Fantastic service with a gorgeous view of the uptown skyline. The menu has a great selection of cocktails and a wide variety of super cute tiki glassware! There is an occasional DJ, but even without this is a great place to hang out and easily spend the entire evening. read more

awesome, attentive bartender and unique vibe! Asked for an off menu item (piña colada) and got one of the best I've ever had!

love this place different type of place unique!! Great vibes !! good drinks great people!!

Great drinks, great vibes and a great bartender would recommend. The aesthetics are nice, the rooftop combined with in door area are a good combo to escape the heat, and the music is cool depending on your taste. Jon walked us through the history of a lot of their drinks and it's super interesting/authentic. Shouts out, The Royal Tot read more

The Royal Tot - Amazing spot. Delicious drinks, great bartender, and great vibes!! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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I attended an event a couple weeks ago thrown by The Garden CLT. The service was terrible. The owner was the only person working and his customer service skills are poor. His appearance was poor as well, he looked like he just rolled out of bed and threw on clothes from the hamper, and hair wasn't combed either. He was not welcoming when we arrived. The wait for drinks was at least 30-45 minutes. He refused to serve us from while sitting at the bar and instructed us to line up at the other end of the bar near the steps for drinks. Which would have blocked the walk way and created congestion. There were no fans set up and minimal shaded areas on the rooftop where the party was being held. My friends and I left the party early due to the poor service that was provided. On another note, you're responding to reviews about your customer service skills, with your issues you had with the party promoter. Take accountability for your actions. You got into with the promoter and you took your frustrations out on the people attending the event and now you're trying to gaslight us. The reviews are about the experience had with you, the owner/ bartender not the promoter did. You showed up to work looking a mess. Looking like you just rolled out of bed with the bed head and wrinkled clothes. You had a bad attitude and gave horrible service. Whatever issues you had with your staff , seeing that you were working by yourself, and the event promoter doesn't give you a pass to treat us properly and provide horrible service. You're acting like we should be grateful that you let us in your establishment. If you don't want bad reviews don't give bad service. ‍ read more

I wish I could give zero stars to this place! The bartender/owner that was there is a total jerk! Went there yesterday for the first time and was super excited to try this place out as we were in the area. We saw that they opened at four so we were there right at 4 PM. The door was locked and within a few minutes, somebody came and opened the door, but he was there to set up for a poker event that was happening. The owner/bartender was not even there. So after about 15 minutes, he finally shows up and is not even ready to start Buisness. We wanted to order some cocktails and sit on the rooftop bar and enjoy the view. One person ordered a beer and his keg was not even ready. He finally goes upstairs. Brings one down and tries to pour the beer and it was 77 degree beer, who wants that! A few of us started ordering cocktails from the menu not all of us even got our drinks and some of the others were watered down. My husband went to Pay the bill and we were overcharged! Paid almost $100 for crappy drinks and service! The trash cans were still full from night before too!! When we walked out to leave the poker guy met us outside to tell us we're not the first to complain and the owner has issues. He should not be in business. read more

Tom provided excellent service . Great drinks and atmosphere. Cool, relaxed atmosphere read more

Awesome time with our bartender Tom. Fun tiki bar atmosphere with great drinks and even better vibes and decor. Will be back! read more

The Royal Tot - Drinks - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

A must-visit in Charlotte, in any season. I visited the first time during daylight in May 2024, and recently at night during their Sippin Santa presentation. Each time the service was lovely, the space gorgeous, drinks tasty and the rum selection intriguing. I was struck by the beauty of the space both by day and night - two very different experiences, both terrific. They update their socials with current info and menus can be found on their website. read more

The Royal Tot - Shot of the day, prior to being lit on fire - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Loved having a drink with friends...bartender was excellent...would come back again soon!

The bartender was super nice and the decor is so cute and everything is spot on theme. It has an indoor bar/seating, patio outside AND a rooftop. Lowkey location especially if you're not into the uptown scene read more

The Royal Tot - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Drinks are addicting. Tom is super cool and makes one heck of a Paloma Punch. A must! read more

The Royal Tot - Paloma Punch - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Went here for an event and had a really bad experience, mainly due to the owner/bartender. His foul attitude when initially trying to get bar service from him, should have made us walk out immediately. But we were there for a party, which we were hoping to enjoy. The party was on the roof, which was super-hot, had wasps flying around and no bar. The bathrooms were dirty and he was the ONLY one working. When we got drinks, the ONE draft he had was nasty and warm. We returned them, he took a sample from the drink I drank from (gross) and said we just didn't like the taste of the beer. SUPER unprofessional. We ended up getting cans and a mixed drink. He overcharged us. That was my first and LAST time at the Royal Tot. There are plenty spaces in Charlotte with great service and that are POC/LGBTQ+ friendly I'd rather patronize. read more

I had such high hopes for this bar! It was decorated so cute and the parking wasn't bad. We called ahead to make a reservation as many of the tiki bars we've gone to can be busy and it helps to reserve a table. We walked and no one greeted us. We flagged someone down they said to just grab a table. There was one bartender and one person that seemed to be working up and downstairs. The drinks were not as strong or flavorful as I'm accustomed to. We were going to order more drinks but the half hour wait to get the bartenders attention made us decide to cash out and go somewhere else. read more

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I went to The Royal Tot on Saturday for a day party, and what a disappointment. The cleanliness of the venue left a lot to be desired. The rooftop was unbearably hot, with very little shade and not a single fan to help guests escape the heat. The bartender, who I later learned was the owner, was equally disappointing. I simply said I didn't care for one of the draft beers because it tasted like I was drinking from a rusty can. Rather than accepting my feedback, he felt the need to comment on my opinion. Here's a suggestion: if a customer doesn't like something, let it go. Professionalism goes a long way. The service was slow, inattentive, and completely unaccommodating. There are too many great places in Charlotte to spend time and money at one that clearly doesn't value the customer experience. I won't be back. As for the glowing reviews since the change in ownership, based on my experience, they simply don't reflect what I encountered. read more

Absolutely loved our visit to Royal Tot! The atmosphere is so fun, tropical, and inviting--it's the perfect spot to relax and enjoy a great drink. The bartender was fantastic, friendly, attentive, and made the experience even better. We'll definitely be back! read more

They were supposed to open at 4:30. We had a reservation for 5:00. At 5:20 there were still no signs of life, the door was bolted, and nobody answered the phone. When I asked a nearby business about it, they chuckled and said, "I dunno... this happens a lot." We decided between two bars, and came here, taking an Uber to get there, just to stand around in the parking lot for 30+ minutes. We chose poorly. EDIT: definitely not a fake review. We were at two doors on ground level by parking, both locked. "Open" neon sign at one door that was off. We wandered the inside hallway looking for another door, and only found one with no handle. read more

Been here before several years ago and enjoyed the service and drinks. Went recently and experienced one of the worst customer service from a bartender ever. First off, the drinks weren't made properly and they all tasted like lime. I had ordered a Painkiller and it tasted like lime with no hint of coconut cream or nutmeg. The customer service portion was where it's horrible. We asked for a breakdown on the bill and a receipt(also said the machine glitched out and only showed our total and one drink) as the total was nearly $20 more than the drinks and the bartender refused to "do the math" after we were just wanting an answer. They said they were "too busy" to stop and clarify and basically just treated us like a cash cow. Be weary of the 20% gratuity fee that's hidden under the guidelines near the bottom. Overall, would never come back and can't recommend. only good was the ambience and decorations. PLENTY of other spots worth the money--not here. read more

Aesthetic: Kitschy, tiki themed bar with a wide variety of tropical drinks and light bites. My Favorites: I'm not a sweet drink person, so I tend to go for the old fashioned type drinks here, like the Treasure Chest. My favorite part of the experience is choosing our own fun cups and sitting at the rooftop bar. Experience: I've had fun the last few times I've visited The Royal Tot, it feels like a novelty with the themed atmosphere. The drinks are not all quite my style, so I tend to have them alter everything with less sweetness and juice. There seems to be a good amount of turnover here, so it always feels like the bartenders are just learning to make cocktails every time we've come in. However, they're extremely nice and have accommodated us every time we've visited. We always feel welcome and have a fun time. I highly recommend sitting upstairs at night and enjoying the city view. read more

The Royal Tot - Cutest Old Man - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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It's the kind of spot where you can easily spend hours enjoying yourself without realizing how quickly time passes. The staff were friendly, the service was smooth, and the entire experience felt memorable. read more

The Royal Tot - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Checked out Royal Tot and I really loved the concept--super fun Hawaiian/tiki vibe and the atmosphere is definitely a whole experience. The presentation of the drinks was cool, but we tried two different cocktails and they ended up tasting pretty similar. For spending around $50, I was expecting a bit more variety and uniqueness in flavor. Overall, it's a cute spot to try at least once, but personally I think there are better cocktail bars in Charlotte if you're looking for standout drinks read more

DONT GO HERE! Slow service, bugs in the drinks, and incompetent bartenders. I went on September 14 and was extremely disappointed with both the service and the drinks. I asked for a shot of tequila, and it was obvious that the liquor bottles were not properly maintained -- there were nats/bugs at the bottom of the bottle, which is disgusting. (This experience took place at the rooftop bar/ this place has a bar inside and outside). The bartender (a Black man with flower tattoos on his arm) seemed very new and unsure of himself. He poured me two separate shots in different glasses, and when I pointed out the bugs, he agreed that they were indeed in the bottle. He told me to make management aware and I told him that's what he should do. Nonetheless, I told a bartender at the inside bar. She looked at me puzzled. Also, a white coworker had to step in to help the Black guy bartender, but even then, it took a full 20-45 minutes(LITERALLY) to get a strawberry mixer for my margarita, so I ended up canceling the order. The white Guy bartender understood though and apologized. The service at the bar inside was way better and clean. Overall, the whole experience felt unorganized and unprofessional.!! The service and drinks were horrible, though the music (DJ KATO) was great. It's usually a 40+ crowd, but this visit was really off-putting. Free Parking on the main street. read more

The one drink I had was good but it's $16 for mostly ice and a half a cocktail's worth of alcohol that takes 30 minutes to get IF you're even able to order. The real issue here is their service. One bartender on a Saturday is NO - Especially when your business hosts a weekly poker event for like 25 people. Taking reservations and then losing them is No. Having no server at tables and one bartender is No. Having other people show up behind the bar who refuse to help the one bartender and seem like it's their first day at the establishment in No. And why are there people behind the bar who don't know how to make a soda water. It's a cup, ice, and press the beverage gun button that says 'soda'. They also took *some* of the people in our group's credit cards after ordering but not all. This was extra worrisome bc no one working the bar seemed like they knew what they were doing and was just placing the cards on a corner of the inner bar until they had time to put them somewhere. Then myself and another man waited 48 minutes to close out our tabs and when we did do that, the bartender STILL forgot to give our cards back. This was a never again for me. It's a nice place but if the owners or management cared about it they'd staff the place accordingly and at the very least have a system that does not require you to take my physical card and leave it in incompetent hands. I would be 0% surprised f my debit card became compromised in the very near future and I hate that for me and I hate the experience that EVERY SINGLE PERSON in this bar got this past Saturday. It was a joke. I never try to shoot the breeze with strangers but the situation of being ignored and there being no rush to conduct business made it impossible to not start taking bets on who would maybe get the chance to receive service that day. It was frustrating and comical and I will rest easy knowing I tipped my 20% despite the lack of service and will just never return and I'm certain the Royal Tot is fine with that. I don't think they actually want people to patronize the business and I know that sounds weird but the whole thing was weird and I pray that this place is at least money laundering so it at has some purpose. read more

The Royal Tot - This business wrote themselves a good review but pasted it in their 'about' section after writing nasty replies to their bad reviews. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Amazing cocktails especially in their tiki glasses!!! The atmosphere was great too!! This is a good spot to hangout late after evening with views and good drinks read more

Amazing rooftop bar with a great vibe! The drinks were excellent, perfectly made, and the rooftop view was absolutely awesome. A perfect place to chill, enjoy the skyline, and have a great time. Highly recommend! read more

What a fun place! Even more interesting is that we wandered in here when it was completely empty on a rainy weeknight a little before closing. It's so full of tiki greatness that the room comes to life no matter how empty it is (and truthfully, I love an empty bar). We ordered our drinks (I was lame and stuck to bubbly while admiring my husband's ornate tiki drink served in an appropriately over-the-top glass) and headed upstairs to enjoy the rain. The bartenders were so nice and welcoming. I almost felt bad about heading up and out. You cannot miss the views of the skyline up here! It was pretty magical, even in the light rain. It was a quick visit, no matter how much The Royal Tot begs you to stay, and I cannot wait to come back! read more

We loved it. It's a two-story huge place with an outside rooftop bar great decorations from Polynesian and elsewhere. The drinks were good. The bartender was good. The group was friendly. We will definitely go back. It's a perfect place for a party. read more

The Royal Tot - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Came here for comedy night for the first time ever! It was a very fun atmosphere and I had heard a lot of things about the drinks. We had a perfect view of the city which was amazing and the drinks all were very aesthetically pleasing. The wait staff was really slow for drinks which I definitely understand as most of the drinks are complex and not pre/mixed so I was okay with that. My only complaint and why I'm not giving it 5 stars is my drink was not good at all. It was almost undrinkable the vodka to mix ratio was or there. I did end up sending it back (which I typically don't do) and the bartender mixed me a new one and was very nice and understanding. I would definitely give this place another try as I think it could be better the next time read more

The Royal Tot - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

The Royal Tot is a funky, tropical tiki bar with great views of Uptown's sky line from the second floor roof top. While this place is not close to many other restaurants and bars, it does offer plenty of parking, which is a plus. The drinks are really fun although admittedly overpriced. However, if you're into something fun and instagrammable this is definitely the place. You can drinks in glass shells and even more outrageous vessels. The decor is very islandy and cutesy, which makes for fun pictures with your friends. I will say the service is on the slower side since the drinks do take a little bit longer to make. Overall, this is a fun experience but harder to keep coming back to again and again. read more

The Royal Tot - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I've been in here a couple of times usually when they are doing a themed pop up. I love the decor and they make some solid cocktails. It's also worth noting that their rooftop has some amazing views. The reason I haven't rated it higher really comes down to the service I've received the past few times I've been in. My visits have occurred in the early afternoon on the weekends with a small group. Typically when we've arrived it isn't super busy, and yet it still takes a long time for the bartenders to even notice us and even longer for them to come take our orders. It hasn't been a one off but has occurred a couple times with different servers. They haven't been rude, just seemed completely disinterested and bored and it's led to us leaving early since we weren't really receiving great service and felt like our presence was a nuisance. I love a good tiki bar, and the atmosphere here is great. But there are a lot of other cocktail bars in the city. I think there is a lot of potential here, but part of the cocktail bar experience that you pay for includes great service and I think they need to work on that aspect. read more

The Royal Tot - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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This place is a vibe, have to check it out to understand the vibe exactly but first and foremost the service was good

I met up with some friends at The Royal Tot lounge and I must say it was quite packed. I'm not a big fan of wall-to-wall people so I ordered a specialty drink from the bartender Tom, and headed upstairs to a beautiful rooftop seating area. It was kind of a chilly night so I stayed for a little while, and enjoyed the scenery, and the drinks made by Tom who was absolutely on fire... When I say on fire I mean, the way he served such a large crowd of people with a smile, and some of the most beautiful drinks which he added nutmeg, sugar and a flame! The bathroom was very unkept and required some TLC . read more

Royal Tots is a great bar that provide tropical drinks, small plates but also provide the usual beers and wines. They have a great rooftop that have a line up of events weekly. From comedy stand up, salsa dance class to private meet up groups gathering. Ambiance are very chill. Great R&B music playing on the backdrop. Some drinks can be pricely. Like one time I ordered a mojito. It was $16 with no mints or sugar cane. Now I just stick with Gin and Coke or a Stella. But this is a nice place for a first date or attend an event. Since it's not too loud during the week. read more

I can here while visiting NC because there was a Kizomba class being held here. Got here a little early and the bartender offered some options. We went for this shot that get lit on fire. I wish I could remember the name but it was delicious. The dance event took place upstairs, even though it started to rain they made space inside for everyone. I had several drinks and all were good. It was a Sunday night and they were also doing open mic for comedy downstairs! That was a bonus! The decor was also a vibe. If you are in the area definitely check them out..seemed like something fun is always happening. read more

Update: I called, but nobody answered. I also have heard from your bartenders that your fruits and juices aren't fresh and have mold in them (confirm this through other public employee reviews). I've lived in every major city and have been to real tiki bars. I can say the drinkware and decorations are fun, but the drinks are only average, music is loud and doesn't match the energy of the bar, and management is poor. Loud, bad club music, location is right across from a garbage truck cleaning lot. Drink quality was meh, would recommend another rooftop club like Aura or city lights over this (same vibe, better location). Owner bought the royal tot name, but just wants it to be a worse version of Eden. read more

What happened to this place? What is the explanation? Since the new ownership the drinks are truly garbage, not fresh squeezed citrus and high quality rums as a tiki bar should have / but private equity vibes with every corner cut imaginable . Two drinks came to $50 - when I asked how our drinks came to that price the guy shrugs and tells me I should have reviewed the receipt closer (??? Shiesty, shitty, and not an Explanation) I had to ask for pineapple juice to add some flavor in my flat mai tai- he tried to throw that in my face "you thought a mai tai had pineapple" no, I thought your awful version needed some - big difference! Wildly unprofessional and defensive as if it was his bar when he's supposedly just the event coordinator. Why only one person staffing a Friday night? Why is it so dead? He blamed not having enough events booked but under the previous ownership when the drinks were actually good it was packed every night it was open. You can't just cut everything good and high effort about tiki bar and expect the results to be good. Upstairs patio dead, a few lingering guests downstairs. They are riding. the aesthetics of tiki while doing nothing to uphold the actual culture of the mixology tradition. Truly disrespectful and parasitic. read more

Review is for the Sippin Santa Holiday Pop Up Experience! Stopped by with my husband in January and it was quite slow. Only a handful of people were sitting around the bar. The decor was super cute and the front staff personnel were also really nice. The bartender however was so-so, wasn't very talkative or willing to give recommendations even tho the bar wasn't busy. Felted very rushed to order. We ended up ordering three different drinks and while I applaud the unique flavors, I wasn't a fan of any of them. They were decently strong but the blends of flavors threw me for a loop. I can definitely see how this place would be popping during the month of December and would still recommend stopping by if you're looking for a unique experience to hang out after work or with a group of friends. read more

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Reservation: is not required The bar is 2 levels with a rooftop bar which has a separate menu. We didn't make it to the rooftop because of the rain. Parking: The parking lot is small with several other surrounding businesses. Street parking or ride sharing maybe best for a busy Saturday night. Ambiance: cool, dimly lit bar with cute tiki/tropical touches throughout the bar We went on a Saturday around 8:30pm and raining off and on. It wasn't very many people but it was also early. More people arrive as it got later into the night. Menu has several cool drinks to choose from. They has also offer shareable drinks. All drinks arrive in a tropical or unique shaped glass. Small bites are also available if you get hungry. They offer a few drinks that Cocktail: Neapolitan 5/5 Sweet, fruity and very tasty Frosty Hawaiian 2/5 - I had to wait until it defrosted to drink it. It was alright Service: You are given a menu but you have to order your drinks at the bar. Someone will bring read more

The Royal Tot - Menu - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Sadly this bar wasn't so great. There was a strong yucky smell when we first walked in the door. And the drink I ordered did not actually include one of the main ingredients that was listed on the menu. But what made it worse was there was a service charge of 20% automatically added, and then when you go to pay the device says. "Waiting for a tip", which just felt a bit weird and ridiculous because there was no understanding that a service charge of 20% was automatically included right off the bat, and when I asked the bartender about it, one of them said oh, it stated on the menu, but I literally had to search the menu and found it listed on the back about the service charge. I find that to be quite weird and like I was forced to pay it. And to know that one of the main ingredients in the drink menu for the drink that I ordered wasn't even included and the excuse as to why was pretty lame, so to basically end up paying almost $21 for a drink, and I decided not to actually add a tip on top of that because I didn't feel like being double forced to do so, so to pay $21 for a drink that didn't even match the description on the menu just felt yucky. And the smell in the bar was not great, and it was not due to the 30 or so people in the bar, but whatever the reason was, I would never go back there. read more

What a mess our visit was. If you're like my group and just wanted something festive and fun for the holiday season I highly recommend visiting during the week. We came on a Saturday around 6 PM and their was already a wait to get in. Half my party was already inside but they will make you wait even if your party already has a table. The later it gets, the worse it gets (in all aspects). The most enticing thing about this place is the super festive tiki mugs the drinks are served in. Out of 6 of us, only 3 got our drinks served in festive mugs. Dare I say bah humbug?! The downstairs bar serves different drinks than the bar upstairs- we loved this idea so decided to try drinks from both. We didn't love (so sad about this) any of our drinks but the better ones were the "sippin santa" & "Yule tide". Please please do NOT get the "island of misfit toys" or the "sugarplum daiquiri". Both were so terrible we couldn't even finish them. We spent a few hours here wanting our desire for this place to grow so naturally we became hungry. They were out of a lot of their snack options so we went with the smoked fish dip & Hawaiian rolls. The fish dip was super oily and overall unpleasant. Our Hawaiian rolls took over an hour and when they eventually arrived they were burnt and stale. They give you a # to put on your table and as ours sat at the very edge of our table we weren't even deserving of an apology. They hit us with a "your number needs to be visible". Not an enjoyable experience but the ambiance was cute and we enjoyed the decor at the very least. The upstairs bar is really cute and has a great patio. I'm a sucker for a cute tiki bar so I'd love to come back when the sipping Santa hype is over. read more

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