John told me he was half Japanese, which I found interesting because at times I've thought I was Italian, but Reilly likes to remind me my Italian only extends to Loro Piana and Gucci sizes, fits, and fabrics. He works at a bank. He didn't say which bank. Men who work at good banks say the name. Men who work at banks you've never heard of say "a bank," the same way men who drive Nissan Altimas say "I drove here." He suggested All Blues, the listening bar on Walker Street, which I thought was either very cultured or very strategic, because a venue where you're discouraged from talking is a convenient place to take a woman you'd prefer not to answer questions. I wore The Row. He wore a French chore jacket. For those who don't know, the chore jacket, or veste de travail, was designed in the late 1800s for French laborers, farmers, and railway workers. It was built from moleskin and dyed blue to hide the stains of manual work. John's was spotless. It had never been near a chore, a farm, or a rail. I asked him what railroad he worked on. He looked confused and started telling me about the bar. I clocked it immediately but said nothing, because the evening was young and I wanted to drink a few spirits that were older than I claim to be (I'm 29 btw). All Blues is a vinyl listening bar in Tribeca. Moody lighting. JBL speakers the size of armoires. A listening theater in the back where you sit in lounge chairs and do not speak. The rule is "let the music do the talking," which is my worst nightmare on a first date. I have questions. I have follow-ups to the questions. I have theories that need to be confirmed or denied under gentle cross-examination, and Miles Davis is not going to do that for me. We sat at the bar, which is mercifully looser. He ordered a Japanese whisky. I was going to order a martini but the cocktail menu leaned toward yuzu mules and mango margaritas, so I ordered a Negroni. He asked if I'd ever had Japanese whisky before, which is the male equivalent of showing someone a YouTube video unprompted. Then he started talking about it. The region. The distillation. He said the word "peaty" three times. It somehow led to a golf trip in Edinburgh and a friend who "almost went pro." I held the whisky in my mouth and nodded. It tasted like a campfire someone lit inside a shoe. This went on for what felt like an entire season of a show I didn't choose to watch. I couldn't take it anymore. I excused myself and shuffled to the bathroom, trying not to make noise, but Manolos on raw wood floors are not built for discretion. People looked up from their vinyl reverence. I did not care. I swung the door open and there it was. A Toto. The seat lifted automatically as I entered, like a sign from God or Gwyneth. I spit the whisky into the sink, sat down, and let the heated seat do what John could not, which was make me feel something. I had chosen to wear a skirt with no tights, optimistic for the season, arguably delusional, and the bar is all raw wood and beautiful mid-century furniture but it is cold. I sat there for a moment. Warm. Unbothered. Briefly considering whether a toilet could be a life partner. It was attentive. It anticipated my needs. It had better design taste than any man I'd met on Hinge. I collected myself, reapplied my lip, and walked back out to the bar like a woman who had just been to church. I ordered a martini. The bartender started to say something about it being a whisky bar. "I know. Martini please." John was still at the bar, still alive, still wearing the chore jacket. He asked if I was okay. I said I was great. I was. The Toto had reset me. I was ready to pretend records were interesting again. The watch, though. I'd been staring at it since he reached for the edamame. An Omega Seamaster. Four to six thousand depending on the reference. Respectable for a man who works at a bank you've heard of, and unusual for a man who works at a bank you haven't. I asked about it. Gift from his father. "What does your father do?" "He's in consulting." "Which firm?" "A small one, you probably wouldn't know it." And there it was. The chore jacket wasn't style, it was a misdirect. The whisky wasn't taste, it was set dressing. The listening bar wasn't culture, it was camouflage. Bring her somewhere she can't ask questions and hope the speakers do the work. He texted in the morning. I left him on read. I had actual chores to handle, like Forma Pilates and scrolling The RealReal. The chore jacket is in my head, though. Not because I liked it. Because somewhere in France in the 1800s, a farmer put that jacket on to go do actual work, and last night it was worn by a man I wouldn't trust to take out my trash, let alone wash my vintage martini glasses. John needs to keep looking for a girl whose chores he can do. All Blues, though, is great. I'll come back alone. All Blues: 4.2/5. John: depreciating. The Toto: 5/5.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ read more

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One of my favorite solo activities in the area. Fantastic drink menu - I got an orange wine and chilled red which you don't find most places. I like going out with friends but sometimes just a nice easy night of great music and audio set up is all you need. When you go please follow their suggestions to be off your phone and keep volume low. Their suggestions is what makes this place so unique! Let the vinyl do all the talking! read more

Make this your first stop on your night on adventure. It's a great way to start a romantic night. Especially if you're both into music. Great thing about this place is that you can go alone, as a couple or with friends who are really into music. I highly recommend if you make a reservation, book for the music theater as you feel like you're transported into a studio session. The drinks were well crafted and food was very tasty. Only thing I wish they did was had a small tv or something to let you know what song was playing because they played some really great music I didn't know the name of. Idea: Maybe at the end of a persons reservation, the waiter/host let's you scan a QR code of all the songs you listened to during your session P.s can't take much photos read more

All Blues - Entrance - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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This place is so cool. Very clique and masculine but approachable decor, dark and clean. I sat at the bar, but the listening room in the far back looked really sick, perfect for a date night. The music was obviously great, and the sound quality was amazing. The wait staff was all really warm and friendly and attentive. I got the yuzu and white peach drink, which was nice and fruity, would definitely order again. The shrimp shumai was amazing, I wish we had gotten two orders of this. I liked the beef udon as well, super filling. Will be back! read more

All Blues - Beef udon - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Intimate, romantic, and electric. Highly recommend if you are a lover of old school jazz. Had such a wonderful time vibing out alongside the dj with a great bottle of red wine!!! Photography is limited and reservations are strongly encouraged. read more

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Very cool spot. The theater sheets are amazing. Great music sounds. Great mood. Sadly, the Matini glass came in with wet drops. It is discontinued part but overall it's a cool bar. They don't let us to talk which is very authentic way of them. Enjoy the music. read more

come for the music, the back area is great, amazing sound system, dark with couches facing speakers. the drinks are japanese style, thought they were overpriced for what they were but you're not there for the drinks read more

One of my absolute favorite places in the city. The vibe, atmosphere and music create an immersive escape that is a wonderful juxtaposition to the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. The wait staff is very friendly and the drinks and bites are very good albeit pricey. But, it's more than worth it for some time in a different realm. I'll get a bit more specific: The atmosphere is one of the fundamental differentiators of All Blues. It feels like you're in a rich friend's loft apt in the late 70's early 80's. It is on the darker side, further immersing you. The stereo equipment is the act and is quite robust and captivating. You surprisingly don't get bored facing and watching it like you would an artist. The DJ booth can be a show in itself as some of the DJs really get into the music and you can genuinely tell they are enjoying All Blues as well. Id highly recommend All Blues with a friend, someone you've been dating for a bit (the talking is somewhat limited), or by yourself to feel like your Bill Murray in Japan. read more

Side note: PDF menu is here though it is missing some of the descriptions of some of the J whiskeys- https://static1.squarespace.com/static/614bad1dbbadbf0819161858/t/659377f9656a4b2672ab1ff0/1704163321676/AllBlues_Menu_R8.pdf A jazz bar and audiophile paradise, All Blues lists itself as a "Musiquarium," or in other words, a place to listen to and appreciate music using old school high-end music equipment. In this case as per the name, it is blues and in most cases older blues with my favorite song I haven't heard yet being Keep That Same Old Feeling by Side Effect which worked perfectly with their old high fidelity speakers. Speaking of which, I found that the songs which had more lows sounded better than the higher pitched things which I find pretty commonly with that speaker equipment at least from what I've heard before as those expressed better with the subtle noises being picked up nicely. In short, the less high vocals a song had, the better it sounded there. The bar consists of two areas; the front bar; and the back very dimly lit room as the "Listening Theatre." In the front area, people speak though not super loudly and the back area is for listening where people have to keep their voices to a minimum as you're here to listen to music. The person in front, Cornelius, explained the rules and everything else and also showcased the various speakers and other equipment. He also came back there to shush folks who were too loud. In terms of food, we didn't have any (as we had just had dinner at Uluh) but it's mostly traditional Japanese food with a lot of the food of course being Izakaya oriented which makes sense as they concentrate more on drinks it seems than food itself. The drink menu consists of a few wines, a serious collection of mostly Japanese whiskey ranging from around $16 to around $80 (for a shot of some fancy aged Yamazaki or Suntory of course) as well as shochu, a few other hard liquors, a single Suntory beer for $16 (which is a bit absurd,) a bit of wine, sake, and a nice cocktail menu. To drink, I went with one of their fancy cocktails. Apparently the most popular one is the Vanilla Boulevardier with infused whiskey, gin, sweet vermouth, and wood chips, which is presented smoking at the table (it had as strong whiff from another seat.) I instead went with the Mezcal Pal for $24 with mezcal, sake vermouth (which I presume is Oka Kura Bermutto,) and persimmon liqueur. For a fancy cocktail bar charging $22 and $26 for a cocktail, I do suggest that they list the liquors used as they appear proud of their selection such as the type of mezcal and I wish that it was one large ice cube. In terms of the drink, it was complex with some light sweetness, a light kick of alcohol, a subtle floral flavor from the persimmon, and a smokey bite from the mezcal. The drink was comparable to ones I've had at other fancy cocktail bars with it being probably $4 more than it should with the expected little stipend from it being a fancy Japanese bar in Tribeca. I'm not exactly sure if there's going to be big enough niche (even in Tribeca) for this place to survive but who knows. The drinks were good and if the food is good, they can probably make it for at least a good while. I would come back to listen to audio here and have some food and drink some more of their excellent cocktails. This spot overall gets a low 4 mostly for the price point and the slight pretentiousness which is a bit obligatory with the whole audiophile experience. read more

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Truly special and remarkable. We wandered in, unsure of what to expect from this unmarked spot on a deserted Chinatown street. Despite the packed Saturday night crowd and our lack of reservations, the charismatic host, Cornelius, greeted us warmly and, to our surprise, offered a brief tour. Tall, confident, sharp, and commanding, he reminded me of Paul Mooney--minus the air of superiority. This lighthouse of a man guided us past a tiny coat check into a narrow bar with 12 to 18 seats, its back wall lined with professional studio monitors from the '80s, proudly playing in mono. The advantage? Direct consistency and clarity. It wasn't the first time I got mono from hanging out in a bar. Two formal bartenders--one of whom had spent 30 years singing with Roy Ayers, the heavily sampled jazz-funk legend--served $20+ cocktails beneath a wall of record covers. Among the featured artists: Janet Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan, Bill Withers, Bob Marley, and, naturally, Miles Davis, plus not just Earth and Wind, but also Fire. The only white artists I spotted were Phil Collins, David Bowie, and Michael Jackson. Beyond the bar lay a dimly lit, open "listening space," where rows of seats faced a museum-worthy wall of towering, appliance-sized speakers from the 1950s. At the DJ booth, owner Yuji Fukushima curated the experience, designed for true audiophiles, not for socializing. In fact, leading us back at the bar to help find us a seat, Cornelius silenced a trio of loud women, and I found myself envious of his authority. The menu was Japanese-inspired. I ordered a $16 Suntory. The Japanese beer list should've been called All Brews. read more

First time at a listen bar, was a rather unique/special experience! Sound quality was top notch. Intimate setting and ambiance. Was nice to not have to yell over obnoxiously loud music for a change. Drinks were pretty good. read more

My friend took me here on a Friday night around midnight and it's great! It had a speakeasy feel upon arrival. No signs on the outside. The immediate bar was a good size with premium Japanese liquor. Before going into the main room, we were prompted that no photos are allowed. The room itself was dim-lit with cozy seating arrangements. The talking volume is also low. In the menu book, you'll read "let the music do the talking" and I understood the environment immediately. It was a light crowd; maybe 10 others total and mostly couples just listening to the vibes. The stage has a plethora of music equipment and speakers that looked very expensive and produced the best audio quality for the room. The service was attentive and not a long wait for our drinks. The dj (who I learned was the owner) was playing lots of Prince and 80's funk which I LOVED! All vinyl records too! It was such a nice ending to the night. I felt the owner's passion and love for music through the curation of the space plus the collection of vinyl records. It was beautiful. I would love to go back when I'm in town again. If you love music and/or need a romantic date idea, this is it! read more

This place is a hidden gem. The listening bar concept is lovely. Audio quality really is excellent - the team gives you a tour of the space when you arrive and clearly takes pride in their speakers. I could sit for hours listening to the (very well curated) tracks. Warm, attentive service from a passionate team. Great cocktails. I didn't try any food, but that will be on the list for my next visit. read more

All Blues - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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I loved our experience at All Blues! The music was such a vibe, I truly enjoyed hearing the curated music selection. I am super interested in experiencing the listening room, as we spent our evening at the bar area. In the bar area, you can chat and enjoy the food whereas in the listening room, conversation isn't encouraged and the music is meant to be at the forefront of the experience with food as an added bonus. The food was also delicious! I really enjoyed the fried anchovies! They were my favorite. I also enjoyed the bluefin tuna bowl, but I wish they had given me more fish because it was very tasty! Portion sizing was a little small with that dish in particular. The gyoza was tasty, but my sister did complain about the gyoza sticking to her teeth. The service was also amazing! We were given a short tour of the space, and were also delighted with a few stories from some of the staff! The musical knowledge they have is so interesting! I learned so much about the music that was being played and even some of the artists! They do not allow photography, so I sadly can't include any photos of the space or the food, but trust me when I say it was extremely aesthetic and delicious! I can't wait to go back! I would give them a SPARKLING 5 stars read more

All Blues - The entrance, front door - Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Listening bar with really good cocktails. The bartenders are super friendly and excellent at what they do. Snacks are also available and just as good Fair warning, this is a listening bar. So not exactly the best space to come thru if expecting to hold court or have convos with your party. Other than that tho, the music selection is top notch! read more

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The music, the drinks, the food, and the people were all amazing! It was so nice to put my phone away after a long day of travel and just be present in the experience. I had a dry cough from the plane and they gave me warm water with ginger to sooth it. Top notch and different than everyone else! read more

Really nice listening bar. It's more for smaller groups of 2-4 but great place to relax and enjoy some good tunes.

I had a great first experience here in the winter when I first stumbled upon it. However, after coming back with my girlfriends who were visiting in town this past weekend and experiencing a series of rude, condescending interactions with the men working there, I felt so terrible that I had even recommended that we visit this place at all. I never leave bad reviews or any reviews at all, but the experience at All Blues was so embarrassing that I have to leave one here. The way that one of our friends was not just shushed, but rudely & personally shushed by a male waiter after she laughed (the first time, mind you, and at a reasonable volume too); the way another male waiter abruptly moved the lamp back to its original spot on the table almost immediately after I had moved it closer to my menu because I couldn't see, as if I had broken some rule and he was correcting a child's mistake; the way that happened again because they had taken away the reading lamp and we had to use a lamp on the table to see the menu, and how they immediately moved the table lamp back; the way I got a snarky, condescending reply from our waiter when we got the bill after asking if it would be possible to split the check about how I would just be creating more work for him... I understand that creating an elevated atmosphere is part of the unique experience, but being outright rude and condescending to respectful, paying customers is absolutely unnecessary and actually creates a hostile environment instead. If you have to do that to "maintain your ambience," you should revisit your approach to customer service and your mission. Perhaps it was because we were the only group of young women in All Blues that night and it was easier to get away with bad customer service. Whatever the reason for the disrespect, I will be supporting other listening bars where my friends and I actually feel welcome, and I will be telling others about this bad experience at All Blues. read more

I love this place. They had me at talking is discouraged. The ambiance was great, the food was delicious. The service was on point. I happened to pop in on a whim and it was a special event that they do once a month there called Verses in Vinyl. Combining readings by different writers from poets to book authors and beyond. It was a unique way to spend an evening. read more

Great ambiance and music. The martinis were delicious too. Looking forward to coming back here soon!

A gem. So happy to have had the experience of visiting All Blues while in New York. A completely unique concept that I had never seen with exceptional service and hospitality. From walking in, to ordering drinks, the team at All Blues makes you feel welcome. The venue is also beautiful. Attention to every detail!! read more