In the Washington, DC area you can enjoy listening to jazz in a variety of venues from intimate jazz clubs to gourmet restaurants to neighborhood pubs. Some Washington, DC area jazz clubs require tickets and advance reservations while other destinations are more casual and allow you to just drop in and listen for a while with no cover charge.

As you plan your evening, please keep in mind that some clubs feature a wide range of entertainers and may offer a variety of music styles.

You should call ahead and confirm the performance schedule before heading out for the evening.

Jazz Clubs in Washington, DC

Bayou DC
2519 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington DC (202)223-6941.
Live music: Every Friday and Saturday
New restaurant and live music venue

Blues Alley
1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC (202) 337-4141.
Cover charge: $15-25, Reservations suggested.
Live music: Nightly at 8 and 10 p.m.
Georgetown’s jazz supper club features top jazz performers from around the country.

Bohemian Caverns
2001 Eleventh St., NW Washington, DC (202) 299-0801
Cover Charge: $10, Tickets available in advance.
Live music: Schedule varies.
This is DC’s largest jazz club, U Street's historical home of jazz and blues.

Columbia Station
2325 18th St. NW, Washington, DC (202) 462-6040.
No cover charge
Live music: Nightly at 10 p.m.
The Adams Morgan pub features nightly jazz performances.

Duke’s City Restaurant and Lounge
1208 U Street NW, Washington, DC (202) 986-9400 No cover charge
Live music: Thursday through Sunday nights
This contemporary restaurant in the U Street corridor of DC features live jazz.

Howard Theatre
620 T Street NW Washington, DC (800) 653-8000.
Tickets Required
Live concerts: Schedule varies.
The historic theater was remodeled and re-opened in April 2012 after a $29 million renovation featuring a state-of-the-art sound system and flexible supper club style seating.

JoJo's Restaurant and Bar
1518 U Street NW, Washington, DC (202)319-9350.
No cover charge
Live music: Weekends only. This small club is a quiet jazz venue in the U Street District.

Kennedy Center Jazz Club
2700 F. St. NW, Washington, DC (800) 444-1324
Tickets Required, prices vary
Live music: schedule varies
This is one of the Kennedy Center’s newest performance venues.

National Gallery of Art's Jazz in the Garden
Pavilion Café at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, 7th and Constitution NW, Washington, DC
No cover charge
Live music: Fridays 5-8:30 p.m. Memorial Day weekend through mid-September
Enjoy live jazz outdoors amid beautiful landscaping and sculptures.

Sankofa Cafe
2714 Georgia Ave, NW Washington, DC  (202) 234-4755
No cover charge
Live music: Tuesdays and Thursays 8-10 p.m.
Local jazz musicians perform.

Smithsonian American Art Museum's Take Five Jazz Series
Kogod Courtyard, 8th & F streets, NW, Washington DC
No cover charge
Live music: Every third Thursday.
Board games are always available for guests to play, and the Courtyard Café offers seasonal refreshments for sale during the concerts.

Takoma Station Tavern
6914 4th St NW, Washington, DC (202) 829-1999
No cover charge
Live music: Five nights a week including Wed.-Fri, jazz happy hours starting at 6:30 p.m.
Takoma Station Tavern offers live Latin Jazz, Reggae, International Jazz, and Progressive Jazz.

Twins Jazz
1344 U St. NW, Washington, DC (202) 234-0072.
Cover charge: $15, Reservations suggested.
Live music: Tues.-Thurs. at 8 p.m.; Friday & Saturday from 9-11 p.m.; Jam Session Every Sunday with the Ron Gary Trio.
Twins Jazz features live jazz and American, Ethiopian and Caribbean cuisine.

Twins Lounge
5516 Colorado Ave. NW, Washington, DC (202) 882-2523.
Cover charge: $18, Reservations suggested.
Live music: Wednesday-Saturday at 9 and 11 p.m.
Twins Lounge is a more intimate atmosphere than Twins Jazz and features the same menu of American, Ethiopian and Caribbean cuisine.

U-Topia
1418 U St. NW, Washington, DC. (202) 483-7669.
No cover charge
Live Music: Tues-Thurs. 9:30 p.m.-1 a.m., Fri. & Sat. 11 pm.-2:30 a.m., Sun. 9:30 pm.-1:30 p.m.
U-topia offers an international menu and a variety of music.

For information about Jazz clubs in Maryland and Virginia, see Page 2