Happened to stumble across this venue and it's a great place to visit and hear live music. It's an intimate venue so you definitely want to get there when doors open to get the best seating. Service was friendly. By showtime, the place really filled in. Great sound and just a really cool vibe all around. They have a bar and offer small bites with a savory and sweet option. read more

The Side Door - Bars Near Me - Old Lyme, Connecticut

See all

Amazing jazz every weekend year round at the Side Door!!! I can't believe I found this gem of a club in Old Lyme CT!! Music starts at 8pm. Doors open at 7:15pm but if you want a good seat show up even earlier to wait in line and claim your seat. Great drinks, cool vibes, and awesome jazz every weekend!!! read more

A hidden gem with amazing ambiance and friendly service. We came to see the very talented Christian Sands Trio

Amazing jazz club. Not a bad seat in the house and excellent talent. Ambiance is upscale with many patrons being dressed up and most likely coming from the price fixed dinner at the Old Lyme Inn. Drinks were delicious- and a cheese plate is a available at the club. Full bar list includes beer, bourbon, martinis with prices ranging on average from $9-$15 a drink. Club seats about 70. Tickets are $45 and show is about 2.5 hours total. Highly recommend- we will be back! read more

The Side Door - Stage - Bars Near Me - Old Lyme, Connecticut

See all

First time visitors to the Side Door. This place is everything a sweet little jazz club should be- sultry, intimate and swinging! Caught Alexia Bomtempo on her first CT tour. Amazing show at a great venue. Will be a regular! read more

Having lived in CT only a handful of years, I still love finding hidden gems in the state. We first heard about the Side Door at the Hartford jazz fest, and I'm very thankful! The Side Door has a really stellar jazz line up, and we were fortunate to get tickets to a sold out Pat Martino Trio show. We arrived 40 minutes before the show, and most of the seats were taken. We ended up sitting at the bar, which gave us a decent view of all the musicians though with no seat back The space is intimate though not stuffy. If you get there early, there are lots of great seats right in the front by the stage. The sound is overall good. There was one waitress and one bartender, and they did a pretty good job with the room, though a few of us were still waiting for our checks when the show was over. I had the French 75 and Manhattan ($14/each), which were solid. I appreciate that they don't have a minimum, like many jazz bars have. Sitting by the bar had advantages, like being higher up for a view, but the lack of back plus the sound/light associated with a bar area was at times distracting. Once the parking lot is full, it would be nice if someone put up a sign. Most of the overflow ended up in the parking lot across the street. read more

See all

Fantastic music, service and ambiance. Wish I could get back there more often. Great time! read more

Stayed for a lovely jazz performance from Jimmy Greene. Service was great. Wine was amazing. Highly recommend!

Great venue! You have access to many amazing musicians here, since so many famous jazz bands travel through Old Lyme on their way from NY to Boston. Last night we heard Etienne Charles and his sextet. The music was fabulous. Don't expect dinner-- if you want to eat at the Old Lyme Inn prior to the concert that's the way to go. Drinks are good and not too expensive; dessert and coffee from the Inn available and yummy. Watch the schedule for your favorite jazz virtuosos-- sooner or later they will arrive at the Side Door! read more

The Side Door - Etienne Charles - Bars Near Me - Old Lyme, Connecticut

I'm not even into jazz but every time I come here with my boyfriend, my mind is blown. Love the intimacy and attention to detail in this place. You can feel the very strong love and admiration the owner has for the performers. I will always go see a show here even though I'm never familiar with who I'm watching, just for the amazing feelings I experience. read more

The Side Door - The great Buster Williams and his band, including Lenny White on drums!!! - Bars Near Me - Old Lyme, Connecticut

See all

A full on jazz club in the middle of Old Lyme? Yes please! This place is amazing! My girlfriend took me here for a surprise birthday weekend, and it was perfect. The SideDoor Jazz Club is actually attached to the Old Lyme Inn where we stayed for the night. We also had an amazing dinner at the inn before the show. It was great to not have to leave the building at all the whole night. As far as the show went, we saw the Donald Harrison Quartet...and they were amazing! The musicianship was incredible, and the club was the real deal. Every seat is really good as the club capacity is about 75 people. The acoustics were phenomenal, and the way the club setup lends itself perfectly to a jazz performance. They have a full bar, great service, and everyone was so welcoming and accomodating. The owner of the Inn and club even came over and sat with us at the end of the night to talk. He was a jazz enthusiast who has a passion for the music, and it shows. And, he seemed like a really happy and nice guy to boot! Overall, this place is incredible and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates music, not just jazz. read more

Great venue for Jazz lovers. Big names come to play there. The room is not too big, the acoustic is very nice and the patrons come to listen, not talk. read more

A great place to hear live music. They have great Jazz and one of the best places to hang in Old Lyme.

Best jazz club between NYC and Boston. Tickets are usually $40 but you get 2 sets of music every time which is unlike a typical jazz club.

Once you're inside, you could easily forget you're in Old Lyme and not Manhattan. I'm a bit of a regular here and drag guests along frequently. The music is on Friday and Saturday evenings with an occasional surprise booking on a Thursday or Sunday. I've enjoyed many jazz luminaries here from Bill Charlap solo to vocalist Catherine Russell and her group, reminiscent of the Hot Club of Paris. The musicians clearly love the place and have been spreading the word in New York. Owner Ken Keating may be the biggest fan here and is part of the fun atmosphere. The place is often sold out so reservations made on-line are highly recommended. read more

Why have I let three years of my life pass without the Side Door! This place is an absolute gem--like being in a New York Club without the hassle and the dirt. An atmospheric club, beautifully lit, with a great bar, the Side Door has fantastic sound quality. First-rate musicians line up to play here--great audiences, too --all hosted by the welcoming, engaging owner Ken Kitchings. Our first visit featured the Brubeck Brothers--2 hour-long sets, the musicians spending time with the audience during a break and afterwards, like a family without the problems...Ken is obviously supremely organized--take a look at the website, thesidedoorjazz.com. To think that the shoreline has a premier jazz venue that rivals really any venue for quality and exceeds many for the pleasure of a show is beyond exciting. I should add there's not a bad seat in the house. read more