Best live music venues for a date in New York
Eat early, catch the set, stay for one more.
88 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 88 live music venues in New York, from Midtown Manhattan to Williamsburg and Bushwick / Ridgewood. Editors' picks come first, then the rest by rating, and the plans below build a whole evening around the best of them.
The list
Editors' picks first, then by rating.
sourmouse
4.6(8)East Village / LES · $$
Smoke Jazz Club
4.6(7)Upper West Side · $$$
Ryan's Daughter
4.6(5)Upper East Side · $
Caledonia Scottish Pub UES
4.6(5)Upper East Side · $$
The Flatiron Room Murray Hill
4.5(26)Midtown Manhattan · $$$$
St. Mazie Bar & Supper Club
4.5(25)Williamsburg · $$
Sunswick 35/35
4.5(25)Astoria / Long Island City · $
Brooklyn Beer Garden, Bushwick
4.5(25)Bushwick / Ridgewood · $$
Tomi Jazz
4.5(23)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
Skylark
4.5(20)Park Slope / Gowanus · $$
1803 NYC
4.5(19)Tribeca · $$$
Ashford & Simpson’s Sugar Bar
4.5(19)Upper West Side · $$
Prohibition
4.5(19)Upper West Side · $
Radegast Hall and Biergarten
4.5(18)Williamsburg · $$
Frida Midtown
4.5(15)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
The Ear Inn
4.5(11)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $
Marie’s Crisis Café
4.5(6)West Village / Greenwich Village · $
Marian's
4.5(4)Bushwick / Ridgewood · $
Brooklyn Bowl
4.4(26)Williamsburg · $$
Zinc Bar
4.4(25)SoHo / NoHo / Nolita · $$
Baby's Alright
4.4(23)Williamsburg · $
The Rum House
4.4(23)Midtown Manhattan · $$$
The Long Room
4.4(22)Midtown Manhattan · $$
Hart Bar
4.4(21)Bushwick / Ridgewood · $$
Showing 25–48 of 88 spots
Good to know
- What's the best place for live music in New York for a date?
- Our top pick is sourmouse in East Village / LES, rated 4.6 out of 5. Smoke Jazz Club and Ryan's Daughter round out the top 3.
- Which New York neighborhoods have the best live music venues?
- Midtown Manhattan (5), Williamsburg (4) and Bushwick / Ridgewood (3) have the most spots in the top 24.
- Are there affordable live music venues in New York?
- Yes — sourmouse, Ryan's Daughter and Caledonia Scottish Pub UES are all $$ or under.
- Do I need a reservation?
- It depends on the spot. Book ahead for Smoke Jazz Club, while Tomi Jazz takes walk-ins.
- 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.