Lily Clark

Simply wonderful! No cover, no drink minimum- just a bit of a line and cash only. This is such an intimate and cozy venue, and the staff is so kind and accommodating. If you go here, just try to be respectful and give your attention to the artists while they're playing. Better for small groups of 2-3 as seating is limited, perfect spot for a date night.

Elīza Dumpe

The music is absolutely great there, so emotional. Cosy atmosphere, low lights. But - it gets reallllly crowded and tight. Waiters are sweet.:) Prices for drinks are super high though, in my hometown I could probably buy 3 wine bottles for the price of one glass of wine here, haha 😅But I get it, you don’t have to pay for entrance or concerts, so it is fair.:) Only con - it was quite cold there because they left front door open all the time (in october) and we had to sit in our jackets.

Diane Lees

We did not eat there. We just went to have drinks. Really cool quintessential New York vibe. The jazz was great. The bartender was fun and really attentive.

Lydia Birnbaum

Amazing old music spot in west village. Took my mom here because we love jazz and it’s a historical spot. It is a tiny place and seating is limited but we lucked out because we got there earlier (8:30 pm) and were able to snag two spots. I think going here with a large group would be very difficult because you would probably be waiting outside for a while (they have a bouncer who keeps track of capacity. Cash only but ATM downstairs. I had one incident where a bartender broke a glass in front of me and it just broke all in front of me but they made me a new drink right away and apologized. Then I got splash with a lot of beer by one of the bartender and I think they felt bad so they took off a round of drinks which was nice. Stayed 2 hours, paid $54. Honestly their drink minimums are easy to meet in that time anyway so no complaints and since there was no cover we made sure to bring extra cash to put in the bucket the musicians bring around. All of the musicians were extremely talented and got to have their own solo moments displaying their skills—definitely the best jazz bar I’ve been to in the city up to this point. Be aware if you don’t drink alcohol, they don’t have sodas or anything on the menu, but they have mock tails that are priced the same as alcoholic drinks. Bathroom downstairs. Overall: this is a great place for 2-3 people if you love the classic New York jazz scene, don’t mind being squished in with a lot of other music lovers, and want to get the most bang for your buck. There are other good jazz places but Arthur’s is set apart by the talent they provide at a low price point. Keep in mind that they don’t exclusively play jazz, it depends on the musicians booked each night so check the calendar. Will be coming back for sure.

Margalit M

It's a rainy Friday night, and you're hanging out in the West Village. It's been a stressful week, so you just want to relax with friends so you snag a table at Arthur's tavern and listen to some jazz and grab a few drinks before heading out to dinner or home. Ok that's not me, I was visiting the city for a few days and hanging out with my husband, but still, if I did live in the city, this is what I would do. Seating is tight so grab a spot at the bar or on the banquet if you can. Cocktails are good and service with one waitress was surprisingly fast. There are almost no food options which is fine, you don't come here to eat but enjoy a drink, hang out with whoever and listen to music.

Olga Egorova

Nice little jazz club if it wasn’t for a couple of rip-offs: menu on the website shows lower prices than menu at the venue; standing menu on the table says a minimum of $15 per person per table, while it’s also a minimum per set; 20% gratuity added to the check out of the blue is just preposterous! $72 for two people after just a cocktail each - that is waaaay to much. Creole Cookin’ Jazz Band were great!

Real Rob

The Band was good but the staff were the worst ever! I ordered 3 glasses of wine for $16 each and 2 beers for my lady friend $11 each, that’s $70 total, waiter gave me a bill for $120 with mistakes and 20% tip included in small print, I calmly discussed the issues and he got indignant then the bouncer bumped into me and said in an aggressive tone Is There a Problem! Eventually I got the bill down to $90 not including tip, they said cash only! the barman insulted me, they were in fighting mode! I felt like I was mugged!

Nathalie Piot

​Unprofessional and disorganized—don’t bother making a reservation. I am extremely disappointed with my experience at Arthur’s Tavern. We made a reservation a full month in advance for 7:00 PM yesterday, but the entire night was a waste of time and effort. ​The level of disorganization is shocking. Because they are cash-only, we went out of our way to stop at an ATM specifically for this visit. We then drove 40 minutes to get to the bar, only to be told they were overbooked and wouldn't let us in. ​What makes it worse is that there was no system in place—they didn’t even have a queue or a separate line for people who had actually booked a table. We stood around waiting for 35 minutes, hoping the staff would honor our booking, but it became clear that the reservation meant absolutely nothing to them. ​If you aren't going to honor bookings or manage your capacity, don't take reservations in the first place. Between the long drive and the cash requirement, the complete lack of professional service was insulting. We eventually gave up and left. Save yourself the drive and go somewhere that respects their customers' time.

Stefan Gonzales

Place has a cool vibe, bartenders are sweet, but owner/ manager (?) is SO so creepy. Came with a group, mainly girls, and they were all made to feel uncomfortable by this guy. Got way too close and was pressuring “free” shots to only women. Very bad feeling about his demeanor in general. Service was slow but ok. Will not be back because of the creepy atmosphere.

Jules C.

It doesn’t matter if you only watched the last quarter of one show and stayed for part of the next — they’ll still try to charge you the full cover for both shows. This came as quite a surprise when we asked for the bill. They claim there’s a mandatory $15 minimum consumption per person (which is fair), but instead they presented a bill charging two full covers for two people ($60), plus taxes and tips (which I believe are not mandatory, though they were added to the handwritten bill). I understand it’s NYC and prices are expected to be high, but they really tried to pull a tourist trap on us — we had to argue firmly to avoid paying for something we didn’t owe. Be transparent about your fees and respect your customers; don’t try to take advantage of tourists. If that changes, I’ll be happy to update my review. The music was great, and we tipped the musicians as they deserved.