In relative terms, this is as good as it gets...IN BOSTON. Don't take this review and compare it to a club in NYC or Vegas because lets be real, they do not compare. However, I always have a great time a royale and I believe it is one of the better if not best club in Boston! The thing I enjoy about Royale is the space. If you want a crowded area, you have the dance floor. If you want a drink, there are many convenient bars that are not too crowded, which means getting a drink is not impossible like some places. And when you really just want to chill, there is the upstairs area where you can just sit down and listen to the music. The music: overall I think Royale employs some pretty good DJs. This place is nothing crazy, but if you are looking for a good time, royale will not do you wrong! read more

Let me start off by saying this venue/club is gorgeous! The interior is just beautiful and wide open. It is the only club in Boston that reminds me of the ones in Vegas (my favorite city) so it was a great first impression. I came here for a concert and got there when doors opened. Line moved pretty quickly, and even as it got crowded there was still plenty of space to walk around and dance. I did end up near the stage which was obviously packed (no complaints there, it's a concert) and that was fun because I got some water poured on me since it was so hot! Bathrooms were okay but I wish there were more stalls considering this is a venue. read more

Awful sound system with serious upgrade needed , probably worst of Boston major clubs. Beautiful spacious venue. Good service. 3 stars is fair. read more

The venue and set up of this place is fantastic. In fact, the venue itself is extremely classy, though I can't really say the same for a lot of the patrons. Nevertheless, I still enjoy coming here, especially when there are special events. The dancers and the occasional Aerial Silk Performers (the dancers who use silk and hang from the ceilings) are an excellent touch. I've also sat at the tables a few times because my friend reserved the private booth areas, and it's great because drinks are free. However, because it's open access and in theory, anybody can just walk up onto there even if they're not in your group, I would leave your stuff with coat check. In fact, I actually had my jacket stolen during the last time I was there, when I left it unattended for 1.5 minutes. I have no one else to blame except myself, but I was still pretty peeved. Oh, side note: the bathrooms are freaking disgusting. Hold it in if possible, or drink less (though I don't see anyone following that last bit of advice in a club lol). read more

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Been to a bunch of live shows here. The space is pretty big, decent ability to see the stage, sound is generally done well. The downside is it generally is not managed very well. Just waited for about 45 minutes to leave in the coat check line. All the time we were in line we were harassed by security to hurry and leave because they wanted to clean up. read more

Had a terrible experience here the one and only time that I've been. One waitstaff in particular was incredibly rude and disrespectful. My friend, who is also Indian repeatedly asked for his card to pay our tab. Repeatedly we were told that the card wasn't with her and that she couldn't be bothered to look. When we kept repeating the name she acted like she couldn't comprehend us or understand what we are saying. Finally when someone else came and found the card, she wasn't bothered to offer an apology or to so much as look in our direction. When Royale management/staff came up afterwards, we tried to explain that we were simply trying to pay our bill and leave, and instead we were being treated as though we were creating trouble. No apologies or understanding were forthcoming from them and all they really wanted to do was to get us to leave at this point. Royale, please take note. You made our group feel extremely uncomfortable and like we didn't belong there regardless of the fact that we were paying customers like any other. Your refusal to address the behavior of your staff in that moment solidified for me your organizational attitude as well. In today's day and age I think it is egregious for your staff to treat people differently because she couldn't understand their accent, or pronounce their names and it is unacceptable that you have staff who can't be bothered to treat people with basic human respect. Unless you do better and change this you are perpetuating racist mindsets and preventing everyone from enjoying your facilities equally. read more

This is the WORST smelling club I've ever been in in my entire life. The drink selection is very limited and wayyyy over priced. Go to neds or any other club you'll have a better time read more

Came here on a Saturday night around 10:00 PM for a night out with friends. The line was very long but moved quickly.The night as a whole was just okay but then we ended up in a terrible confrontation with the staff there. While we were outside standing in the rain to leave, a group of people gathered around a man who was seriously inebriated. When trying to take the drunk man's pulse, one of the people was confronted by a security guard from the club who accused him of trying to steal the man's watch (the watch was on his wrist where he was trying to take a pulse). The security continued to escalate the situation, cursing and screaming at us and the people trying to help the man (who at this point was passed out on the bus stop bench). By the time the security intervened, 911 was already called, however they started to pick a fight with my friend and I for trying to stand up for the man they were accusing of pickpocketing. One of them even stood in my face, threatening me and followed me into the street into oncoming traffic. We kept walking and she went back to the bus stop and proceeded to vape her vape pen furiously. Additionally, there were a lot of pushy men touching us all throughout the night and pushing themselves on us on the dance floor. I understand covid has taken a toll on everyone, but the security here seems to like to escalate situations unnecessarily for some kind of power trip. Very unprofessional, we will likely not be returning to this venue. Positives: The venue itself is very nice, spacious, well decorated. The bartenders were quick and efficient. read more

literally the worst - came here for an event and the staff harassed and pushed all of my friends will never come here again and would give 0 stars if possible read more

Rudest employees. I was physically pushed from a chair while waiting for the coat check line and verbally abused. I had a fun night until multiple employees became degenerates. 1 out of ten. Do not host your event here read more

I got tickets for the half*alive show here, and I was thrilled. The Royale's website lists a phone number for people who need seating due to their disabilities, so I gave it a call. (I have ME/CFS, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and Crohn's disease, so my glorious days of being able to rock out without passing out or worse are over.) I called the Royale 3 weeks before the concert at 617-338-7699, ext. 210, and left a message explaining my disabilities and requesting a place to sit . They never called back. I tried their other recommended extention (x211) six days before the concert and requested accommodations again, i.e., just a place to sit. They never called back. The Americans with Disabilities Act has been around since 1990, and the Royale's only been around since 2010. How have they never heard of this law? Oh wait! They have heard of it. Their website says to call the numbers above "with at least 2 days notice. Although we do not have a designated ADA area, we will be happy to arrange a place for you to sit." I ended up selling my tickets at a loss, because my friends, that statement is a bald-faced LIE. If you are not able-bodied, or if you have a friend who is not able-bodied, I encourage you to go to one of the many Boston clubs that will accommodate you -- i.e., absolutely anywhere else. The Paradise is fantastic. read more

I was visiting so decided to try this club and compare it to the ones in DC and Baltimore that I'm familiar with. It holds up! I didn't have very high expectations because of the negative comments here and the plain outside, but the space inside is roomy, well-designed for a club (raised dance floor with multiple entrances, multi-side main bar, side bar, quiet areas, tables). Reasonably nice decor, nice quality furnishings, pretty clean, I had a good bartender. MIxed drinks are expensive but I've never been in a non-ghetto club that's been otherwise. $10 cover. On a recent summer Friday evening, it was pretty empty just before 11pm, but, get this: there were chicks dancing even so! Some of them pretty good. Two bachelorette parties and random numbers of others. The latin-themed/inspired music gave way to hip-hop and club by about midnight (and the club started to fill up). The previous skilled dancers faded away to be replaced by a less attractive and more typical club crowd (less dancing, less nice to look at), things started winding down by 1am but no feeling of "night's over" until the club actually closed at 2. Looked like it was hard to get a taxi after the clubs in the are closed, fortunately my hotel was a few blocks away so I could hang out and watch the CabScramble and then amble back to my room. I think some of the reviewers are being harsh, or maybe haven't clubbed in other cities. This place was pleasingly decent without the "we charge New York Prices" pretensions that often come with upscale clubs. Maybe Bostonian reviewers just have high expectations? Go figure. read more

I went to the Tinashe show last night. The man working security made me empty out all my pockets which was three pre roll containers and a glass chillum. I was told I "shouldn't have brought these" by the man working the security wands. He then told me to put stated items in the gray drawer at the bottom of the stairs and they would be there at the end of the show. Added that he would be there all night as if to make me feel better about leaving the items. The show ends we have a great time and I approach the grey drawers. I open the drawer and the same man then tells me that threw everything away "because I shouldn't have had those items anyways". I've never sparked up during a show nor would I but this man never cared about that. Even on the website it says no such thing about the rules he was enforcing. It only says "marijuana use is not permitted on the property" of which I am always respectful of. This was never his issue. My friend who was with me was even able to bring the joints she rolled prior to the show with no issue. Why didn't she have hers taken away? read more

Warning to my fellow ragers. They tend to check the shit out of every bag / pocket that comes through here so be careful. With that out of the way, lets get down to business. Hot bartenders, expensive drinks, good music, large venue, pricey cover, mixed crowd, If you are coming here as a group arrive early and try to figure out a way to get reduced or no cover. I recommend buying tickets to a show when there is a good DJ in town. I saw A&B here and it was one of the best shows I have seen because it felt so up close and personal. I would definitely come back here for a show again but I might try to avoid the whole Fri / Sat night maddness. Being ranked as the most popular nightclub in Boston will also bring in some grimey ass people to a club. read more

Attended for a concert last night and we heard several bartenders at the main bar in the back of the venue discussing how they thought COVID rules were ridiculous. A blonde bartender said, in front of us, that she had a fake vaccine card. None of the bartenders were wearing masks and they asked us to take off our masks when ordering, which a) is contrary to venue mask rules and b) made us extremely uncomfortable. If you believe in science and don't want to catch COVID, this is not the venue for you! read more

Concert venue review only Great place to see your favorite dj. Vip is laughable. Drinks were fairly priced. Great space to rage. Only wish you could dress down to dance your ass off. Jumping around and sweat isn't cool when you're dressed for the club. Especially when some people get special treatment and are let in with tank tops and shorts. read more

Royale - Tommy Trash: Trashed Tour - Dance Clubs Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

See Kathryn H. Review. This place is expensive, dead, and makes you wait outside when it's empty to make it seem more popular. Garbo. read more

If you are looking for a classy private venue for your next party, this is NOT the place. We had our holiday party at the Royale and were underwhelmed and very disappointed. The venue is more for public concerts, and there is not much to offer if you are planning a classy party - it was a little better than a dump, candidly. The food was below mediocre (lumpy mac and cheese and sliders that are nothing you'd enjoy) - food would fill you up but that's about it, the furniture was cheap, and no effort was put in to make it welcoming. The coat check-in counter had hand-written signs taped up the wall, a plastic jar for tips, and old wire hangers that weren't even matching. The bathrooms were dirty. The only thing it had to offer was the space and the A/V if you are looking for a "club" scene - not classy. I do not recommend it if you want a nice, elegant event venue. I tipped the staff well because they worked hard. read more

I have been here a few times for concerts and it's been an okay experience, but now I WILL NEVER GO BACK. During the show on 11/5/19, my best friend passed out. I received more kind offers and better help from the band member's merch table guy and people in the audience then I did from the staff. She is on medication for blood pressure and the lights from the show had started to bother her. When she started feeling lousy, we had exited the crowd and found a barstool for her to sit on between one of the bars and the merch area. When she passed out the immediate response was from an audience member who was a nurse and the merch guy. I even had another audience member offer assistance as she was CPR certified. After about a minute of commotion, we had three security guards and the nearby bartender approach us. As my friend was regaining consciousness the bartender began yelling in our faces. The music was loud, yes, but she was inches from my face and my friend who was barely conscious. She shouted that we needed to move my friend to a nearby couch. I said please give her a moment to get her bearings. The bartender then proceeded to tell us if we didn't get her off the floor that "security will have to take her out of here". What were they going to do? Carry a barely conscious girl outside and drop her on the sidewalk? I told her she needed to back off and stop yelling as, again, my friend was still barely conscious. She continued to talk over me and yell at me that she needed to be moved, completely disrespecting my friend's well-being and my request. The security guards said nothing. After a solid minute of continued yelling over me, my friend finally let me know she wanted to get up. I helped a security guard move her to a nearby couch. Our belongings were on the stool behind us. I had to yell to one of the security guard following aimlessly behind us to please get our stuff so it wasn't stolen. Of the five staff members involved in this entire incident only two were semi-decent. The man who helped me carry her offered to grab her water and juice. Another guard told us that the show would be over soon and we could sit and relax before heading out and that if we needed anything to grab a nearby staff member. The other guards and the bartender disappeared completely. Those guards, too, then disappeared and were not seen again, not even to check in on us. About fifteen minutes later the show ended. The guard standing beside the stage, who had not been present during the incident, approached us and told us we had to leave because they were going to start cleaning. I informed him my friend had passed out and another guard told us we were okay to sit and relax for a bit. We knew the venue was not closing as they were still selling merch and the band was coming out for a meet and greet. He stared at me blankly and I couldn't figure out if he hadn't heard me or just didn't care. He again told us we couldn't stay and had to leave. As I tried to express again what had happened my friend said let's just go. As we got up to leave, the girls across from us tried to help by also explaining the situation. I unfortunately didn't see or hear the guard's response as my friend and I had begun to leave. The girls chased after us and apologized on behalf of the uncaring staff, something that's not even in their control, and asked if they could help us exit the venue. This whole ordeal was disgraceful on the staff's behalf. This venue needs to take time to properly train the staff members on how to handle a crisis situation. Not once did a single one of the staff members ask if she hit her head when she fell or if she required an ambulance. While she did not, this should have been the first question the staff asked. Instead, they asked only if she was diabetic, if she was on medication, and if she had been drinking. The bartender was rude and heartless and several of the security guards were careless and inattentive. Needless to say, I will never be attending an event at this venue ever again. read more

didnt let my friend in who is 22 and had a real ID and a debit card with her name. she even provided a vaccine card and school id and they still said it wasn't her and were being rude. Bouncers are arrogant and poor at doing their job, never going there again and telling all my Northeastern friends to never go there either. read more

I've really given this place a chance, but probably will never go back again seeing as though a series of unfortunate events seem to cascade afterward. I wish this place had better karma, as the size of the venue itself is a pretty good size (at least for Boston). Their music line-up is also fairly decent as well- Robin Shulz was awesome! Pros: + Decent sized venue for a cramped city like Boston + Good music line-up + Generally a fun place; one of the few clubs in this city where people actually DANCE Cons - - Extremely expensive drinks; (rude bartender who demanded why I didn't tip on a $12 drink). DEFINITELY pre-game before you come. - Bathrooms extremely hard to locate; not a drunk friendly layout. - Extremely unorganized staff in lost and found - 1st time: Lost my wallet with $100 in it; (eventually got it back WITHOUT the $$ of course) - 2nd time: Lost my black leather jacket, This was unfortunate as I tried calling for 3 weeks about it before I could get a definite answer that it was gone. - Extremely tight security at the check-in line. Like, this security guard went through the teeny tiny hidden zipper in my purse and took my j and my meds. Not cool. Moral of the story: Learn from my mistakes. Don't bring anything valuable/sentimental; pre-game before arriving. Be prepared to go through extensive security check. And don't tip asshole bartenders. read more

Friday night summary: rude bouncers, objectified hostesses, mediocre DJ, cheesy VIP treatment and vomit on the floor. Keep reading for details... So I wanted to see Paul Oakenfold, one of my favorite old school trance DJs. The show was supposed to be at 10pm at the Royale. I got there around 9:55 and I saw the door open, no ropes to block the entrance, and an army of bouncers around. I make my entry and one of them pushes me aside "the line is over there" and points towards the opposite direction I came from. No signs anywhere. I comply and I overhear the guy saying to his peers "this is happening all the time. Can't they see where the line is? Ughhh" scoffing in disgust. I mean, unless I have a career like you in being a professional bouncer, how else would anyone guess your policies, when there are no signs? After they let people inside (with a convoluted process of multiple checkpoints, an "admit one" ticket that you literally carry it for 3 feet to give it to another guy for a stamp), you find yourself inside the club. What draws your attention immediately are the VIP sections. Shortly after the people arrive in their special booths, a group of 4-5 employees carrying some bizarre white LED lights (similar to what air traffic controllers use on the tarmac) make appearance with a bucket full of booze. Only one is a guy (the one carrying the heavy load) and the rest are under dressed young women. One of them carries a heavily lit sign "IT'S A LIT". The cheesy ness of it is terrible. While eagerly awaiting for Paul Oakenfold to start, we were fed some terrible mixing from the dj on stage. Sadly Paul didn't show up at all even around 12:15am, when I decided I can't stand the crowd and made my way out. Well, easier said than done. Next to the big bar in the middle of the club there was a huge pile of vomit. People were sliding on it, spreading the mess even more. I saw a couple of employees sitting at the bar and laughing at the situation instead of cleaning it or blocking the area so people don't step on it. Not sure how much of what I saw was specific to last night, but I bet the cheesiness, the objectified women, the indolence of employees and the rude bouncers are common. It's not something that happens as a one off usually. Sad! read more

I used to come to Royale a lot, it was like a big night out for everybody to get dressed up and check out this place, and we ended up taking a trip down memory lane last Saturday night to stop by again as we were in the neighborhood. The presentation of this place is fantastic, marble, pillars, high ceilings, balconies, this place gives off a fancy/victorian feel to it. Line was pretty long as usual, and cocktails/beers are pretty expensive. If you like repetitive dance music and you can't have a conversation over then this is the place for you! All in all, my night was ok. read more

Just saw Andrew Bayer at Royale. The dude bar tending the front was awesome, class act. Service was great in general. Only complaint is the ticket said 10pm but we didn't get inside until closer to 10:45. I would have brought my jacket had I known that #OldManProblems read more

DO NOT GO HERE. The music is awful. Every 4th song, the DJ would play the same thing. The sound system wasn't clear and overall was disappointing. I heard better dance music on my car radio after I left the club, which isn't saying much. No one was really dancing and I believe it was not the shyness of the crowd, but the bad beats coming from the DJ booth. $3 coat check, fine. 1 mixed drink: $14- way too much. I don't mind paying a $20 entry fee if its worth it, but this place was boring. The only reason I give it any props, is for the hired dancers and swing performers that were working their butts off. The building and interior is also pretty. Instead, I recommend to go across the street to club Cure, ZuZu in Cambridge, or Gypsy Bar. read more

Royale - Swing performers at Royale. These girls are the only good thing at this club. - Dance Clubs Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

I want to give this place more than two stars - I really do - but I can't. The two stars are for the layout and that's it. Staff are weird, I'm not sure if it's being pretentious, overly tired of dealing with Boston weirdos, or just plain miserable rude people, but they're rude and curt for no good god damn reason. The drinks cost me two arms and it was still not as bad as the $30 cover for a "concert". A "concert" which had some great DJ (apparently?) Morgan Pageplaying the exact same music that literally every single other straight bar in the world plays. It's the music that starts kind of soft while he acts like he's navigating starship one up on the podium, then he throws a hand in the air and it goes boom boom boom and some beat drops and it's the exact same UNTS UNTS UNTS as the past six songs. Occasionally there's smoke blasted down into the audience. My advice is don't go here unless it has someone you know and religiously follow for some special event. You can go to the gay club machine for better drinks and better music. That's definitely where they need to start scouting for DJS- GAY CLUBS. Theyre always ahead of the curve for music and play stuff you can actually dance to. EDIT: I just got a message about how I should review the venue and not bash the DJ, so here is my response. The venue picked the DJ, charged out the behind for admission, and paid him at the end of the night. I doubt Mr Page will look at this or care what some chick from Massachusetts thinks but if he does, maybe he'll take my advice and check out some gay clubs. Find something outside of his comfort zone with a beat beyond what was repeated for hours. Maybe he had a bad night? My job was to review the 'concert' and I did. It sucked. read more

This is a pretty nice, medium-sized venue. I like the Victorian aesthetic, and it's conveniently located in the Theater District. They don't have a great system for checking bags, which is unfortunate. Obviously, you should try not to bring large bags / valuables to a concert, but sometimes it is simply unavoidable, and it was a little awkward to have to store my bag in a utility closet. The cocktails are pretty expensive (~$11 and up), but that's to be expected. At least they were pretty generous with the booze! read more

I have been here three times now because I keep getting sucked back into the idea that Royale is supposed to be a great club, but not so much if all you do is get grabbed and before someone tries to argue that this is "expected," I've been to THREE other Boston clubs where I have never been (non-consensual) touched multiple times sO tHeRe, but EVERY time I go to Royale, even waiting to get into the damn club, I get a grab on my butt, arm, and even chin. I don't know whether the club can actually do something about the terrible guy crowd they attract or not; I imagine that would be hard to do besides hunting them all down, so the best advice I can give others is to go elsewhere. Let's talk other aspects. Royale shares a building with Candi so the first set of bouncers is for both clubs. They get loud and talk very generally at the crowd, but they're probably talking directly at you so pay attention. In the end they are just doing their jobs, but people they know have an easy time passing through. Recently I had bought after 12:30 tix and one bouncer said venue was closed unless we had tix, but then literally 20 seconds later another bouncer who saw us pass through said everything was closed due to over capacity. This would've been fine--I totally understand fire code--buuuut they let some other white girls in so. . . (It was a no re-entry night & this also applies to Candi downstairs.) Royale is really big. Stage for DJ is large, lots of tables to be sold, but the actual dance area is super duper tiny which I'm still trying to figure out why because it just looks ridiculously cramped. Dance floor gets tight and the weirdos will start showing up. My first time here some guy was bopping everyone's heads with a balloon. Did not appreciate it so I grabbed it before he bopped me again. Dance floor was also where I experienced weird 40 something year old who tried to touch me. Another time some guy grabbed me right from my boyfriend. No drama ensued, but it left a sour feeling for him. Drinks are expensive which is to be expected. The plus points are the really awesome ladies they hire to dance. They have dancers hanging from ropes and also on the stage which is great theatrically. The DJ lineup is always online so you can easily check whether you'll enjoy the music or not. Sometimes they have Top 40 or sometimes indie trap. Coat check is $3. Overall this place is the biggest meh emoji. I'm gonna get real with you Yelpers--as a petite Asian girl trying to go clubbing, you're treated differently especially by seedy guys and I would literally recommend any other club because I've had the most problems here at Royale (both Fri & Sat) than anywhere else. Anywhere else! How is that possible?!?!?! Because Royale attracts the entitled guy who thinks he can get away with literally anything I guess. Please do yourself a favor--this club is already expensive as it is and really is not worth it. Hit up any other spot. As a woman you'll probably enjoy other clubs A LOT more. read more

Went for Afrojack last year and he only came on stage at 1.05am, not even on for an hour. Also there were 3 fights read more

Not the best place, but I enjoyed myself- I prefer the balcony over the floor because it is more spacious. Bathroom isn't bad; it's not the cleanest but not disgusting either. read more

Royale - Dance Clubs Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This place is a worthless failure and unintentionally funny joke. If this place was a person, it would be the person dressed up like someone from Jersey Shore on Halloween, and then you find out that the person isn't in costume. Boston is one of the coolest cities in the world. Why? Because it has never been interested in "da club" as a concept. Its bands, bars, museums, and neighborhoods are naturally cool and offer something for everyone. Royale is a big stanky Miami turd in the middle of town. No one who is actually "hip" gives a fart about things like "VIP Bottle Service" (Ooooohhh! Wow! I can get a BOTTLE served to me at a TABLE?! Where else in Boston could I receive such a service?! Such pampering!) I was first introduced to this catastrophe through an advertisement in Stuff (y'know the free Boston magazine no one reads that is trying to convince the Boston populace that we are a hotbed of fashion, the one everyone ignores on their way to picking up the Phoenix or Dig. It has a big "S" on it, which shouldn't stand for "Stuff"). The ad was the worst I had ever seen; I'm talking infomercial bad. They had written a fictional scenario (probably made one of their English dropout bartenders do it) in which a woman was preparing for a supercool night out with her BFFs. After forced description of how the sun was setting over Boston, her cell phone rang. No lie, here are some parts of the ad: -She hung up the phone and thought to herself, "I love my friends, they're so hip". -There were forced, out dated (or never used) slang words sprinkled through the ad with asterisks next to them and definitions at the bottom such as "rolling ninja" (wearing black) and "sleigh bells" (the crappy band). -At one point the woman on the phone was (naturally) talking about how supercool the Royale was and said "I KNOW, EVERYONE FROM AL GORE TO KID ROCK HAS BEEN THERE". Oh boy! Cool-ass Al Gore keepin' itz real! What what! So obviously, I had to see this place for myself. It was more hilarious than I thought possible. If you are 15 year-old girl who enjoys Nelly or 3OH3 and their description of what "da club" is, this place is perfect for you to get dolled up and nervously scan the room to make sure everyone thinks one another is baller and agree that this is somehow a good time. Just keep in mind, the rest of the city is laughing at you. Artless, classless, and boring. There is dance floor and DJs so whack that you think they are kidding. One of them was using their MacBook and probably Pandora. And even still, the I have heard my grandfather blend beats more smoothly by taking a record off of turntable and putting another on ten minutes later. The crowd is what you expect: boring pricks transported from Faneuil Hall who think the term "baller" applies to themselves. Guess what: no one is baller. That's a made up concept no one cool actually believes in. Their daddies and mommies gave them an allowance to go pretend to be a big shot down at fancy dancey party. You could get herpes walking across the dance floor. Men who should be wearing padded helmets to go with their popped collars and are wearing more moisturizer than the women. The girls look like strung out victims of fetal alcohol sydrome wearing rhinestone rags and smell like sugar-coated doodoo. The staff has the personality and charm of a burrito belch. Sometimes a goofy mascot (a pink bear) walks around to make it seem like the place is KAR-AYYYZEEEE KRUNKKKK!! But of, course, it's pretty tame. It just makes you feel like you are on a Carnival Cruise for someones retirement party. All that, and there was a stabbing there and they were afraid to report to the police. So if you get stabbed, make sure you call the police yourself. The bartenders are poor. Hope you like crappy beer or frat drinks. No artisans here. Expect to pay a lot for your sub-par drink as well. So many better places to pay for interesting drinks, why over pay for a bad one in a joke of a venue. They should throw a big top over this place and then commit bar seppuku and burn itself down then have the pink bear vacuum up the ashes. Complete and total perfect failure. Don't go unless you are either a 15 year old reality TV junky or a 25 year old self-conscious attention whore moron. Then by all means, enjoy your night. Or don't. No one cares and no one is watching. read more

5 things that make Royale the Best Dance Club in Boston: 1. THE STAFF! Like all things in Life: It's the people that make the Difference! And that is especially true here. From the two REALLY tall Card check Bouncers at the front door (who are firm but polite), to John and his fantastic door security staff (who diligently keep Royale weapons free), to Tony and Elliot at the check-in desk up stairs (who are very efficient and always exhibit Excellent customer service) to the bar tender staff (who always get my drink right), to the Coat check staff (who have never lost anything) To the Entertainers (who are ALWAYS entertaining) Royale has THE BEST Staff in Boston! 2. They keep the trash out. Believe it or not Royale has actually gotten some bad press in the "Human Rights" Community of Boston (otherwise known as aging, flag-burning hippies from Cambridge) for having an "aggressively enforced dress code policy" and "Very thorough Frisking Policy...that seems designed to exclude certain populations." And my answer to that is: GOOD!!!! That's why I keep coming back to Royale! You guys in the ACLU really need to get an A CLUE! Keeping the Gang bangers from Dorchester, the Thugs from Southie, and the Gumbahs from the North End on the street (so that the all the majority nice people from those neighborhoods now have a safe place to go dance) is not DISCRIMINATION! It is called CIVILIZATION! Because not all of us live in gated communities in Belmont and are members of the Cambridge Country Club. 3. Really Good Security Inside. At most Boston Clubs the bouncers are usually just thugs who take bribes (just like our Congressmen) But here they are Extremely Professional. They watch everything like a hawk and proactively deal with trouble before it becomes trouble. Well done guys! 4. Better etiquette on the Dance floor than ALL other clubs in Boston. Just about every other Dance Club in Boston I can no longer take my female friends to because the INSTANT I step away from them on the dance floor about 25 Creepy Smelly No-neck Grease-balls will start grinding them from all angles as if the sexual assault laws don't apply on the dance floor. Just ewwwww! Here, since the trash doesn't get into the club, it's like dancing back in time. Among the single men who approach women, about 99% WILL go over to women and start dancing BUT THEY WILL NOT initiate physical contact first. That's called being a class act. ("The other 1%" do need to learn this lesson, but at least it is not like the 100% at other clubs) 5. Walking into the men's rooms is not like crossing into the Seventh Seal of Hell. By now you have all heard that horrifying story about that poor Chinese student who, at another dance club on a saturday night, was (depending on which account you read) either drugged with ruffies or was just really drunk; and was taken in the men's room where (allegedly) about 30 men had sex with her. Needless to say; that would NEVER happen here. At Royale they actually police the bathrooms and monitor who goes in and out. (Not to mention that the Thugs who would do something like this would never even get IN this club to begin with) And they keep the bathrooms pretty clean to. Now here are some tips to make your night at Royale that much of a better memory to tell your mutant grand children about: 1. RSVP on the Web site. Then women (usually) get in free before 11pm and guys get in for a reduced rate (Not to mention that the web site has a lot of cool stuff worth checking out) 2. Don't come drunk- they won't let you in. 3. Do come dressed within the dress code guidelines. Which is posted on the web site for all those who can read (For all you BU students who can't read- please get a friend who went to real college to read for you) 4. Do Tip the staff- because like everything else in life- you get what you pay for! read more

I am so unimpressed and deeply disappointed in this club. We came to Royale to see Krewella tonight, 9/16. This was an EDM show. As paying customers, we expected the minimum service of being able to get into the club without prejudice or trouble from bouncers and security. Instead, my boyfriend and about sixty other men were selectively denied entry for wearing sneakers. Meanwhile, women and selected men who wore sneakers were still allowed to enter. The bouncers kicked people out of the entry line and repreatedly declared, "no refunds." This is just unacceptable! There are people who worked hard to save money for this show, people who drove across state lines to support this business and enjoy a nice night out with friends. Royale has the good fortune of being able to book big names in EDM, but their treatment of customers lacks dignity and respect. I sincerely hope EDM artists and their managers become aware of the bad reputation this club has and consider booking elsewhere. We don't want clubs like this to stand for the EDM community. read more

What is there not to like about this place? Gary Zerola (http://www.garyzerola.com) and the TSA administer the pat downs and the body scans at the door, but once you've finished your cigarette from the cavity search, that's when the party really gets jumpin'. The first thing I noticed were all the half naked underage girls, dancing like they were in a 2-Live Crew rap video, except they were grinding each other to the overpowering beat of techno. Weird but mildly arousing, as I felt like Dirk Diggler minus the 11 inches. I can only be led to believe that R Kelly and Joe Francis own Royale. Unfortunately the DJs were having software issues with their Mac books, because the music was all over the place, from techno to hip hop to ABBA (???). After quickly downing 2 shots of my testosterone-laced woo woos, I was asking myself if I was at a dance club or an AVEDA trade show. With the overpowering effects of the woo woos clouding my better judgment, I was subsequently informed by my Masshole sources that Royale is the "it" spot for the 17 year-old hairdressers from the sophisticated Route 1 suburbs of Malden, Revere, and Saugus. In fact, I was told that Royale translated in Chinese actually means Kowloon. The highlight of my night was when a Teen Mom (from Everett!!!) actually asked me what type of "Oriental" I was. I should set the facts straight: I am not a rug. read more

Ok all of you peeps hating on Royale, First of all, Ive been to nightclubs all over he damn country and can say with full confidence and comparative experience that it is THE best club in New England. And just to clear anything up before there are any misconceptions, no I do not work there but Im there every weekend because it IS the illest. Now that being said, Royale is not only the best in terms of creative design and concept, it has space only Estate in the alley can compete with (and ever since that when down the crapper, it really doesn't matter). That alone sets it apart from other venues...besides that the music is on point, the lighting and sound systems are state of the art and the venue has plenty of situations to move in and out of...from a high energy dance floor to low-key couches upstairs for snuggling ;o) How many other places can say the same? Maybe two? Is it cheap? No, but then again you get what you pay for. If you want cheap drinks, gross chicks, loser guys, a $5 cover and mashups by DJ's that have training wheels on their mixing board, then you have a variety of choices from the Alley all the way down to Faneuil Hall. If you want to be in place that has all the elements of a club in Miami, then you're going to have to pony up the dough. You want to go to Space in Miami? You better be figuring a $50 cover charge, so consider at $20 you're getting a discount. To the guy who's complaining about his VIP service, it isn't Chuck E Cheese, its the nightclub industry, your $2400 is peanuts when the club can gross $50-100k a night. You want service, take your money to the Capital Grill, the waiters will give you their business card and give you a lovely little smile. If you wanna have fun and get your drink on, then pull some girls over to your table, put on your stunner shades, and stop worrying about the where the waitress is... To the guy saying he'll "take his business else where," this isn't a flea market and we're not trading chickens... you're doing them a favor by going next door because you aren't their demographic of customer. The customer that balks at the cover charge is the same customer who doesn't tip the bartenders, doesn't have fun, and will probably start a fight over all of it. And listen, I've been going to clubs for awhile and if there is one thing I've learned it's this, whether you're partying in a mega club or in a dive bar, whether you have fun or not is ENTIRELY up to you. Yes, energy and venue do play a part, but in the end nobody else is going to give a crap whether you have fun or not, so you might as well enjoy yourself. The only reason the place has two stars is because its clientele don't go on yelp and I'm willing to bet on it, because the place is packed every weekend. read more

I mean what can I say, this place is awesome. It's a club, it's big and they get big artists. Experience is a bit of a toss up but in a fun way, not anyway that would make me never want to go again or be angry lol. Solid table experience and value if you're going for that. It also makes for a great venue for private functions, I've worked/volunteered/attended a number of those sorts of events and it's a perfect space for it. read more

In a pretty good location in terms of parking garages nearby and distance from the highway if your visiting from "away". I had a very thorough pat down however my boyfriend felt that he was barely searched. I appreciate feeling safe at concert venues. Really bad draft beer selection considering the amazing local beer options. Beer was also cash only, not sure if he bar overall is. Fairly small venue but the floor in front of the stage is raised making hard to see if your in the back. read more

Can't vote less than a star? Oh well. In my defense, I was forced to go here. At gun and knifepoint. I know right? First I was frisked harder than I was at the airport. I won't make a joke about him owing me a drink or breakfast, it was just... deep. Then comes the American Idol-like table of judges to determine if you can get in there. "UMM, you're not on MY list" says some stupid chubby blonde bitch who apparently thinks she is more important than a door person at a cheesy overpriced club. Luckily I appeal to the gays and I was with a gaggle of hot babes so he gave me a free pass without expecting any sort of B/H/Z-J in return. If you pay $25 to get in ANYWHERE, you are a chode. Which is the typical clientele here. Boys under 5'9" who like fancy tshirts, fat chicks in REALLY short dresses, all the AZNs it took to film Fast & Furious 3, and the token creepy over 35 year old who really just wants to dance. I'll give them one thing, the music was bumping. But it looked like Caesar's Palace on a bad acid trip. Another typical client would be this JShore wanna be John R. that posted his review on here with 5 Stars calling it "the illest". He wears paisley and white dragons on his fancy shirts. If you want to meet someone like John R.... go here. read more

I just recently came here to see a show, Midland in concert and it was a really wonderful small scale venue! First of all it is very stunning when you walk in! The bar is located in the middle with the stage in front and there isn't really a bad seat in the house... Drinks were not tooooo highly marked up and the bartenders were very quick- not always common at a concert venue. Easy to get to by car, lots of good spots to eat or drink before hand, and easy to get in and out of. read more

Royale you guys royally messed up last night (9/16/2016) for Krewella with your inconsistent shoes policy. I saw many people get turned away tonight just because they were wearing the exact sneakers that they were allowed to go in nights prior. Thanks for the heads up... And when did you guys decide to change this rule? Just that night? On Krewella at Royale | 9/16/16? When many fans already bought tickets and were denied entry? That's really messed up guys. I've never seen Royale be so strict in their dress code as tonight. If you guys do want to enforce a dress code, at least be consistent about it. And if you're wondering on what basis I'm making my claim, I was denied entry the first time around, but was let in the second time after I waited in line again and got a different bouncer. Good job. If you guys are going to enforce a strict dress shoes policy, at least give your patrons an advance warning, because we've been coming in wearing casual sneakers for quite a while now. read more