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    Black Dolphin

    4.5 (58 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 1:30 am (Next day)
    Updated 1 month ago

    Black Dolphin Photos

    Business Info

    BLACK DOLPHIN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Intimate
    Live music
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Black Dolphin

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    Old fashioned
    Clark C.

    Cool ambiance. However got here just after midnight on a Sunday night (Monday morning). Doorman said no more live music for the night, but still charged a $10 cover. WTF is up with that?!?! Got an old fashioned at the bar. Definitely not a mixology bar. Basic red cherry and regular ice. So don't waste your money on cocktails.

    Jeff L.

    Small venue but very relaxing and cozy. It was very tempting to spend hours there. The jazz was on the mellow side. Drinks were a little overpriced. Service was good. Will definitely return

    Tamika P.

    This is one of our favorite post-date spots: the upscale aesthetic takes you back to a 1960's jazz club! Knowledgeable staff, and the drinks are amazing; the perfect place to meet up for drinks and desert and enjoy some of the city's best jazz music.

    Cynthia P.

    Beautiful jazz club with gorgeous interior lights. Excellent band playing jazzy blues or bluesy jazz, not to mention smooth West Coast swing! We enjoyed the drinks and fun atmosphere. Excellent service.

    Inside view
    Allison R.

    If you have heard of the Green Lady lounge, then let me introduce you to her sister jazz club, Black Dolphin. They are next to each other but you need to pay close attention or you walk past the Black Dolphin like I have done many times. It's smaller than the Green lady but damn does the Black Dolphin have its own vibe. Relaxing, dark, great drinks, excellent service and incredible music. There is $5 cover and two bathrooms (single stall each). FYI they have the same drink menu as Green Lady lounge. Definitely will be coming back to this place again.

    Gatangalie S.

    Kansas City is known for its vivid diverse cultural jazz music played in many jazz clubs scattered throughout the city. Had the opportunity to see my high school music professor performed atBlack Dolphin. There was a small cover charge to enter the jazz club, but all good. I very much enjoyed the seating arrangement. They had tables and chairs as well as a bar area. I sat very close to the musicians as I wanted the best up close and personal experience. Let me tell you if jazz music is your thing then I would highly recommend visiting here. For drinks, I ordered two Moscow mule and oh my god they were delicious. Considering I was there for two hours, it definitely hit the spot. Haha!!! I was super hungry, but they didn't serve food so I was able to get some chips which was just perfect and complimented my drinks and the good jazz vibe. My waitress was delightful and kept checking up on me to make sure everything was going good. I appreciate the customer service as well.

    Jason G.

    I've been a long-time fan of The Green Lady Lounge and wanted to give the BD a chance to win me over. Which they did in about 30 seconds. I loved the nondescript business front, felt like I was going into a secret club. Once we paid our $5 cover charge and were seated we felt very at ease. We melted into the sofa-like booths and ordered our mocktails. the band played KC-style jazz all night. They sounded great and told some great stories. We definitely will be back! Insider tip #1- You can buy a Black Dolphin T-shirt there, it's already one of my favorite articles of clothing. Insider tip #2 - be sure to tip the band on your tab or via their tip jar.

    a bar with alcohol bottles and glasses
    Ellyn H.

    This place is very cool. For lovers of live music, jazz, and great cocktails. We got there early and the music was already going. The vibe is dark, cozy, a little mysterious, and overall very cool. The service was good and the drinks were even better. Highly recommend for a nice date night (if you already know your date). Not a great place to chat if you are trying to get to know someone. This is a quiet, relaxed, soak in the music kind of place.

    Drink and food menu
    Rose D.

    Visited this club at 8:00 on a Saturday night. There was a $5 cover per person; both card and cash accepted. The band was a 4-person jazz ensemble including bass, piano, sax/clarinet, drums. There were plenty of tables open and room to sit comfortably. The ambiance was amazing. The lighting was perfectly balanced, both dimly lighting the walkway and decorating the ceiling space. We were served drinks promptly and checked on frequently by our waiter. But the stars of the show... the musicians were so entertaining! The pianist MC'd the show, where each musical piece was introduced with little quips and informative tidbits. We very much enjoyed our time here! A similar experience to the Green Lady Lounge next door.

    We came here as we wanted to try it out even though we love the Green Lady Lounge, but we surprisingly loved this more than there! Atmosphere was more quaint, less crowded, better views, cheaper cover charge, and amazing band! Will add this to our Kansas City list of staples!

    Jessica T.

    Ended up here because Green Lady Lounge was full and I am not mad at all about it! It's a smaller vibe because it's only 1 story but I loved it. There was plenty of seating for our group of 6, but that doesn't mean there wasn't a good crowd! The music was great and so were the drinks. I don't drink and they had a great non-alcoholic menu. I'm pretty sure there was only one person on the floor grabbing drink orders, so we found it was easiest to just get up and go to the bar. Totally recommend and will be back!

    Chai cocktail + champagne
    Angie W.

    I had suggested going to another jazz bar but was recommended coming here. I was glad we did because it had more open seating but similar vibes! Our server was so nice, and took wonderful care of us! Live music was fun and the atmosphere is great. Seating is limited, but luckily we came and there were a couple tables open. $5 cover charge, which is typical. I would come back here!

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    2 years ago

    Tim Whitmer's trio CD release was a big hit and followed up a couple Fridays later was this usual fine jazz Kansas City style

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Black Dolphin

    Review Highlights - Black Dolphin

    If you have heard of the Green Lady lounge, then let me introduce you to her sister jazz club, Black Dolphin.

    Mentioned in 21 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Green Lady Lounge

    Green Lady Lounge

    4.5
    (590 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    My husband and I actually drove past this place at first--I was expecting green signage, not red,…read moreso it didn't immediately catch my eye. Even walking in, we weren't quite sure what to expect. The entrance is small, and you're greeted right away, which was a nice touch. Once inside, it's very dark with deep red lighting--almost like stepping into a cave. It took a moment for our eyes to adjust, but once they did, we immediately felt at ease. The space is cozy and perfectly aligned with its purpose: it's all about the jazz. The service was great--welcoming, attentive, and added to the overall experience without taking away from the music. And the music? Absolutely captivating. It pulls you in and transports you--you can't help but settle into the vibe and just enjoy the moment together. We went on a Monday, so there was plenty of seating, but I noticed there's also a lower level that likely accommodates larger weekend crowds. There's a solid drink menu and a small selection of food, but honestly, this isn't the place you come for a full meal. Come for the drinks, stay for the music, and soak in the atmosphere.

    Where in the US can you go to experience amazing live taken for only $10z the Green Lady Lounge is…read morewhere you go! Clean, smoke free lively jazz music and plenty of seating. There's two levels of entertainment. The service was friendly. Only thing is that they don't have food so eat beforehand. There was a hummus plate and some desserts. We had soooo much fun. Such talented musicians. This was a must visiting from LA!

    Photos
    Love this place!!!
    Love this place!!!
    Live jazz. Super cool spot. KC doesn't disappoint.
    Live jazz. Super cool spot. KC doesn't disappoint.
    First floor seating

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    First floor seating
    The Mercury Room

    The Mercury Room

    4.2
    (101 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    This was a fun experience! Entrance is around the corner…read morefrom where the uber dropped me. The bar is beautiful inside and looking out. Love the wall of bottles. Love the marble bar that also functioned as a charging station!! Wow!! They stat by giving you a shot of a non alcoholic drink to cleanse your palate. I orders the Enfleurage and it was delicious. Then I tried the tiramisu but it was too sweet. I then went to the Pomodoro - ingenious!!! The red on the glass was so creative. Also delicious. We saw little colorful drinks being ordered by others and inquired about it. They were equally creative shots. I got the Titan and tried the Collisto. Both very good. Highly recommend! Want to return in my next trip.

    The Mercury Room is quickly becoming a weeknight fave for me and my friends! A little known tip is…read morethat you can text their number to see if they have any patio or weeknight spots open for walk-ins. The servers and bartenders are so fun throughout the week, and are willing to talk through the drinks and provide some wonderful details and recommendations. The atmosphere is unmatched across Kansas City. You won't find a cooler interior with the lights and ceilings with a beautiful view of the city, but the lesser known star of the location is the patio seating, with great views of the skyline. My friends and I have tried most of the drinks, but the Enfleurage, Magnus, Ambrosia and Kashi are favorites of the latest menu.

    Photos
    Outside balcony
    Outside balcony
    Main bar
    Main bar
    The Mercury Room

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    The Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge

    The Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge

    4.0
    (190 reviews)
    3.6 mi
    $$$

    I like to couple this spot with dinner at JJ's next door…read more The Monarch is says somebody spent some MONEY decorating this place. Plush velvet, marble, a giant butterfly chandelier, lists upon lists of spirits. The whole thing is wildly opulent. Even the restaurant admits that no expense was spared creating the space. I ordered a Manhattan up, because I am incapable of ordering anything else. The bourbon selection is excellent, the cocktails are serious, the ambiance is everything, it feels so sophisticated. Whoever decorated this place... congratulations. You deserve an award.

    Drinks were good. Service staff was rough…read more We had a reservation but there was no one to greet us. We looked around for a minute before a server noticed us and was like "uhhh we'll put you here at the end of the bar." Our bartender was fine but the other guy was doing all this flare and nonsense to get everyone's attention. He was the loudest person at the bar and inserted himself in our conversation twice. He clearly wanted attention which we found annoying and distracting. The drinks were good and the vibe was generally good. A nice eclectic mix of people. The DJ was great too! The service staff seemed very rough in both their interactions and their appearance. I hadn't been here in years, but I remember it being a far more refined and polished experience than what he had last night. Lastly, I don't think our $50 deposit was applied to our check. I forgot about it until this morning and didn't bring the receipt home. We each only had one drink and my total charge was $52. Not the end of the world but just another point in how they don't appear to be as on top of their service as I've previously experienced.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Pasta verde
    Pasta verde
    Old Fashioned. Bourbon. Not that Wisconsin brandy bullshit

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    Old Fashioned. Bourbon. Not that Wisconsin brandy bullshit

    Black Dolphin - jazzandblues - Updated August 2026

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