Times Square is not exactly known for places where New Yorkers want to settle in for the evening. But descend below the Muse hotel, and the bright billboards and lights fade away at the Pocket, a 170-seat jazz club that opened in June, with Wynton Marsalis headlining its big debut.
This isn’t a jazz club that outsources the cooking, either. Co-founders Grant Gardner and Martin Porter met while working at Jazz Standard; between them, they’ve also worked at the Blue Note and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Gardner later worked on the opening team at Al Coro and with Melissa Rodriguez at Crane Club, while chef Anthony Duranti has cooked at Telepan, Del Posto, and Mel’s. The result is a club where you can hear the Mingus Big Band or Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra — both have regular residencies — and eat a memorable meal while you listen. The sound and sightlines are excellent.
The cocktail list ($18-$19) is arranged by sparkling, martinis, agave, and Old Fashioneds and Manhattans. The elegant Elderflower combines vodka, St-Germain, and lemon; the French 75 or the 50/50 also feel on point for this spot.
The Pocket generally schedules two sets a night, and there’s a two-item minimum per person per set. Doors for a 7 p.m. performance typically open at 6 p.m., which makes the early show the better move if you want to treat this as dinner rather than scramble to order between songs. The club also maintains a quiet policy while the lights are down.