My husband and I joined up with two good friends for a fun night out in Manhattan this past weekend. We had previously ordered tickets to see a jazz show at The Iridium. We arrived about only 10 minutes until show time. Most of the other patrons had already been seated, so when we were offered a table right next to the stage on the first level, we were all so thrilled! We really "lucked out" with our unexpectedly good seating placement. I was especially thankful to "Selby" who, with much wit attached to his inquiry, offered to provide us all with foam ear protection, new out of the box. Being seated right near the amps and a live drummer will leave your ears ringing at the end of the night, so I was more than happy to oblige Selby by graciously accepting his gratuitous offer, and I appreciated his witticism. The four of us chose to sample several of the different cocktails that were available off the regular menu. I had been to The Iridium before, so I was well aware of the deliciousness of "The Wizard of Waukesha" (Les Paul) and so my husband accepted my recommendation and also imbibed along with me. He simply relished the drink, raving about it, as did my friends with reagrd their cocktails. We chose not to order a full dinner, but rather nosh on a couple of thin-crust pizzas which were very simply prepared, but absolutely delicious. In fact, I was so impressed with the flavor that this past week I attempted to replicate the pizza at home. The fresh arugula, fresh sliced mozzarella, light sauce layer and sliced grape tomatoes were fantastic on the Iridium's "pizza creation of the day". When you order it, it's a crap shoot - you have no idea what you're gonna get.... (like a box of chocolates, right Forrest?). So, the fresh arugula was a wonderful surprise. The service at the Iridium was top-notch this past Saturday, and the show was fantastic, albeit rather short in duration- that was my one gripe. I know that other patrons have complained of poor service and ranted about the $14.00 cocktails and $15 minimum order per person, but our service was flawless and friendly. As for the steep prices and minimum spending requirements? It's New York City- whaddayagonna do? read more

When this club actually has jazz , not dead guitarist worship, the cover charge is obscene, the menu is pretentious & over-priced, the staff is obnoxious & the place smells like cleaning fluid. They also wouldn't honor Yelp checjkin coupon. read more

Iridium will never have my money again. The place is a hole. I came here for a jazz show, for which I had purchased "VIP" tickets well in advance (over a month). Arriving at the club, the hostess was very friendly and accommodating, even letting one person in my party go in and use the restroom before they had begun admitting ticket holders. That's about where the good part of this review ends. Once inside, the waiter took our tickets, told us the "VIP" part was that we could pick our own seats. As I turned to my party and asked if the table I was pointing to was okay, the waiter belched out, "Hurry up, people, or I chose for you." Really? I wasn't aware 30 seconds was an interminable amount of time! As it happens, we were the first ones in line, and so the first ones seated. We were then the LAST table in the ENTIRE venue to have our order taken. We had to flag down our waiter and plead to put in a food and drink order. His response, "Yeah [sigh], I guess I can do that." Really? You realise your tip just went to about zero, right? He then rushed through our order and scurried off just as the lights came down and the musicians came on stage. Then the real BS started. Flatware wasn't so much placed on the table, as tossed from a run. Drinks and food plopped down with a discernible thud. The service couldn't have been more careless if they were pouring drinks in people's laps. Now, I understand the urge on occasion to comment to someone about a show. However, on one side of the club was a table of 2 men and 6 women that simply would not shut up at all. I'm not referring to just rude talking, I mean loud laughing, shrieking, shouting into cell phones, and giggling. Not only me, but several other people in the club grabbed the waiter (there were only 2 and the other had the back of the place) and asked him to speak to them. His actions amounted to going over and pointing to the people complaining and laughing along with the same morons he was supposed to be chastising. When other people continued to complain, he replied curtly and dismissed them. Again, me and someone from another table complained, this time asking someone other than the clod who was our waiter to have the manager involved. The manager simply called the waiter over and was satisfied with his dismissal of the entire thing. Meanwhile, the loud group is now glaring at, and passing audible judgement on, everyone else in the club. To the performers' credit, even though they could hear the BS from that one table (there was the occasional glance in that direction), they kept to their program and put on a great performance as professionals do. Iridium fails utterly for not controlling a disruptive group, having rude and incompetent staff, and in the final insult, hanging up on me TWICE when I called to complain on a following day. It is no wonder this place is never more than half full on a Friday that close to Times Square. It is the epitome of how to run away customers. read more

When you advertise that doors open at 6:00 don't leave a line of people waiting until after 7:00 (and still counting as I write this) in extreme heat and humidity. The very least you can do is bring out water. You're risking liability if someone drops from heat stroke. This wasn't even the first night of the show (and I understand last night was no better). Also - thanks for screwing up my train schedule. I will never return and I hope you enjoy all the disputed credit card charges I've asked people to submit. Edit: 7:30 now and they've managed to let about 15 people in. The rest are still waiting outside. read more

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly - all rolled into one. The Good - wonderful ambiance and great music. You can get a student discount if you have student ID. The drinks are really good - hands down, the second to best Mint Julep I've ever had - the first being New Orleans of course. The Bad - yuppie jazz freaks who think they are better than everyone else. Plus they're older and going deaf and don't realize the noise they think they hear from talkers are from another table. The Ugly. Price. Party of 10 for a birthday. We had to cover the birthday girl and even with our discount we had to ay $30 on top of the drinks we ordered. It's also a $15 drink minimum - one of their drinks cost $14 so you might just have to get a second drink. They included gratuity of like 20% - ridiculous. On top of that, there is the coat check nazi, who made us give up our coats, but didn't tell us that there was a $2 fee per coat. I nearly cutta bitch. I walked out of there feeling truly raped. We couldn't even bear to stay past the first performance. I'll go back here for the music, but I will make sure my pockets are lined with gold next time. read more

This place is awful. For starters, we got there around 40 minutes early to get decent seats, only to find out we STILL had to stand outside in line the frigid 18 degree cold for nearly 30 minutes while they clumsily sorted out the seating. Not fun at all! We went with a party of 5 to Susan Werner's show this past Saturday. This woman is a class-act musician, a very funny lady and just super talented beyond words. This place has terrible seating - at least 3 of the seats around us, and one at our table, were so bad you couldn't even see the stage at all from the seat. The drinks are soooooo expensive, but I guess that's expected at a jazz place in Times Square. Our waitress barely came over to our table and we had to flag her down just to order our second drinks. But, the worst is really the rude service. I understand they have a lot of shows in one night. Even Susan herself seemed offended. Here's why: before she had even started her last song, one of the staff members started taking peoples coat check tags and bringing over their coats. Susan said to her (not knowing she worked there) - "what's up - are you leaving already?" To cap it off, they automatically add an 18% tip onto your bill - watch out for that! Bottom line, unless you are seeing someone you absolutely love (like we did), don't bother with this place. Pretty sure Susan won't want to perform there again, either. A very weird, rushed vibe, and the place is clearly out for the money and not the music. read more

This place is such a tourist trap. My friends and I bought tickets to see Terry Bozzio here. Tickets were about $35 + an additional $15 minimum on food/drinks per person. Apparently buying a ticket doesn't guarantee a seat. Umm.. ok.. since when does buying a ticket not guarantee you a seat at a show? Thankfully we there 20 minutes before the scheduled start. We were told 15 minutes was the cut off time. After that.. no guarantees.. if they have already let too many people in then you are just SOL. The will-call ticket system is basically a farce. There are no actual tickets. I over heard the manager saying they always end up getting more people than they accommodate. How is that possible if you are selling tickets for the show? Obviously they are over selling tix and some people are getting screwed. My friend and I BARELY managed to squeeze in - and were seated all the way in the front row. There were some empty tables at the back and we asked if we could sit there but the manager/usher said those tables were reserved for the producers. I almost tripped over myself laughing. Mind you this is a pretty small place and the space reserved for "producers" was probably a third of the venue. I'm sure producers are coming in droves to see a 63 year old drum soloist that most people have never heard of. Despite my slight discomfort and being forced into a posture that will probably come back to haunt me, the night was fine once Bozzio started his drumming. That's the ONLY reason I'm giving this place 2 stars - they do bring in artists that are a rare breed these days. read more

I love this place, I swear I reviewed it before, and gave them 4 stars, the food is not bad, a tad pricey, but considering you are playing only 35.00 to watch some of the most amazing guitarists, I say, that's a steal! I've been here about 10 times, it gets better and better, my 2 star review is honestly for only my last time, and it had nothing to do with performance, Andy was nothing short of a god. Our waitress was attentive, not pushy either. I love that! My problem was with one obnoxious coat check "girl" (I hope she got my sardonic mocking tone, the same one she was speaking to me with) My friend made reservations to see the great Andy Timmons play for 3. This was the first time I was asked to check my coat, now there is a certain way to approach this. The proper way to do it is to say, excuse me, but we have a mandatory coat check for tonight. We are filming and don't want to see coats. That would have been fine. It would have been fine if we were told this up front, however when I am situated, and the coat check girl gives me an attitude 2 mins before Andy Timmons is about to go on, and I am having a moment with my bf, that is not fine. I had to coax her into an alternative (which was having coat on lap, or folded on a chair, which 90% of the club opted to do) That was enough to ruin my first ten min. I would have seen Andy that Monday, but her inquiring style and pushy attitude really wanted me to send a message. Most of your employees are top notch, one of the hostess could use a bit of common sense, but that coat check girl needs to go. read more

I would not have been here if I could've seen the show I wanted to see in another venue. My friends & I were guestlisted by a musician playing here. Because the club knew they weren't making cover fees off of us, they stuck us in a corner where the stage view ranged from obstructed to non-existent. Okay, we're freeloaders. We get it. Fortunately, they didn't have much to say when we pulled our seats into the aisles or when I would stand up. The performers are A++ all the way. The sound mix is good. Those are the most important things. Service was slow. I don't think they ever brought us water. There's a $15/min per set, which is fine but most booze was $14 per drink. (Sneaky!) If I remember correctly, a glass of Makers and a glass of Talisker 10 year ran the same $14. Uh... really? The food is pretty sorry, and pretty expensive. My friend & I split a plate of bland empanadas for $20+. The chicken ones were like eating unseasoned wet cardboard. The chorizo & chive were decent. We probably should've held off or made a run for cookies at the Duane Reade down the block, but we'd both been out all day at other events. My opinion of Iridium was lowered even further when, long after we'd left and gone on to another bar, I bumped into one of the musicians on an A-train platform at 2am. I complimented his set and we talked about the show and the club. He said they'd promised to feed the musicians and he asked for his plate to-go, and they never gave him his food. Iridium did not impress me. They don't respect their audience and they don't respect their performers. read more

This is going to be a somewhat long, rambling review, so either sit tight and drink it up or skip to the next one and lose out on some self-serving ego-maniacal astute observations -- at your own peril ;-) About a month prior to visiting the Iridium, I received a notifcation from a concert calendar service (SongKick) that an artist I like going to be playing locally. I'm not going to review the SongKick service but if you've ever missed out on a great show b/c you didn't hear about it, try it out. SongKick pointed us to the Iridium -- mentioned the Les Paul Trio -- and the aforementioned artist (who is known as -- I shit you not -- Popa Chubby). We bought two tickets for $30 per plus a $10 fee and off we went. Now to be fair, Popa Chubby (real name: Ted Horowitz) is a bitchin', incredibly-gifted blues player (sort of like Stevie Ray Vaughan except far more tattoos and about 200 pounds heavier. And a lot more humor. I've been a huge Popa Chubby fan since Booty & The Beast (apologies for another shameless plug) so the fact he was playing here with another blues guy (Eric Sardinas) made me very very happy. The show itself: Iridium used to be nearer to Columbus Circle (near Rosa Mexicano on the UWS) but at some point snuck down to Broadway and 51st right near the Mama Mia theater. Nestled among the tourist souvenir chazerai and the cabs and what used to be a lot of porno palaces, you go to Iridium and you walk by its entrance at least once, if not more than once, it's that tiny. But once you arrive, you make your way in and down and the club is more of a restaurant laid out over about 30 tables of maybe four to six seats each facing sideways toward a small stage that can accommodate four people at once, sans drum kit. Welp, this evening Eric Sardinas, the opener, came up and played with the Les Paul Trio (who played a few numbers without him -- more jazzy blues than anything else). Sardinas played a loud, bluesy, slide-laden aggressive but entertaining set. He left after five or six tunes and Popa Chubby made his way to the stage (slowly). What's interesting, we soon realized, was that the sets weren't the artist on his/her/their own, each artist played with the Les Paul Trio, which made for an unusual albeit memorable experience. Popa Chubby brought the place down, and by 9:50, ten minutes before the second show was due to commence, we had had enough, although we could have stayed through 10PM and seen another pair of shows by the two players, as no one seemed eager to have us leave the premises. Now for the bottom line on the club itself: Strange but overall a worthwhile stop. If you recall the lyrics to Sultans of Swing, this would be the little jazz club to which Mark Knoplfer was referring. People on this evening however weren't ducking in to avoid the rain, they were coming in to watch two excellent blues guys rip it up. Neither guy had drums backing him up -- just uber-talented players (one piano, one jazzy Les Paul and one acoustic upright bass) and we didn't miss the drums at all. Then again, most of the stuff was pure bluesy rock if not rock-infused blues. Chubby's first tune was "You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You" and it was LOUD. In fact, the whole set was fairly loud from each player -- whether by mix or maybe we were sitting to close to PA speakers. Either way, it was a great night and the music was smokin'. A few tiny complaints -- everyone felt a bit stuffed in even during the early show, and you get the sense the two-drink minimum on a $35 per-person ticket is a bit greedy; when we hit the minimum it we also ordered some appetizers that took our waiter ten minutes to see what we wanted and another 30 minutes to bring to us. Take your pick -- great food, short wait times and fair prices -- can't have it all (we found that out the hard way...see the pearls of wisdom being shared here?). Essentially, the bottom line is the wait staff aside, this is a place I would love to visit again if I didn't feel they were gouging a bit. Even then, I'm happy helping to support a great place -- just hope the "great" remains along with the place, if you know what I mean. Put another way, the Iridium is a necessary must-see for anyone who respects all of Les Paul's achievements (inventor of the Gibson Les Paul, multi-track recording, etc.) and it's a nice place to visit, but I'd think twice before I went back. I'd most likely go back for an artist I NEEDED to see live, but for an ancillary live show I wouldn't just swing by unless I wanted to duck out of the rain to hear the jazz go down ;-) read more

Enjoyed a phenomenal performance and healthy food options at the Iridium last week. I was honestly blown away by the talent (Paul Gilbert) and forgot how fun it is to watch live music in such an intimate venue. I had been to the Iridium several times years ago for jazz and Les Paul, and was thrilled to find the sound is still exceptional. Having food and beverages available during a show is a bonus. Good wine list and healthy options were a plus. It made me feel young again, but not too young. Come for the music. It will not disappoint. I'm looking forward to returning soon. read more

Excellent music and musicians! We saw Mike Clark and the Indigo Blues - a very entertaining and talented group of guys, and despite all of the miked instruments and being pretty close to the stage (the second row of tables), the sound level was pretty good and didn't leave my ears ringing afterwards. My favorite thing about this place was the layout and atmosphere. We had gone to the Village Vanguard the night before, and people were crammed in to the point where I couldn't even move without bumping into someone. Not to mention it was very dark and dingy in there. The Iridium looked very classy, interesting decor, had lots of space, and also much friendlier servers (our waitress, a girl from Israel, was amazing!). My main complaint (and note that they did not affect my overall rating) is that the food was probably about $5 more than it should have been. We got the calamari appetizer, and it was only so-so - A little too breaded and overly chewy. I also got the Kobe burger, which was pretty good and cooked correctly, but it wasn't so amazing that it was worth $24. Maybe $15? Also, the busser seemed to really want to take my plate away, and came back 3 or 4 times during the show despite the fact that I was obviously not finished. I found that a little disruptive to the performance. Overall, I had a great time, and I don't even usually like jazz! I hope I get to come here again sometime (though it was pricy, so don't be surprised), and if you're looking for a good Jazz place in the city, definitely try this out over the Village Vanguard. Also note: If you are dating, this would be an excellent place to take your date. There is time before the show to talk (assuming you go there early to get a good seat - we got there about an hour early and had our choice of seating when we walked in), there are lots of things on the wall to stare at during awkward silences, and then there's good food and great music, which will make the date a little more special and interesting. read more

I REALLY wish the Iridium could get back to how they were before the passing of Les Paul. They are barely a jazz club anymore; they have rock bands nearly every night now. As a professional jazz musician, this REALLY bugs me, considering the demise of a couple of other clubs in town. On a positive note, I'm really glad that Todd Barkan is having his Keystone Korner jazz nights at the Iridium now. This will help bring the club back to its glory as the jazz institution that it once was. The food is great, albeit quite pricey, and the service is usually pretty great. Again, I just hope that the Iridium can get back into what gave them their great reputation. I'd certainly come back much more often. read more

Most of you guys are crazy... here is the truth about getting to see Les Paul. I happened to go to this very place to experience the awesomeness that is getting to hear, sing along to, and meet one of the world's living legends. It was amazing. I don't remember what the food was like or how much the drinks cost. And do you want to know why? Because it doesn't matter! Getting to see Les Paul is a gift. Generations of people to come will fantasize about what it must have been like to even be in the same room with him, let alone perform. And, if tourists like me are attracted to this so called "tourist trap", it is only because we are lucky enough to know where to go in the city to see Les Paul. So, give it a rest guys. You are one of the lucky few who got to see this man play. If you are the type of person who walks out of a Les Paul show and is complaining about the food, you probably didn't deserve the awesomeness you got to witness in the first place. So yeah, don't ever go back. At least that way there will be room for those of us who actually appreciate getting to see the man who built the knobs for the guitar that inspired Jimmy Hendrix's epic rendition of the national anthem... and every great rock album EVER!!! read more

The manager is fantastic; but if it weren't for her, we wouldn't have received either of our two drinks during the "unlimited" drag brunch we went to yesterday. Our sever completely neglected the entire table -- except when it came time to bill us. I wrote my frank and honest review of the absolute lack of service; and he threw the plate with the card on it at us. Mind you, we had to wait almost as long for him to take my card as we had to wait for the food (40 minutes), for which the manager had to take our order after the show began. She was visibly shocked that we still had our menus and had not placed our order. The show was fantastic; but I've had better service at McDonald's at 4am. I hope 100% of the tip I left goes to the manager. read more

This is not going to be a cheapy night out but if you can scurry up some dough come down here on a Monday night ASAP for Les Paul Mondays! I'm not the person to give a lesson on such a legendary Rock and Roll Hall of Famer as Mr. Paul but you know who he is even if you don't. Les Paul Guitars...yup, THAT Les Paul! I went to the show w/ a guitar player and this was on his life to do list or "bucket list". I'm so glad he took me. We had a fantastic time. They have a terrific bourbon selection so fulfilling the $25 min per person (not including tickets to the show) wasn't difficult. And we had a lovely conversation with an older couple next to us who have seen Les Paul multiple times. I like how you sit with other people. It makes the experience more personal. It's a small room and they do pack 'em in but an intimate experience. Make sure you make reservations. Les is very funny and at 96 he still performs every Monday, 2 sets with his very talented trio. After the 10pm show he stays and chats with people and signs autographs and if you have a Les Paul Guitar he will sign that too. We even had our pictures taken with him. What a stud! read more

I guess it's pretty cool that they have a jazz club right in the middle of all the garbage clogging Times Square. There's just a small entrance and marquee with the night's listing. The club is under the street. I got the typical feeling jazz clubs are intended to give you: many small tables crowded together all around a stage where people gather and wait for the set to come on. I saw Anthony Braxton, one of the godfathers of avant jazz here. Even though I wasn't too into the music (I don't do cacophonous, atonal sludge, or if I do, I like it to have some kind of payoff--- this all seemed just one elaborate joke) I still enjoyed the feeling of sitting right next to the stage and getting horns blown over my head. That was a nice feeling. There's a ten dollar minimum after the ticket and they have a nice selection from the bar, plus a decent array of entrees and desserts you might imagine finding in such a place. Nice place for a club. read more

I will admit I was skeptical about coming to a jazz show and having to eat food. I also expected the food to be way overpriced. I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome of my outing to the Iridium. Last weekend, we went to see Protocol II featuring my cousin (no, not really) Steve Weingart, and the band and sound were flawless. Such a good show and performance. I ordered a the Risotto balls, cheese plates, beet salad and fries and it was just way too much food. I really liked the quality of the cheese. The Risotto balls came with a dipping sauce that might have been like a spicy Russian dressing. I was very satisfied with everything. The prices were decent and reasonable for the quality of the food. read more

I went to see the man himself, Les Paul! For those of you who need a little information, he designed the now legendary "Les Paul" Gibson Guitar. "So what you say"? Well about half of the best guitar music out there has been played on this guitar; I own two, they're heavy and they have that humbucker sustain. Enough on the guitar lesson, the evening was great. I had a couple of beers. I did not eat but the food looked good for a club and as one of the reviewers pointed out they have "a good steak". Les is truly a player. He still hits some sweet spots in his playing. He stops the show for a little conversation with the audience. His trio are also "very cool". I totally must say Nikki, the bass player is sexy and talented; what man could ask for more. A fun show with some smooth jazz, the Iridium delivers a "legend" every Monday night for two shows: well worth the price of admission! read more

Oh, where to begin here? When we arrived about a 1/2 hour before showtime, we had to wait outside on the line while the last show cleared out. The door girl was very friendly and helpful, and said that we didn't have to reserve a table becomes that comes with the ticket. Then once they let us in at 10pm (also the scheduled showtime) they made us wait in the stairwell that led to the actual club. The hostess did not seem to have the slightest idea in how to seat people. It was so disorganized and chaotic and she obviously had no floor plan at all. They randomly sat us and wouldn't let you choose where you wanted to sit. So when she finally showed us to our seat she wouldn't allow me and my boyfriend to sit next too each other because "because it was too crowded". I don't know what difference that makes, but ok... Then the waiter seemed to get everyone's order wrong or he never brought a glass of water that we asked for. In fact, everyone sitting around us had a tough time getting water as well (what's the point of having a busboy if he can't deliver a basic request?!) Then a hustler, I mean coat check girl comes over and tells everyone that they have to put their coats on their laps or put it in coat check for $2/coat. You weren't allowed to hang your coat on the back of your chair. She literally went to every single person that walked in and told them that. The service was awful, the food mediocre, but thank goodness for the bartender's heavy hand. The ONLY redeeming quality of this place is that it's a small venue and good acts come through there. I will most certainly, DEFINITELY never come back here. read more

I was going to give this place 5 stars because of the great live music, but I have to take a star off because of the food. Today I got slapped with a $30.00 check for a hamburger, fries and a fountain soda (not including the music charge). And they fucked up the burger! At least I wasn't at Citi Field.. Bottom line- Great music!!! Highly recommended, but eat before you go. read more

Venue was ok. Went with friends for Sunday drag brunch. The show was subpar. My friends and I purchased our tickets on the app Fever, paid $34 for "VIP" seating ON TOP of $25 for the food. The "unlimited" mimosas were frozen orange juice; not a drip of champagne in sight! The chicken Caesar salad was good. The drag show was disappointing, the hostess was a bit boorish and not entertaining, the drag performers could've given me more: some were Beyonce and Jlo impersonators and yet the performances fell flat. The only performance that was worth watching was the Britney impersonator. I have been to many a drag shows that have left me gagging and living! But this was disappointing. The venue is so small and crowded that there's no space to unleash your inner sass... I was looking forward to a fun show and instead got a rehearsal. read more

Tiny club located in the Times Square district. Saw Leslie West here. Had great seats and the food was pretty good. Try the angel hair with Bolognese sauce. read more

I was just at Iridium this evening to see a friend's band, It was my first time at Iridium in many years. We came in from "Lawn Guyland" for the early show and had dinner and drinks. We had such a great time and the food was spectacular! The service was really good as well. When we got to the club and I saw the other venues and restaurants nearby (Mars 2112, Stardust Diner), I was expecting the worst. I was not expecting the food to be so good! I was there with two other friends and we all said the same thing. read more

We saw Victor Wooten, Steve Bailey and special guest Ron Carter this past Saturday and opted to have dinner which was surprisingly excellent. The cheese plate was garnished with grapes, strawberries and plum jam which added a nice contrast to the savory selections of fromage. She had black ink seafood risotto which was seasoned and cooked perfectly while I had chicken a la "mattone" which translates to cooked under a brick which made it very flavorful and juicy. The dish was accompanied by garlicky kale and chickpeas which was a perfect foil for the chicken The Iridium is a great place to see a show and bonus points for their cusine which is world class. Can't wait to go back. read more

Fun time and interesting experience. Visited for an 'all ages' drag brunch. Never been to a drag brunch so didn't necessarily know what to expect. Not sure I'd return with anyone under 18 again. Didn't expect it to be as raunchy as it was considering that I made sure to look for the 'all ages' description but um.. yeah. Despite a few awkward moments, it was a good time. The Queens were talented and funny. Our favorite was Jayda, who can dance her butt off. read more

Iridium, located in mid-town on the West Side a few blocks above Times Square, is reliable for evening Jazz and dinner. Offering the standard two sets nightly, Iridium is known for: Mondays with the legendary Les Paul, and weekly Tuesday dates with the Mingus Big Band. MBB is a personal favorite, still organized and run by Sue Mingus (Charles' widow). Most Tuesdays she is at the club for meet & greets, barking out orders just like Mingus use to on stage. It's not as cool as when Mingus Big Band played the old Fez: Under Time Cafe (Lafayette @ Great Jones... sadly now closed). Still, a quality new home where tradition now lives. read more

I was there on January 2, 2016 to see Macy Gray perform her last show of a 5 show run at Iridium. She was spectacular and the sound in the lounge is very well presented. The line-up process was not very organized with only one girl overseeing the entrance of the venue. Once inside, there aren't many bad seats in the house. The venue is small and tight, which makes for an intimate atmosphere. Wait staff are kind and courteous, if not a bit slow. They also tend to stand up directly in front of the stage while talking with other patrons. This can be distracting and easily rectified by kneeling. I was served a drink in a broken glass. When I informed the waitress she informed me that the next one would be on the house. This was unexpected and a nice show of patronage. I had a pleasant experience and would definitely go back. read more

Of the 3-4 times I have been at this venue, it still never fails to impress me. I am absolutely in love with the environment, the music, and the people. The staff is very courteous and the management is always looking to please its customers. Yes I will admit the place is a bit on the pricey side but in my eyes its worth it. The food and the drinks are incredible, and the college student discounts make it all the better! read more

Iridium is a somewhat unconventional locale for a bridal shower, but my good friend had hers here because of a family connection and it was surprisingly lovely. We were in the event/music space downstairs, and while the lack of windows made it a little dark and gloomy considering the event, the service and food more than made up for it. Each of our tables had its own server, and all the staff were engaged, charismatic and great at their jobs. When we wanted to set up an impromptu karaoke session they were totally on board - one server even sang a duet with a bridesmaid to Aladdin's "I Can Show You the World." It was the highlight of the event, and we had a great time! Thanks Iridium! read more

Hard to give this place a great review but if you understand that it is a cramped and gritty kind of place you can see some interesting acts here. I found the staff to be reasonably friendly and the service was ok. I didn't eat here but the food looked better than I would have expected. read more

Hoping for a memorable Valentine's Day evening out with my wife but we were seated in the farthest corner with no view whatsoever of the entertainer (see photo of our [NON-]view). There were empty tables we passed while being taken to "Siberia" but when I asked if we could sit there, the hostess said "they're reserved." The supposedly "reserved" tables were never filled. You can see some of the empty seats on the right side of my photo. As for the food, my expectations are never high when going to a jazz club, but Iridium's food came in FAR below my low expectations. I ordered a kale salad for $16 and it was a plate of wilted kale, without much taste. I took 2 bites and pushed it away. The waiter never bothered to ask how our food was or question me when clearing my uneaten plate from the table. read more

The Iridium - The [NON-]view from our table - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New York, New York

I'm giving 5 stars , even though the music was too loud for me and not the type of Jazz I like. My bad. The club is cute. Downstairs below Ellen's . Great atmosphere. Great service. I had the Cheesecake, excellent. I ordered a Manhattan on the rocks , really good. The others ordered food from the kitchen and all of it looked really good. I would come back once I checked out who was playing. I really like easy listening music. read more

The decor might be a little to cheesy for me, but you're going for the music, which is fantastic. I saw Stanley Jordan there one night, and was totally amazed! They actually have a great beer selection, which impressed me for a jazz club. Not a bad seat in the house, really. It doesn't feel as dark as the Blue Note, either. read more

A well deserved FIVE STAR review. The Iridium is NOT: overpriced, a tourist trap, unfriendly, or crowded. The Iridium IS: a genuine music venue, fairly priced cover charge, customer friendly, top notch service with over the top wonderful food and drinks. Grace our hostess, Jackie our coat check lady, and Amiee our waitress were all professional, courteous, warm, friendly and engaging. The menu selections were exceptional. We ordered the Steak Florentine with Truffle fries, a pizza of the day special and a side of garlic mashed potatoes. The steak was steak house quality and perfectly done. The Truffle fries were perfectly salted with a hint of Truffle oil, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The garlic mash were real mashed potatoes with real fresh garlic. The pizza had a beautiful thin crust with very fresh toppings. I am a foodie and this food was on the money. We saw the Joanne Shaw Taylor show on November 2nd. This was my introduction to the band. The music was great as Joanne Shaw Taylor is an amazing blues guitarist. Her band members were also very polished and the collective sound was unexpectedly terrific. Her support staff selling CD's were friendly and fun to talk with. Joanne signed the CD's after her first set. We had the best time at the Iridium and look forward to going back. This is the type of venue that I will support. Everyone works very hard to make sure you have a pleasant experience and we most certainly did. Thank you Iridium staff. You rock!!! Best Regards, Hellen read more

Warning: the "box office" at this club has very little record keeping and it is likely that they will not have your reservation ready when you arrive. Bring a copy off your purchase confirmation. Between about for people it took about 15-20 minutes to get our reservation card. Also, if you buy from TDF, print out a screenshot of the show offer. The box office had little clue what TDF was let alone that we were allowed to waive the drink minimum. Fortunately, our server did know how it worked and there was no disagreement at the table. The club itself is beautiful, spacious, and comfortable. As for dining service, it took a long time for our order to be taken, 2 songs into the set and we arrived early. When orders came out none of the servers knew where they went. Besides being distracting during the show, it just puzzled me. I frequent the Met Room, Birdland, and 54 Below and I have never seen such a disorganized club. The Iridium has incredible talent playing there, but unfortunately I do not think I will be returning as a guest, singer, or producer. It's too frustrating to see so much confusion and disorder. It's a beautiful space and it's heartbreaking. read more

Music, as always, is the Iridium's strong point. The stage is very close, the acoustics very good. Unfortunately, there is much that disappoints. If you're going to charge Manhattan prices for drinks, then make the drinks Manhattan quality, not stadium quality. Like other jazz clubs in NYC they seem to have adopted the sardine style seating plan. Some aren't bother by this, but I like breathing. Finally, note that gratuity is included on your check, just in case they fail to bring that to your attention. read more

Service was great but the food was outstanding. Especially the skirt steak and the Kobe burgers. WOW !!! Great setting for listening to jazz. The atmosphere is cozy , not a bad seat in the house. Staff was courteous and very relaxed. What a pleasurable evening with my wife. read more

The Iridium - Jazz & Blues Near Me - New York, New York

Absolutely The Best Jazz Club in NYC. The sound is incredible and crystal clear. Being a drummer myself and fusion fan of 25 years I am always looking for precise sound. I have also had the opportunity to sell merch for Dave Weckl and will be back there next Thursday for Dave again. Thank You Iridium for all the music read more

On Monday, May 6th, I visited Iridium to watch an Otis Taylor live event, who by the way was amazing. My bill was $35.22 and when the show ended I rushed to catch the train to New Jersey. I asked the service lady to take care of my bill and obviously by mistake she charged my card with another bill which was up to $126.30 that I NEVER SIGNED FOR. I called in the same night and left a message, I wrote twice to their "contact us" page in internet, no-one contacted me. I called again on Thursday, May 9th, I talked to a lady there, she said she would say it to the manager. Till today, May 18th, I have not received any response from them. Avoid it if you don't want to get ripped off Alexandros Karantzas read more