Saw the "4 Generations of Miles" tribute to MIles Davis show here last week and was not so impressed. The music was great, the venue was not. I felt more like I was at an amusement park show than a jazz club. You buy your tickets (which are not cheap) and end up waiting in line outside for at least 20 minutes while the show before yours finishes up, then you are herded inside like a bunch of cows and rush to find a table. The drinks are way overpriced and the service is friendly but really rushed. There is about 15 minutes between when the show starts and when you sit down. We didn't order food right away and about 5 minutes into the show decided we wanted to get a snack, out waitress informed us we the kitchen was closed but she might be able to get us some crackers. A nice gesture but I don't know how the kitchen closed so quickly when almost everyone around us was getting dinner brought out to their tables. Overall not a terrible experience but not a good one either. I'm sure there are some good shows at this place but the venue is a little stale for my taste. read more

The Iridium - 4 Generations of Miles - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New York, New York

Great free form- jazz. Food was not on par. People were nice who work here.

Phenomenal music ALWAYS. Consistently amazing food and service for a very reasonable price. This place deserves its mainstay status amongst the three top Manhattan jazz clubs. read more

Never again. They made us wait for an hour outside in January when we showed up a half hour before the show. They call a ticket a reservation, then leave you outside to freeze. In a city full of great venues, forget it. read more

I tried sending this email to the club management but the have invalid email addresses on their website. pPerhaps they will see it here. I purchased five tickets to see Les Paul on Monday, 12/29 at the 10pm show. We purchased the tickets in advance, called to confirm the guaranteed reservation and showed up more than 30 minutes before the show to stand in line in 35 degree weather. Our guaranteed reservation was confirmed when we got in line. However, at around 10:30, the line stopped moving forward and noone was given any information about what was going on. When we finally got near the front of the line, one of the employees yelled up from the bottom of the stairs that there were no more seats for the show. At this point there were about 20 people (all with guaranteed reservations) still in line. Your manager MF was rude and unhelpful. None of the employees apologized for the mistake. Instead they said it was the fault of the internet ticket vendor. One employee even commented that this keeps happening!!! I understand that the employees did not want to have to deal with the angry patrons. Some of whom had travel far specifically for this event. We personally traveled from Virginia and seeing Les Paul was the primary purpose of our trip. By the time I spoke to Mr. F there was obviously no more seating in the room. When I asked for my money back I was told no. I would have to deal with the internet ticket vendor. He finally offered us separated seating/standing spots. He was unwilling to waive or comp the food requirement even though I would have had to eat a meal off my lap. I understand that mistakes happen. But I don't understand how your staff could blame this on the ticket vendor, provide no information to the people waiting on line in the cold, and be so rude when asking for so much money. At the risk of being rude myself, I assume that your staff knows how many seats they have in the venue and can count. They obviously knew how many tickets had been sold since they confirmed everyone's reservation. Even if the ticket vendor made a mistake, I would have been much less angry if I'd been told there was a mistake and given my money back before I spend 90 minutes standing out in the cold without having eaten anything. I might expect this kind of ammateur service from a hole in the wall club or if I hadn't paid $270 for a guaranteed reservation. Not from the Iridium. I should note, that when I called the controller the next day, she was very helpful and got us our money back. However, when I called at noon the next day this was the first she was hearing about it. Ticketweb hadn't hear anything about it either when I called them. After the horrible scene from the night before I would have expected the staff expected to solve the problem to have been notified. This is further evidence of poor management and poor communication of the club. I suspect that you are not aware of these problems either. I hope that now that you know about the poor management and service from your club you will take steps to solve the problems. The was a huge disappointment and undervalued Les Paul. read more

Great Music and the food was really good. The bill adds up quickly but I think you should support clubs like this...they are a dying breed so if they need to charge for cover and drinks I don't mind that much. It is a small intimate jazz club-I was skeptical because I usually avoid Times Square as a tourist destination, but this was great! It is a better overall experience for the money read more

What a huge disappointment! I visited the Iridium a few years ago and loved it. I went back last week (March 18, 2014) and it was TERRIBLE! The website showed a big band with singer Queen Esther. It looked awesome. I took a customer there and boy, instead of awesome it was awful. The cover was $25 per person plus a $15 minimum. I got a hamburger that was about $18 and she got the greasiest fish and chip I'd ever seen. She could hardly eat it. The band played for only one hour. Queen Esther sang 1 1/2 songs. Seriously? We paid almost $100 for an hour long show? The band was good but the show was just too short for the cost. I live in the Bay Area and am used to enjoying live music at Yoshi's in Oakland and SF. Here, the shows last for at least 90 minutes or more. By the time we got our food, the show was over. And I could not believe that featured artist made a very brief appearance. The food - in addition to being over-priced, the menu was very limited. Don't believe what you read on the web site. The waiter brought us a long menu with an inserted sheet of daily specials. BUT, the only food available were the specials. We were told that nothing on the menu could be prepared for us and that we had to order from the daily special menu. What's the point in giving a menu when nothing was available? It just made no sense. This is a terrible, over-priced "joint." Tacky, unprofessional and just a total rip-off. Too bad, because I love live jazz and I'm sorry to see it misrepresented so poorly in one of the major cities in the USA. Iridium management - you should be embarrassed and ashamed for running such a run down place. Skip this place! It's awful. read more

Back in NYC a few months ago with my son to check out schools and found ourselves at the Iridium listen to a specific trio. We had been there a year earlier and didn't like it that much because it was their touristy Tribute night to Les Paul (not worth it). But this night was different. Great music, great band, reasonable on prices. Overall a great place. Basically, check who is playing and don't go unless you know them. Otherwise it might just be a Touristy hustle night. read more

I agree with most of the other reviewers - take away the great music and you are left with a sloppily run overpriced tourist trap. The service is slow and unprofessional - the food is a notch above airline food. Never going back - I'd recommend Smoke on the upper west for great food AND jazz. read more

BEST PLACE IN NYC to SEE a SHOW!..very satisfied long time customer..I highly recommend the place!

Great music lousy venue. Pains me to write this as there are few venues for live music but it must be said. Went to see a relative who was the featured artist and that was the only reason I didn't walk out. No air conditioning! Cramped all guests into tables on the lower level despite free tables on upper levels. I asked to be moved because I was bumped in my chair no fewer than 20 times by guests and wait service because of the ridiculous table arrangement. They refused my request. To top off my already unpleasant experience, they charged for item on my bill that I never received. Please support live music, just not at this venue. read more

Very nice place, don't understand the negative reviews--saw Men Without Hats, and it was a delightful experience. Good food, great acoustics, great staff. The tip WAS NOT included in the bill. read more

Fantastic. Friendly, efficient service. A great table. (I don't think there's a bad seat in the house.) And a truly memorable show - Ed Palermo Big Band playing Zappa, Beatles, Charlie Parker, King Crimson, Christmas tunes and God knows what else. Sounds insane, I know, but was insanely good. One of the best nights of music I've ever heard. Food was decent, but you're not here for that. Overall, a great vibe - a club that seems to have a place in its heart for both artists and patrons. (Probably due in part to the ghost of Les Paul, a guy who played here forever with a joyful soul.) read more

I went to see Les Paul. He was amazing, my hero and a true icon ! Completely priceless to see Les play in person and chat with him afterwards. The Iridium though was bad ... You are crammed into row tables, unable to move. The food was like eating at a wedding you dread going to and the service was poor. They force you to buy at least 20.00 worth of grub and drink. Go to see Les, but eat before and just givem the 20.00 and avoid the food. Sorry , but that was my experience .... read more

I've only been to the Iridium once, and that was to see the legendary Les Paul on one of his Monday night shows. That show was very entertaining and worth the money. However, I think my excitement to see a true musical living legend may have, at the time, blinded my better judgment about the club itself. Unless you are close to the stage, the sightlines are pretty bad and the sound is not of production-level quality. I'm willing to give them the benefit of doubt on service, since the joint was packed that night, as it usually is on Mondays. Perhaps the service is better when a lesser known act is playing. But, for a city that has been at the epicenter of Jazz practically since the inception of the genre, the Iridium is something of a disgrace. read more

Cute little spot for a nice dinner (food was awesome!!) and some jazz music.

Went to see a friend's band. The food was bland and very overpriced. The description was nothing like what was served. Our over priced sampler plate, which was supposed to contain 4 "samples" along with dipping sauces for each was missing 3 out of 4 sauces and 1 full "sample" of ravioli. It was nearly impossible to find a server to address this problem. Our main courses completely lacked seasoning and were not at all what were described! On top of this they have the nerve to charge a 20% gratuity added on to the bill! Would never order food here again! read more

Mike Stern and Ezmiralda Spaulding and a good artichoke terrine and a nice chanti(no fava beans onthe menu) make me remember to go back here again soon. Got to sit near the stage and had a great time! read more

Spent Friday and Saturday here, to see John Waite. The meet and Greet was handled very well, thanks to Grace! The shows were great (come on, we're talking John Waite!) and the food is so good! The service was great, Anne was our server both nights and she was very nice and helpful and very knowledgeable about the food. For me, the only drawback of this venue is the tables are so close, you cannot move around. Hard to go to the bathroom, without interrupting half the audience with how close everything is. read more

We went with a 15 person group for my mom's 60th birthday yesterday to see their very first Drag Show Brunch. We had a wonderful time. The staff was super fun and entertaining. They danced their butts off. Really showed how hard they worked to pull off that show. The wait staff was great, even though understaffed, the ones who were working their really hustled to make sure all ran as smoothly as possible. One thing i would recommend, the bar back needs to have a set up singles so people can get change to tip the dancers! read more

A even worse venue than Terminal 5 and B.B. King's - and that's saying a lot. I was at the 2nd Charlie Watts show last night and the only reason I'd ever set foot in there again after one previous awful visit was the fact that he pretty much never comes to NYC to play jazz, i.e. I "had" to go. I knew before hand we'd be packed in like sardines and ripped off on the overpriced drinks. I didn't think it'd take 25 minutes for our drinks to arrive. That was blamed on a pesky beer keg - which wouldn't account for the top 20% being foam, or why the server didn't bring my friend's whiskey sour earlier and explain the situation/delay. During the show this one a*hole kept talking throughout so I told him (because the staff did NOTHING about) politely but firmly to knock it off. After the show, the clown was issuing sputtering threats which I laughed at. He threw a drink on me because everyone was laughing at him (and he slunk away). Again, staff did NOTHING, even though there was "security" (and waitstaff) near by. It's extremely telling that the "contact us" link on the website doesn't actually lead anywhere. It's not a real surprise but I feel compelled to spread the word: stay FAR, FAR away ! read more

Awesome music but the venue is a total ripoff. Drink prices are exorbitant and you have to buy 2 drinks. There's a mandatory coat check fee of $2 per coat. Waiters try and get you to settle the bill while the band is still playing. Toilets are filthy. Members of audience talked loudly during the performance. Evening cost over $180 for me and my wife. For 1 set. read more

This is an amazing club and the sound is wonderful! Good drinks and not 1 bad seat in the house. They constantly clean the bathroom which is rare in nyc! I recommend!!! read more

Another one of those places that is a destination to see a big name artist.. not a place to just drop by. The room sounds good and is well laid out so no matter where you sit you can see pretty good. I have seen some great shows here.. it's pretty pricy and it's in a super touristy location so there is really no other jazz clubs to walk to before or after. The food is ok but not great... as are the cocktails... read more

Really awesome club. It's right underneath Ellen's Diner. Be ready to stand and wait as well as deal with many, many, many tourists. The food is pretty good as well as the service. Like Ellen's, the servers do sing and it is EXTREMELY loud. Its always jampacked and can get a little tough to deal with especially when you get claustrophobic like I tend to. The place is far from perfect, but still a part of New York culture. I recommend going for anyone trying to get a full city experience. read more

We pay 25 $ for a great concert! Good musicians and enjoy every minute of the show, but drinks are very expensive, 8 $ for a bud light is the cheapest you can get. read more

Smack in the middle of Times Square and next to Ellen's Stardust, this place doesn't wreak of a jazzy joint. They do, however, have a solid roster of performers here and the place is really intimate. Fun but pricey. read more

I saw Les Paul here many moons ago...it might have been the first jazz concert I ever went to...or at least the first one in NYC. Pretty nice atmosphere...orange and purple, kinda chic. Usually reasonably priced...food isn't bad. I have seen a couple of other artists here like Bobby Hutcherson. Definitely a nice NYC jazz joint. read more

Great live music venue to see some of the more obscure but wonderful acts. Keep a close eye on the calendar. Drinks are not to pricey, tickets are usually sub $30 - a great night out. The shows are often two sets - the 10:30pm one usually much less crowded so if you want a close stage seat go to that show and get there by 10pm. read more

Ugh, where to I start? First, let me say my experience may not be the norm because it was New Year's Eve and who knows what went wrong. Also, right up front, music was AMAZING, and the seating and ambience was great. So if you're going just for the music and a few drinks, don't let this review stop you. Okay, so why the 1 star? Over $500 or 3 people ($125 per person for a 3 course meal plus drinks and gratuity) is not something my friends and I would normally spend, but it was New Years, and a splurge every now and then is good, especially when you get a great meal and experience on top of a great show. That, unfortunately, didn't happen. Beginning with the security in Times Square, the night was ill-thought out by the management. NYPD required anyone seeing a show or eating in the Times Square area have tickets (which Iridium didn't offer) or that an employee come and escort us (from 6th and 51st). We called twice, waiting for an escort in the cold, and when the freezing, coatless waitress came, she explained they tried to call everyone they had numbers for (we didn't receive a call and had provided a number) to warn them. After standing in the cold for nearly an hour with our fellow customers, we then again had to wait outside to get to the box office. Upon being seated, we encountered what felt like air conditioning (the manager later explained it was 'fresh air' and thankfully turned it off). My friend had eaten their before and had a great meal and the word on the street was that the chef was top notch. However, everyone being served at the same time, everything was hot plate - just not so hot. Everything was either lukewarm or cold, including the $5 coffee, and tasted terrible. The first course, a tuna appetizer was barely edible, drenched in a mayo heavy dressing that masked a less than fresh taste. The main course was a beef dish that didn't begin to resemble it's usual form. Would've been fine had it not been...cold...along with both side dishes. All three of our dishes were cold. So we sent them back...twice After the second time, we gave up. Desert was fine, but not great. Coffee was served with a side of cold, again. Our waitress forgot our waters and spent half the night trying to find the bottle of wine our neighboring table ordered. Most of the other guests nearby appeared annoyed with the way the night seemed to be coordinated. I used to be a waitress, so I don't blame the girl. I've seen poor planning and execution on the part of managers and chefs and this was what it looked like. Again, it wouldn't have been a big deal to spend that kind of money if the food had been edible or if the managment had saw fit to do something about our situation (or reduce the bill). The only saving grace was the reason we came: the music. Mike Stern and his band were incredible. The saxaphonist was especially talented, and the band seemed genuinely happy to be there on a big night like that. Bottom line: if you like good jazz, go only for that, not good service or food. read more

LOVE this place. LOTS of Frank Zappa alumni play here so I've been several times. Staff is super cool, laid back and friendly. Sound is fantastic AND the food is delish. What's not to love (oh, it is pricey).. read more

Levin Brothers were great. Wine was fantastic. Food was mediocre. Wife meal was terrible.

Things have changed at Iridium! The waitstaff is welcoming and warm. Nice change and thank you! Since all our time here is short, it's good to be greeted in a friendly way. read more

So...... did you ever make plans to go to a place, then read some online reviews and talk yourself into having a shitty time before you even got there? If so, read on......... We had planned a quick trip to NYC. No solid plans or itinerary, possibly a theater trip, maybe some music if it worked out. I'm an expatriate New Yorker, left in the 70's. My wife loves to go there together and have me make plans. Mostly we love to people watch, eat great food in funky places, and generally walk around and take it in. I'm fascinated how the city has changed, and how some places remain the same. We were walking around mid-town, just north of Times Square (what happened to THAT neighborhood? When did it become Disneyland? Where did all the sleazy people go?). Passed the Iridium and saw a sign featuring a favorite guitarist, Albert Lee, appearing for 2 nights - Tuesday & Wednesday. I was thrilled and my wife gave them her credit card for Wednesday night, preferred seating. It was processed and we were told that she'd receive confirmation and it was first come, first seated, "on call" ticketing. We got back to the hotel and I looked up reviews on Yelp. Ohhh no! Lots of bad experiences documented. Lousy food, surly staff, tourist trap, rip-off, funky seating and problems with reservations and ticketing. Wednesday arrived and I spent the day of the show anxiously anticipating what I was sure was going to be a bad experience, but hoping for the best. We arrived early and went to the window. "What was the name? Sorry.... we don't have you on the list. Nope, not that name either." Somehow my wife found an email on her phone that said, indeed, we paid for 2 preferred seating tickets. "Hmmmm, let's see. Gee, you're not listed here." Upon closer inspection we found that the woman at the window had actually processed the tickets for the previous evening, Tuesday, despite clearly telling her we wanted Wednesday. By this time we're on line waiting to get in. Uggghhhh. I just knew this was gonna suck. I even suggested my wife call her bank and try to get the payment held. Damn it, why didn't I heed those Yelp reviews? This place is awful. Now we're out the $$ and probably won't get in to see the show. In the meantime, a nice young waiter shows up and we explain our predicament. He says "Why don't you take these seats right next to the stage, and I'll get the manager to see if we can straighten this out? Be right back." And I'm thinking, oh sure... I know how this is all going to turn out. The manager comes over, we explain what happened with the tickets being for last night and she smiles and says (........ wait for it..........) "Oh, sorry folks, we must have made a mistake. Enjoy the show." I was stunned. I'd worked myself up to an unnecessary tither for naught!!! By this time my wife and I have both fallen in love with the manager. What a nice bunch of people! What a great place to see a show. Look at all the cool guitar memorabilia all over the place. Hey.... simple but pretty cool menu. Gee..... not only did this work out, but this is gonna be great! And so it was. My wife had some wine and a kale salad that was delicious. I ordered "sliders" on a whim and they were really nice done: caramelized onion, spicy herb rub on very flavorful fresh tasting beef. I wasn't super hungry, but these were more than adequate. Delicious, actually. My guess would be that there isn't a bad place to sit in the house. The seats are set up so you are likely to find yourself sitting with strangers. We ended up having great conversations with people, most of which were guitar playing geeks like myself. And just to see, I asked and everybody else enjoyed the for they'd ordered. I told the waiter I was a non drinker, figuring that maybe the $15 minimum was for alcohol only. Nope, food covered it. AND........ he kept the my glass of ice water filled during the show, without interfering with the performance or anybody's comfort. He was great and we tipped accordingly. So........ the next time you find yourself reading lousy reviews of a place remember this: YOU may actually have a great time there. Yes, reviews are good. We all know that or we wouldn't be on YELP, now would we? But before you let some online shitbox ruin your fun in advance, just chew on that grain of salt. Phenomenal performance, great music, decent grub and a super cool venue. Maybe I've become susceptible to a "tourist trap"? Doubt it, but if yes then so be it. Thanks Iridium, for rectifying your mistake in a classy, simple manner. We had a blast and wouldn't hesitate for a second to go back again. read more

I purchased tickets for the 12/29 Les Paul showing one week prior to the event through Ticketweb. I showed up half an hour before the show (9:30pm), waited in line for an hour in the freezing cold, then finally the club manager told the 20 remaining patrons that they overbooked the venue. We waited another half an hour to see if they would let some more people in, and they did, but at the end of the day there were a good 10 customers who already paid for tickets and were not admitted entry! I flew from California to see LP play and to have him sign my Les Paul Standard guitar. Didn't happen. Iridium blew my one shot to get his autograph. The club promoter told us to contact ticketweb for a no-hassle refund. I had to submit two online requests and call ticketweb three times. Each time ticketweb said they contacted Iridium and had not received a response. Finally, almost a month later, I got a confirmation email that they refunded my money. It's honestly a shame that a legend like Les Paul would play at a club whose management doesn't give a shit about its customers. read more

The Iridium has some of the best talent in the country - no, in the world. The Les Paul Trio is still holding court even with Mr. Paul's passing (God rest his soul.) They are superb - great talent and personality as well. The guest performers are top-notch and the room doesn't have a bad seat in it. I was blown away by the recent Larry Carlton show there. The staff was very accommodating. Everyone from the girl at the door to the wait staff and the manager made sure our visit was comfortable and we felt very welcome. You can't say that for many places that host top-shelf entertainment. In Manhattan. The room itself is small, and as I said, there isn't a bad seat in the place. Tickets are very reasonably priced ($35 for Larry Freakin' Carlton!) and the drinks were strong. I can't wait to return. It's now my go-to bar in Manhattan. read more

What a gem Iridium is. I have been to this venue many times, and it keeps getting better and better. My boyfriend and I, along with another couple, went to the John Oates show this past Saturday. He played some of his new music--but also made a point to play some of his old stuff (the jams that made him famous). That's one thing I really like about Iridium--it offers that intimate feel for artists, which completely translates to a good performance. The food is great, as well. We split a thin-crust pizza for an appetizer--which was tasty with fresh tomatoes and basil. For an entree, I opted for a special for the night, which was sea bass on a bed of risotto. My boyfriend enjoyed the steak florentine which was stuffed with spinach and mozzarella. We will be returning to the House that Les built! read more

Never been to the Iridium Club Before. OMG..Mike Stern. Great musician and great sound. Dave Weckl on drums is something to see. I love Buddy Rich and I'll say that Dave is a close second (I play the drums). People complain of the price. This is not a place to go for a casual cocktail to some lounge music. In this place you get some of the top musicians in the world playing 10 feet from your seat. I'm not too worried about a $40 cover charge with a $15 minimum additional bill for food or drinks. Keep in mind you can pay $65 for nosebleed seats to see the same caliber musicians. This was a great night with real talent. read more

Would have given minus 5 star, came to see macy gray, waited outside in the old for an hour, show started late, and boucer yelled at people like jerks, will never come back again read more

The Iridium - Bouncer screaming at people "get back in line!!!!!!" and he let some other people to cut in front of the line - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New York, New York

Great place, amazing service. Getting ready to hear the great Stanley Jordan! Plus the desserts are awesome.