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Finally, a reason to visit this block on West 8th Street that doesn't involve shopping for leather chaps, trendy sneakers, or a brand-new tattoo. Cachaça offers decidedly more refined distractions as local trios nightly fill the narrow space with jazz, samba, and bossa nova. Sure, the setup invokes a generic comedy club: tan walls, low ceilings, and two-tops lined up in rows. But a mural of Christ the Redeemer and Rio samba dancers invokes the spirit of a Lapa dance club and dispels any fear of Rodney Dangerfield's ghost. Add a modest, copper-topped bar turning out heavy yet refreshing cocktails—some incorporating the venue's namesake sugarcane spirit, cachaça—and you'll likely agree that the cover and drink minimum is a reasonable price for an evening of Brazilian music. N.B.: Gray's Papaya is at the end of the block, should the cachaça have you seeing the double bass double. — Daniel Maurer

Most sets are at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., plus 1 a.m. sets on weekends. Stop in during the mostly deserted happy hour and you may get treated to a few rehearsal numbers.

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