The Iridium

I was there on January 2, 2016 to see Macy Gray perform her last show of a 5 show run at Iridium. She was spectacular and the sound in the lounge is very well presented.
The line-​up process was not very organized with only one girl overseeing the entrance of the venue.
Once inside, there aren’t many bad seats in the house. The venue is small and tight, which makes for an intimate atmosphere.
Wait staff are kind and courteous, if not a bit slow. They also tend to stand up directly in front of the stage while talking with other patrons. This can be distracting and easily rectified by kneeling.
I was served a drink in a broken glass. When I informed the waitress she informed me that the next one would be on the house. This was unexpected and a nice show of patronage.
I had a pleasant experience and would definitely go back.

It’s been a while since I’ve been here. I won’t be back anytime soon unless there’s someone I MUST see. Went on ¹²⁄₂₈ to see Diane Schurr (the announcer mispronounced her name, which she called him out on), as her NYC appearances are infrequent. They just don’t know how to run a room, especially a crowded one. As others have mentioned, you’re kept waiting way too long to be seated. Then a lousy seat in the back even though we pre-​paid and were there 30 minutes before the show. They eventually moved us to the lower level, but our drink order seems to have fallen in a black hole –finally 40 minutes into the show after ambushing several waiters flying by us did the drinks finally arrive. The staff is not trained to work a room with entertainment; they’re not discreet. They’re running around confused and disruptive and it takes away from the show. That and those clueless patrons who talk throughout the entire set; behavior that should be discouraged by the management. The music, when I could concentrate on it was terrific but with so many frustrations and distractions it’s just not worth it.

I came here for a girls night with some friends and my daughter. My husband and I are here visiting our daughter for the holidays and we love the theatre district! We sat in the upper level and loved the view. We really enjoyed the intimacy of the space and their cocktails were fabulous! All the waiters seemed to know the menu pretty well. We all split some appetizers and we particularly enjoyed the fried prosciutto.
The only reason I can’t give this place more stars is the maître d’. I didn’t catch her name, but she was a middle-​aged woman who wore a large, patterned poncho. I honestly wish I had asked. First, she stepped on my coat and then rolled her eyes and told me I should check it with coat check. No apology. She also yelled at the busboy for fetching water for us when we asked for it, which we didn’t understand. Her eyes looked like they’d pop right out of their sockets! To top it off, she spoke ill of the owners/​management within earshot of several tables. The rest of our experience had been lovely, but we found that very off-​putting. Her negative energy took away from an otherwise positive experience and I truly hope she is not there if we come back.

Never had a worse time. And I go to major clubs all over the world. Rude Staff, insulted by owner of the bldg (or so he said) which has something to with the tourist trap Eileen’s Stardust Diner on the street level. Clientele is low life at best. Go downtown to the Blue Note for real jazz. This is a Times Square nightmare

I had to ask 4 times (3 different employees) and wait 30 minutes for a glass of water during a set. This place is a joke.

Warning: the «box office» at this club has very little record keeping and it is likely that they will not have your reservation ready when you arrive. Bring a copy off your purchase confirmation. Between about for people it took about 15 – 20 minutes to get our reservation card. Also, if you buy from TDF, print out a screenshot of the show offer. The box office had little clue what TDF was let alone that we were allowed to waive the drink minimum. Fortunately, or server did know how it worked and there was no disagreement at the table.
The club itself is beautiful, spacious, and comfortable. As for dining service, it took a long time for our order to be taken, 2 songs into the set and we arrived early. When orders came out none of the servers knew where they went. Besides being distracting during the show, it just puzzled me. I frequent the Met Room, Birdland, and 54 Below and I have never seen such a disorganized club.
The Iridium has incredible talent playing there, but unfortunately I do not think I will be returning as a guest, singer, or producer. It’s too frustrating to see so much confusion and disorder. It’s a beautiful space and it’s heartbreaking.

Everything here is ridiculously overpriced, even for NYC. Management is focussed on the almighty dollar, and has zero interest in customer satisfaction. Seating is extremely cramped, with several obstructions if you are unlucky enough to be seated in the rear of the room. Perfect place for sardines. All others beware!

What a wonderful night, treating some friends from Argentina to a night of remarkable jazz. Steven Turré & friends tore up the place. For me, a once upon a time saxophonist — seeing James Carter live was the pinnacle of the month. I had no idea he could make sparks on the clarinet too!
Iridium is a place I keep coming back to, and my expectations are always exceeded. The food is also great

Very intimate venue for live music. If you get a good seat that is.
This venue has a pretty prestigious track record for the talents they bring in. Tho it was my first visit, I was quickly impressed by all the artists that had performed here. Les Paul, Albert Lee, Zakk Wylde just to name a few. The reason I gave it a 3 stars is its size and price. (Well, I guess it’s expected in Manhattan)
If I had done my research prior, I would’ve known it’s first come first serve. Of course, smart me didn’t so me and my gf were cramped in the back. Okay that’s fine, serve me right but wait. What’s that pole doing there??? It literally sits in front of Andy Timmons the WHOLE time (take a look of the photo). WOW. And the seats in the back aren’t even elevated, so good luck trying to take a good peek when it’s jam packed. We were pretty much shoulder to shoulder with others and the table was so small I couldn’t even open my menu without bumping into other people’s glass. On top of that the $ 15/​person minimum purchase was pretty taunting too. A bottle of domestic is 8 so you can gauge yourself. Remember it’s Manhatten.
Overall the food was decent, staff were friendly. My main complain is the seating arrangement. If the main focus is live music, especially big name live talents, the seating better off be rearranged so it can accommodate more. Aside from that I still appreciate the talents they bring and the intimate vibe you get from this kind of venue. You get to see them up in person (with a good seat of course) and often time, artists would do a meet/​greet since it’s so small!

The Nightmare Known as The Iridium.
On 4−23−15 I paid online for a party of two, for a show on 4−27−15. Each ticket was $ 25.
When I arrived at the club, I was told that I did not pay in advance. I did not have an email proof so I agreed to pay again.
My friend also paid in advance for a party of two, and one of his party didn’t show up.
We spoke with the manager, Thomas, and he agreed to use the $ 25 that my friend paid, to pay for me, and I will add $ 25 to pay for my party. We agreed to that because we were under the impression that I didn’t pay $ 50 in advance. So $ 25 came out of my friend’s advance payment — and I paid him — and $ 25 was paid by me directly.
Turns out that in fact, I did pay in advance, so I ended up paying the club twice for the same show.
I called the manager, Thomas, and he promised to take care of it immediately.
Today is 7−13−15, and I still have not seen a refund.
I’ve spoken since to Thomas several times, only to hear the same promises again and again, and always the same result — no credit.
I spoke to the account manager, Grace, sent her an email — to no avail.
Placed a dispute with my credit card company, only to get a response from Iridium denying that I was charged twice. This was clever, since on the bill it showed «$ 25 music charge» but not $ 50, so they could claim to the credit card company that I wasn’t charged $ 50 twice.
I called The Iridium countless times, and every time Thomas wasn’t available. Every time I was told to call again at a different hour, and when I call, he’s busy. And no one else can help me. I’ve texted him, called him on his cell, emailed. Nothing. And when I finally manage to reach him, I get lofty promises and no results.
I re-​opened the dispute with my credit card company. Hopefully this time around the matter will be resolved.
What really turns me off is the behavior of this club. You overcharge someone? Just issue a refund immediately and get the matter over. I would totally understand that an error has been made. No biggie. But the way this was handled is beyond the pale. It’s utterly unacceptable that I have to spend close to three months of emails, calls, disputes etc., to get a measly $ 50 back. They think that they can get away with not living up to their word, treating their patrons like crap.
This is NOT how you treat a patron.
Huge, huge let down. And this is a real shame, because had they treated me properly, I would actually recommend this place and return to it time and again. But the way I was treated is such a let-​down that there’s no way that I can recommend this establishment. If they can’t treat their patrons properly, just don’t go there. There’s a plethora of places in NY to hear great music.

Cute little spot for a nice dinner (food was awesome!!) and some jazz music.

Very nice place, don’t understand the negative reviews – saw Men Without Hats, and it was a delightful experience. Good food, great acoustics, great staff. The tip WAS NOT included in the bill.

This place is awful. For starters, we got there around 40 minutes early to get decent seats, only to find out we STILL had to stand outside in line the frigid 18 degree cold for nearly 30 minutes while they clumsily sorted out the seating. Not fun at all!
We went with a party of 5 to Susan Werner’s show this past Saturday. This woman is a class-​act musician, a very funny lady and just super talented beyond words. This place has terrible seating — at least 3 of the seats around us, and one at our table, were so bad you couldn’t even see the stage at all from the seat. The drinks are soooooo expensive, but I guess that’s expected at a jazz place in Times Square. Our waitress barely came over to our table and we had to flag her down just to order our second drinks.
But, the worst is really the rude service. I understand they have a lot of shows in one night. Even Susan herself seemed offended. Here’s why: before she had even started her last song, one of the staff members started taking peoples coat check tags and bringing over their coats. Susan said to her (not knowing she worked there) — «what’s up — are you leaving already?» To cap it off, they automatically add an 18% tip onto your bill — watch out for that!
Bottom line, unless you are seeing someone you absolutely love (like we did), don’t bother with this place. Pretty sure Susan won’t want to perform there again, either. A very weird, rushed vibe, and the place is clearly out for the money and not the music.

Sigh, tonight’s show was great, our server was awesome. Drinks a tad overpriced, great wine list. why 4 stars? We caught an early show and ordered drinks, and a four cheese ap while waiting for our two others to join. Then a pitcher of beer and bottle of wine. We ordered food, two prime rib, a pasta and a beef dish and a second beer pitcher as the music started… warning spend 500 $ and expect NOT to do finish your meal before getting booted out! Both of us that ordered the prime rib had to get a doggy bag! Mine looked untouched! Truffle oil in the mashed potatoes is outdated and pretty gross, and the mushrooms were solid vinegar. meat was really good, wish I had time to actually eat it! Sigh, we will return for the show, but now know why everyone was eating fake Kobe burgers!

We saw Victor Wooten, Steve Bailey and special guest Ron Carter this past Saturday and opted to have dinner which was surprisingly excellent. The cheese plate was garnished with grapes, strawberries and plum jam which added a nice contrast to the savory selections of fromage. She had black ink seafood risotto which was seasoned and cooked perfectly while I had chicken a la «mattone» which translates to cooked under a brick which made it very flavorful and juicy. The dish was accompanied by garlicky kale and chickpeas which was a perfect foil for the chicken
The Iridium is a great place to see a show and bonus points for their cusine which is world class. Can’t wait to go back.

A friend and I went to see Norm Hathaway Big Band here last August and while their performance was amazing, full of energy and overall technically excellent, our waiter at the actual venue were not.
Fortunately, I purchased the tickets through Goldstar so I paid half price for them. I understood by its proximity to Times Square that this is a tourist trap. I am fine with that, everyone needs to make a dollar. The food quality was nowhere near worth the prices but the club required a minimum so I was happy to oblige.
Considering that the club was not packed we were largely ignored by our waiter. He barely checked on us and when it came time to ring up out bill he gave me the wrong person’s credit card even though he had only handful of customers to wait on. Considering his lackadaisical attitude, I gave his $ 15 dollar tip to the busboy who kept checking on us and refilling our water. He was the man!

This place is such a tourist trap. My friends and I bought tickets to see Terry Bozzio here. Tickets were about $ 35 + an additional $ 15 minimum on food/​drinks per person. Apparently buying a ticket doesn’t guarantee a seat. Umm. ok. since when does buying a ticket not guarantee you a seat at a show? Thankfully we there 20 minutes before the scheduled start. We were told 15 minutes was the cut off time. After that. no guarantees. if they have already let too many people in then you are just SOL.
The will-​call ticket system is basically a farce. There are no actual tickets. I over heard the manager saying they always end up getting more people than they accommodate. How is that possible if you are selling tickets for the show? Obviously they are over selling tix and some people are getting screwed. My friend and I BARELY managed to squeeze in — and were seated all the way in the front row. There were some empty tables at the back and we asked if we could sit there but the manager/​usher said those tables were reserved for the producers. I almost tripped over myself laughing. Mind you this is a pretty small place and the space reserved for «producers» was probably a third of the venue. I’m sure producers are coming in droves to see a 63 year old drum soloist that most people have never heard of.
Despite my slight discomfort and being forced into a posture that will probably come back to haunt me, the night was fine once Bozzio started his drumming. That’s the ONLY reason I’m giving this place 2 stars — they do bring in artists that are a rare breed these days.

When you advertise that doors open at 6:00 don’t leave a line of people waiting until after 7:00 (and still counting as I write this) in extreme heat and humidity. The very least you can do is bring out water. You’re risking liability if someone drops from heat stroke.
This wasn’t even the first night of the show (and I understand last night was no better).
Also — thanks for screwing up my train schedule.
I will never return and I hope you enjoy all the disputed credit card charges I’ve asked people to submit.
Edit: 7:30 now and they’ve managed to let about 15 people in. The rest are still waiting outside.

Iridium used to be across the street from Lincoln Center and always looked like a classy space with interesting interior design. They moved some years ago and I was always sorry I hadn’t checked it out.
When a friend of mine came in to town and bought tickets for a show in their new space, I was happy to check it out. Unfortunately the happiness pretty much ended there.
Iridium is now on Broadway, just North of Times Square, and is solidly a tourist trap. $ 9 beers, $ 15 cocktails, and a terrible selection of overpriced bottles of wine.
I honestly felt a little bad for the staff and some of the musicians because the space is just a turn and burn spot, tucked literally underneath the Stardust diner, where I guess there are singing waiters? So that might be a good sign that you’re not getting the most authentic of jazz environments.
On the upshot, the crabcakes were serviceable and some of the musicians were pretty solid but I would never go back. I’d recommend going to Birdland or the Blue Note instead.

Iridium will never have my money again. The place is a hole.
I came here for a jazz show, for which I had purchased «VIP» tickets well in advance (over a month). Arriving at the club, the hostess was very friendly and accommodating, even letting one person in my party go in and use the restroom before they had begun admitting ticket holders. That’s about where the good part of this review ends.
Once inside, the waiter took our tickets, told us the «VIP» part was that we could pick our own seats. As I turned to my party and asked if the table I was pointing to was okay, the waiter belched out, «Hurry up, people, or I chose for you.» Really? I wasn’t aware 30 seconds was an interminable amount of time!
As it happens, we were the first ones in line, and so the first ones seated. We were then the LAST table in the ENTIRE venue to have our order taken. We had to flag down our waiter and plead to put in a food and drink order. His response, «Yeah [sigh], I guess I can do that.» Really? You realise your tip just went to about zero, right?
He then rushed through our order and scurried off just as the lights came down and the musicians came on stage. Then the real BS started.
Flatware wasn’t so much placed on the table, as tossed from a run. Drinks and food plopped down with a discernible thud. The service couldn’t have been more careless if they were pouring drinks in people’s laps.
Now, I understand the urge on occasion to comment to someone about a show. However, on one side of the club was a table of 2 men and 6 women that simply would not shut up at all. I’m not referring to just rude talking, I mean loud laughing, shrieking, shouting into cell phones, and giggling.
Not only me, but several other people in the club grabbed the waiter (there were only 2 and the other had the back of the place) and asked him to speak to them. His actions amounted to going over and pointing to the people complaining and laughing along with the same morons he was supposed to be chastising.
When other people continued to complain, he replied curtly and dismissed them.
Again, me and someone from another table complained, this time asking someone other than the clod who was our waiter to have the manager involved. The manager simply called the waiter over and was satisfied with his dismissal of the entire thing. Meanwhile, the loud group is now glaring at, and passing audible judgement on, everyone else in the club.
To the performers’ credit, even though they could hear the BS from that one table (there was the occasional glance in that direction), they kept to their program and put on a great performance as professionals do.
Iridium fails utterly for not controlling a disruptive group, having rude and incompetent staff, and in the final insult, hanging up on me TWICE when I called to complain on a following day.
It is no wonder this place is never more than half full on a Friday that close to Times Square. It is the epitome of how to run away customers.