I recently came across an outstanding jazz club in London that truly has it all: an incredible atmosphere, talented musicians, welcoming staff, and unforgettable cocktails. With long summer evenings ahead, what better way to spend them than here?
Today, DOYOUSPEAKLONDON takes you to The Piano Bar Soho, one of London’s most vibrant and must-visit spots for jazz lovers!
The Piano Bar in Soho, London
The story behind this place is quite stunning.
Behind every great story lies someone with a passion. In this case, it’s Impresario George Hudson, a true jazz enthusiast, who dreamed of creating a space to entertain and inspire. He stumbled upon this charming little townhouse in Soho and instantly fell in love. Perfectly situated to draw in music lovers, it became the doorway to a venue unlike any other – a hidden gem with an unforgettable vibe.
He brought The Piano Bar to life overnight, and it didn’t take long for it to make waves: TripAdvisor has crowned it the number one jazz club in London this year!
But that’s not all: The Piano Bar Soho is the hub for jazz and a true champion of the UK’s live music scene. It’s home to Soho Live Studios, a top-notch recording studio managed alongside resident pianist Nathan Britton, and Soho Live Artists, a talent agency dedicated to nurturing live performers. Everything here is crafted with passion – just as I said!
The Piano Bar: different rooms, unique atmosphere
I’ve been to several London Jazz Clubs in recent years and love to see how they all offer a distinctive atmosphere.
What makes The Piano Bar truly unique is its intimate stage – you won’t find anything quite like it! Musicians and the audience share the heart of a dimly lit room, creating an atmosphere that’s both cosy and electric. This special setting brings out the very essence of jazz, letting you feel its vibes at their absolute best!
A few tables are scattered around the room – small ones perfect for couples and larger ones ideal for groups. We settled at one of the bigger tables and ended up chatting with a lovely couple about London and jazz. After the long pandemic, it felt incredible to soak in every moment of freedom and joy, sharing the experience even with complete strangers at our table. It was pure magic!
There are several rooms at The Piano Bar, which give this special character to the place.
The Library, on the ground floor, offers all the comfort you can think of and at the same time, you’re very close to the stage so you can enjoy the music differently, more quietly if you wish.
There’s also The Snug, where people can gather and enjoy drinks in a cozy room with music in the background as well.
And the screening room with its 18-seater 180-inch screen with spectacular sound.
In case you’re wondering, yes, these rooms are available for hire. You can take over the whole bar if you like for up to 80 of your closest friends or go intimate with one of these private rooms. Only I’ll let you see The Piano Bar about tariffs 🙂
Live music with jazz masters
As I said, the size of the venue makes it very intimate. It was actually what we loved there: the proximity to the band makes you feel part of it! You feel every note and all the good vibes so intensely!
Another very palpable thing that night was the obvious pleasure these musicians had to play together. Each of them showed a happy face while -I was extremely surprised to discover that -The Piano Bar mentioned that they “rarely book standalone bands and often pair highly skilled musicians that have not played with each other before live on stage”. In such a context, the musicians were obviously having a (contagious) blast!
Another clever thing about this place:
“in order to take away the barriers to live music for young audiences, the founder made the bar affordable and curated a style of jamming session that continually wows audiences and is great fun for the musicians playing.”
How inspirational is that? It did foster collaborations between a few musicians and helped some others further their own careers. This is why Nigel Williams from Jazz FM advocates that “The Piano Bar Soho has been a vital component of the London scene in recent years.”
Memorable cocktails
If you think you’ve seen it all, you are very wrong. Live music at The Piano Bar is awesome, but their cocktails are equally striking (certainly as the Mocktails, and Wines & Spirits I spotted on the menu as well).
The cocktail menu contains a few renowned ones (like The Espresso Martini, one of my favourites), but there’s a signature cocktail we could not resist called Smoked Old Fashioned. For its taste, said my husband (there’s bourbon in it), for its theatrical effect did I add! See for yourself…
How can you not be tempted by this, right?
Festivals
As a major supporter of the Jazz scene in London, The Piano Bar will take part in the Soho Live Jazz Week next September. Save the dates in your calendar!
“The festival will showcase the UK’s leading and emerging music and artistic talent across both the physical live performance programme and new digital platforms.”
I’d like to thank The Piano Bar for their kind invitation, this place & atmosphere are undoubtedly unique, and it won’t be long before we come back!
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I hope you’ve enjoyed this post and found inspiration here. If you are about to book a live concert at The Piano Bar soon, please share your experience and opinion on DOYOUSPEAKLONDON’s blog!
To go further:
The Piano Bar: 16 Carlisle Street, London, W1D 3BT
The Piano Bar Website
Videos of some Live Music at Piano Bar Soho.
Aydenne Simone‘s performance at Soho Live Jazz Week 2018
PR invite. We were guests of The Piano Bar, which included live Jazz tickets & cocktails. All thoughts & opinions in this review are my own.
Great post, thanks for the idea, it looks to be a very friendly place!
On viendrait rien que pour ce “theatrical effect”!
@jean It really is! Friendly, cozy, and undoubtedly one of London’s best Jazz places!
@Myriam It is quite amazing, indeed! 🙂