Jazz Café (Newcastle)

...since I went to the Jazz Cafe mainly because it had to shut due to high level of crime on Pink Lane where it is situated.

Okay so not a good start!

Best place to start from to get to the Jazz Cafe would be the Central Station. It is around a 5 minute walk from the station depending upon your level of inebriation of course!

We always went on a Wednesday as this was student night and you got reduced price ...
...When you walk into the Jazz Cafe you are struck by it's, shall we say, 'compactness', but then it is the Jazz Cafe not the Jazz Plaza! Promisingly the bar is the first thing you meet and then to the cosy tables (around 4 each seating 4 people - I did tell you it was compact!). The lighting is pretty much non-existent due to the heavy curtains that adorn each window, but it just adds to the atmosphere really. Couldn't really tell you much about the ... more

It is a little while since I went to the Jazz Cafe mainly because it had to shut due to high level of crime on Pink Lane where it is situated.

Okay so not a good start!

Best place to start from to get to the Jazz Cafe would be the Central Station. It is around a 5 minute walk from the station depending upon your level of inebriation of course!

We always went on a Wednesday as this was student night and you got reduced price entry (£3) with the Student Union card, plus more importantly free food! Food and Music for £3? Bargainiferous!

Now don't get me wrong this is no gourmet food but a chicken burger and chips was a pleasant bonus to what was already a cheap place to go. There was a vegetarian burger for the veggies aswell so all good!

When you walk into the Jazz Cafe you are struck by it's, shall we say, 'compactness', but then it is the Jazz Cafe not the Jazz Plaza! Promisingly the bar is the first thing you meet and then to the cosy tables (around 4 each seating 4 people - I did tell you it was compact!). The lighting is pretty much non-existent due to the heavy curtains that adorn each window, but it just adds to the atmosphere really. Couldn't really tell you much about the decor mainly due to the above mentioned lack of light!

As for the clientele, with the limited number of seats there were never many people there. The other people pretty much kept themselves to themselves and were regulars. I'd say anybody could go though, no particular group, just anyone who likes a nice relaxing time.

Each night when we went were the same people playing, I believe they were just students aswell. So they weren't fantastically good but they certainly weren't unpleasant to listen to. They played some of the songs you would know and a lot more of the songs you really wouldn't! Generally it was a guy with a double bass, a keyboard player, a mad guitar player and sometimes a vocallist. For the money you pay they weren't bad at all.

In general therefore, in my opinion, the Jazz Cafe represents/ed a good value night, a good place to go and chill and chat where your voices weren't drowned out by blaring music, and where you didn't have to splash out to have an enjoyable evening.

Oh and listen don't be put off by the scary guy they have handing out flyers in town!!! 

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