Jazz Kissa makes room for both record collectors and working jazz musicians. Opened in 2022 by the Teder group, the bar sits beside Café Mirage on Park HaMesila, within the Beit Romano complex. Co-founder Zack Bar brought decades of collecting records and an interest in Japanese jazz bars to a place that stays casual enough for an unplanned drink.
Through a sliding glass door, the café surroundings give way to a wooden interior with low lighting. The indoor room is the place to settle in for the music; an outdoor table gives you a different evening. Food and drinks remain part of the experience, with Japanese influences in the kitchen and sake-based cocktails at the bar. Expect the social pace of a small late-night venue, with conversation alongside the performances.
The programme moves between live ensembles and records. House-band appearances, jam sessions and visiting quartets share the calendar with staff selections and guest DJs. Programmes have included Juanita Cohen Smith, the Ilan Salem Quartet and the Shay Zelman Trio, with separate record sets around the live performances. Jazz provides the starting point, while selectors have room to range beyond it.
Choose a night by its programme. A live set, a jam and an evening of records offer different ways to spend time here. It suits someone who wants to hear musicians up close and stay for the selections afterwards, with enough curiosity to follow the music beyond familiar jazz standards.