Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill

Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill is a jazz club and restaurant at 1254 Rue Mackay in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It presents live music nearly every night, typically with an early set around 7:30 PM and a late set around 9:45 PM, giving visitors a choice between a dinner-and-music evening and a later, more music-focused one. The crowd is made up of jazz fans, couples, visitors staying in the downtown hotels and groups of friends, with ages ranging from young adults to older regulars. Dress is casual to smart casual. The atmosphere is that of an intimate listening room: guests sit close to the stage, conversation drops during the sets, and the focus stays on the musicians. The programming is jazz, with the club presenting a mix of local and visiting performers across the week. A music charge applies, listed at about CAD 15 to 16.50 per set plus tax, or roughly USD 10.50 to 11.55, which is modest for live jazz in a major city. The kitchen serves dinner, so the specialty is described as live jazz with dinner, and prices are mid-range, around two dollar signs. Reservations are made by phone on 514-931-6808, and booking ahead is advisable for weekends and for popular acts since seating is limited. The website, upstairsjazz.com, carries the current schedule of performers. The venue is nightly with two sets, so visitors can plan around either one. Rue Mackay is close to Crescent Street, the Peel and Guy-Concordia metro stations and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, making the club easy to reach on foot from downtown. Early sets suit those who want to dine first, and the later set suits visitors who prefer to arrive after dinner elsewhere.