The Jazz Cafe

You don’t have to be a jazz fan to go to the Jazz Café.  For many people the word ‘jazz’ being included in evening plans is like a red rag to a bull. Sometimes, repeated insistence on going to jazz nights has ruined friendships and relationships.  It’s the marmite of music and, love it or hate it, has to be given credit for developing at least some of what we know as modern music today.  But as I said, if you’re put off by the ‘jazz’ in the name, don’t be because there’s more to this place than cool cats with sax appeal.  Of course the jazz café initially was all about exactly that particularly type of music, hence the name.  Opened in December 1990 after being converted from the Camden Town Barclays Bank branch, it originally ran along the lines of Ronnie Scott’s with seven nights a week live Jazz music.   After the original owner went bust the venue was bought by the Mean Fiddler group and became the venue it is today, serving up all sorts of musical treats including soul, funk, world, dance and hip hop.  The Jazz Café also expanded into edible treats and has a restaurant where you can chow down on starters like tomato, mozzarella and rocket salad with lime and chili salsa (£5.85), mains including lamb cutlet on roasted potatoes with demi glace sauce (£16.50) and puddings like lime mousse with passion fruit coulis (£5.85).

But of course the thing you’re really coming to this place for is the music and you can be exposed to a huge variety of sounds and nights penciling this place into your diary.  You can indulge in regular nights like I Love The 80s, the Saturday night 80s-fest with drinks promotions and killer tunes, There’s also one off appearances like ‘Botown’ – “Take a trip from Memphis to Mumbai with the groove makin’, booty shakin’, dhuk dhukin’, heart-stoppin’, kamar-lachkin’, dhol-rockin’, tabla shockin’, bass droppin’ funky drummin’’, history-makin, bolly lovin’, samosa eatin’ legendary BOTOWN BAND” as well as acts like Vonda Shephard and Levi Roots (www.jazzcafelive.com).

5 Parkway

Camden Town

London NW1 7 – 020 7916 6060