Black cat
Bar · Alameda
About Black cat
At Black Cat, we're a swanky jazz lounge, cocktail bar & New American bistro where every night feels like a date night. Located on Eddy Street in San Francisco's Alameda neighborhood, our two levels of seating invite you to linger over craft cocktails and indulge in small plates that will leave you...
At Black Cat, we're a swanky jazz lounge, cocktail bar & New American bistro where every night feels like a date night. Located on Eddy Street in San Francisco's Alameda neighborhood, our two levels of seating invite you to linger over craft cocktails and indulge in small plates that will leave you wanting more. We've been praised for our exceptional service, with servers who know just how to balance your drink order with the perfect plate pairing. Whether it's a romantic evening or a night out with friends, our intimate atmosphere and live music set the tone for an unforgettable experience – ask about our signature burrata appetizer, expertly crafted by our chef to delight even the most discerning palates.
What Customers Say About Black cat
Black Cat is a popular jazz club known for its great live music, intimate atmosphere, and friendly staff. Many reviewers rave about the food, especially the chicken dishes and cocktails. Some find the pricing and mandatory service charges a bit high.
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Tip: Make reservations in advance. Be prepared for a minimum spend and a 22% service charge. The jazz club is downstairs, almost like a speakeasy.
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What to see nearby
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Explore the area around Black cat
Black cat is located in Alameda, surrounded by cultural and historical points of interest. Here are some of the most notable places nearby.
Historical Heritage
- YMCA Hotel (A 79m) Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
- Herald Hotel (A 138m) — historic building in San Francisco, California, United States Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
- San Francisco Central YMCA (A 198m) — historic building in San Francisco, California, United States Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
- Dr. Martin M. Krotoszyner Medical Offices and House (A 508m) — historic building in San Francisco, California, United States Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
Museums
- SF Camerawork (A 417m)
Religious Buildings
- Glide Memorial Church (A 340m) — church in San Francisco
Parks & Gardens
- Boeddeker Park (A 205m) — park in Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco
- Sergeant John Macaulay Park (A 354m) — park in the United States of America
Other Points of Interest
- Hibernia Bank (San Francisco) (A 286m) — American bank located in San Francisco, California
- Monumento a Simón Bolívar (A 346m)
Data from Wikidata
Frequently asked questions about Black cat
Black cat Alameda Reviews
Manager was very accommodating to us when the seating had to be rearranged for a big band. Great cocktails too.
Wonderful venue and show! It has limited seating with guests that stay for hours and overhead costs in every direction. Good job making it work for live jazz! If you’re more eager to scrutinize a moderate spend than appreciate a unique experience, it’s probably better to pass
I saw the Joel Frahm Trio at the Black Cat Jazz Supper Club, and the entire experience was phenomenal. The venue itself is intimate and stylish, the kind of place that sets the perfect tone for a night of great music. The service was warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. My meal was absolutely delicious—beautifully prepared and full of flavor. And the music… truly sensational. The Joel Frahm Trio lit up the room with incredible energy, artistry, and connection. If you’re looking for a special night out filled with outstanding food, exceptional service, and world-class jazz, the Black Cat is a must. I can’t wait to go back.
My wife and I went with friends for the first time on Friday night. It is fantastic. We saw a solid jazz trio, had a great meal (fried chicken is more of the "tenders" variety but is still awesome -- the shrimp and grits were yummy) and really enjoyed ourselves. The vibe and staff make for a great night.
I really enjoyed my experience here. Please do not sleep on the Black Cat Jazz Supper Club. I had the pre fix meal: wedge salad, double smash burger (w/ fries that came with both ranch and ketchup) and for dessert a key lime pie. The drinks were delicate but strong in the best way. The service was swift and very courteous. The neighborhood is a bit rough but please don’t let that stop you from going. (If you don’t like cities what happens within the limits, please go visit Kansas). An SF staple, please visit and don’t miss out on some great jazz talent!
Great vibes, great jazz and fantastic jazz. Had a great time here. Surprisingly…food is really good! The Caesar salad with chicken was AMAZING. Was not expecting it but the Caesar sauce (home made obviously) was super yummy and the chicken was top notch. It’s a pricey place in a terrible location (literally middle of tenderloin), but everything is great if you Uber in and out. Super recommended
Such a great experience, my first time in a jazz club , music food and the ambiance was great, oh my god i loved the chicken dish that I ordered , my server was so good and staff were very friendly , we got a great sitting spot, come visit this place, it gave me the John wick feeling 🤣, if you know what I mean 😆
Oh my Good God this place. 🔥 You would be CRAZY not to try the bruleed pineapple old fashioned. Here is the old fashioned menu - it's all you need. Aran the bartender up top is phenomenal. Bryce downstairs is fantastic as well. If you're looking for an experience in San Francisco you should definitely come here. ♥️
An excellent experience!! I came here for a date night with my girl, and it was amazingly intimate and the vibes were amazing. The live performance was amazing, and the food is excellent. Definitely recommend the max and cheese, as well as the lemon curd chicken. The truffle fries are also exceptional.
Whenever I'm in town, this is my favorite place to hang out. The jazz club is downstairs, almost like a speakeasy below the restaurant. Restaurant. Just kind of have to know it's there. I've never been disappointed with the music or the drinks. It's small but often people dress classy to go there. If you go, please approach this stage and show your appreciation with the tip for the musicians who rotate in.
This is a great place we stumbled upon as we were looking for some jazz music. Our server Josey was friendly and attentive. We weren’t too hungry so we ordered a burger to split. The burger was delicious. Music was awesome. Cool decor, friendly staff, happening place. We’ll definitely be back.
A super cool spot with great live music. We've been 4-5 times. Be sure to make reservations, head downstairs and step right in to an underground jazz vibe right out of the 1930s. Great cocktails and a limited, but tasty menu. We were just grazing, so we split a New York steak - it was just perfect.
Thanks to Jessica the bartender downstairs I was able to enjoy very good drinks and also a delicious olive oil cake. She very attentive, prices were very reasonable, and all recommendations were on point. This experience would have been different if it was someone else I'm sure. **The hostess wasn't the nicest person as she was rude when I tried opening the door not realizing they weren't open. Other than that the popcorn was delicious, I'm thinking of coming here on a date or with friends to enjoy more of the jazz music downstairs. This is definitely a hidden gem in the tenderloin.
Cool atmosphere. Small and intimate. Shrimp and grits pretty good, and I don’t usually like shrimp and grits. Expect to easily pay $100 per person for a show. Initial hostess was very friendly. Bartender (lady, blond?, curly hair) Sunday 3/1 at 9:30 pm show- pretty terrible. Didn’t acknowledge me until another server came over to the bar. Didn’t talk to me again the whole time. Had to struggle to get my check at the end. Maybe because of the automatic 22% service charge they add, there’s no incentive for her to try? Also, last place and only new place I used my card before it got compromised today. Just saying *4 stars because I like that this place provides a venue for jazz/jazz-adjacent music.
Fantastic local talent, very expensive for what the served, club has a great vibe, but neighborhood worst I have ever been in. I am from NYC , so not bothered by big city problems, but people shooting up and smoking crack outside the front door is a deal breaker. SF , get your act together, you are handcuffing this and other businesses ...
Nice intimate jazz lounge. Musical artist are great and you feel like you are part of the band. Food is surprisingly good. Service manages the crowd the best possible with a professional and friendly approach. Seating in some areas can feel a little tight which could be tolerated a little more if it didn't get so hot and stuffy. I'm not sure if there's a ventilation, HVAC, another issue or because this venue is underground that keeps the room hot and stuffy but this puts a definite damper on the experience.
The tickets only get you in the door, then there's the minimum spend and the 22% service charge. The food was really subpar given the price, and the service was poor. They forgot about our drinks for a while. The music was the best part but I'd look for a different venue next time without $50 martinis, or the sketchy characters outside the door
Went twice. Great music and food, but the beverage program needs work. The $14 mocktails were way too sweet to drink on our second visit, and even the replacements didn't improve. With taxes and the automatic fees added to the bill, we paid $56 for a bottle of pelegrino and two mocktails we couldn't drink. It felt like poor value for the price point.
I struggled with how many stars to give in this review. The food was very flavourful and the service was exceptional, but I wasn't fond of the jazz group. To me jazz is classy, but this was a whole different experience for me. In my opinion, the music was definitely not classy. There was a lot of vulgar language used during the performance. As soon as we were done eating we asked for our check so we could leave. We did not want to stay to end of the performance. We paid $45 per person for our reservation, and another $90 per person for dinner and one drink. For the price we paid it would have been nice to enjoy a good performance.
Music was wonderful. Service was atrocious. They also charge you $4 for your mixer. Like gin and pineapple is the gin price and 4 dollars for the pineapple. Which is interesting and never heard of. Bartender was so rude it was crazy.
The visiting band was great. Everything else was mediocre, and the hospitality was terrible. This establish hides fees in layers, ticket price, service fee for ticket, over priced food and drinks, 22% service charge, arbitrary minimum order amount, and then a really pushy attitude if you don't order food and drink at the pace you want. This ruins the whole experience. When asked the owner rudely tells me this is the cost of business, I should understand this is a business. This could all be solved if they were up front about costs, but instead they decide to hide it and make you feel like the idiot for not understanding how businesses work. If you want to listen to jazz music do so elsewhere.
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About Black cat
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400 Eddy St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Alameda, CA 94109
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