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Germanys 20 Best Jazz Clubs

In honor of International Jazz Day, celebrated annually on April 30, we’ve put together a list of the 20 best jazz clubs and bars in Germany. Declared a world heritage day in 2011 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Jazz Day is intended “to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe.” Here are the premier locales in which the global jazz conversation takes place—in some cases every night—in Germany.

BERLIN

Zig Zag Jazz Club
Cosy, unpretentious, and a magnet for world-class talent, Zig-Zag is a Berlin institution. Considered by many to be the German Capitol’s best music venue.
Hauptstraße 89
12159 Berlin
Zig Zag Jazz Club

A-Trane Jazz Club
An unbeatable central location and top-notch programming make A-Trane a favorite on the Berlin jazz scene. Some music enthusiasts even prefer it to the legendary Zig Zag Club.
Bleibtreustraße 1
10625 Berlin
A-Trane Jazz Club

b flat Acoustic Music & Jazz Club
Here’s another club that gives the Zig Zag a run for its money among Berlin’s jazz set. Get there early for the happy hour and stay for a world-class set.
Dirckenstraße 40
10178 Berlin
b flat Acoustic Music & Jazz Club

Yorckschlösschen
A true local favorite featuring a mix of live jazz and blues, tasty pub fare, and a quaint Biergarten.
Yorckstraße 15
10965 Berlin-Kreuzberg
Yorckschlösschen

The Hat Bar Berlin
The one problem with The Hat Bar is that people tend to have a hard time deciding what they love most about it. The cocktails and bartenders are among the finest in the city, the ambiance is cosy and vintage-sleek, entry is free, and the tiny stage opposite the bar sees legendary jam sessions on a nightly basis.
Lotte-Lenya-Bogen 550
10623 Berlin-Charlottenburg
The Hat Bar Berlin

COLOGNE

Papa Joe’s Jazzbar
The oldest jazz club in Germany and one of Cologne’s most beloved bars. Live jazz, blues, and swing every night.
Buttermarkt 37
50667 Köln
Papa Joe’s Jazzbar

Papa Joe’s Biersalon
This sister bar of Cologne’s iconic Papa Joe’s features first-rate live music with a focus on beer and rustic regional cuisine in a vintage-kitsch atmosphere.
Alter Markt 50-52
50667 Köln
Papa Joe’s Biersalon

Metronom
Here in Cologne’s jazz-purist outpost since 1968, the tunes are provided by the extensive library of vinyl LPs lining the wall behind the bar. Fair prices, great ambiance, and a curated jazz soundtrack make Metronom a Kölner classic.
Weyerstraße 59
50676 Köln
No website

[De.lite]
Beloved for its Thursday night jam sessions and gin & tonic menu, some locals regard [De.lite] as Cologne’s best destination for live jazz.
Moltkestraße 74
50674 Köln
No website

DUESSELDORF

Jazz-Schmiede Düsseldorf
Duesseldorf’s only jazz club, Jazz-Schmiede is beloved in the city for its authentic jazzy ambiance, nearly nightly programming, and Tuesday night jam session.
Himmelgeisterstraße 107G
40225 Düsseldorf
Jazz-Schmiede Düsseldorf

FRANKFURT

Jazzkeller Frankfurt
Jazzkeller Frankfurt is widely considered to be one of the best live jazz venues in the world—yes, the world—and the top destination for cocktails in Frankfurt. 2022 marks this storied, speakeasy-style club’s 70th anniversary.
Kleine Bockenheimer Straße 18a
60313 Frankfurt
Jazzkeller Frankfurt

Mampf KG
With posters of Chairman Mao and the anti-nuclear movement covering its smoke-tarnished walls, stepping inside Germany’s smallest jazz club feels like stepping back in time to the 1970s. Here young students and old regulars sit side by side, united by a common love for jazz and spirited conversation. Mampf is one of those magical places that seem to embody the very soul of their city. Get there early, because it fills up fast.
Sandweg 64
60316 Frankfurt
Mampf KG

Mosaik Jazz Bar
A hidden gem beloved by locals for its live music, cocktails, and classy yet unassuming ambiance.
Freiligrathstraße 57
60385 Frankfurt
Mosaik Jazz Bar

HAMBURG

Birdland
This small, historic basement club is all about the music. Birdland has been Hamburg’s premier destination for jazz enthusiasts since it opened its doors in 1985.
Gärtnerstraße 122
20253 Hamburg
Birdland

Cotton Club
This subterranean Hamburg favorite specializes in old-time jazz flavors such as ragtime, swing, big band, boogie-woogie, dixieland, hot jazz, classic jazz, and more. They have a locally brewed house pilsner beer on draft as well as an eclectic selection of wine, draft and bottled beer, spirits, and cocktails.
Alter Steinweg 10
20459 Hamburg
Cotton Club

Hafenbahnhof
A hidden gem and a cult favorite among those in the know. Celebrated for its great music and friendly, unpretentious atmosphere.
Große Elbstraße 276
22767 Hamburg
Hafenbahnhof

KARLSRUHE

Jazz Club Karlsruhe
Jazz Club Karlsruhe has been one of the city’s premier cultural institutions for over 50 years. Regional and world-renowned artists alike bring the complete spectrum of jazz music to the stage, from the traditional to the avant-garde.
Kaiserpassage 6
76133 Karlsruhe
Jazz Club Karlsruhe

MUNICH

Jazzbar Vogler
Located near the historic Viktualienmarkt, Jazzbar Vogler hosts world-class jazz acts in a stylish, low-lit atmosphere. The drinks and small bites are excellent. A Munich favorite for locals and travelers alike.
Rumfordstraße 17
80469 München
Jazzbar Vogler

Jazzclub Unterfahrt
If you can only visit one jazz club in Munich, make it Unterfahrt. Named one of the 100 great jazz clubs of the world by American jazz magazine Downbeat, Unterfahrt has been serving up world-class jazz and great food and drinks for over 40 years.
Einsteinstraße 42
81675 München
Jazzclub Unterfahrt

STUTTGART

Bix-Jazzclub
The place to go for live jazz in Stuttgart. The upstairs bar and restaurant boasts one of the best selections of spirits in the city. Bix-Jazzclub is an elegant hidden gem not to be missed.
Leonhardsplatz 28
70182 Stuttgart
Bix-Jazzclub

Germany’s 20 Best Jazz Clubs