On a typical night at Catalina Jazz Club, crowds start lining up around 6:30 p.m. When doors open a half-hour later, Manny Santiago, the restaurant’s genial manager, is at the host stand, shaking hands and guiding regulars to their preferred tables.
“It’s a meet-and-greet place,” said Mr. Santiago, who started working at the club in 1987. “We have customers that have been coming here for 35 years.”
That relaxed, living-room feel makes the restaurant a popular choice for families and large groups, who have room to spread out (children are welcome). And while the lineup skews eclectic — Broadway, Motown and Armenian lounge standards all have a place here — jazz is in the restaurant’s DNA. Over the years, Catalina has hosted the likes of Buddy Collette, Dizzy Gillespie and Ron Carter; Chick Corea had a standing annual date up until his death in 2021. (Tickets range between $35 and $65.)
Like the Los Angeles dining institutions Musso & Frank and Canter’s Deli, Catalina leans into nostalgia, conjuring a mid-1980s banquet hall atmosphere. Instead of artisanal sourdough or arancini, you’ll get hearty New York steaks ($43) and short-rib fettuccine ($33); the martinis ($20) are also a favorite.