Keys Jazz Bistro is a wonderful jazz club. The setting was intimate with great acoustics and sightlines from most seating locations. The staff were super friendly and accommodating. We did not try the food as we had dinner prior, but the menu is fair with some meat pies, and table snacks. The bar has a full range of cocktails, wine and champagne. Most importantly, the jazz music they bring through are excellent! read more

I had the pleasure of attending a couple of months ago. The owner greeted us when we walked in made us feel welcome. Service was attentive and the jazz was.great. read more

I was visiting San Francisco on a conference and was pleased to find JAZZ on a Wednesday night. The music was great as was the hospitality. The owner is Australian and extremely personable. His menu appears to have popular Australian choices such as a variety of pot pies. I found the pot pies to be average. The french fries were very good. My companion thought the fish and chips were good all in all the experience was pleasant and I would recommend it. read more

My new favorite evening relaxing joint! Right on par with Black Cat Jazz. Great host/owner, exceptional artists, cozy venue, tasty cocktails, and appetizing food menu with an Aussie twist. read more

For my birthday week, I decided to celebrate one night with some good music with one of my dear friend. We went during the performance of Mary Stallings and she was great! I really liked the exhibition of her and her musicians, especially because we were seated in front. We also enjoyed a glass of wine sharing the beef pie (it was good, but a little bit small). I'm sure I'll come back to enjoy other music and food. read more

Keys Jazz Bistro - Jazz & Blues Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Service was impeccable, drinks unique and delicious, atmosphere chill. Might be my fave bar we visited when in SF. read more

Keys Jazz Bistro - Prairie Sage Martini - Jazz & Blues Near Me - San Francisco, California

What a find! I saw on Facebook that Freda Payne would be appearing at this club I'd never heard of. The whole experience was great. Got there a bit early, and had a drink while I waited to be seated. They seat in order of arrival, although the room is so intimate there's not a bad seat in the house. The dinner was surprisingly good and the staff was friendly and attentive. And Freda, as she has been since I first saw her in 1978 (at the Mocambo, anyone remember that nightclub at Polk & Sutter?) was fantastic. read more

Keys Jazz Bistro - Freda Payne at Keys Jazz Bistro - Jazz & Blues Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had a very good experience there. The outer bar had comfortable seating and a warm atmosphere. The main music room was a comfortable small venue. Mainly cocktail tables were all close to the stage. I didn't eat anything, but had a couple cocktails and never felt pressured. The music was first rate. read more

We loved Keys!! I would recommend this place if you're in SF and want to check out a Jazz show. Everyone was super friendly and the food and drinks were good. We had so much fun and will be back! read more

Here's what it took to finally get me inside Keys Jazz Bistro: Guest list passes to a show by Jazz Mafia. Here's what it'll likely take to get me back inside Keys Jazz Bistro: not much. While at this show the band's lead mentioned how much he and the others enjoy playing at this club. He said it was obvious that the club is owned and run by a musician as it's set up with all of the things musicians want and need and that this isn't the case at every club. So if you're a musician? You'll certainly like your experience here. As a guest though? You'll love it. The space is intimate, with small tables and chairs throughout, all with differing site lines to the stage. The sound is perfect as is the service. Food and drink (I had only the latter) are served at your table, throughout the show, there's no requirement to order anything, and the servers are respectful of site lines and operate with efficiency. Keys generally features multiple shows in an evening and the late show I attended (started at 9pm) was the perfect coda to my day. It began on time and proceeded professionally to its (great) conclusion. If you've been thinking that SFJazz, Mr. Tipple's, and Black Cat are the only jazz clubs in town think again. Keys is continuing the historic tradition of live music in North Beach and the City is all the better as a result. read more

I visited on a Saturday night for a private cocktail hour, and it was such a great experience! The service was super friendly and attentive. A highlight for me was when the head of food and service overheard me talking about wanting a Manhattan- it was in front of me before I even asked! The performance area was cozy and intimate. We ordered a few appetizers to share. The Manny's Mexican Cesar salad was fresh and flavorful, and the sausage rolls were perfect for snacking. We didn't order full meals but the meat pies looked really good and seemed like a reasonable portion. Most importantly, the live performance was fantastic and made for a unique Saturday night! read more

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I've always wanted to come to this venue because when you go to different jazz events, it's always mentioned by jazz musicians as a place to enjoy jazz. What really stands out are the acoustics which are great. I sat towards the back at the counter and got a great view straight onto the band. Reasonably priced drinks. Especially so for a jazz club. The people who work here are especially friendly and welcoming. Definitely recommended for a pleasant night out listening to some jazz. read more

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I found myself with no plans on my birthday so I took myself out for a show here, as I've been wanting to visit for a few months now. Purchasing tickets online was easy, and presuming it's not sold out, you can also buy tickets when you arrive. I wasn't sure how busy it would be so I arrived a little bit into happy hour to grab a bite and relax before the show. The bartender working that night was a treat, super helpful and nice and welcomed everyone in. I will say the lounge reminds me a bit of an office lobby, but it was comfortable and clean which is all that matters. I was seated first and got a great seat up at the front. The room is small but not too small, which I appreciate for a jazz show. I couldn't tell but it felt like a fairly full house when the show started. The owner, who was also helping out at the front, introduced the space and the band which was nice because I had no idea how the club came to be. I wasn't familiar with the band but they were excellent and put on a great set. Things that made me sad: Not sure if it's by design but the show started at 7:30 instead of 7. The food was okay (I had to saw through the tart with my fork). The drinks are DELICIOUS and also truly more than I would spend on a regular night out (signature drinks average $20) but there is no drink minimum so that's good. With that said, I'll absolutely return and would recommend it to anyone who is looking to enjoy an excellent jazz show in a beautiful room. read more

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This is a very, very special place. It did not take us long to go from randoms to regulars -- and then to sign up for the membership. Keys is without a doubt one of the favorite things to do in our city. As soon as you walk in, you're greeted with sincere warmth (and wit); grab a seat by the bar and the friendly bartender will expertly rehydrate you (try a Cable Car or a Mr. Washington.) Once you're seated in the listening room, the kitchen can offer the whole range from snacks (think olives and chick peas) via salads to entrees. The space is intimate but not cramped; there's probably not a bad seat in the house. The sound quality is excellent whether you're sitting three feet from the stage or farther back. Once the lights dim, founder and owner Simon Rowe will introduce the musicians as well give you a little background on the history of the venue and the neighborhood. Every single act we have seen here has been excellent; you can tell that the musicians love performing at Keys (many have said as much on stage), and the warm and inclusive vibe inevitably rubs off on everyone in the room. There's no pretense or inflated egos here -- most of the musicians are happy to chat after the show. And during the show, the servers will make sure you have everything you need without disturbing you or anyone else. If you haven't been to Keys yet, treat yourself to a wonderful experience. If you have been, go again -- the calendar features a wide varity of acts, all with their unique style and repertoire. And selfish reasons aside, we all need to support venues like this gem if we want them to stay around. Pro tip: Go see the late show on Saturday, when the aforementioned Simon Rowe plays the classic Hammond B3 organ along with a rotating crew of bandmates. He performs with a passion and pure joy that is incredibly contagious. A must-see, even if it's past your regular bedtime. read more

Exceptional place to listen to jazz. Great sound system, superb musicians, low key classy ambiance, barren walls so the focus is the music. There's a great food and drink menu, plenty of wine, cocktails, beer, apertives etc and Australian meat pies amongst other nibbles and goodies. The servers come around regularly to check on you. They have a monthly jazz club but we came for an evening and paid $40 each for a show on a Saturday night, will return. Recommend; love me some jazz, and this spot is the vibe. read more

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Woot! I got lucky enough to visit Keys in SF for a nice evening of Jazz! I was in SF all week for work and wanted to spend at least one evening listening to some great music. After a bit of a search via yelp, I found Keys Jazz Bistro. I had spent about an hour at The Dawn Club and Keys was the perfect 2nd spot. I was able to catch the last 45 minutes of the 9pm show and a great trio was playing. Everyone in the room was having a great time! While I was there I had a glass of wine and a cable car cocktail. The cocktail was delicious and served in a lovely and vintage inspired glass. Super cute end to my Jazz night! I love venues like this which are relaxed and unpretentious. If I ever find myself back in SF, I'll happily make my way back to Keys. read more

Keys Jazz Bistro - Cable car - Jazz & Blues Near Me - San Francisco, California

What a lovely jazz night Bought tickets online for the wrong date yet they still allowed us to watch. What impressed me the most was the establishments workers who were funny, friendly and personable. They make you feel right at home, are professional yet very witty and personable. I'd come again just for the great service! Good selections are wonderful and they have a lot of local businesses. read more

Keys Jazz Bistro is a fantastic place to hear top notch live jazz and enjoy full dinner service at the same time. I love the ambiance and the welcoming and friendly staff. Simon (the owner) knows how to run a jazz club for serious aficionados and newcomers alike. For live music in The City, Keys Jazz Bistro is at the top of my list. read more

This place was wonderful! Great music, extremely welcoming owner, great cocktails and good food (albeit from a very limited menu). My wife and I love live jazz and the acoustics here were excellent - we sat near the front and the volume was neither too loud nor too soft. Whilst many of our fellow audience members seemed to be long time fans of the artist (Bruce Forman) playing that night, we were new to his music - and he had a limited catalogue online. That said, it was still very enjoyable for us - he was a great storyteller in between his songs, and we had a lot of fun tapping along to the trio. We'd love for this venue / business to succeed and will be back again soon! read more

Keys Jazz Bistro - Jazz & Blues Near Me - San Francisco, California

Why didn't I know about this little gem before? So glad I found this intimate comfortable spot to enjoy great jazz. Nice dinner menu, lovely drinks, wonderful acoustics and reasonable admission. Don't miss it. read more

Had a great time at keys last week, seeing Jules Broussard and company. Music was great, and environment and sound system top notch. Very nice manager/host. On a lark I tried one of their meat pies and it was really good! read more

Been to Keys maybe 10 times, it's my favorite place in the city for Jazz. The space is intimate, a great atmosphere and I've loved every performer I've seen. Be aware it's a proper jazz club i.e. no constant chatter during the set, as it should be for this caliber of music. Simon, the owner, makes you feel like you've come to his home for dinner. Great bartender and some amazing servers, but at times you don't have a designated server and need to flag someone down. Maybe someone called in sick - No biggie. Great cocktails. Food is decent, but you're not here for the food. I am addicted to the crispy chickpeas though. Others noted parking is tough. It's North Beach for god's sake. Find a garage (there are several nearby) or take Bart. read more

Great music, lousy service. Service was not attentive to details, didn't deliver an order and basically never followed up. Maybe they were having a bad night but hey jazz music clubs need support and they're not going to get it if they have this type of service. read more

The prices are great here and they have some legendary performers. I was surprised they have coffee here. The coffees really good. I love the Cajun vibe. I haven't tried the entrees here but the desserts are really good. I love the gelato. I like the lighting in this place. read more

Keys Jazz Bistro is one of the newest jazz venues in San Francisco, and we are lucky to have it. The owner has recreated the vibe of those long gone North Beach clubs, so it's intimate, with serious local jazz lovers and out of towners looking for that "only in San Francisco" experience. The servers are prompt and friendly. Most musicians are local, but there's talent from elsewhere too. My only issue is that the menu is limited, and I'm not a huge fan of Australian pies. But it's really the music and atmosphere that's the key to this venue. read more

One of the best bar experiences I've had in the city. We were out on a Saturday looking for new places to try, with a particular desire for live music - and thanks to a quick scan of the reviews of my lovely fellow Yelpers, we decided to check out Keys Jazz Bistro. When we walked in, the current set was about 10 minutes from finishing, and so we weren't sure if we wanted to stay. However, our wonderfully hospitable hostess noticed us and offered to let us sit at a table and enjoy a drink to see if we were interested in staying for the next set, before even asking for the cover charge. How can you say no to an offer like that? Once we sat down, we were completely sold. All tables and seats in the bar face toward a prominent stage, capable of fitting as small or large of an ensemble as needed. We ended up staying for a couple more hours and enjoyed a full set of beautiful jazz. One of the owners, an incredibly charming Australian man named Simon, led the band with remarkable organ playing. He discussed the background and history of each piece before playing, weaving in his clear passion and wealth of knowledge about jazz throughout the set. The service was also excellent throughout the evening, with our waitress coming by our table regularly to make sure our glasses were never empty. This place is truly special. For anyone with any interest in jazz music (or live music at all), extremely charming owners, and great drinks, you owe it to yourself to come here. My only regret is that I didn't discover this place sooner! read more

We decided to go to the early show and took advantage of their happy hour. There are great happy hour options including reduced prices for their top shelf drinks. The bartender did a great job! The front bar area has a great vibe with tasty jazz playing in the back ground. Since we were there early, we had our choice of tables in the listening area but there really isn't a bad seat around the stage. Looking forward to our next visit to Keys Jazz Bistro!! read more

Keys Jazz Bistro - Jazz & Blues Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food - 5 Service - 5 Ambience - 5 Parking - good luck! (Uber) All seriousness, very close to stage so every seat is a winner. The food was way above average and very fairly priced. Bartender and drinks, top notch. This is a winner and check out their website for upcoming shows. Make this your spot. read more

Keys Jazz Bistro - Clairedee - Jazz & Blues Near Me - San Francisco, California

The food was great and we loved the fun cocktail menu. The service was fantastic and we really enjoyed the folks there from the moment we entered. The venue was a delightful space and great seating options. read more

Keys Jazz Bistro - Waiting for the band to go on. Beautiful venue. Had a spectacular evening. - Jazz & Blues Near Me - San Francisco, California

Their website is great, easy to book tix, good recommendations for parking / they made it easy! I arrived before the first set ended (I bought ticket for 2nd set) so they offered to let me enjoy my drink while listening to the last couple songs - very cool! The menu is cool - I had a few snacks and chose drinks from the mixology portion of menu. They were excellent. All prices were good & ditto for the show price tix. The sound was excellent! It's nice when folks in a jazz setting don't act like the band is background music , tapping away. One more thing - the owner and his staff could not be kinder, more helpful, patient and accommodating. A lot of times in music clubs, it's hurry up and order, slam your drink down, here's ya check - out. This was different - very nice folks. I'll be back again soon. read more

Keys Jazz Bistro - The band! - Jazz & Blues Near Me - San Francisco, California

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My wife and I went to Keys Jazz Bistro for the first time last night (Sept. 6) to see the Macus Shelby Sextet at Keys Jazz Bistro in North Beach. We had a great time. Great music, of course, but also excellent food and service. The servers are great. A wide and interesting selection of good food and beverages. A wonderful place to hear great jazz and eat tasty food. Highly recommended. read more

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Extremely friendly owner and service. The owner was an incredible jazz pianist as well. Great late night venue to go and enjoy jazz music. Got to enter at the door for $15, incredibly worthwhile. read more

What a delightful venue. The owners, Simon and Kylie, are pouring everything into making visitors feel comfortable and featuring the excellent musicians properly on stage. The legendary music space is not too big, so everyone feels welcome and some even recognized as regulars. My parents used to come from Carmel in the 1960s to SF to see jazz musicians at the famous El Matador and Vanessi's--which is now the location of this lounge and jazz music venue. Whether you are on a special date or enjoying an evening with friends and want to see and hear accomplished jazz musicians sharing their art in a cozy atmosphere, choose this charming corner of North Beach. There are usually two shows each evening and sometimes three! Check the Keys Jazz informative and useful website! A special thank you to hard-working Jacob who juggles and delivers all the food and drinks orders into the lounge while trying to stay low so as not to disturb the musicians. And also can't say enough praise about Esandra--who makes the drinks! read more

The entire staff are warm, welcoming and just plain nice. The venue is wonderful, food is excellent and the music was amazing. I noticed that the staff greeted several folks by name - obviously regulars and I see why they frequent this wonderful place. This was my first visit but won't be my last. read more

This is a new jazz venue, and for that reason I imagine not a lot of people know about it yet. It was pretty slow on a Friday night, and we attended the late show to enjoy the entertainment of Giulio Xavier & GX3. The musicians were talented and seemed very relaxed on stage and just immersed in the sounds of their instruments. The atmosphere overall was modern, clean, and extremely laid back.  We first got cocktails at the bar, which were really good. I loved the John Daly, simple and refreshing. Then we moved into the lounge area for the show. The menus there were a bit different, but I asked the server if they serve the same drinks as at the bar and she said yes. So, more John Daly for me! We also tried a couple items off their food menu. The House Charcuterie (featuring Molinari's Delicatessen) was yummy. I can't even name all of the meats and cheeses on there, but they were good and presented beautifully on the charcuterie board. There was also some kind of olive tapenade which I really enjoyed. The flavor of the day for Rik's Sorbet was passion fruit, so we had some of that as well, and it was perfect... cold, sweet, tangy, and even went well with my boyfriend's French 75. I loved that on a slow night, the staff and band still put on a good show and provided excellent service. It allowed me and my partner to have a wonderful experience here. And hopefully others can also enjoy the awesome jazz events they put on in the future. As music-lovers, we will definitely be back. read more

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If you're looking to change up your typical night out, check out Keys Jazz Bistro in North Beach. It's a comfortable and relaxed setting for live music aficionados and novices alike! Grab a drink at the bar, find your dining table and enjoy a live performance in an intimate setting. (The menu just happens to be very gluten-free friendly too.) The drinks were fun spins on classics! Check out their page to see the great lineup of talent coming in. Perfect Dinner and a show! read more

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Fantastic performers, cozy environment. Right at the heart of where San Francisco jazz has thrived over the decades read more

Keys Jazz Bistro - Jazz & Blues Near Me - San Francisco, California

The good is the atmosphere and staff. Very pleasant. The Bad is: where do I start, Outside , walking to Bistro is sooo smelly and filthy! This is, of course, is city's fault. We used to go there very often in spite of filthy outside, which turned us off every time, we don't go there anymore BECAUSE, it became much too expensive for the time artists performing, and Simon, with all due respect, every time gives the same speech, which time after time became old. But try it for yourself, especially if you live nearby. We had to drive from peninsula, always hard to find parking, and now, for the money, for us, it's just isn't worth. read more

Simon and Company are doing a great thing. Reviving a storage spot for jazz in the city, featuring local artists, and doing it all with style and brio. read more

Lovely artist, nice ambience and really enjoyed the music. What was disappointing is I spilled an entire glass of water, my fault entirely and I felt awful about it. The table was unstable and almost tipped over (it happens). The worst part is how incredibly RUDE the staff was in addressing what had happened, talking to us like we were unruly and drunk (he had not even gotten a drink yet!). Then, they forgot our dinner we ordered and basically ignored us the entire night. When I told them we never got dinner, they were completely unapologetic. A shrug. Again, I really want to say the music was great but because of how we were treated, we will not return. read more