New York City has embraced the Japanese jazz kissa tradition, infusing it with its own urban flair. These intimate venues offer audiophiles a sanctuary where high-fidelity sound systems and carefully curated vinyl collections create immersive listening experiences. Here, music isn’t just background noise—it’s the main event, meticulously selected and presented to engage and inspire.

Location: 667 Franklin Ave, Brooklyn
Features: Over 4,500 vintage jazz LPs, Harbeth speakers powered by ModWright tube amplification, a globally inspired cocktail menu, and a retro split-flap “Now Playing” board displaying each track in real time.
Atmosphere: A warm, intimate space with dark wood finishes, floor-to-ceiling record shelves, and hand-painted jazz portraits honoring legendary musicians.

Nestled in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights, Kissa Kissa stands as America’s first traditional jazz kissa, offering an authentic homage to Tokyo’s legendary listening cafés. The venue was founded by Danny de Zayas and Nina Barry, both accomplished photographers with a deep love for jazz and analog sound.

The heart of Kissa Kissa lies in its extensive vinyl collection, with over 4,500 carefully curated jazz LPs, ranging from Blue Note classics to rare Japanese pressings and contemporary releases. Unlike a typical bar, every record is selected and played with intentionality, ensuring that each evening unfolds as a unique sonic journey.

The music is brought to life through a meticulously designed hi-fi sound system featuring Harbeth speakers paired with ModWright tube amplification, renowned for their warm, natural sound signature. A standout feature is the split-flap “Now Playing” board, which cycles through the currently spinning track—paying tribute to the signage of old-school train stations while keeping guests engaged in the experience.

Beyond the music, Kissa Kissa offers a cocktail program that mirrors its thoughtful curation of sound. Ingredients like Japanese whisky, sake, pandan, and shiso infuse the drinks with flavors that complement the rich tones of jazz. While Kissa Kissa does not serve food, the focus remains on deep listening and unhurried appreciation of music.

Location: 127 MacDougal St, New York
Features: Prix fixe tasting menu, guest-curated vinyl playlists, 16-seat intimate setting, and a newly added Tokyo Listening Room upstairs for casual DJ sets.
Atmosphere: A cozy, candle-lit space with floral ceiling installations and a jukebox-style communal playlist selection, capturing the intimate charm of Shibuya’s underground vinyl bars.

Tucked beneath MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village, Tokyo Record Bar is a one-of-a-kind hybrid of Japanese listening culture and curated dining. Founded by Ariel Arce, this intimate 16-seat venue invites guests to experience music in a way that is both interactive and immersive.

The night begins with a communal vinyl playlist experience—each guest selects a song from a curated list of records, spanning jazz, hip-hop, city pop, rock, and more. These selections shape the soundtrack for the evening, ensuring that no two nights are the same.

As the music plays, guests indulge in a prix fixe tasting menu inspired by Japanese izakaya fare, featuring standout dishes like miso-glazed eggplant, Wagyu tartare, sashimi, and house-made pickles. This multisensory approach makes Tokyo Record Bar a rare fusion of vinyl culture and fine dining, where both the culinary and auditory experiences are elevated to an art form.

Expanding on its success, Tokyo Record Bar has recently added an upstairs companion space called Tokyo Listening Room. Unlike the structured prix fixe experience downstairs, the Listening Room is a more casual lounge, where guests can drop in for drinks, enjoy DJ-curated vinyl sets, and soak in a relaxed, music-first atmosphere.

Location: 233 Butler St, Brooklyn
Features: A multi-room venue featuring a vegan café and bar, a high-fidelity OJAS sound system, and a quadraphonic Sound Room for live performances and deep listening.
Atmosphere: A modern, plant-adorned space that blends minimalist design with state-of-the-art sound, creating an inviting yet sonically immersive environment.

Located in Gowanus, Brooklyn, Public Records is a mecca for audiophiles, seamlessly integrating music, design, sustainability, and gastronomy into a single space. Founded by Francis Harris and Shane Davis, the venue is designed to prioritize sound quality and sonic experience above all else.

Public Records is divided into three distinct spaces:

• The Sound Room: A quadraphonic listening environment featuring a custom-built OJAS sound system, engineered for deep listening sessions, live experimental performances, and world-class DJ sets. The “no-phone” policy ensures pure, uninterrupted engagement with the music.
• The Café & Bar: A fully plant-based café by day and a natural wine and cocktail bar by night, offering an eco-conscious menu rooted in sustainability.
• UPSTAIRS: A newly introduced lounge space, providing a more casual yet audiophile-approved setting for music lovers looking to enjoy cocktails with thoughtfully curated vinyl selections.

From hosting avant-garde performances to intimate vinyl listening nights, Public Records has become a pillar of NYC’s modern listening bar movement—a space where sonic excellence and artistic exploration converge.

Location: 674 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn
Features: Custom-built hi-fi speaker system, MasterSounds turntable setup, curved wood-paneled acoustics, and a rotating selection of guest DJs and selectors.
Atmosphere: A warm and stylish space designed for focused yet social listening, where vinyl enthusiasts and cocktail lovers can connect over finely tuned sound.

Eavesdrop, located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, is a listening bar built with a meticulous attention to acoustics and atmosphere. Featuring custom-built full-range speakers, a high-fidelity turntable setup, and a room designed for optimal sound dispersion, it offers a refined yet relaxed listening experience.

Unlike traditional jazz kissa venues that enforce strict quiet listening, Eavesdrop embraces the social aspect of vinyl culture. DJs and selectors take turns curating sets across genres, from jazz and funk to ambient and avant-garde electronic.

The venue’s design incorporates curved wooden paneling, not just for aesthetics but to enhance the room’s natural resonance. The result is a space where music is immersive but never overpowering, allowing for conversation without sacrificing sonic clarity.

Beyond music, Eavesdrop’s culinary offerings are equally well-curated. The bar features a seasonal small plates menu paired with a diverse selection of craft cocktails, natural wines, and sake. One standout feature? Three different Negroni variations, showcasing the bar’s dedication to fine cocktail craftsmanship.

Location: 74 5th Ave, Brooklyn
Features: A carefully curated vinyl collection with rare jazz, downtempo, and electronic pressings, a bespoke audiophile sound system, and an intimate, dimly lit ambiance inspired by Tokyo’s listening bars.
Atmosphere: A low-lit, cozy space with warm wood accents, plush seating, and an emphasis on uninterrupted music appreciation, creating an inviting refuge for true audiophiles.

Tucked away in Park Slope, Brooklyn, Honeycomb Hi-Fi Lounge is one of New York’s most intimate and finely tuned listening bars, dedicated to preserving the purity of the analog listening experience. Inspired by the iconic jazz kissa bars of Tokyo, the venue prioritizes deep listening over distraction, cultivating an environment where music takes center stage.

At Honeycomb, the record selection is as thoughtful as the sound system itself. The venue’s vinyl library focuses on rare jazz pressings, downtempo electronic, and soulful grooves, ensuring a smooth, immersive sonic journey from the first track to the last. Each record is played through a custom-engineered audiophile sound system, designed to deliver deep bass, rich midrange tones, and crystal-clear highs—all without overwhelming the intimate space.

Unlike some of the city’s other listening bars, Honeycomb does not have a DJ booth or rotating selectors. Instead, bartenders and in-house curators carefully select and cue records throughout the night, ensuring a seamless and uninterrupted listening experience. The approach is subtle yet highly intentional, making each visit feel like a personalized deep dive into the venue’s collection.

Honeycomb Hi-Fi Lounge also boasts a meticulously crafted cocktail program that complements the warm, relaxed atmosphere. The menu focuses on high-quality spirits, natural wines, and Japanese-inspired drinks, with an emphasis on balance and restraint. Unlike larger, busier venues, Honeycomb is designed for slow enjoyment, where guests can sip their cocktails and lose themselves in the warm, analog textures of vinyl.