Catalina Jazz Club

I made a special trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles to attend the Sony Holland concert at the Catalina Jazz Club. I had never been to the Catalina so I had no idea what to expect.

Since I had never been there I decided to arrive early at 7:00 p.m. when the doors opened. The person cleaning the outside area of the building buzzed me in the front door of the building and the club was identifiable by a simple sign on a door located on the first floor of the building. I walked in the door and was pleasantly surprised. The host was so friendly and welcoming that I felt as if I had walked onto the set of "Cheers." The club had that distinct feeling all evening. I was also thrilled to see two of my friends from the Bay Area there as well.

The club itself has an L shape to it which is very interesting and I think well thought out for the venue. The main club area has table vignettes which seat anywhere from two people to around ten people situated around the stage so that no matter where you are the stage is the main focal point in the room. Even if you are at the bar which is the longer part of that L shape, you still have a good view. Each table was set with tablecloths, menus and flyers with the artist information. I found these extras very appealing which high end jazz clubs normally do not provide.

The lighting I found to be the best I have ever encountered in any club, jazz or otherwise. I was able to actually see my bill when presented with the dim lighting during the concert as well as the menus and upcoming show information. Normally clubs are so dark, especially during a concert that you cannot see anything. Here the lighting in my opinion was perfect. Even the lighting on the stage was good enough that we were able to get photos without a flash as can be seen in this post. Usually in clubs, the lighting is such that it will distort the actual colors of the musician's attire though not the case here. I really liked that.

The sound was crisp and clear. You could hear each instrument along with the vocals without anyone drowning out the other. It wasn't too loud or too soft but right on key, throughout.

The service was friendly, quick and non intrusive. The servers knew when to approach for your second drink and were very cautious not to interrupt or obstruct the view of the patrons. They were helpful, knew what they were doing and very friendly.

As I said in the beginning of this post, I had that friendly feeling all evening. Now I know why this club is considered to be the premier jazz club in LA. I've been to many in the Bay Area and have to admit I enjoyed this club over and above any other I've experienced. I will definitely go back to see Sony if and when she again performs at the Catalina. In fact, if anyone I really like will be performing there, I will absolutely make that trip from SF to LA to see them. That is exactly how much I enjoyed the Catalina.

Pros: The Live Music Acts, The Lighting, Sound, Service etc...

Cons: There are none

Posted 11/10/09

I'm a huge jazz fan and Catalina Jazz Club is one of my favorites spots in LA to spend an evening. They continue to book talented muscians that give the crowd what they are looking for. It's an intimate setting and a great way to sit back, relax and just enjoy

Pros: They book great talent

Posted 10/07/09

My boyfriend took me here for our anniversary. What a treat! It was a great way to spend the night out....the music was amazing and the drinks were excellent. I will def be coming back again!!!

Pros: Amazing Music & Drinks!

Posted 07/08/09

The only star for this place would be that they book talented stars.

I give it ZERO (or negative) stars for Service, Food Quality, Attitude, Management.

This place is an abomination. As much as I love certain performers, I will stick to hearing them on CDs, or wait for them to perform elsewhere.

I will NEVER EVER go to Catalina's again. Management and staff should be fired along with the cafeteria chef. Catalina should be embarrassed to have her name on this place.

Pros: Quality of the Acts

Cons: Price, Service, Management, Attitude, Food

Posted 04/11/09

We were four adults that were there for dinner and entertainment.

We arrived at 6:45pm on a Wed, disappointed that the only parking available was valet. Against better judgment, & $6, left my car with them anyway.

My husband and I went thru the unassuming door, which opened to a dining area and jazz club. There was not a host when we arrived, but we saw the other two in our party sitting at a table and walked ourselves over to them.

Our waiter came and took our drink orders which consisted of 4 well drinks. After receiving our drinks, we ordered 3 appetizers & 4 entrees (Steak, Salmon, Catfish and Pasta). The person with the steak sent his back b/c it was uneatable. The salmon was a small portion, it lacked in flavor, the pasta was mediocre, and I did not get feedback on the catfish. Afterwards we ordered 2 desserts and 4 coffees?again mediocre. The total bill =$380...Yikes!

After the show, we went to the valet. As I approached him (I love that your car is valeted 7 feet from the entrance of the structure), I could see that he had broken the exterior handle clean off the door. 1st he tried to say that it had been broken prior, then he said that it had been glued, which was ridiculous, then he tried to get me to leave my car, overnight, with him for repairs?not a chance. I took down his name & # and that of his supervisor and took pictures of the broken handle. Today I called them and they said that they would pay for the repair, but that is left to be determined.

The next time we go out and want to spend $100 per person for dinner, we?ll go to Osteria Mozza or Katsuya for a top quality food.

Hell or high water, I will NEVER valet again.

I?d go there again for top notch entertainment, park on the street, and sip two beers at the bar ($20 cover + 2 drink minimum), but it is not likely since I live in West LA.

Posted 10/29/08

"If it were possible to give no stars for this I would gladly do it. From the incompetent manager to the pompous waiters, this place is definitely a pass. Do not waste your money here...It is a complete waste of time..."

perfectly said.

Pros: musicians attitude??

Cons: manager, service, entertainment policy, waiters, food

Posted 09/27/08

I like Catalina Bar & Grill because it brings great jazz acts to an intimate setting. The new venue allows for a larger crowd without sacrificing a good view of the stated. The downside, however, is the 2 item per person or dinner reservations requirement. Normally, I wouldn't have problem with this, however, the food is not good and is overpriced. They're charging $13 for a caprese salad and calamari that is not stellar. The martinis range from $10-14. Also, if the place is crowded it takes 10-15 minutes to get your drinks. Bottom line, for 2 people you spending at least $50. Quite frankly, I don't like being told I have to purchase something to cover the "entertainment charge." If this is the case, what did the ticket price include?

Pros: Music, Ambiance

Cons: Food, Price

Posted 01/26/08

I have been a long-time fan of Catalina Bar and Grill, having frequented the old location for many years. I regret to say that I will never go there, again. The new venue is, essentially, a gutted office building. The space is large, and cold (I actually had to ask the server to turn down the air conditioning so that my date might dine with her coat off). The Cahuenga location used to be packed. No longer. Unlike the cozy, former venue, the acoustics leave much to be desired... which is reflected in the fact that the place was not even at a quarter of it's capacity.

I would hesitate to call this establishment a restaurant, rather- I would liken it to a cafeteria. My date ordered the goat cheese salad. I ordered the chicken piccata. Both dishes were sub par. They would be considered standard fare... for a 300+ person wedding if the budget were $10 a plate (yet they cost substantially more). We ordered the warm apple tart a la mode for dessert. Not only did the tart show up on our bill after sending it back uneaten, twice, but I actually had to engage the manager in a debate before he would remove it! The fact of the matter is that the tart was never hotter than a 10 second microwave zapping (not to mention- it tasted awful). The manager informed me that if I wanted a warm dessert, I should not have ordered pie with ice cream. I asked him if he had ever heard of sweet and sour sauce, but abandoned the whole "juxtaposition of harmonious textures/flavors" sermon.

I went to "Tasty Tuesdays" where I saw Michael Konik and the Tasty Band. Michael Konik is quite possibly the worst singer I have ever had to endure. I think the band would be more successful without his strained attempts at crooning. Konik's banter between sets was equally painful. His smarmy demeanor only made me feel more ill to my stomach than the low quality food.

I could go on... but who would listen? I'll chalk this one up to a learning experience (ala school of hard knocks).

Lesson learned.

Pros: now you know

Cons: food, service, acoustics, management

Posted 04/24/07

This guy puts those other new crooners out to pasture, and believe me, when you hear Brian Evans, and I can't believe he's playing Catalina (he's been opening for Jay Leno in Vegas).

Mark this one on your calendars, folks. There's a full page that just came out today on Brian Evans in the new edition of Rolling Stone Magazine. All I can say is wow, this placed will sell out if it hasn't already. He's also playing on Nov. 29th? Why the gap?

Food is great, perfect ambience, and the staff was terrific.

Pros: Very private.

Cons: Hard to find the place.

Posted 10/04/06

If you are going to break up with someone this is the prefect place to take them. It's not you, it's not me, it's the restaurant.

Posted 09/14/06

(1) Music: they get good musicians in. However, during my visit, the sound mixer (who was also the bartender) refused to mix the sound because the band hadn't shown up for sound check. So he punished the entire audience with awful sound. I could hear almost nothing but the drums. He literally ruined the entire show and everybody complained.

(2) Food: overpriced. $20-$30 plates with small portions and poor presentation. The overall food vibe is that of a cafeteria. The food is not bad, and sometimes decent (although our salmon plate was pret(ty mediocre). Cappuccino came without any foam.

(3) Atmosphere: bland and sterile and uninspired. The place is large, so it's likely to have many tables not taken up.

Lastly, when I called for reservations, they took my name and number, but told me that they couldn't reserve a table for me, so I had to come early. That made no sense to me. I couldn't understand why they took my number.

Conclusion: if you really want to see a specific band, go. Be prepared to spend about $70 per person if you are having dinner. Otherwise, opt for a more inspired establishment."

Pros: Good bands & mucisians

Cons: Awful sound, overpriced food, poor presentation

Posted 09/03/06

I would love to write a smashing review of this place, unfortunately they close at 10pm during the week. Even in Milan, Italy where the city closes relatively early the Jazz Bars stayed open later and yes they where all very old but very charming jazz musicians

Posted 05/02/06

Came here to see the acapella group Take 6 and was pleasantly surpised at the layout. You pretty much can see the group from every seat, but I would say the best bet is to get there early to sit close to the front. Wait staff polite, but the food was just ok.. nothing to rave about. However I saw plenty of quesadilla orders, so maybe that's the hit. be advised there is a dinner or drink minimum on top of the cover charge and and it takes forever to get your car out of the valet... so come early and hopefully find parking or ask the valet for your key.

Pros: Scenery, closeness to stage

Cons: valet wait

Posted 03/25/06

If you are looking for a slightly atmospheric place to take someone on a romantic date, or just enjoy a mellow evening Catalina is a nice place to go. The ambiance was a bit romantic, the appetizers were tasty (but the main dishes nothing out of the ordinary), the service was on task (type of place where you don't really want the waiter to bother you all that much with constant questioning, overall service was on top of things and polite), the music has not been mind blowing but always entertaining. Catalina has offered a very relaxing atmosphere each time I've been in a jazzy type of mood.

Posted 02/20/06

One of the worst dining experiences I ever had.... bad service.... bad manager... waited 2 hours for our food...It

Posted 10/30/05

The Catalina draws some of the best Jazz acts coming through the LA. The space is cozy and intimate, especially if you get a table near the stage. The Catalina advertises itself as a supper club, but it's more a music venue than a restaurant. The food is mediocre and overpriced. Best choices are traditional fare like chicken, steak, pasta, or salad.

Pros: music, atmosphere

Cons: food

Posted 05/16/02