Sambuca Jazz Cafe

After looking for a place to relax after a week at work and meet some new people without the loud music and smokey atmosphere, I came across this place. The food was delightful, the drinks were magnificent, and the music was right up my alley. For ... more

After looking for a place to relax after a week at work and meet some new people without the loud music and smokey atmosphere, I came across this place. The food was delightful, the drinks were magnificent, and the music was right up my alley. For those wanting to escape the bar scene or a place to have a nice romantic evening, this is the place to do it. I was really delighted by the service of the staff. I did not have a point in any visit where my glass was not full. Also, my compliments to the chef for the otstanding salmon. less

A thriving bar scene, slick dining and cool tunes make this one of downtown's most reliable hot spots. <br> The music isn't always jazz, and the upscale menu isn't really cafe fare, but there's no quibbling about Sam ... more

A thriving bar scene, slick dining and cool tunes make this one of downtown's most reliable hot spots. <br> The music isn't always jazz, and the upscale menu isn't really cafe fare, but there's no quibbling about Sambuca's success. Outfitted in faux leopard-skin prints and black decor, tables and booths are at interesting angles so patrons can get cozy without missing out on the energy. Live music performs all week on the other side of the bar and at perfect background decibels. Dining policies may rankle: two-hour limit on tables; $17 minimum per person; 15-percent tip required. <br> There's a pricey, competently prepared array of favorites, like blackened snapper perked up with lemon-butter sauce or a preposterously oversized platter of osso buco and polenta. Spinach salad with Creole-mustard dressing strikes just the right note, and an eye-catching order of zebra pasta stuffed with lobster, shrimp and scallops is as sumptuous as it is striking. Desserts, sized for two, are humdrum. Wines are admirable, but by-the-glass choices limited. less

Sambuca is what would've been called in another time a "classy joint". Though the menu items are limited the food is quite good, the waitstaff is friendly and attentive, and the ambience is cool and romantic (a part of the old Rice Hotel building) ... more

Sambuca is what would've been called in another time a "classy joint". Though the menu items are limited the food is quite good, the waitstaff is friendly and attentive, and the ambience is cool and romantic (a part of the old Rice Hotel building) with entertainment provided by top-notch jazz performers. Be warned, however...dinner for two here can get quite expensive, so make it a special occasion. less