Prohibition
4.8(19)Upper West Side · $
Swift Hibernian Lounge
4.8(9)East Village / LES · $
Marie’s Crisis Café
4.8(6)West Village / Greenwich Village · $
Public Records
4.8(5)Park Slope / Gowanus · $$$$
Ginny's Supper Club
4.8(5)Harlem · $$$
Ryan's Daughter
4.8(5)Upper East Side · $
Caledonia Scottish Pub UES
4.8(5)Upper East Side · $$
Brooklyn Bowl
4.7(26)Williamsburg · $$
Zinc Bar
4.7(25)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$
The Rum House
4.7(23)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
The Long Room
4.7(22)Midtown Manhattan · $$
Hart Bar
4.7(21)Bushwick / Ridgewood · $$
Cafe Paulette
4.7(21)Fort Greene · $$
The Roxy Bar
4.7(17)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$
So & So's
4.7(16)Midtown Manhattan · $$
Red Rooster
4.7(15)Harlem · $$$$
Showing 1–24 of 98 spots
Good to know
- What's the best place for live music in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is Baretto in Midtown Manhattan, rated 5.0 out of 5. Lucille's Coffee and Cocktails and Pete’s Candy Store round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best live music venues?
- Midtown Manhattan (5), Harlem (3) and Astoria / Long Island City (2) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable live music venues in New York?
- Yes — Lucille's Coffee and Cocktails, Pete’s Candy Store and DiWine are all $$ or under.
- What should we do before or after?
- Make it a night of live music: dinner, then the show, then nightcap. The plans on this page pair each top spot with the best-rated places within about a 20-minute walk.