Reviews Blue Martini Jazz Cafe

This little Gem has awesome food and live music, we were a group of 8 and our server Thales took great care of us, the food was tasty and well presented...

Fantastic location just across from Kits beach. It's a great hangout because you can take a stroll along Kits beach after dinner and drinks. I liked the décor of the restaurant (it’s definitely blue as its name indicates). It was a cozy intimate setting. Ordered a simple appetizer which looked like a piece of artwork. There wasn’t much on the plate but I appreciated the artistic presentation.

What I loved most about this place is the live music. I didn’t like the idea that we got charged a cover fee even though we had already been sitting in the restaurant for about an hour before the band started so please let us know about this when we reserve a table. Otherwise, this place is worth visiting again and I would definitely come back for the live music. There are so few live music restaurants like this in Vancouver.


Correction about the cover charge: they don't charge cover for weekend live bands unless it is a special ticketed event (ie. NYE, Valentine's) or it is a special out of town guest performer.

I took my boyfriend here last night to enjoy Dine Out Vancouver and some live jazz. The venue and entertainment were fantastic, great music, loved the jam sessions and seeing people join in and perform. The food was great as well. Dine Out was $40 per person and we got the meatball appy, minestrone, catfish, linguine with clams, and tiramisu for dessert. No complaints about the food. Portions were decent and full of flavour. We got our drinks at Happy Hour prices too, which was nice. The sangria was refreshing. There was a very minor server issue but not something that will deter us from coming back. We'll surely check out another performance and try other things on the menu.

Stopped in here for a rare night out, and left very glad that we had done so - friendly staff, excellent food, and decent drinks. We shall definitely be revisiting.  One tip - if you're with a partner choose a table with corner seats, as at times it can be a little difficult to chat while appreciating the music.

We made a last minute decision this week to attend a show for the 2016 Vancouver International Jazz festival on a rare for us free Friday night. A quick scan of the website brought us to The Bob Liley Quintet playing at The Blue Martini Jazz Cafe. Hoping for some luck, I gave them a call to see if I could sneak us in for a reservation. Luck was on our side and we took the 630pm seating and oh, what luck it was! We knew immediately we were in for a great experience as we descended the few stairs down from street level. We stepped into this fabulous space filled with tables for 2 and 4, a low rise stage against the far wall, a long, marble bar to the left overlooking the kitchen at one end and the bartenders at the other and exposed stone walls with soft blue light cascading down. A big check mark for the cool factor.
We had our pick of tables but the room quickly filled in anticipation for the dinner show. We were there for the music and although the words on the menu read well, we weren't expecting much - it's a Jazz CAFE, after all. Well, this is where the luck truly kicked in. The drink menu is an eclectic mixture of old standards and concoctions named for some jazz greats. After a celebratory pint of beer and glass of prosecco for making it to the weekend, we dove into the drink menu for further inspection. My partner highly recommends the Bitches Brew, the bourbon, cherry and maple syrup over ice.
We had a choice of the set menu that included the cover charge for the show but we went with the regular menu. Edamame beans tossed in a light coating of Cajun spice to start. Cajun prawn and scallop sizzle in front of me and jambalaya across the table. Well sized portions for both and an impressive amount of prawn and scallops and spicy sausage in the jambalaya. While we enjoyed dinner we discussed that often times we come across overly spiced food to the point where the flavour is overwhelmed by the heat of the dish. Not the case at all with our meals at The Blue Martini. So impressed with our main courses that we ordered creme brûlée and cheesecake - both very well done. Cheers to the chef for an absolutely incredible meal! Our server was attentive and professional and paid just the right amount of attention to us without hovering. We came for the performance but we will return for the food, the drinks and the service.

I was introduced to this place through a meet up. Fantastic location just across from Kits beach. The restaurant was surprisingly big considering the exterior had a very narrow entrance (a bit deceiving). I liked the décor of the restaurant (it’s definitely blue as its name indicates). It was a cozy intimate setting. Ordered a simple appetizer but it looked like a piece of artwork. There wasn’t much on the plate but it was definitely uniquely presented. What I loved most about this place is the live music. I didn’t like the idea that we got charged a cover fee even though we had already been sitting in the restaurant for about an hour before the band started. Overall, it's a great place to hang out if you want to enjoy jazz music and the company of friends. I would go back again but please tell us we get charged when the band starts just so we know ahead of time and can budget accordingly. Quick correction about the cover charge: they don't charge cover for weekend live bands unless it is a special ticketed event (ie. NYE, Valentine's) or it is a special out of town guest performer.

Tuesday is pasta night. It's dark and water glasses are all in blue. It's very good value for entertainment.e We all shared the mussels and clam in Congolese sauce. It came with a slice of bread which is good. We also shared baked potato with sour cream and bacon bits which is plentiful and filling. Of course I should have spaghetti with meatballs. The pasta was done right and sauce spicy and hot. My two friends had risotto which she finished up but my other friend didn't really care for his carbonara sauce? Still very enjoyable dinner and we'll come back. Service was attentive and swift.

I have been in Blue Martini Cafe & Jazz yesterday for a birthday Party. The place is great! Nice table, The group of Jazz was top, our waitress was so nice and the food wonderful! Blue Martini Cafe & Jazz is now one of my favorite place in Vancouver. Thank you for this exceptional evening!