The best jazz venues in Hong Kong

As its name suggests, this relatively new music-led bar pays tribute to the legendary Queen of Jazz, Ella Fitzgerald. Visit for live music, intimate surroundings, classic cocktails, as well as New Orleans-style bar bites like Rockefeller oysters which are a nod to the birthplace of jazz. Live jazz performances begin at 8pm every Wednesday through Saturday so nab a good seat in time. 

Located in the beautiful Rosewood Hong Kong, DarkSide is the hotel’s cocktail parlour which offers rare aged spirits and vintage cigars alongside classic cocktails. Their extensive library of dark spirits includes fine rum, whisky, calvados, and an exclusive cognac blend made by the bar team. Live jazz performances are available Sundays to Thursdays at 8pm to 11.30pm, running later on Fridays and Saturdays from 8.30pm to 12am.

Wan Chai’s large-scale multi-experience restaurant, Sophia Loren Hong Kong, includes The Stage, a cocktail bar and live entertainment space. This bar boasts a luxurious atmosphere accentuated by interior decor such as marble tables, suede furniture, and gold detailing. Aside from holding live jazz performances from local and international artists every Wednesday and Thursday, The Stage also hosts electrifying DJ sets every Friday and Saturday as well as public holiday eves. 

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We’re huge fans of Salon 10 and its chilled atmosphere. The curved walls and ceiling make the space feel somewhat like a mid-century modern cave, while the wooden accents lend warmth. Jazz can often feel like a bit of a gate-kept genre of music suited only to the bougie, but Salon 10 makes this music genre accessible to everyone, beginning with a comfortable, stylish space. They host jazz performances on Wednesdays and Thursdays with a line-up of local and international artists, which are very much worth looking out for.

There are numerous venues in town vying to capture the speakeasy cool that personifies the Jazz Age and the sense of a night out being a real ‘event’, but few pull it off as well as Foxglove. This spot hosts live events that run a gamut of genres, including Latino and world music, but it’s the jazz nights that are always top quality. 

The Grand Hyatt’s Champagne Bar might not be new or hip but it does dole out classic charm in spades. The intimate lounge is an art deco throwback, studded with chevron and sunburst detailing. It’s velvety dark in both mood and lighting – a shadow away from an Edward Hopper painting. Making this decadent bar even more special (and worth the extra few buckaroos you’ll likely spend), it also offers live music performances to go with your bubbly.

Elegantly designed, Dada bar serves up enchanting drinks and dishes that tantalise your taste buds and imagination. But what we’re most interested in is their live jazz offerings every Friday and Saturday from 9pm, which ranks among the best in the city. 

A hub for independent art performances, stand-up comedy shows, and unique art exhibitions, the Fringe Club is known for its open platform, allowing anyone with creative materials to put on a show. The bar at the rooftop garden also makes for the perfect city hideaway at which to enjoy some nibbles and a drink or two. The venue hosts jazz events all the time so head to their website to keep abreast of what’s coming up.

Found inside Regent Hong Kong, The Lobby Lounge showcases a mesmerising panorama of Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island. This makes it one of the best places in the city to take in a cocktail or craft beer while enjoying some live jazz every evening of the week.

A venue with one of the best house bands in all Hong Kong, Ned Kelly’s has attained legendary status for its fun, no-frills, unfussy atmosphere. With a live show that takes in a tonne of jazz and blues classics – presented with the kind of old-school flair that you don’t often see any more (you haven’t lived until you’ve seen a grown man play a tea pot as an instrument) – this is one of the best nights out, jazz or otherwise, that you can have in Hong Kong.

Prohibition Era glamour abounds at this classy bar found within the InterContinental Grand Stanford hotel over in Kowloon. As well as having top-drawer live jazz performances every night from 9.30pm to 1.30am – apart from Sunday – the bar is well stocked with more than 200 whiskies if you’re in need of a stiff drink.

One of the city’s best (or worst) kept musical secrets. A barber’s shop by day, every Saturday, owner and live music fanatic Benky Chan opens the doors to this tiny space and turns it into a jazz bar with some of the city’s best musicians playing nose-to-nose with the small group of plucky music lovers that manage to (sometimes quite literally) squeeze in. Get there early if you want to see what all the fuss is about.