Blue Note in New York

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comments 5

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  Matthew Weinberger

  :: 14 May 2018 23:44:59

  I went here with a school group, and I frankly expected more out of the famed Blue Note. To start, the performers, while clearly talented, only consisted of a pianist, bassist, and drummer. This meant the music was very homogeneous sounding, the best comparison would be elevator music. The seating was extremely cramped, you're touching elbows with the person next to you and there's almost no table space. The service was some of the worst I've experienced in a restaurant. Our waitress was rushed and slightly impatient. Me and one other person just asked for a water, and after the initial tiny glass we got, our table never got the pitcher of water many other tables asked for, despite us asking one of the servers for one over 20 minutes before the end of the performance. We didn't get our food until nearly the end of the performance, leaving very little time to actually enjoy the meal. The food itself was average. I had a cheeseburger, and while it was good, it didn't taste any better than a cheeseburger from the grocery store. It will take a lot for me to return.

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  Keith Stone

  :: 09 May 2018 16:07:03

  The sound system makes for good hearing of the bands from any location in the club. But there are quite a few places where the seeing was bad. Probably not fixable. This was our second time visiting the Blue Note. The groups that were performing there both times were big names, bigger than at any club we visited during the same weekend. And in both cases, the biggest names in jazz that we saw gave the worst performances. The food is also pretty mediocre. Birdland has much better fare.

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  Jan Maurits

  :: 21 April 2018 19:26:19

  Optimized for money, not for jazz. Streamlined operations, optimized floor plan, gift shop upstairs, etc. No room for spontaneous jazz. Started and ended exactly as planned. For the maximum tourist-trap feeling we were asked to clap along every other song. I love jazz but will never go here again.

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  Paul Bibuld

  :: 13 March 2018 14:19:39

  Some of best jazz music in world can be had here. Drinks are excellent. Now for the bad news- food is being made by a sadist and guests are literraly sitting on top of each other. Fortunately the crowd has always been great. I recommend you eat before you get there then enjoy the beautiful music.

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  Heidi Bayer

  :: 07 March 2018 18:22:55

  If you're visiting NYC and are looking for great Jazz, look no further. Purchase tickets ($30 at bar, $45 at a table; ticket prices more for special acts) before your trip and you will not be disappointed. It is not a "hang" however, and after each set you'll be asked to leave and come back (if you want to see the second set) - even the bar area. Drink / food minimum is $5 per person per set. Get ready to sit extremely close to your guests and the others as the seating is very close and if there are two of you, get ready to sit at a four-top with others whom you do not know. I do not recommend sitting at the bar, it's worth it to pay the extra $15 and get a table. Arrive EARLY for good seating.