Ronnie Scott's: what to order and when to go
Jazz at 47 Frith Street since 1965: which room, which show, what to eat and where to end the night.
By Only Soho Editorial
Ronnie Scott's is at 47 Frith Street, Soho, W1D 4HT, and it has been putting live music on nightly since 1959. Two rooms, two shows most nights, food and drink brought to your table. The trick is choosing the right hour for the right mood.
A short history
Ronnie Scott was a tenor saxophonist, born Ronald Schatt in 1927. In December 1948 he co-founded Club Eleven, described by English Heritage as the UK's first modern jazz club. With fellow saxophonist Pete King he then opened the club that bears his name, in October 1959, in the basement of 39 Gerrard Street, a site that had been a haunt for taxi drivers and musicians. English Heritage put a blue plaque there in 2019.
The club moved to Frith Street in 1965 and has stayed. Sally Greene and Michael Watt took over from Pete King in 2005, refurbished it, and remain the owners. Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Buddy Rich, Art Blakey and Wynton Marsalis are among the names listed as having played here.
The two rooms
The Main Club is the classic: a low-lit room with tables near the stage, and two Main Shows most nights. Seating comes in three colours. Gold is the priority tables on the floor near the stage, Orange is standard bench tables at the sides, and Blue has a slightly restricted view. The maître d' allocates seats on the night, so nothing is guaranteed. Book ahead and arrive early.
Upstairs at Ronnie's is the first-floor room, reopened in February 2026 after a refurbishment as a 140-capacity listening room. It has a Yamaha S3X grand piano, a panelled bar and a kitchen led by executive chef Steven Connolly. The programming ranges beyond jazz into soul, R&B, gospel, hip-hop, global music and classical, with a weekly classical night on Mondays. Upstairs is strictly 18+. Check the show page for how each Upstairs gig is booked.
When to go
- For the main event: a Main Show. Standard start times vary, so check the show page when you book. Arrive more than half an hour after the advertised start and the club may release your seats, though you will still be let in.
- For the small hours: a Late Late Show. Upstairs examples list a 10.45pm start. Thursday Late Lates have moved towards jazz-funk, soul, R&B and hip-hop, with rotating hosts and DJ sets. Most Late Late tickets are available on the door if advance tickets sell out.
- For a daytime fix: Sunday lunch, with its own menu and a show alongside.
The official hours, per the club's plan your visit page: the Main Club is open from half five on Monday and Wednesday to Saturday until three in the morning, Tuesday until one, and on Sunday from noon to four for lunch and half six to midnight in the evening. Upstairs opens at five on weekdays with the same closing times. Third-party listings still show older hours, so trust the club's own page.
Prices and booking
- VisitLondon lists seated shows from £30 per person. Prices change with the act, so check each show.
- A Thursday Late Late hosted by Myele Manzanza is listed at £0 to £12.
- A Saturday Late Late Upstairs with Energy Exchange Records is listed at £15.
- On Wednesdays and Thursdays after quarter past eleven, students and musicians pay half price (£6), subject to availability. Musicians' Union members get in free with their card.
- Members get 20% off Main Show tickets (up to four per show), free Late Late entry and priority booking.
Dress code is relaxed, mostly smart casual, but no flip-flops. The club is 18+, except brunch, lunch and early-evening Main Club shows, which admit 14 to 17 year olds with a parent or guardian, seated at a table and dining. An optional 12.5% service charge is added to bills.
What to order
Eat here rather than just drink. SquareMeal rates the food above most live-music venues, with meals served before the acts start. Menus change, so check the current one, but past menus give a feel for it.
- Sunday lunch: roast chicken with Yorkshire pudding (£22 on the October 2024 menu), or Ronnie's sausage and mash (£20), with chocolate fondant (£10) to finish.
- À la carte starters: ham hock terrine (£13), cured salmon tartare (£13.50) or king scallops (£16.50), from the same 2024 menu.
- Bar menu: croquettes in chorizo, cod or vegan mozzarella (£8 on the July 2023 menu), the charcuterie platter (£18) or Ronnie's burger.
- To drink: the "nohito", a tribute to the teetotal Pete King, is mentioned by SquareMeal.
Some reviewers find the food prices high and the seating tight, so it is worth knowing before you book a table.
For after: Bar Italia
Bar Italia, 22 Frith Street, is a few doors along on the same street. The Infatuation calls it a classic Soho café for people-watching and espressos, open almost round the clock. Hardens notes it opened in 1949 and that the interior is barely touched since. Hours differ between listings, so don't plan around an exact closing time. Order an espresso, take a seat by the window and let the late show settle.
