Very comfy place with exciting Jazz attractions. Good sound system and seating all around. Get there early to get a good table. Unobtrusive competent wait staff and very good small plates to order along with your drinks. The liver pate is amazing. Maybe the best Ive ever had.

Its a frustrating place to hear good music. Why cant the people of Cambridge be accommodating? So many make-believe rules. Parking, bicycling, table assignments written in stone.... They assign you a table, unknown to you, before you get to the concert door. We met another couple and wanted to sit with them but the hostess forbid it. We should have bought tickets together but we werent sure of our schedules. All 4 of us were early and neither of our tables, which hold 4 people had the other two seats taken. A small accommodation would have made all the deference. It put a damper on the night. The best part of which was the great snow fall we were treated to when we got outside.

Let me be the first to say, Im not a hard core Jazz aficionado. It started with a friend sharing Postmodern Jukebox almost 4 years ago. While I didnt like every cover they put out, I kept watching. In September of 2016 they debuted a new cover of Rick Astleys Never Gonna Give You Up. The featured singer was a Swedish national treasure, jazz multi-instrumentalist Gunhild Carling. I was blown away by her energy, and being able to play so any different musical Instruments, and sing to boot. Weeks later, she was featured again, covering Madonnas Material Girl, singing, playing trombone, and tap dancing. I was hooked, and started following her and her equally talented family shortly thereafter.While most of her touring was elsewhere in the world, she did occasionally have dates in the United States. I cant travel far for a variety of reasons, so even going to New York where she performed most frequently was out. Only something close to the South Shore area was feasible. With her increased fame from her PMJ covers, as well as her weekly stream from her former residence in Stockomollan, Sweden, she began to perform more frequently in the US.In the summer of 2018 she announced a variety of tour dates for the middle of November. One of those dates was the 14th, at Regattabar in Cambridge, located in the Charles Hotel. I ordered a ticket a couple months in advance, the pricing wasnt bad. Other than evening commuter traffic going into and out of Boston, it wasnt hard to get to. It took about an hour to get there from the South Shore. If you plan on coming here, use Google Maps to get directions and input the time you plan on leaving, that way you will get an accurate gauge of how long it will take to get here. Parking was very easy, it was in the Charles Hotels own parking garage, Regattabar will validate your ticket for a buck or two off. For parking, drive all the way around the garage until you find the elevators, there seemed to be ample spaces right around there.I got there early, doors actually opened 1/4 of 7 for the 7:30 showtime. Seating is randomly assigned, I guess according to when you bought your ticket, so I had a good seat in the front row to the left of the stage. Its a big room, seating take up about a 1/3 of it around the stage area, behind it is an open floor for dancing.The waiter greeted me almost right away, and I ordered a drink. I will say the drink seemed to have like a lead or graphite taste to it, but was passable. The show started right on time, Ms. Carling was backed up by New York based musicians Dave Post on Bass, Matt Baker on Piano, and Daniel Glass on drums. Let me tell you, if you have never seen Gunhild perform in person, go do it already. She is an amazing, friendly performer. I knew she would be better to see in person, but I was totally blown away. She did an hour and a half set that night.Overall, this was my first time at a Jazz club, and it was a positive experience. The size of the room is great, with windows to look outside over-viewing Bennett St. The acoustics of the room were fantastic, the volume of the mics wasnt too loud, it wasnt too hot or too cold either. The lighting in the room set the mood well. Other than the drink issue, the chairs at the tables were a tad uncomfortable. Not much cushioning, and too upright for me. Other than that, a very enjoyable experience.7/4/2019 EDIT: I went to Regattabar on 6/20 to see Gunhild Carling perform again, simply amazing. Other than that, I did order a drink again, this time it didnt taste funny. The chairs are the same uncomfortable ones from last time. Even still, I had a front row seat, the earlier you buy a ticket, the better the seat you get.

The other big jazz club in Boston. Musical acts are often world famous and the club is small enough to feel cozy. If you plan on drinking get your order in as early as possible because they only ever have one bartender who works like a madman for the first hour. If the house if full you might have to wait 30+ minutes for your jazzy cocktail. Better yet, buy a drink from one of the bars downstairs and bring it with you. Your table neighbors will be green with envy.

Kind of a strange set up for a music venue, but all the seats were good and you could hear the music well. Plus, parking is underneath the hotel which is convenient.

Love the small room. Close to the band w a bit of room to dance.

Nice place! Slow drink service. Close intimate setting. Great place for a date.

Jazz band was amazing, the service was not efficient. Waiting staff should utilize mobile credit card scanners.

My favorite Boston jazz club!! Wish there calendar was as full as Scullers but I tend to like the performers the regatta has better. Great room, great vibe, great wait staff and great visibility! Ralph Towner was amazing!

The recital was very much below a good jazz standard

Went to see Nellie McKay and they booted her off the stage...dont invite amazing world class musicians if they cant play their entire set. I adore Nellie, she put on an amazing show and to not be able to listen to her full set was dissapointing. The Regatta cut off her mike at exactly 9:45. Evil.

If show gets canceled due to pandemic youll be ignored and never haveyour money refunded

Awesome location, awesome atmosphere, awesome scheduled performers. I feel like they pack it just a little too tightly though, its kind of suffocating

I wish the Regattabar was open EVERYDAY. Evelyn is the best waitress EVER!

Regatta Bar has all the charm of an airport hangar and the ambiance of a Starbucks. However, the service is good and speedy, and they book top-notch performers. A very limited food menu, but acceptable

This was the first jazz club I ever went to, back when I was a kid. I recently returned here after not having been to show here for at least 15 years. The sound was great and the staff was helpful and accommodating. I look forward to returning here in March of 2019 to hear Ralph Towner perform a solo concert.

Its a cozy place, great ambiance, just the right size. Great music and awesome drinks.

Comfy, right sized jazz club in Harvard Square. Excellent sound and sight lines. No bad seat. Inside luxury hotel.

Im not sure if hideously disappointing scratches the surface of our experience last night. We saw an amazing gypsy jazz guitarist (HE is phenomenal) but the venue and particularly the service was awful. For starters, you are shoehorned around a 2x2ft table. They are twisted into a diamond shape to pack more in. Once you sit down, you cannot get up as you are surrounded by knees behind you and elbows next to you. Our table went to order drinks. The waiter took two of the four guests orders and did not return for 15 minutes. We had to grab his arm to remind him we still didnt have our drinks. He forgot what we had ordered, so we repeated. As the other two members of our party went to tell him their order, he walked away. We grabbed him again, they placed their order (wine and a beer) and we ordered the cheese plate. Our original drinks still didnt appear. We grab him again, and the first drinks arrive (still no beer/wine/cheese plate). We finish our original drinks. He goes to clear the table and we ask where the beer and wine are. At this point we are 45-50 min into the performance. He apologizes, tell us the bartender is very slow (unprofessional, in our opinion) and gets the drinks. He returns with the check at the same time, no cheese plate. What should have been on one check was on two, so we hand over our cards with each receipt separately. Somehow, they managed to charge the wrong cards with the wrong bill. Talk about icing on top of the cake. The seats were also uncomfortable (maybe it would have been better if there was more space?). This show was a Christmas gift for a romantic post-Valentimes day night out and all I can say is *wow*. Giant let down.

You sit so close to see some of the best musicians in the world!

I love coming here. I love their lineup. The food is middling tho, and the drinks are good but not great. The seats are very tight. The sound balance can vary based on where you sit. But, you are up close to creative musicians

I have a love/hate relationship with this place. You can’t choose your seats ahead of time, the sound is iffy, the service is indifferent, the set lengths can be pretty short, the space is quirky...but those times when the artist and audience click, it’s terrific.

This club and Scullers are the only jazz clubs in the state that attract world class jazz players. The seating next to tables can be quite cramped but it doesnt matter when youre hearing great jazz music.

Nice to be very close to the performers. Needs some updating though and service is always a bit slow

A great jazz club with excellent shows and great seating.

Politics must be in politics, and this bar is political litter.

It is great to have a nice place in Boston to listen to live Jazz. The bring some good performers here are there, but not as regularly as other venues. The low ceiling at the stage makes for poor acoustics. There are a few dead sound zones , so you must buy your tickets early to get the better view / sound. Food selection leaves a lot to be desired.

Four stars because bookings arent as high profile as they used to be here and there are far fewer Fri-Sat night performances than they used to. Theyve had to economize with more midweek performances. But I just have to say that the reviews here about service, drinks, food and seating with strangers are way, way, way wide of the mark. What is wrong with you people? You come here for a 75-90 minute jazz set. Jazz clubs are for serious and attentive listening. You dont come to get wined and dined. Get there early to order drinks and food. But you dont want wait staff weaving through crammed tables and taking orders during a performance at this intimate, quiet venue where the music is mostly acoustic. Its very disruptive. Gee, my usual beef with jazz clubs, for instance in NYC, is charging covers + drink minimums, with continued pressure on the drinks. And you dont go to a jazz club to eat food. Ive been here over a hundred times and its to get my jazz set in. Thats it. And being seated alone? Go to legit jazz clubs and you never, as a couple, get your own table. Ive been to tons. Tables are always treated like rows at a concert and crammed together to maximize ticket availability/sales. You are sat sequentially, by ticket order. This is common practice. What a bunch of numnuts on here. Jazz clubs are for listening. If you want food and drinks, go to Henriettas Table (in same hotel) before your set.

Great music but the place doesnt have much atmosphere and the stage is floor level so if the musicians are sitting and you are not in the front row, you wont be seeing anything other than the backs of heads of the the folks in front of you.

Great concert and venue.

Im too drunk to remember and that is a good sign

Outstanding performance by the Bob Jones Trio...

I always enjoy myself there. The price is good for the nice environment and good entertainment. The service is also good.

Fast service and good music.

Great jazz performance and vibe.

We were lucky enough to witness Diane Schuur in person at the Regattabar last month in June. She was wonderful! The service at the bar was unfortunately terrible. We were sitting right in front of the stage partially under the lights and quickly got thirsty. It was an hour before we had any wait staff come to take our order. And then there were mistakes at every turn. One small bottle of water versus a big bottle for all 4 in our party, forgetting which dessert we ordered, and in the end, the incorrect bill. Arent there these things called notepads where one writes things down so that mistakes in orders are avoided? There was a waitress taking care of the section right next to us that did a great job of keeping up with her clients and then others I observed around the room that were having the same unfortunate experience as we were. The poor service detracted from the performance and turned a night that should have been memorable in a good way to one that was memorable in a bad way. The manager should also not offer excuses for the poor service and if he was down in staff, should have asked either the hotel for help and/or jumped in to do double duty as wait staff and host. Really a shame!

Great place!

Excellent venue for live Jazz music -- with a touch of swagger. Chill atmosphere, and not exceedingly uptight. No dress code, but be appropriate. Seats are determined by ticket purchase date (so, buy early -- through)! Shows are open to all ages -- doors open 30-minutes early. The two restaurants within The Charles Hotel, Henrietta’s Table (10% off food) and Rialto ($40 pre-fixe menu) both offer discounts to Regattabar concertgoers.

One the best places in the Boston/Cambridge area to listen to live Jazz music.

Good place

I love this place

Good enough place.

Great room and Ron Carter Trio - doesnt get better than that.

The best thing here is the music, but even that is uneven. service during shows is very slow and unreliable. drinks selection is so so.

The place overbooks its seats. No private tables, you may get people joining your party. Not good for romance. Service not as good as you may expect for the location.

One of the best jazz venues in Boston!!

Great !

Great jazz here

Nice

Great brunch

There was only one waitress for the evening and she doesnt know anything about drinks.

Fabulous jazz room in an upscale 02138 crowd. overlook the roar of the blender as the tourists order their frozen drinks.

Bad accoustics, terrible backstage view, ridiculously overpriced

Classy venue, great sound, great location