Shanghai Jazz Restaurant & Bar

Shanghai was a great experience. The owners walk around and greet you themselves. The food is good and they cater to those with allergy sensitivies, no problem. They brought out the food right away. They had live music which was good.

Service and food are really top notch here. I didn’t get anything that I was not entirely happy with. Combined with the great music playing and it is tough not to enjoy yourself here.

My wife and I had such an amazing experience here that we came back for mother’s day. Great atmosphere and live music. The owners are super friendly people. Food is top tier tasty. We recommend the duck.

My wife and I have been coming to Shanghai Jazz on and off for ~ 20 yrs. The food, the music, the atmosphere, and the service are always consistently great! Such a fabulous place to have in the area. We think of Shanghai Jazz as a supper club that offers a funky combo of excellent Chinese food and live jazz.
It’s also worth noting that we recently took my 13 yr old son here for the first time to the late seating on a Sat eve, and he was blown away by the experience. While I wouldn’t necessarily bring my younger kids here, this is a sophisticated night out that is a real treat for a mature younger person who appreciates good tunes and fine food.
It’s no coincidence that this place has been around for so long and is still thriving!

This is a great spot in Madison, with some really good bands, and fresh/​tasty food. My old man and his wife go all of the time, and I go maybe 3 or 4 times a year. Never a bad experience. Martha and David are such nice people, and great hosts. I met a work buddy of mine this past January for a quick drink before a business function, and Martha and David recognized me… and sent us a really tasty appetizer on the house. Who doesn’t appreciate gestures like that?! Easy 5 stars for me here on Unilocal

Fun atmosphere, pretty good food, good service and excellent jazz. The owner treats you like he’s glad you came by. Nice to have a place like this so close to home!

This is a sit-​down jazz with Cantonese cuisine place. First, for the quiet suburban area it’s in, what a treat to be able to watch lovely jazz performances while enjoying a good dinner. The performances are thrilling, and some more famous players do drop by. Their calendar is posted weeks in advance, so it’s nice to plan an evening.
The food is «OK.» Some dishes are great (some dumplings), some not so much (red curry with potatoes). Overall, they could really improve the flavor in their dishes.
The only other negative I would say is that they should have a clear policy — talking or no talking during the jazz performances? While we were there, some tables sat quietly, ate, and watched. While others carried on as there was no jazz band playing just a few feet away. The owners of the restaurant, who work the floor, seemed fine with both. But I could see some tables trying to shush others. So — definitely, it’s not clear whether the place is meant as a performance venue or a restaurant with some live jazz thrown in. I’d infinitely prefer the former.

We were wait listed and thrilled to get seats at the bar. The musicians were playing when we sat down, 8pm. They stopped by 8:20 and didn’t return until 9. They were fun.
The food is terrible. Flavorless & at best, just ok. It’s not even good bad Chinese. Just bad. The peanut sauce was literally warmed up peanut butter. All the sauces were sweet and bland. We asked for hot sauce hoping that would add but, alas, it didn’t. The best part of the food… it is served super quickly. Like just nuke or fry it and it was ready to go.
My synopsis is the music is fun. The food is horrid. Do not go here unless you paying too much for awfulness. They desperately need a new chef whose actually eaten Chinese, even if that Chinese is just bad take out.

We went here for Valentine’s day on Saturday night. It was our first time here so I’m not sure if the setup was different than usual. The tables were about 3 inches apart. That is such a turn off for me. Especially when you are having a romantic evening. It was $ 170. Per couple for dinner and dancing. A bit pricy but it sounded nice. Not at all what we were expecting. We sat so far from the music that it didn’t even feel live. There was no dance floor. Some people were dancing in the bar area. They played for about an hour and ½. The food was good but limited choices. I am not a fan of tilapia. It’s a cheap farm raised fish and that is the only seafood they had. At the end with 2 drinks each and tax and tip we were up to $ 260. Definitely not worth that… Probably won’t go back.

You really come here for the entertainment, which is usually outstanding. The Asian cuisine, mostly Cantonese, is good, but not outstanding. There were five of us and we started off with the assorted appetizers (see pic) at $ 11/​person. These included two different kinds of dumpling each, fried wontons, some jicama salad, A California roll and some green beans. Felt it was overpriced for what we got. My GF and I shared the chicken with Chinese eggplant (see pic). It was very tasty and enjoyable, if not unique.
Considering there is no cover charge for the music, Shanghai Jazz represents a good value. On this particular night we heard Stephan Fuller (beautiful voice), Yokimo Ono on the piano and jazz violinist, Diane Perry. Great evening of entertainment along with excellent service and good food. All at reasonable prices

My mother thoroughly enjoyed her 70^th birthday celebration with family at Shanghai Jazz! It was a total experience… service was excellent, food was good, and all while a Grammy winning artist is jamming! One of the nice places in the area where there’s live music and good food. Jazzy vibe, full bar. The whole family had a great time. The night we went, we experienced the greatness of the Nat Adderley Jr. Trio, jazz twists on classics including some of Luther Vandross hits! It was a great night!

Have been going here since before there was Unilocal and I’m just amazed that they maintain such a high standard for food, service and hospitality. So if you are not familiar, this is a major jazz venue (recently named One of the Top 100 Great Jazz Clubs in the World). No cover, just a minimum on food and drink.
So the challenge they have is everybody arrives around the same time and they need to get people seated and take orders for everybody at once. Somehow they get it done. The wait staff is efficient and friendly and David and Martha are out on the floor all night, working checking, making sure everything is OK.
We went to see the fabulous Saron Crenshaw who did a great show and the food once again was well prepared — gourmet Chinese dishes and some Thai, all fresh and tasty. This is many notches above what you get from the local Chinese takeout place. They have now added their own private label microbrew red ale which was very good.
Our waitress took perfectly good care of us — were weren’t wanting for anything, but in addition David came by twice to ask how we were doing, even filled our water glasses and Martha did the same. Have you eaten anywhere else where the owners came by four times to check on things?
So it all revolves around the jazz performance. The food is good, but why would you go if not interested in the show? The staff does a good job of taking orders for refills, dessert, etc, without distracting from the show. Wish I could say the same for all the other diners. If you have a group of ten looking to whoop it up for the night, this is not your place. The people around you are going to want to listen to the music.

I have been here twice and had a great time! If you want to here great music and eat delicious food then this is the place to go in Madison and in the surrounding area. Once we had the duck — very good and once we had the fish — delish.

I came here on a Friday night to see Rob Paparazzi and his band. This was my first time here. There are two shows to see a jazz band every weekend, 6:30p and 8:30p.
I went to the 6:30p. You can either sit in the bar area if you only want drinks or appy’s. I sat in the main dining room across from the band and had dinner.
The food is predominantly Asian and some Japanese.(sushi)
I was immediately given a menu and my drink order was taken.
There is a nice selection of dishes to choose from. I was pleasantly surprised by how each dish is presented. It’s a really nice touch… If a dish has pineapple in it, its served in a half of pineapple. I chose shrimp with mango and I was served 2 half mangos filled with extra large shrimp and mango pieces. A decorative flower was made out of a vegetable… (See pics) The other dish I ordered was the sesame chicken.
Both dishes were very flavorful… all the dishes being served around me looked delicious and beautiful… I asked for brown rice and my waitress said no problem…
The waitstaff was very attentive. My water glass was continuously filled…
This would be a great place to have dinner catch a jazz band and then maybe move on to another club or late movie…
The owner takes tremendous pride in his restaurant and really loves having great jazz bands play.
I will definitely return to see another band and try some other dishes…

Great place to enjoy a meal with friends and listen to some good music. The staff is very friendly and the food is great.
However they change for soda refills. It would have been nice to know this before they so happily refilled my glass.

Went there last night for my birthday and had the most wonderful time!
We parked behind the restaurant and were instantly greeted when we walked in. Everyone who works there is extremely friendly! The place is cool inside. We had a seat right by the musicians and were able to hear their beautiful music-​romantic and cool at the same time. The music was the perfect volume also.
We started with cocktails which was were delicious, and in my opinion, very reasonable priced. We also got the dim sum appetizer which was tasty and fun to share.
For dinner, I ordered the seafood dish with basil. Ordered it spicy and it was absolutely perfect. My husband got the duck, which they will fold into the pancakes for you if you wish table side. We both agreed that the food was fresh and delicious and the portions extremely generous. The food came hot and quick but not too fast that you felt rushed.
For dessert we ordered the new lush life which is ice cream, peanuts, espresso and chocolate. The presentation, like with all the food, was very well done and the favors wonderful!
All in all, a great experience! We cannot wait to go back. Highly recommend! It’s fun and elegant all at once :)

My friend is a live music expert, attending a couple dozen concerts and club gigs a year. He called one night recently and invited us to hear Solomon Hicks at Shanghai Jazz — he said the food and music would be memorable.
In a word, the experience was great. The venue, a little bit crowded but still comfortable, was classy, lit romantically and inviting. The staff greeted us warmly and we were seated quickly. Since each seating is timed to match the music, our drink and food orders were taken quickly and efficiently. Like a well oiled machine, our appetizers and drinks arrived before the music started and just as Solomon Hicks was starting, the main dishes were placed (quietly too…).
The food, kind of a Pan-​Asian fusion was really a surprise. Good enough to stand alone without the temptation of live entertainment. And then there was the music. Solomon Hicks — teenage jazz sensation — put on an hour long show that blew the room away. His smooth jazz guitar style was jaw dropping! Accompanied by a bass, piano and drum, Hicks strolled about the room playing his electric guitar — sometimes behind his head, Hendricks style. Wow! Really, wow!
The bill, with a couple of drinks, for four people was about $ 60 per person. Considering the quality of the food and the great floor show, the price reflected excellent value.
In the mood for a fun night out, you should consider making a reservation for Shanghai Jazz (recommended).
Good food. NYC quality entertainment. Safe on-​street parking. Fair prices. Their web site provides the musicians they have scheduled.
Recommended.

Great music, disappointing food. Had a great time with friends– music was great, atmosphere convivial, staff and owners lovely. Unfortunately the food was on par with that of Panda Express– heavy and greasy and slathered in sauce.
Was not impressed with the special appetizer price not being listed– our waiter and all the other staff pushed it pretty hard and it came out to over 20 $ each.

Shanghai Jazz is as good as any New York club and even better.
Tonight, I took a family member (for their b-​day) to see a phenomenal blues guitarist Saron Crenshaw.
What an exciting show!!!
The dinner was excellent too
We had a dim sum appetizer sampler which consisted of dumplings, California roll etc.
We shared a Carmen Miranda pineapple, chicken and shrimp entrée.
Dessert consisted a birthday celebration sampler consisting of green tea ice cream, a petite red velvet cake and a Godiva brownie with a live sparkler on top.
Shanghai Jazz is definitely the place to go for high grade jazz entertainment and great Asian food.

Finally made it here after hearing great things for months. We came on a Tuesday night and it was a packed house. The jazz was amazing! We sat in the back by the fireplace and had a perfect view of the band, and were still able to have a conversation without being so close to the music that we couldn’t hear each other. I’ll come back just for the music alone!
The food was okay. We ordered the crabmeat dumpling appetizer which wasn’t really what I was expecting and probably wouldn’t order it again. For dinner I had the General Tso jumbo shrimp and I enjoyed it. Our server was nice and knowledgable about the menu, but very slow. He took a good 15 minutes to come over for our drink order, and brought me Pinot Noir when I order Pinot Grigio, but I drank it anyway because I love all wine. Service was slow most of the night, but it’s honestly not a big deal because you’re there enjoying the music and the show. It’s not the kind of meal that you’re trying to rush or get out as fast as possible.