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    The Royal Tot

    3.1 (177 reviews)
    Closed 4:30 pm - 11:30 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

    The Royal Tot Photos

    THE ROYAL TOT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - The Royal Tot

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    Shot of the day, prior to being lit on fire
    Stephanie A.

    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.

    Christmas menu
    Brandy M.

    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.

    Cutest Old Man
    Ally F.

    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.

    This business wrote themselves a good review but pasted it in their 'about' section after writing nasty replies to their bad reviews.
    Carl F.

    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.

    larry b.

    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.

    Shay N.

    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

    Mike S.

    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.

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    30 days ago

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    1 year ago

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

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    All fees are clearly disclosed on the menu.

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - The Royal Tot

    Blue Door

    Blue Door

    4.3
    (24 reviews)
    2.3 mi

    3.5/5 stars. Went back to Blue Door to give it another chance with the new menu... it's still my…read moreleast favorite cocktail bar in all of charlotte. The menu this time is theme park theme... again, a fun concept but not well executed. Pretty overwhelming, especially with the bartenders explaining the menu to us twice with the same spiel there is too much to look at it makes it difficult to pay attention to the drinks. I really did not love my drink (starbreaker?) you could only taste the lychee The bartenders not a vibe, it was not that comfortable to sit at the bar. They now serve food, hotdogs... which do NOT match the vibe at all, so that was interesting that their only food (other than the free popcorn) is not hot dogs..

    This place blue my mind…read more I was visiting my best friend while in town for a conference on amusement ride standards. We had a reservation for Blue Door for Saturday night, and it was amazing. Now while she was vaguely aware of their "spirited kingdom" menu, I had NO CLUE. It was the best surprise! They have such a cool menu with a full theme park map containing 4 lands with 4 cocktails each. The cocktails all match the type of ride they are, it's honestly such a cool idea, and it was so well done. I loved the art. I will say, I was skeptical that all of their drinks would actually work and worried that they'd be too caught up in the theme to make results but . . . Oh my goodness I was so impressed by the drinks here. I think a lot of bars these days can get so caught up in trying to be unique that their drinks become nearly undrinkable. This place definitely doesn't suffer there. They brought us an aperitif when we came in, but unfortunately I have a blueberry allergy so we skipped that. We had 4 drinks between the 2 of us and they were all awesome. I ordered the star breaker and the green dragon (what can I say, I love gin and a good coaster), and they were both balanced and tasty. My friend got the diablo and the neon shift, and they were both fantastic as well! The neon shift was served with a black light too which was super cute. The one drink I have to call out specifically is the green dragon. There was something about this drink that was so unique, I have genuinely never had anything like it but I would order it a thousand times over. It's so good. It keeps me up at night. It haunts my every bar order. I will be writing home about it. What else can I say about this place - the service was great, the atmosphere was fun, and the DJ was amazing. I thought "wow this guy really likes sax covers" only to look over and see him PLAYING HIS SAXOPHONE LIVE?? Iconic. This place was perfect and I wouldn't change a thing about it. The spirited kingdom menu will only be around for 6 months according to the waitress, so definitely catch it while it's there! If I'd heard about it sooner, I would've maybe descended upon them with 200+ theme park engineers in town for the conference (maybe it's a good thing I didn't know they were there until after it was over), but instead I will just say DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND MAKE YOUR RESERVATION NOW

    Photos
    Lounge seating.
    Lounge seating.
    Blue Door
    Doctor strange tasted like prune juice

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    Doctor strange tasted like prune juice
    Sneak Clt

    Sneak Clt

    4.7
    (41 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    Wow what an experience! I'm in Charlotte for the weekend, and my good friend's colleague…read morerecommended we come here after dinner for drinks. There's outdoor seating, and initially we wanted to sit outside but we didn't have reservations. Luckily, they seated us at a small corner section near the back of the bar. It's very cozy and intimate inside. Just my type of vibe. The service was top tier. They were unable to validate our parking because of some sort of discrepancy with the signage outside and lack of having the proper equipment for validation. To make up for it, they offered us complimentary champagne to start. We were not expecting that, and pleasantly surprised! Their menu has an eclectic selection of cocktails, both full and mini. We opted to order from the mini cocktail menu, and we each ordered two drinks. I had the Creepy cucumber cocktail and it was refreshingly sweet and probably my favorite drink of the night. I also ordered the Don't Shy Away which was a sour and spicy rum concoction with carrot in it. It was definitely spicy and had a puréed texture. I really enjoyed it. And, then don't get me started on the music!!! The dj was masterful. He played all the types of music I love and he mixed them in such a refreshing way. I ended up asking him for his contact information before leaving, and whether he does weddings because my fiancé and I are currently looking for a DJ. He was just that good. This would definitely be my spot if I lived here in Charlotte. It was the perfect way for us to end the night.

    Ugh, I so wanted to LOVE this place! It's in my friend's neighborhood and near some other spots we…read morelove. But it just hit me as average. It's a small intimate setting and I do love the dark aesthetic they did. Gives it a swanky vibe and makes a great date spot. But they were burning incense in the tiny space and it was overwhelming. The other bar guests sitting next to us agreed. *They did finally pick up on it and the staff moved it toward the kitchen door* Staff was friendly as well, though, it was busy and looked as if they had a trainee in tow, so attention was lacking just a bit. So why we came: The drinks were average to me. One was weird (Pineapple Fried Rice) and I just couldn't get it sit well on my palate - and I tried - sip after sip. But the mixologist saw my struggle and swapped it out for a different one. I did like the Don't Shy Away - it was an interesting take on a margarita with a strong carrot base. The Whispering Dove was a take on a Paloma and I couldn't find the lemongrass infusion on my palate. So I found it pretty basic, but pricey. So overall, decent. And I might stop buy if I was stuck in the area again.

    Photos
    Secret Bathroom with a gold toilet
    Secret Bathroom with a gold toilet
    Bar
    Bar
    Sneak Clt

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    Idlewild

    Idlewild

    4.3
    (220 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    Cozy, cool ambience and delicious cocktails. The bartenders…read morehave a wealth of knowledge in their craft and can make something for even the pickiest of drinkers. Make a reservation or enjoy the standing bar space, as walk-in seating is limited, especially on the weekends.

    Honestly some of the most rude, negligent service I've experienced in a while…read more Context: Bar was at 25% capacity I pride myself on being a genial, accommodating person Attempted multiple times to thoughtfully engage staff From the moment we entered, our service staff was either dismissive, condescending, or negligent. Could not leave fast enough. The overall decor and vibe was great, just our assigned person was lackluster in every regard. EDIT (5/27/28): When we entered and sat down, to the bartenders credit, he swiftly asked us what we wanted. As we were describing the general vibe of the drinks we wanted, the attitude of the bartender manifested as very condescending and lacking in general back-and-forth discourse. Despite the dismissive attitude, but after the drinks were made, we attempted to thank the bartender, but his only response was a derisive chortle before walking off. For the remainder of our stay, he was flirting with some female patrons at the other end of the bar. Sharing pictures, conversation, and general good service while we were ignored until we asked for the check to pay and leave as quickly as possible.

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    Her's
    Her's
    Idlewild
    Idlewild

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    The Crunkleton

    The Crunkleton

    4.5
    (526 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$$

    Crunkleton was great! Met a friend for brunch and we had a great time…read more Out waitress Nia was excellent and so was Trey. They provided excellent service. This how service at a restaurant should be. I ordered the Charlotte hot brown - which their version of a hot brown --- it was amazing! I nice blend of flavors. My bourbon bramble was also very good. My friend had the shrimp and grits and she loved it. The ambiance gives rustic and a little casual.

    The Crunkleton has been on my list of restaurants to visit for quite some time and finally got my…read morefriends together to go. It's beautifully decorated (I fell in love with the bathroom decor) and the bar area is lovely and we stocked. Our server Natasha O was exceptional. She explained items on the menu and even made a drink recommendation that was not listed. For appetizers we had the fig salad and the large portion was more than enough for 3 people with leftovers. We shared the charred oysters and I really with we had gotten a dozen because they were perfection! I had the Wagyu burger which was 1/2 pound and I brought half of it home. It was complimented with truffle shoestring fries. Great portion sizes, amazing service and beautiful decor. I will surely come back. Hope I get sat in Natasha's section again she was amazing! Parking as always is tight in that area so plan accordingly.

    Photos
    Largest bar selection in Charlotte
    Largest bar selection in Charlotte
    Calamari, Saturn & paper plane
    Calamari, Saturn & paper plane
    Here's an example of their vintage offerings.  This old dusty was distilled in 1960.  Great pour!

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    Here's an example of their vintage offerings. This old dusty was distilled in 1960. Great pour!
    Canopy Cocktail Bar & Garden

    Canopy Cocktail Bar & Garden

    4.1
    (54 reviews)
    2.2 mi

    Fun, lively place…read more My friends and I were in town and wanted to have one last drink before we jetted out the next morning, so we ended up in trendy South End. First thing we noticed was how HUGE this place is. I feel like everywhere we turned, each section had its own vibe and its own designated bar. With the loud music, it was more loungey than anything and the crowd was on the much younger side. Canopy seems to be the go-to place in the South End. We did not encounter this kind of lines or crowds anywhere else in the area. Ordered a grapefruity drink (Our Flowerchild) off the menu and it was pretty good. Price was alright - definitely cheaper than what I'd pay in NYC (which is already atrocious in itself).

    This is the cutest outdoor bar! The atmosphere is beautiful, unique, and the bartender was amazing…read more When we stopped by, they had JUST opened so we had the place to ourselves. I bet it gets packed here, though, as the surrounding area is quite busy. We parked at a lot down the street, It's behind the train track so parking could be a little difficult. There seem to be a couple of garages near by, though. For drinks, we had the Three Wiseman and Fizz The Season. Very booze forward but tasty and enjoyable. The bartender was extremely skilled at his art and carefully curated our cocktails. We also had a little photoshoot while here, and it's the perfect spot to do so! I'd love to come back here and try other drinks. Highly recommend!

    Photos
    Cocktail
    Cocktail
    Canopy Cocktail Bar & Garden
    Our Flowerchild

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    Our Flowerchild

    The Royal Tot - cocktailbars - Updated June 2026

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