Descending the stairs into La Cave du 38 Riv’ is like stepping back in time; the historic subterranean jazz spot is one of the city’s few remaining cellar clubs, just a few blocks from the Seine. There’s no stage here; the audience gets up close and personal with some of the best musicians in Paris tackling a wide gamut of styles: classic bop, bossa nova, vocal jazz, and more. The weekly jam sessions are a casual and inviting forum for rising talent and usually have a very modest charge.

One of the most reliable sources for great jazz performances in Paris, Sunset-Sunside is a two-in-one venue with two distinct personalities: under the arched ceiling of the Sunset room, adventurous fans enjoy plugged-in performances from a brilliantly eclectic roster of artists, while the larger Sunside room is oriented toward straight-ahead acoustic performances. Local and international luminaries fill the calendar, including Brad Mehldau, Jacky Terrasson, and Didier Lockwood.

It was clear from the start that New Morning was destined to be a Paris jazz institution. The club’s first bookings included Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, Chet Baker, and Ron Carter, and the quality of the programming hasn’t flagged in the four decades since. Although it has an unassuming exterior and a simple open-floor plan, the sound is excellent. There are no assigned seats, so if you want a good view, arrive early. Fun fact: Prince named this as his favorite live-music venue in Paris.

Drawing international audiences and performers, Le Duc des Lombards is a landmark Parisian jazz club in the heart of Les Halles that keeps a busy schedule of contemporary, traditional, and vocal jazz. The table seating comes right up to the stage, and there’s a small balcony that offers a view from above. Jazz icons like Ahmad Jamal and Kenny Barron have played here, and recent performers include the internationally acclaimed Emmet Cohen Trio and vintage American soul belter Ural Thomas.

This casual atrium café is a low-key delight featuring Latin American and African jazz artists, local jam sessions, and amazing wood-fired pizzas. The environment has a casual, off-the-cuff charm—brick floors, leafy plants, big windows that open to the street—and the soulful selection of live performers is perfectly at home. Heavyweights like Tony Allen and Robert Glasper have played here, as have Joe Bataan collaborators SETENTA and frequent Wynton Marsalis drummer Francesco Ciniglio.

Another long-running local jazz and soul institution, “The Salty Kiss” is a glowing club that draws world jazz artists, chanson singers, and multiple weekly jam sessions. Performers from the jazz circuit, including Angélique Kidjo and Richard Bona, turn up to play the intimate room opposite the large wood-paneled bar. The admission is usually modest, so if it gets crowded, you can escape to the café outside to watch the parade of tourists.

First opened in 1924, Le Bal Blomet is the oldest jazz club in Europe and has been a magnet for intellectual illuminati for decades; Jean-Paul Sartre, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, and Joséphine Baker have all walked through its doors. The cozy two-level performance hall was lovingly restored in the 2010s, offering a forward-looking schedule of jazz, classical, and contemporary music.

Although you’ll catch jazz here frequently, Les Disquaires is a place where it seems like almost any kind of music can leap off the stage: funk bands, throwback blues, alternative R&B, and hip-hop artists draw a crowd of curious foot traffic in the Bastille neighborhood. This is where young Parisian jazz musicians come to jam and experiment. During the week, they have an inexpensive cover charge; on weekends they host Brazilian and Latin jazz combos.

Sporting a tasteful Art Deco facelift, Etoile is a destination club with a long and storied history; Lionel Hampton, Cab Calloway, and B.B. King have graced the stage. Situated on the ground floor of a hotel, the room finds patrons tucking into deep booths to listen to rising jazz artists and vintage pop vocalists from the US and beyond. Typically, the performances go into the early hours of the morning. Of note: The club often closes its music program during the summer.

Housed in a 16th-century building amid the tourist bustle of the Latin Quarter, Caveau de la Huchette has been a hotbed of jazz and blues since 1946. It has hosted a laundry list of American and French jazz luminaries, including Art Blakey, Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, and Claude Bolling, and was the inspiration for The Cavern Club in Liverpool, which The Beatles made famous in their early years. Recently, the club made a Hollywood cameo in Damien Chazelle’s La La Land.