After purchasing and revitalizing the historic Old Lyme Inn in 2011, owners Ken and Chris Kitchings set out to bring another long-cherished dream to fruition; the perfect jazz venue.
With great attention to detail, Ken and Chris sought advice from arstis George Wein and Buster Williams, and collaborated with Sennheiser to design a venue where audiences could experience world-class musical performances in an intimate, welcoming listening environment.
In 2013 The Side Door Jazz Club opened with an unforgetable performance by the late George Wein and has since been hailed by artists, fans and critics as one of the world’s greatrest jazz venues.
Gary Upton
02:00 25 Jan 25
Kenny and his wife are kind and generous caretakers of music arts and specifically Americas music…Jazz. A true gift to the shoreline between NYC and Boston. Don’t miss out on artists you’ll never get to hear in such a beautiful intimate setting. -Gary Upton
Jodette Bentley
02:43 12 Jan 25
Great music venue. Food is always great. Pumpkin Creme brulee was amazing
Conor Scott
00:56 02 Jan 25
I’ve seen several artists at the Side Door Jazz Lounge, and it is by far one of the best clubs that you could visit certainly in Connecticut and most definitely on the East Coast. The sound inside the club is incredible. It is a very intimate setting and an experience that you’ll never forget. It is incredibly well run and the service food and atmosphere are second to none. Highly recommend.
Tim Thomson
03:49 15 Dec 24
Top tier Jazz musicians every weekend at the Side Door!
Paul Whitehouse
16:39 06 Dec 24
Robert Connelly
18:37 23 Oct 24
One of the best jazz venues around. Half way between NY and Boston. They get the best musicians and performers in the North East. Small and intimate. Not a bad seat in the house.
Corey Ferrell
21:19 29 Jun 24
A destination club hidden in coastal Connecticut as good as the great venues in NYC and more intimate. We opted for dinner earlier so can't comment on the food this visit but the cocktails & spirits did not disappoint! So convenient and on-site free parking - keep an eye on the artists performing there. A phenomenal opportunity to see performers up-close with great acoustics! And if you happened to travel a ways, the Old Lyme Inn upstairs may be just the next best stop.
L M
02:12 06 Oct 22
Great little Jazz club tucked inside the Old Lyme Inn. Go for the show and enjoy a great dinner first. The chefs always outdo themselves and the menu is incredible.