Been here before, it’s nice inside but food is not worth the wait. if anything, get there 20-30 mins before it opens but you can def find better jazz elsewhere.
by rissoto_rizotto
46 Comments
Birraytequenos
Damn how the hell? the food is not even that great!!
red__what
somebody made a tiktok?
burnshimself
I mean it’s more about the cocktails and ambiance than food. The food is more elevated bar snacks – but done well. And I love that spot for its food, drink and ambiance
That being said, since they dropped their reservation system + got social media famous / sceney I have not been back. Used to be you could reserve seats or a table, now it’s walk-in only. And I see lines like this CONSTANTLY – even on weekdays or at crazy hours. Lines where the people on the end have zero chance of getting in if you know the size of their space. This line is probably 2-3x the capacity of the restaurant – it’s more likely that half these people wait 4 hours and don’t even get in. It’s good but nowhere near worth this wait.
Final-Ad-6694
Dont go on a weekend lol
PAE8791
People waiting for food. Never understand it. Never.
Jyqm
“Yeah, my dad played *Kind of Blue* for me in the car once, so…”
blindcinema
This was on my list when we visited in September but I couldn’t justify waiting in line for it.
First_Tourist_2921
Went there once last year for my birthday.
Waited for around an hour and a half and spent 2 there lol. Had the curry and enjoyed it – and drank some of their bourbon hahah. Talked a bit with the bartender and got a few sake shot heh. Music is the big draw / cocktails. They’re made extremely well and tasted fantastic.
I’d say B tier jazz, there’s some “better” spots but this is the hype thing because TikTok apparently “discovered” how cool Japan was / is whatever:
lichtmlm
Isn’t this like a hole in the wall spot? When I used to work around there I’d never seen a line outside before
Final-Elderberry9162
I never understand this. In a city with literally thousands of excellent restaurants this is just such a waste of time.
Palladium825
go to Smoke Jazz Club instead; music, food, cocktails, ambiance, sound quality, audience etiquette, choice of vibe between music room & lounge; all A+; Broadway & 106
As tragic as Covid was for this city, I’m nostalgic for how the city felt like it was actually for residents for a brief moment in time. I could walk in to Tomi Jazz and other establishments instantly during those fleeting 2020/2021 eras when the waves subsided.
I’m sure these places are doing better financially now though.
AdCute6661
Go on or after a rainy day.
CabassoG
For Japanese Izakaya, Lucky Cat is literally across the street and is excellent (their mentaiko pasta in particular is really good.)
justaguy_and_his_dog
I wanna check out the vibe but I guess I just need to go on a weekday. I usually just eat the cost and buy a ticket at the Mezzrow because I also like the vibes there, and the acts are usually really good.
bigsplitenergy
I went a fair amount when you could still book and really miss it. It wasn’t the best food or music, but it was so fun and atmospheric! Plus the happy hour special was great.
hepcatbassist
As a jazz musician, I’ve been so surprised that Tomi is a popular spot. It’s a shitty gig for the musicians. Expect very average jazz played by a college kid. Dunno if the food is good
3axel3loop
in 2021 to like last yr there were never any lines when i would go lol
happycola619
Social media ruined Katz. Used to be able to just walk in and get a sandwich.
nightkingscat
What happened to this place? I never saw lines like this when I lived nearby a couple years ago. The food is pretty mid but the ambience is nice
Caveman_7
It’s a great bar and ambiance. Food is decent to good. I’ve enjoyed the few times I’ve been but I’ve attempted to go back a few times with out of town friends and the lines are way too long. Don’t think I will ever try to come back at this rate
bluebythe
Have been here twice because I honestly loved the food so much. Any suggestions where I can get cream croquettes like theirs?
OtroladoD
Interesting- used to go there pre-covid and never would have guessed it’d ever become popular … how did it started? Do we have the “patient zero” on social media that got it started? A girl can dream
hiya-bi-ya
Lol I love going to the taco place across from it and just watch the line barely move from when I get there to when I leave. Doesn’t matter what day of the week there’s always a line
datatadata
Yeah Tomi Jazz is quite nice but not “2 hr wait” nice
vurto
Are these people new to NY? Tomi Jazz has been around for ages? I’m confused who’s queuing up for this… I get it if it’s some new trendy turd.
chasingthebird
They also underpay the musicians in a way that should be criminal. Better clubs all around town.
bunjamin0422
What is going on? We went there before the pandemic and it wasn’t like this..
RocketInMyPocket420
My wait was an hour and a half first time I went there.
KingSchmitty
I live nearby and used to be a regular. I went all the time, knew all the bartenders, and it was my go to place for date nights and when friends visited from out of town. As soon as they blew up on tiktok/instagram it became such a pain in the ass to get in. The lines are insane and wind all the way down the block. Like others have already said, the food/drink/ambiance are all good, but not worth the insane wait times. I’m selfishly hoping the hype will die down and I can go back again, but the buzz seems to be going strong.
On a side note, another jazz club just opened on the block a few months ago(maybe three buildings west of Tomi) called No Work Allowed. They’re still figuring out their music schedule and such, but when I’ve gone the vibes have been good. Food and drink menus are both pretty small at the moment, but plenty of quality options on both. And as of right now, no crazy lines to get in.
Southern-Ad-2328
Food, drinks, ambiance all average at best. Wouldn’t even wait for 10 minutes.
reignnyday
Used to walk into this place on weekdays in 2013
yakitorispelling
Damn before 2020, you could just walk in. And there always be a sketchy Japanese guy on the corner trying to get any guys by themselves to go to a hostess club.
ZeroCokeCherry
I went to Tomi Jazz recently, and while the music was decent, food ok, and ambiance pretty cool, I still would NOT wait in line for it again. I happened to have waited in line for just 45 mins too so not terrible, but it wasn’t worth the wait.
There are so many other jazz bars that are just as cool if not cooler with no wait.
eatyo
Its good….not that good
calmikazee
I miss B flat
LastNamePancakes
Shall I blame social media?
KeepItHeady
This place sucks. The food is awful. I don’t get the hype. There are other jazz clubs in NYC, but TikTok lol
vpc777
Man I used to go here all the time back in the day. Honestly, was a great spot for food (relatively affordable too) and there were some pretty decent musicians there as well. I remember it would get a little hectic sometimes, but usually you could get a seat within a reasonable time frame.
Post COVID, I’ve tried to come back a few times and there is always a line down the street no matter what day/time I went. I’ve given up on Tomi at this point.
dsheehan7
I once waited like 90 mins for this place. It was fun but not at all worth the wait.
NickFotiu
I remember a time when New Yorkers were leaders, not followers.
GlueGuns--Cool
Almost nothing in life is worth waiting in line 2 hours
CrimsonBrit
I went in the winter with a group of 4 and we ended up waiting in the cold for over an hour. It was absolutely not worth the wait. It sucked. We were sat in a terribly small table around the corner from the music basically in the kitchen. We couldn’t see or hear the live jazz, the service was straight up bad, and we were extremely uncomfortable.
frootjoocedrnker
It’s crazy bc No Work Allowed is right next door and isn’t nearly as busy despite also being a japanese (& bonus: thai!) jazz izakaya
bigmikey69er
Very, very bad photoshop. Look at the reflection in the windows up above on the left.
46 Comments
Damn how the hell? the food is not even that great!!
somebody made a tiktok?
I mean it’s more about the cocktails and ambiance than food. The food is more elevated bar snacks – but done well. And I love that spot for its food, drink and ambiance
That being said, since they dropped their reservation system + got social media famous / sceney I have not been back. Used to be you could reserve seats or a table, now it’s walk-in only. And I see lines like this CONSTANTLY – even on weekdays or at crazy hours. Lines where the people on the end have zero chance of getting in if you know the size of their space. This line is probably 2-3x the capacity of the restaurant – it’s more likely that half these people wait 4 hours and don’t even get in. It’s good but nowhere near worth this wait.
Dont go on a weekend lol
People waiting for food. Never understand it. Never.
“Yeah, my dad played *Kind of Blue* for me in the car once, so…”
This was on my list when we visited in September but I couldn’t justify waiting in line for it.
Went there once last year for my birthday.
Waited for around an hour and a half and spent 2 there lol. Had the curry and enjoyed it – and drank some of their bourbon hahah. Talked a bit with the bartender and got a few sake shot heh. Music is the big draw / cocktails. They’re made extremely well and tasted fantastic.
I’d say B tier jazz, there’s some “better” spots but this is the hype thing because TikTok apparently “discovered” how cool Japan was / is whatever:
Isn’t this like a hole in the wall spot? When I used to work around there I’d never seen a line outside before
I never understand this. In a city with literally thousands of excellent restaurants this is just such a waste of time.
go to Smoke Jazz Club instead; music, food, cocktails, ambiance, sound quality, audience etiquette, choice of vibe between music room & lounge; all A+; Broadway & 106
[https://smokejazz.com/](https://smokejazz.com/)
As tragic as Covid was for this city, I’m nostalgic for how the city felt like it was actually for residents for a brief moment in time. I could walk in to Tomi Jazz and other establishments instantly during those fleeting 2020/2021 eras when the waves subsided.
I’m sure these places are doing better financially now though.
Go on or after a rainy day.
For Japanese Izakaya, Lucky Cat is literally across the street and is excellent (their mentaiko pasta in particular is really good.)
I wanna check out the vibe but I guess I just need to go on a weekday. I usually just eat the cost and buy a ticket at the Mezzrow because I also like the vibes there, and the acts are usually really good.
I went a fair amount when you could still book and really miss it. It wasn’t the best food or music, but it was so fun and atmospheric! Plus the happy hour special was great.
As a jazz musician, I’ve been so surprised that Tomi is a popular spot. It’s a shitty gig for the musicians. Expect very average jazz played by a college kid. Dunno if the food is good
in 2021 to like last yr there were never any lines when i would go lol
Social media ruined Katz. Used to be able to just walk in and get a sandwich.
What happened to this place? I never saw lines like this when I lived nearby a couple years ago. The food is pretty mid but the ambience is nice
It’s a great bar and ambiance. Food is decent to good. I’ve enjoyed the few times I’ve been but I’ve attempted to go back a few times with out of town friends and the lines are way too long. Don’t think I will ever try to come back at this rate
Have been here twice because I honestly loved the food so much. Any suggestions where I can get cream croquettes like theirs?
Interesting- used to go there pre-covid and never would have guessed it’d ever become popular … how did it started? Do we have the “patient zero” on social media that got it started? A girl can dream
Lol I love going to the taco place across from it and just watch the line barely move from when I get there to when I leave. Doesn’t matter what day of the week there’s always a line
Yeah Tomi Jazz is quite nice but not “2 hr wait” nice
Are these people new to NY? Tomi Jazz has been around for ages? I’m confused who’s queuing up for this… I get it if it’s some new trendy turd.
They also underpay the musicians in a way that should be criminal. Better clubs all around town.
What is going on? We went there before the pandemic and it wasn’t like this..
My wait was an hour and a half first time I went there.
I live nearby and used to be a regular. I went all the time, knew all the bartenders, and it was my go to place for date nights and when friends visited from out of town. As soon as they blew up on tiktok/instagram it became such a pain in the ass to get in. The lines are insane and wind all the way down the block. Like others have already said, the food/drink/ambiance are all good, but not worth the insane wait times. I’m selfishly hoping the hype will die down and I can go back again, but the buzz seems to be going strong.
On a side note, another jazz club just opened on the block a few months ago(maybe three buildings west of Tomi) called No Work Allowed. They’re still figuring out their music schedule and such, but when I’ve gone the vibes have been good. Food and drink menus are both pretty small at the moment, but plenty of quality options on both. And as of right now, no crazy lines to get in.
Food, drinks, ambiance all average at best. Wouldn’t even wait for 10 minutes.
Used to walk into this place on weekdays in 2013
Damn before 2020, you could just walk in. And there always be a sketchy Japanese guy on the corner trying to get any guys by themselves to go to a hostess club.
I went to Tomi Jazz recently, and while the music was decent, food ok, and ambiance pretty cool, I still would NOT wait in line for it again. I happened to have waited in line for just 45 mins too so not terrible, but it wasn’t worth the wait.
There are so many other jazz bars that are just as cool if not cooler with no wait.
Its good….not that good
I miss B flat
Shall I blame social media?
This place sucks. The food is awful. I don’t get the hype. There are other jazz clubs in NYC, but TikTok lol
Man I used to go here all the time back in the day. Honestly, was a great spot for food (relatively affordable too) and there were some pretty decent musicians there as well. I remember it would get a little hectic sometimes, but usually you could get a seat within a reasonable time frame.
Post COVID, I’ve tried to come back a few times and there is always a line down the street no matter what day/time I went. I’ve given up on Tomi at this point.
I once waited like 90 mins for this place. It was fun but not at all worth the wait.
I remember a time when New Yorkers were leaders, not followers.
Almost nothing in life is worth waiting in line 2 hours
I went in the winter with a group of 4 and we ended up waiting in the cold for over an hour. It was absolutely not worth the wait. It sucked. We were sat in a terribly small table around the corner from the music basically in the kitchen. We couldn’t see or hear the live jazz, the service was straight up bad, and we were extremely uncomfortable.
It’s crazy bc No Work Allowed is right next door and isn’t nearly as busy despite also being a japanese (& bonus: thai!) jazz izakaya
Very, very bad photoshop. Look at the reflection in the windows up above on the left.
Why even fake this????
What’s so good about this place?