Zig Zag Jazz Club Berlin — Restaurant in Berlin

I want so much to like this place! It's cozy and the music is great. But the way I've been treated here has been consistently poor. The source of the problem is the reservation system, which prompts the managers to be dismissive and unwelcoming. Last week I came in with a friend at 8pm for a show at 9pm, we were among the only people there, and we started looking for a place to sit. Immediately the manager came over and said aggressively, "Do you have a reservation??" We didn't. Continuing his unnecessarily antagonistic tone, he said he couldn't help us (as if it were our fault for wanting to be there, rather than a good thing), and that we would just have to stand.... In a still nearly-empty place. This is absurd. At least his manner could have been accommodating, offering perhaps that we could sit at the bar until the people who had reserved arrived. Which we did anyway, of our own accord, and ended up staying the whole evening there, because GUESS WHAT, not all those people with reservations showed up. Generally, punishing your customers -- especially the eager earlybirds -- is just garbage.

This is the third time something similar has happened to me here, which means EVERY TIME I have been here. I've had enough and am never going back. I hope there is a change of management and abolishment of the reservation system so that I can go back someday and have...

This establishment invited 11 times Grammy nominated Joshua Redman to perform at their temporary location. Aside from the fact, that location is just a construction site, where in a 30 degrees heat air conditioning failed to cool down auditorium to any extent, and that this location's facilities are basic to say the least (ex. no paper towels or hand dryers at the toilet), this promoter hired two so-called videographers (in fact just two-person crew with DSLRs and steadicams) who constantly were getting in front of the audience to catch important moments and reacted extremely aggressively when asked to stop intervening and ruining the experience. It was an ultimate disrespect to the paying audience and the band as well. I believe promoter made it extremely clear that they have no interest in the people who came to enjoy the band, nor the band itself. Even the simple fact that it was stated that seat allocation is on "First-Come, First-Served basis" the first row was "Resereved" probably for some so-called "VIPs" (my guess it's friends and family of promoter) illustrates how much care was given: audience was clearly an afterthought. I strongly recommend to avoid events arranged by them. Berlin has better venues to offer as well as more professional management of...

My favourite Berlin Jazz Club so far. Friendly and helpful staff and a cosy atmosphere with with very effective air purification system, for these times. The thing that did it for me though was the band and the absolute top draw quality of the musicianship. With so many different genres of jazz out there these days from trad to avant-garde, I always love to hear the straight ahead style - like Miles Davis’ First Quintet - that these guys were playing on the night. The Uri Gincel Quintet were incredible. Ben Kraef on tenor captures the Coltrane style from the above era perfectly. Florian Menzel on trumpet plays in the style of Freddie Hubbard or Woody Shaw to brilliant effect. Paul Kleber on double bass plays with the surety of Ron Carter and played some great solos on the night. Tobias Backhaus on drums was outstanding and reminded me at times of the great Brian Blade. Leader Uri Gincel is just a genius of the keys, playing a grand piano on the night his solos and comping were as good as it gets, plus his banter with the audience was highly entertaining. The next time I visit Berlin the Zig Zag Jazz Club will be on my list of places to spend an evening,...