Painfull sound, terrible verpriced food, crushed seating, extra drinks added to bill [for the 2nd time]. Believe the one star reviews > AVOID this shameful rip off at all costs!

Utter rip off. The music was fantastic. But the drinks are ridiculously overpriced and, for 40 quid a ticket, you expect a bit more than 1 and a half hours of music, at which point the waitresses rush you out to make way for the queue of people waiting outside to pay another whole load of money. Unfortunately, the whole experience leaves a horribly bad taste in your mouth. How different from the good old days when you you could spend the whole night listening to fantastic jazz without feeling as if you had been robbed. Poor ronnie.

Rude staff, rip off prices.

We had planned a lovely night out to see a legendary band but when we arrived we were put on a table where visibility was impossible at the side of the stage. We had paid £40 each for priority seating which it wasn't. Waited to be served, which didn't happen so went to the bar to buy a drink (£4.00 for a small bottle of beer).

When I asked whether we could be moved to a priority seating table, as paid for, the management picked a fight with my boyfriend and had the bouncer assult him. The bouncer pushed my boyfriend to the ground outside the club. My boyfriend has never been treated like this before and, needless to say, we will never frequent Ronnie Scotts again ! What a nasty place full of very rude un-British management and staff.

We will definately see that band again but it will be at a real venue run by decent people who deserve our money.

Randomly had a saturday night out here a month or so ago. Arrived late so was only there for the DJ and Dancing. Music was good, of the sort one would expect from a nightclub of this name. I've lived in London for quite a while and so am used to the drinks prices, but in here a shot of tequila was unnecessarily extraordinary. The crowd was quite small and of the 35 plus age group. Think I was charged a tenner at the door, which explaining the lack of ppl in there, they should reduce it for the DJ part. Overall had an ok night.

I agree with Brazil's review. I just returned to my Hotel. The Michael Garrick Big Band tonight was live music per excellence. Service and food awful. The moment we entered and had to wait until the very unpleasant hostess showed us our table because one of her colleague sat someone in the wrong table. We had to wait to long for the drinks, priority table? The couple next to us was two fingers long away from our table. Ronnie put another 20 people in so nobody has space anymore to move. Just going to Pizza express and Boisdale to have a night out. No soul ronnie no soul

Have been A member for over 40 years. Went with my wife for her birthday to see lee ritenour with 2 close friends on thursday night we were seated apart from them even though had booked Months ago with atrocious seats. We all know Ronnies is now A glorified supper club for the rich and corporate suits,who mostly know nothing about music. Lee was great as ever as most musicians are who play There. But the staff are unfriendly robots,unlike the west indian guys on the door etc who were part of the great soul of the old Ronnies. Before it was Sold. Its not all about Money my friends. Ronnie and pete had heart and soul which is not evident anymore. Sad to say Wont be returning again,annoymous review, as I am Rather too well known There!

First visit, it took place on Saturday 14th May 2011, early evening show. A group of 14 of us went.

Audience Dress - Not scruffy but apart from that no other rules seem to be applied.

Attendance - Busy, probably full

Seating - Was OK, its tight and corner seats are more comfortable my impression is that most seats have a decent view but there were the odd bad spots.

Decor - easy on the eye, comfortable, nice atmosphere. I think a lot of jazz fans in so that helped.

Food - Not obligatory to buy and no pressure to do so. A large minority maybe a majority did not order any from my observations. Not cheap, but its Central London, my main course which was fine. Mine was not cold but not quite hot enough and this seem to be a common view in our party. Menu choices OK could be better.

Drinks - alcoholic or otherwise expensive. Wines, whilst well marked up in price were well selected by the establishment, decent examples, very drinkable.

Service - Waiter's (or waitress) were not intrusive, excellent, polite, accurate. Very wide age range in our group from 20's to mid 80's. They found a pot of tea very rapidly for the 80 year old jazz fan in our group. Service is added but I would not begrudge them it. It was v. good and no issues with speed or accommodating peoples needs.

Stage - low, intimate, could do with slight ht lift given venue but otherwise fine

Sound - BOTH House band (HB) and Claire Martin Band (CM) excellent. Wanted more of both. HB great trumpeter. Sound balance was off for HB possibly they did not bother to rebalance so it was pre-set for CM? Sloppy or perhaps just made a mistake. Not a big issue. CM -not seen before, performed from "a modern art". A few oldies but lots of stuff new to me. Band and singers performance top class in CM. Welsh pianist was fun and accompanied Claire. Claire did encore which made timing tight for the clubs 2nd sitting but they tolerated it!

Post music - Claire was selling CD's got to chat briefly.

If I could give it 0 star I would!! Look, I'm used to London and overpriced is pretty much what you expect on a Saturday night. What I don't expect us out and put rudeness and incompetence. By all means come here and pay your money and get treated like dirt.

I have to say that in my experience Ronnie Scott's has really improved so much over the past year or so. It is still very expensive, but I guess with Soho rates they cannot be as low as you might want. The staff are now always polite and do their best to give you a good seat. On one occasion they let me in to their main club for free as Ronnie's bar was full up (I am a member, but they still did not have to do this - it was very much appreciated).
The venue is relaxing and the acoustics are perfect. If you can, try and pick a late show after 11.00 during the week and stay there till they shut at 3am (£10 for non members and free for members). This year there seems to be a lot of great jazz acts booked - I do hope this continues and that they book the likes of Stan Tracey and Peter King - as well as new British acts.
I have given 4 out of 5 stars. This would be 5 out of 5 if drinks were slightly cheaper. Also, it would be ideal if they started to sell draught pints, please!
Overall, well done Ronnie Scott's - I am now won over!

Despite the modernisation, the club still has atmosphere. A much more congenial place to play, surprisingly than in the good old days, as the treatment of the musicians is much better. The staff are very helpful and well trained. For die-hard jazz fans it may be too glitzy now. It's difficult to skulk in the corner, having a quiet beer. On the upside, there are many late night jam sessions, which are more accessible, and give the young players a chance to get out there and be heard. Thank goodness it's still going.

Birthday treat , Sunday jazz lunch in this legendary club - and overall, it did not disappoint - However the only complaint would be the food, ie what you get for the money - and the Sunday Roast was not worth the £15 charged - v small portions and not particularly well cooked - but the vibe , service, and the venue, was great and virtually made up for the food. Would I go again, yes I would, but perhaps have a small snack beforehand.

I have to say that i was a bit scared to go back to Ronnie Scott as my last time ( 1 year ago) was a total disaster (food, service, music...) and i am not peaky!

I have been brought back to the jazz sanctuary by an old friend of mine, and what a surprise!! and a good one!

So much change since the last time, the staff has been just fantastic from the guys at the door whom changed our seats for better ones with kindness and smiles. The staff was dancing and enjoying the music just as much as us, It is great to see the team so invested and passionate, it gives a true spirit to the place.
Our waiter was just great, Rob, very professional and dedicated to our well being... the best service we had in a long time...
The music was superb, Indeed Chris Potter was playing...

The combination was magical, Thank you to all for such a great night and Big up to the management for keeping Ronnie on the top of the list and back in my heart!

Had a fantastic night at Ronnie Scott's which did seem to start as a bit of a disaster as me and my girlfriend arrived at the club to be told by the guy on the desk that we had booked for the night before! He offered us a space in the bar upstairs as the show was sold out. My girlfriend was not too pleased as you can imagine! Within minutes the manager arrived to tell us that the guy had managed to rearrange some tables and had made space to fit us in (without being charged again!)we had an amazing time, the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble hypnotised us as imagined and the drinks flowed well. We left and were kindly departed with great bit of banter from the guy in the front and the manager even came to say goodbye too. Coming back in October and will definitely try to arrive on the right day just in case we're not so lucky with getting a table!

Cool night out. Not been before didn't know what to expect and it was fantastic!
It is surprisingly small and very intimate. The music playing was a dream of Brazilian legends Airto and Flora a really engaging couple. we had lovely meal while the support act was on. great tasty portions but difficult to see well in the dim light. A very nice tall lady moved us to a better seat which was great. had a bottle of house wine and we were set for a great night. the atmosphere and staff were something to savour. everyone seem to want to have a good time. will return when we can.

well we just had one of the best nights of our year in Ronnie's last night.
went to see the amazing Monty Alexander. he was fantastic with a great band. it was as if we were in his living room and he was doing the gig just for us. this place is so warm and friendly..
the vibe was so cool and mellow you could float away on the emotion.
Had an lovely waitress too so pleasant and willing to please. had a couple of great watermelon cocktails and i had the best burger in town, girlfriend had a veg casserole with goats cheese dumplings which she said was very tasty.
my only complaint was Monty didn't do an interval so the show finished too early for us. wanted it not to stop.
after the gig we went upstairs to finish the night off and there was some live Brazilian music playing. a lovely end to a romantic night.
keep it going guys. Live music every night. thank you!

Awful. Food diabolical. Very expensive for both food and drink. Staff rude, very rude. "if you don't like it, don't come back" is what I was told after complaining my food arrived cold. So I won't ever go back. Disgraceful.

How can you recommend a place that delivers your meal over two hours after ordering, half is cold 7 half is not what you ordered.

What kind of service is it to be told if your not happy dont come & certainly dont come on a busy night (like you would know it will be busy)

If you cant see your food because they have turned the lights down for the show it might be ok just when you nearly finished but before it arrives, nope

Cant recommend it for food

Saw The Manhattan Transfer there today, absolutely sublime group. And since my last visit Ronnie Scotts staff were also generally much improved; cute, trendy and enjoying the music in what I initially thought was a professional way - sympathetic to people who love jazz - pretty basic you would have thought for such a venue. But then the compere started gossiping with the sound desk guy at the back - persistently and despite requests to keep it down. Surely these two of all people would respect their punters' desire to listen to the music uninterrupted.

Then when we got to the encore and most of audience were in raptures - myself very much included (this is a group I've waited a very long time to hear live) - the bill was plonked on the table obscuring and interrupting the act - then (still during the encore) the credit card machine was thrust forward to pay for the bill! I was livid with rage but to object at that stage would only have made it worse in terms of interupting the performers (I most certainly did object later but just got excuses or a fob off). Given how often they - rightly - tell the audience to keep it quite, this is just not on. Ronnie would turn in his grave.

Mary Sparks

I visited Ronnie Scotts for the 1st time in 8 years last night after buying a years membership for £170; I love jazz and frequent other jazz joints across the capital. The main act - Christian Scott - was sublime. Even the support acts were fine, though perhaps aiming their music at a populist/tourist agenda. Still, I have no problem with that. Anyone who thinks Ronnie Scotts can ever be a niche underground club frequented only by jazz buffs is living in a the past.

However, there are a couple of things which annoyed me. 1 - We (myself and two friends) turned up at 7.30 and were given seats in the "priority area" . However, there was a big pillar in the way which in my mind should be advertised as restricted view. This, however, was not a big deal. What was a cheek was at 10.20 the couple to the right of me left and sat on a table elsewhere. I decided to plonk myself on one of the now vacent chairs but was quickly prevented from doing so by a surly waiter. He informed me that I already have a seat and that 2 new guests were going to be given these seats! This is the first time I have come across a club re-selling a table almost 3/4 's into the main act! It is simply an example of making as much money as they can at the expense of existing customers - a member, too!

2 - During quiet periods of the main act I could here music blaring down from Ronnie's bar upstairs! This never used to happen in the olden days and is another example of focusing on making money at the expense of good music and an enjoyable experince. The once warm up room has now been marketed seperately as a seperate venue!It's a real shame that the new owners have decided to cash in on the name of Ronnie Scotts rather than focus on customers enjoying good music in a relaxed and unrushed arena. I will still come here to see great acts and hope things will change for the better in terms of management. In the mean time I will rely on 606 club for the ambience I expect from a jazz c

Went to Ronnie Scotts Friday 18th December 2009 (Bar upstairs) Please note NOT the the main venue area "so cannot comment".

Quite frankly the idea of bookng a table (free) for a group and handing over c/c cards is great so you don't get the unwelcome guests until later (?) (selected tables provided) YET make sure you arrive within 15mins or you may loose your table and be charged, yet i wouldn't like to comment how much!

Ok so far so good? The bar upstairs is small (after 8pm, be aware you may have to pay a fiver to enter)and very well decorated and the staff are very accomadating

Minus points: the service charges are disgraceful you pay for a half diet coke (£2.50 reasonable for west end prices yet another 12.5 % service charge)

A bowl of chips (twelve yet fourteen if lucky) and some pansy little sauce bowls £3.50 + service charge = over top if you ask me).

Secondly the bar if you wish to buy from willl again cost you a service charge.

Oh and if you want to buy a bottle of Curvee Dom Perignon 1975 at £1300 u suggest you give up your bed for the night for a homeless person who could rather need your support.

Conclusion: Ok joint, prices are reasonalble yet services charges are shameful. LOOK no probs its great if you like. But i suggest considering downstairs which i cannot comment as above.

If you like Jazz go for it!

my boss took me for Christmas Lunch at Ronnie Scotts this week. it was my first time in the club. quite an amazing and cosy venue full if atmosphere and character. was a bit strange to start with because we sat in rows on bench seating but that didn't matter once the band started. we had a great lunch with real quality food and then were entertained by this most amazing band!! great jazz music and some Christmas tunes thrown in for good measure. the pianist was amazing playing customer songs in different styles, so talented. must be one of my most enjoyable and unique lunches ever. the staff all seemed to enjoy it as much as we did. give us more. merry Christmas Hugo

my boss took me for Christmas Lunch at Ronnie Scotts this week. it was my first time in the club. quite an amazing and cosy venue full if atmosphere and character. was a bit strange to start with because we sat in rows on bench seating but that didn't matter once the band started. we had a great lunch with real quality food and then were entertained by this most amazing band!! great jazz music and some Christmas tunes thrown in for good measure. the pianist was amazing playing customer songs in different styles, so talented. must be one of my most enjoyable and unique lunches ever. the staff all seemed to enjoy it as much as we did. give us more. merry Christmas Hugo

Went to see Ronnie Scotts Jazz Orchestra on 30/11/09, first time after three or so years - and was bitterly dissapointed, primarily by poor and patronising staff attitude. My advice, if you have to go, book the cheapest possible tickets, I've made a mistake by booking the most expensive tickets and was allocated a seat facing away from the stage (which caused me a nasty neck-ache the next day) unlike most of the people who booked cheaper tickets! When complained, I was told that the bar owner himself absolutely loves my seat, why should I therefore have a problem (?!) Also, you should be aware that there is a seriously limited leg room at most of the priority seating tables, so limited that you will struggle to get your legs in (my height is an average 178cm) and to add the insult to injury, the staff keeps reminding you at every opportunity to push your chair in.

In addition to that, you are being told to shut up by staff if you happen to say a single word during the band playing. All this for £36.00 per person? Is it really worth it? You might say yes, if the music was really so special, but to be honest it was fairly average on this occasion (support band excluded), or more precisely - the musicians ability and talent had to be substituted with showmanship gimmicks of the band leader and the 4 singers. Which, fair enough, would have still made for reasonably enjoyable night out if the staff weren't so rude, and if the cost of entry and the drinks weren't so astronomical.

My final advice: do not take anybody important or anybody special to Ronnie Scotts, it is just too likely that you will be let down in front of your guest. If you really need to go, go without too many expectations and pay the cheapest possible ticket. Even better, if you are going because you're into quality jazz, go to a different venue, but not to this overrated, living-off-the-old-glory place, and you might save yourself quite a bit of agro and a few quid at the same ti

complaint!!!i wanted to go back this weekend but all shows are full!!! the secret is out : ( why cant they make this place bigger??

most magical experience!!took my girlfiend and her mum to see the ronnie scotts big band christmas show this week!!! i didnt know what to expect and was totally blown away by the expeience!! i am a student and didnt think i would enjoy the night....BUT i have never had such a fun night in years (and with my future mother in law)!! everyone was so welcoming form the front door right through to all the staff, managers and musicians. it was like being at someones house for a party.

we had a great meal and cocktails and wine and were so entatained. the band leader was a real character and made a wonderful host for the evening and there were 4 fantastic male singers (the 4 skins) such wonderful musicians!!!!my big complaint is that it finished. the final number had the whole room on its feet begging for more.reading the other comments it must have been a different place. and as for price they seemed average for soho bars and this is a special place.Please give us more big band nights!!! lots of brownie point for me with the g/friend and mum!!!federico x

Went there last night to see the Soulive. As a well cultured girl been brought up in fine restaurants and after acquiring a certain taste for the finer things. I cannot express how impressed I was from the moment I walked through the door till the moment I left. 3 of us girls were seated right next to the stage but it doesn't really matter where you sit; it's all about the music in there. Absolutely loved it! Had great seats could see each of the musicians faces and the passion. Its not supposed to be A well organised posh stuffy place - the ambience of that laid back cool is what it's suposed to be and it does it well.

Drinks were standard prices for central London, ordered 3 rounds of non alcoholic cocktails and 2 bottles of water for £29.00. Cheap for london. All the people giving bad reviews on pricing have to be stingy. All in all I will definately be going back for more. Loved it.

I read the bad reviews here but still went anyway. wish we hadn't. It was ridiculously expensive night out. Took ages in slow queue to get in, no talking allowed, too many staffs running around serving food which blocked the view, very expensive drinks, and expensive food for small portion. the music seemed to took second place which is shame as that what it famous for. and then after concert we were told to leave straight away, like we paid our bill so weren't welcome anymore. is crazy.

save your money and go somewhere else cheaper and friendlier

what an incredibly expensive night out. i used to enjoy going there but haven't been able to go for about a year. my return was ruined by the high prices of food and drink, and the slowness of service. the toilet was dirty too. this all put a dampner on the music which has taken second place to the restaurant side of the business. we wont be going back.

Ronnie Scotts has lost its way.

we were rudely spoken to by a tall strangely dressed long grey haired man who staff told us was the boss.

a very unpleasant person and put us off forever. shame as it used to be a great place.

Ronnie's is supposed to be THE jazz club to go to. I must say the music was great but we were given seats behind a giant speaker .

They were cramped even for me and only i'm 5ft 3 .The rude waiter/usher told us we hadn't booked for food( we had). The audience were told like little kids not to talk .

They did serve us food eventually - expensive and inedible! The whole patronising atmosphere of the place spoils the experience. I can listen to good music at better jazz clubs and or even at home!

They're cashing in on a good reputation and really not worth the hype.

It's so sad that one of the most famous jazz clubs in the world has been operating 2 houses so that the jazz musicians never seem to get a chance to warm up and you pay close to double the old price for half the music.

As a jazz fan there was nothing better than 6 hours of top notch jazz under the old management now everything is so rushed.

The food is now marginally better and much more expensive, as are the drinks but it's always been so dark that you've never known what you were eating anyway.

I'd been going there for 25 years and now commercialism has ruined a glorious institution - even Tony Christie has played there ( what's that about? ) - Ronnie Scott must be turning in his grave. Ronnie Scotts RIP.

I & my daughter went here on July 1st. We ordered salad & cocktail which are so good.

Stuffs gently led us to unreserved seats that was just at the side of the stage.

We could directly feel the musicians's expressions and their eye contacts. American musicians featured at the night.

Their musical technique was so extremely high. We were so moved.

Having absolutely no idea what this place would be like, I was quite blown away with its setup and quality. The intimacy was perfect; sitting on the staggered seats on the room's side meant that the music wasn't too loud and that you could actually have a private quiet conversation if you wanted.

Food was pretty good and, surprisingly, a good amount (the fish cake was quite heavy) even for me - and I can eat a lot! A good selection of food-stuffs and wines. And then, after 9pm, they brought out the snacks menu.

I love live music so I can't fault anyone who goes up on stage and performs (Andy Sheppard, this time).

But it did seem like they wanted to pack in a load of people and so there was a bit of shuffling around. And it got hot pretty quickly too. So that's a star knocked off.

Love, Love, Love this place! Great for entertaining clients, going on a date or letting Oscar make you and your friends some amazing cocktails in the upstairs members bar.

our first time at ronnies to see Joyce. fantastic brazilizn singer and band. we had a great night and found it warm and friendly (unlike the previous comments, he must have been somewhere else.)

yes its cosy and intimate but such a wonderful atmosphere. we enjoyed some great food and cocktails and lovely staff. we wil be back to enjoy more again sometime soon. good on you ronnies for keeping great music live !!!

amazing.. went to the club last night to see 'Joyce'. what a fabulous brazilian singer. never experienced such a great atmosphere and stunning music i was spell bound.

had some brazilian cocktails to get in the mood we loved it.was a full house, everyone up for it, so intimate, a unique experience.no credit crunch here.

RIP OFF RONNIES.I have been to Ronnies many times before, but never again.

Despite paying premium prices for a table for two, and arriving just after the doors opened, we were offered two seats squashed in at the end of a much larger table, definitely not what we booked, then we were only begrudingly placed at a table which was behind a pillar.

From this bad customer service it just went downhill, with lengthy gaps in seeing any waiting staff and then demands for payment then and there, for what is overpriced food, and not at the end of the night as in any other devent restaurant.

Customer service is certainly most definietely lacking here - cram as many people in and extort as much money out of them as possible.

We most definitely will NOT be going there again until they buck their ideas up and go back to decent acts with decent treatment of its customers.

I've visited Ronnie Scott's a number of times over the last couple of years as I love live music and Jazz in particular. I absolutely love Ronnie's and totally disagree with many of the reviews below I can only think these people have totally lost touch with reality. I'd like to visit a better live music venue where your ticket gives you the opportunity to sit so close to the stage and really interact with the artists.

We recently saw Carleen Anderson, we had a table near the back but even there, we could see every movement and expression and her voice sounded wonderful. Last year we saw Jeff Beck, a totally different vibe but also amazing and where else can you see Bon Jovi having a drink at the bar with all the normal punters?

Ronnie's has a magical atmosphere, I don't think there is anywhere else in the world like it and it's one of our best and greatest London music venues. Not always perfect in every way but always a memorable experience, just go for the music and relax...

we had an emotional couple of nights at ronnies last week, our first time. what an amazing (small and cosy) venue. we could feel the history of the place and the amazing music past and present. we had the pleasure of carleen anderson and marlne shaw, both emotionaly charged and full of heart and passion. had a small table to start but a great hostess moved us and we had a wonderful evening of food, cocktails and music, both transported to another dimension of enjoyment.
cant wait till pay day so we can go again.
a real oasis in the heart of soho. go and find out for yourself, my girlfriend and i loved it.

I went to Ronnie Scotts on a Friday night and saw the All Stars and the Ray Gelato bands. It was an absolutely superb experience. My seating was classified restricted viewing which amounted to one support column being in the way of the stage which wasnt a big deal. We were also a bit crammed in but it did not detract from the experience at all!!

The food was average and the service was adequate but the main thing about Ronnie Scotts is the JAZZ and to that it was outstanding. There was a great friendly atmosphere and everybody there really got into it and enjoyed the evening. So dont be put off by poor food and service reviews, you should only go there for one reason and thats the jazz and just for that its absolutely worth it!