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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
In a city full of jazz, black dolphin still stands out. They perfectly encapsulate the ritzy, classy lounge that you'd expect to find in 50s/60s KC. The jazz artists are amazing! I was fully immersed into the music and the way the room is set up allows for optimal listening at all angles. The cocktails I tried were amazing. I had the lady loves chai, which I ordered a second round because I loved it so much! We also ordered the pink lady and the horse feather which were great. Black dolphin feels like a moment in time, while still bringing a modern take to the jazz scene in KC.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
2 months ago
This place is an absolute divine space for folks looking to unwind, relax, enjoy the ambiance, great live entertainment and nonstop fabulous service. Five stars for sure!! read more
The Black Dolphin is the perfect place to start out your night, or wind down with a night cap and some smooth jazz. I am a sucker for fun cocktails so was very excited to order the Lady Loves Chai cocktail, served in a fun coupe glass. It had just the right amount of spice to compliment the vodka and coffee liqueur. The jazz band was the star of the show but still subtle enough where you could converse at your table. I would've rated this bar a 5, if it weren't for the less-than-mediocre service. The woman who appeared to be the general manager was very sweet and checked in on us a few times, but our server spilled my drink as she served it to us, and no one ever cleaned it up. I understand things happen but wish it would've been taken care of! It took a while to close out the tab too, but I didn't mind sticking around a little later than planned and taking in the jazz. Overall, fun place and serves great as a temporary replacement for its sister bar The Green Lady Lounge (which is still closed due to the May fire). read more
5 months ago
In a city full of jazz, black dolphin still stands out. They perfectly encapsulate the ritzy, classy lounge that you'd expect to find in 50s/60s KC. The jazz artists are amazing! I was fully immersed into the music and the way the room is set up allows for optimal listening at all angles. The cocktails I tried were amazing. I had the lady loves chai, which I ordered a second round because I loved it so much! We also ordered the pink lady and the horse feather which were great. Black dolphin feels like a moment in time, while still bringing a modern take to the jazz scene in KC. read more
3 months ago
3 months ago
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. read more
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. read more
9 months ago
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. read more
3 months ago
1 year ago
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. read more
2 years ago
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. read more
8 months ago
4 months ago
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. read more
9 months ago
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. read more
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. read more
1 year ago
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! read more
4 years ago
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! read more
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! read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
Absolutely beautiful... what a great atmosphere. The decor inside is stunning and what a comfortable, happy and fun experience! The drinks were great and music is phenomenal. Staff are very friendly! read more
1 year ago
5 years ago
We came here because the line to the Green Lady Lounge was out the door. I guess they're owned by the same people but you'd never know it. There's a completely different feel to this place with their disco ball hanging from the ceiling and the gigantic TVs that makes me think more of a dueling piano bar than a jazz and blues club. The drinks were just okay... and there was table service but there seemed to only be one or two servers for the whole place. It took us almost 20 minutes just to flag down our server to get our check when we were ready to leave. The jazz band that was playing was decent (aside from a very strange 10-minute drum solo??) but I don't fault or credit a venue because of their live music. Having said that, my husband and I had a babysitter and were out and about on a Saturday night and this was a nice place to end the evening. I'm not sure I'd come back... but maybe if the neighboring Jazz place was standing room only again and we couldn't think of anything else to do. read more
Black Dolphin is sister lounge to Green Lady Lounge ( same owner).Located just steps away. Similar vibe and lay out to Green Lady but no table servers. We were advised we could go between the two properties using same cover and tab. We did not test this to see how it actually worked. We stopped in at Band change, so we're able to quickly find a table. They offer some very interesting drinks. The cold brewed coffee and bourbon drink smelled amazing and apparently tasty, as our friend had 2. Beer and wine is also offered but I must admit I noticed most people drinking the fancy libations. The band was good and kept rolling on through their set even after the power went out! Kudos to them! A backup generator keep some lights on and with the table candles you barely noticed a change ( increased the ambiance) read more
We frequent the green lady so stopping by the black dolphin was a must. I do prefer the layout of green lady, but the drinks were comparable and reasonably priced for a jazz bar. Our service was a bit slow but it was busy and we sat by the musicians. I would suggest sitting between the band and the bar for speedier service. There is a cover so bring your cash! read more
2 years ago
Absolutely love this place for the atmosphere and live music. Definitely recommend to anyone. read more
3 years ago
Hella deemed lights and great live music. We ordered the Kansas City Tea, of course it had alcohol and of course it tasted great. Kansas City, MO was big on life music and live bands and this is one of the must visits if you're into live jazz! read more
While visiting Kansas City, I had to here some live music. Black Dolphin provided me a wonderful experience. They do not serve food, but do offer some quality potato chips for $1. The service is good but there is usually 1 server for the entire floor so please be patient. The band leader sings and plays the piano with the drummer hitting some background vocals. They are talented and did some great cover tunes and made them their own. Ambiance is on point here too. You will find another live music venue next door but the band did not sing there. read more
3 years ago
Another great jazz cocktail bar with live music and great bands that go crazy on the drums/piano/bass /saxophone! $5 cover fee per person. Got my normal whiskey on the rocks and a seltzer drink sour gummy flavor all tasted very good. Prices were reasonable, open seating, dimmed lights! Got to see Tim Whitmer Quartet playing on first Friday read more
2 years ago
4 years ago
Had a good time here! Jazz and they had a special guest on Saturday night. I went here with a girl friend of mine close to midnight to enjoyed some music and do something different.... since we're single and ready to mingle. This place is right next to Green Lady Lounge and it was very jazzy! Lots of people and plenty of drinks. It's best to grab a seat cause it can get filled up pretty quick. Pretty laid back too. Would definitely come back here again. read more
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More info about Black Dolphin
1813 Grand Blvd
Kansas City, MO 64108
Crossroads, Greater Downtown
Directions
(816) 215-2954
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https://blackdolphinlounge.com
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