Looking at their website you might come to the wrong conclusion about this place. This is a run down little cafe in the Tenderloin. They don't offer table service and you have to pay up front for everything. They do have a decent selection of beer though. I was meeting someone here and wasn't terribly enthusiastic about it in the first place. I hadn't had dinner yet so I ordered the Chicken potpie with salad and a beer. The salad was a decent; a small amount of mixed lettuce leaves with a light balsamic dressing but the potpie was not good. It was one of those little Swanson type potpies you get for a dollar on sale. I don't think they should have a poor quality item like that on their menu in the first place but even so the most they should have charged for it and the salad was $5. When I'm in this neighborhood it's usually to go to bars so I don't see coming here again. read more

do not ever let me drink a redbull soju from euge ... an hour later from having a perfectly wonderful evening with awesome friends and i attempt to eat the korean doods face cause of his new ken watanabe look, i nearly kick dan in the head after throwing my fav jacket on the nasty streets of the TL...(sorry, i meant tender-nob LOL) and to finish off the night i make a scene at teo by telling three of my friends things are over between us and leave the restaurant..http://static.px.yelp.com/bphoto/AaSfH0CXZDO3gnetp4fNjQ/l i am such a loser when i drink. by getting "beautiful america " (euge's real name) back for givin me three parts alcohol and one part soda, i drank down a third of one of his drinks and filled the rest with water...and yes, he didn't even notice! OH!!! thanks for letting us play DJ with your iTunes...great selection of dreampop and 80s classics ; P read more

I got crabs from the couch. Okay, well maybe not, but I don't see the attraction to this place. It's a block away from my house and I have been there twice. Both times, I had a horrible experience from the level of service from the bartender, as well as had wine in a dirty glass (which I see some others did as well). This place just seems to suck the life energy out of me. read more

Never have I EXPERIENCED such PREJUDICE in the City of San Francisco.. Note I will be taking further action, I am a African American student studying at UCSF. I was meeting my GF for their Beetle's Karaoke night, which we had seen on cheap & fun SF website. As walking up to the door, I'm finish up a COKE ZERO, which is disposed of before I even attempt to put my hand on the door handle of Royal Cafe. As I enter, I am viscously greeted by the bartender yelling "I just seen you with a open container, You can't come in"? Umm yes I had an open container, Wtf I threw it away!? Then it struck me, I politely asked if this treatment was due to my skin color? He smirks & walks off say "I Don't Want You In My Building". I knew racism still existed in this world, I'm not gullible but I wanted to believe SF was the one utopia where SKIN COLOR didn't matter... read more

OWNER PlEASE READI'm giving it 3 stars bc the place it self isn't bad the music which was soul was good the place has seating upstairs which looks down on the bar I liked that .... But the bartender which seemed like a nice guy killed it. Being a business owner myself I'm only posting this bc the owner of the bar should definitely have a talk with his bartender about being appropriate with customers and what is and is not ok to say to customers!!! THE BARTENDER was totally out of pocket I arrived at the bar before my friends so once I got there I walked up to the bar ordered a drink and started to call my friends to see where they were ... I ordered myself a lemon drop, while putting the phone to my ear i would have never imagined I was going to schooled by the bartender...... Anyway after speaking to my friends I hung up and asked how much my drink would be the bartender proceeded to make me feel very uncomfortable going on to tell me that next time I order a drink try not to be on the phone bc it's rude!! NOTE: At the time I ordered my drink I technically wasn't speaking to anyone the phone was still ringing! .. I was so shocked he made me feel so wierd I was by myself and he said it infront of the others who were standing at the bar!!! I Wow we're not at a restaurant were at a bar with my music blasting and drinks and good vibes why go in do something so silly like that??? ..i would agree if we were at a quite dinning room or a restaurant ordering my entire meal whole on my phone!! It's a lemon drop dude chill out!! Anyway when he told me that I told him I wasn't on my phone when I ordered my drink I wasn't talking to anyone he gave me this look and sad yea ok it's just kinda rude when your on the phone and ordering a drink so I repeated myself once again to him and he said look it's not a big deal just try to not be on your phone when ordering a drink!!!!! I didn't argue with him but I thought WHAT IS THIS GUY SERIOUS??!?? why is this guy alienating me and killing my first experience at this place by trying to be my dad telling me what to do???? I'm not being loud the BAR IS LOUD, it's none of his business, and I said 2 words to u LEMON DROP u heard it clearly and my drink wasn't wrong so what's the problem? I didn't say that I'm to nice but I'm sure somebody else would have told him off maybe he knew he could get away with doing that to a younger girl who was all by herself ! Anyway If you know anything about business it's always guest first you idiot u don't tell a customer what to do or what's right from wrong unless their doing something wrong that's directly effecting the business or surrounding customers it's not like u didn't get my order right!! I just thought that was so out of pocket! What kind of a bartender gives advice like that to anyone in a lounge/bar be cool dude don't let your position go to your head just bc your bar tending doesn't make you the authority come on now don't kill people's good vibes and your tip man!!! I obviously didn't tip him he was the rude one!! He should have known his place get right man!! Lastly when my friends got their we took our business elsewhere. I can't imagine how many people go in their and reach for their phones to call their friends I wonder if he sits their doing it to everyone that's a perfect example of a power trip right there.. And just to be clear I know what it looks like when some one is on their phone chatting away making a waiter stand there waiting to take your order and their all distracted now that's rude this was nothing like that, that's why it tripped me out to see this guy in some kind of a control mode. Hopefully he will bring it down a notch My friend and I won't be back and if you continue to alienate customers your going to be told off or in cases like mine will simply never go back. read more

This place was nearly empty at 8 oclock on a friday, but I was meeting friends so I didn't mind. I ordered a couple shock tops, and the bartender served them without an orange. I politely asked "Hey do you guys have an orange?" (a pretty common request for this kind of beer).The bartender said "I wish we did man, I wish we did..." An hour later, I ordered a corona from the same bartender. The bartender pulled out a bowl full of limes and ORANGES. What a joke. The same bartender told my girlfriend "I wouldnt be giving you this (diet coke) if you were fat or ugly". Apparently he was the owner? Maybe not, but thats what his "friend" said at the bar. I wouldnt doubt it, what employee cares about oranges... Talk about managing a business into the ground... read more

I came here after a job interview that seemingly went well. So, instead of drowning my sorrows, I decided to celebrate St Patrick's Day.. I used that as an excuse to hunker down with my laptop (free wifi!) and a nice Guinness pint. Yes, I drank alone... at 2pm... on a Tuesday.. Shut up, it was St Patrick's Day. I haven't experienced all of Cafe Royale enough to give it 4 stars yet, but right now, it's 'a-ok'. They serve food and have a nice list of specialty cocktails. There's also a pool table and live music on some nights. I'll be back soon hopefully. read more

I used to come here all the time until one spotty bartender (who happens to be there quite a bit) refused to serve my friends and me. We just stood there while she chatted with a group of men and flirted with them. This went on for at least ten minutes until we waved our arms like we were choking. She paid us some attention. I ordered some junmai ginjo. She disappeared for ten five minutes, came back, and offered me ozeki dry. Now, if you know sake, you know ozeki is not junmai. Which is fine should this place not claim to be a wine and sake place. But it does, and so it would only make sense to me the bartenders would know the differences too. My experience here was so bad that I wrote an email. To be fair, the owner, or the general manager sincerely apologized. However, that woman was so rude and so offensive (I have never been treated so rudely and I haved worked in sevice and retail jobs before) that I have never been back nor forgotten about it. Neither have my friends. read more

Cafe Royale has a special place in my heart. I used to live around the corner and this was my go-to spot for good cocktails and drunken games of pool. That was a long time ago. On a recent visit, I found that nothing has changed except the bartender on a Wednesday night was far hotter than any of the bartenders I remember being there in the past :) Also, these guys are extremely heavy handed with the wines by the glass. Two enormous glasses of Malbec ($6 each) and I was just begging to be taken advantage of. Thank god my henchwoman, Starla D, was there to make sure I made it home safely. The space is low-lit, cozy, and actually kind of classy for the neighborhood. I'll be back for the bartender. He was one hot piece of meat. And the wine wasn't bad, either. read more

Came for a fundraiser to support a local soccer team and had a blast! It was a Friday night and they had live Jazz Music starting at 9pm. According to their website, it was the Yacht Club of Paris. There's 2 floors, so plenty of to space to mix and mingle, meet up with friends, or watch everything that's going on. There's also a pool table when you come in, if that's something you fancy. The crowd that day was great and super chill, even a few folks dancing around doing the Lindyhop and the like! The bartenders are friendly as well and the drinks are standard. Will definitely be back. read more

Bummed. Just bummed. This "owner" started judging everyone based on their looks and that's when the LASHING started. My friend was asking about Irish car bombs and the owner looked at my friend like he was crazy. By the way.. We are 25 yr old just wanting to find a cute lil bar and he started getting aggressive. So rude here. Just because we are "younger" than the 35+ crowd. It's rude. Not the time for fun. If you want 60 yr old men and somewhat descent drinks.. Your spot awaits. read more

Came here while I was (not obviously) pregnant to watch my boyfriend DJ and ordered a sprite. Blonde dude behind the bar gave me a very obvious, annoyed look as if I was a dick for not ordering something alcoholic after making me wait for quite a while to finish chatting up one of his buddies. read more

This is the worse bar I have ever been in my life I was witness to what Christina C. said in one of the reviews and I cannot believe how low level the bartender could be. Unfortunately I didn't get his name but it's a tall blonde punk that happens to be a co-owner . It was my first time here and last. read more

Didn't get to try food or drinks here, bartender on August 5, 2016 was rude and seemed xenophobic. I went with a friend who doesn't have US identification because they're not born here, they came to SF with a work visa and has a foreign passport and ID. The bartender did not accept their identification card, which itself isn't too bad since he may not have much experience with foreign government-issued documents, but then he insulted the quality of the document ("I could make this in my bedroom") and raised his voice saying, "you have to leave!" while following us to the door. We are not under-aged, do not look under-aged, and we're fine with not ordering drinks since we came for the first Friday jazz concert. Neither of us had anything to drink beforehand and we weren't rowdy nor did we talk back. I understand that this establishment cannot admit minors and therefore a valid ID is required for entry (which we had), but there was no reason for his disrespectful manner. I have no intention of returning if this is how their staff treats people. We took our business elsewhere and had a great Friday night. read more

I always thought this was a bar with a name started with cafe. So we came here for a drink. Cute as it looked like there was some live music earlier. My friend pointed out they have live Jazz music on Sundays, something I must come back to check it out! We both had the sweet Lillet. Really cheap 10 bucks for 2!!! And the pour was generous. We headed upstairs where I was fairly certain it claimed to have a max capacity of 9 persons. But there were about 10 small tables. Regardless, it's a quiet and dark upstairs, perfect o look outside in a after rain evening, or downstairs as we can see people relaxing like we did. read more

Perhaps I've been living under a rock lately but since when did we start calling the Tendernob.. Trendynob? Apparently, that's what the cool kids are doing... Fast forward to tonight's featured event at Cafe Royale (located in said Trendynob).. a spoken word poetry slam featuring Phil Kaye and Sara Kay. Sitting and watching these two great performers, you can't help but feel artsy, indie and somehow a bit cooler than your sf dive bar counterparts. The art work, the stage with it's red drapes and the chalkboard drink menu all scream "too cool for school"... a perfect scene for such an event! I really enjoyed the event and a chill evening at the cafe and have now discovered a cool, laid-back bar/lounge where Journey's Don't Stop Believing doesn't come blaring on at 1:50am in the morning. read more

This is going to be a short review because I can sum this place up with few words.... It is a coffee shop that also sells pints of beer and wine by the glass. read more

The Royale is a hidden Gem of a bar in SF. Went here for a friends birthday and was amazed. It's not your typical bar but definitely well curated and has an occasional jazz band (phenomenal). Great for a super, super low key get together sans "turnt mode" Only con: Parking is a pain in the arse. Unless you're comfortable walking 6 blocks from Polk, you really have to shell out 15$ for garage parking. read more

One of the best bars downtown, and one of he few where you can get a great cocktail without having to listen to cocktail nerdery from guests or staff. I'm the biggest cocktail nerd, but sometimes I just want someone to make me a drink without telling me where they sourced their limes, in what ancient tome they discovered the recipe, or how the particular shape of ice they've chosen best dilutes the drink according to Einsteins unified theory of relativity. It's a great neighborhood bar with a really interesting cast of characters, and a fantastic array of live entertainment (lots of DJs and cover bands, but there's also the occasional opera performance or drunken spelling bee). read more

My new sunday spot after work. I've been coming here for a while to get a quick beer to meet up with friends or a quick glass of wine while studying. But never came for their Sunday Jazz nights. The night my friend and I met up here we immediately fell in love with the live band playing gorgeous tango/spanish love songs. We ordered a glass of wine and a beer (wish they'd do pitchers), a 3 cheese platter and a sandwich *I think it was the turkey and cranberry one*. They were super held up that night- since it took us 20 mins to get our food. However we were enjoying catching up and listening to the music so I didn't mind too much. From what I saw, the cheese platters were hit or miss and if you order early youre lucky.. we got a brie cheese, a chunk of swiss and then some gross yellow american cheese. It came with a huge bowl of bread and grapes which was good.. however I turned around and saw the people who had ordered around us got better cheeses like gruyere, goat, and blue cheeses. The sandwich was outstanding! Loved every bite. A pretty big portion too. For what the place is, I feel it tries to be a little more high class than it actually is, thus the a bit above average prices for no specific reason (no high name brands in wines or organic ingredients). They always have a good rotation of artwork and their comedy nights are supposed to be very good too. They also have seating upstairs which can be a nice, relaxing area or a fun spot to people watch with friends. read more

Good (and fairly priced) beverage selection. Nice jazzy band that plays Friday night. Bathrooms can be cleaned a little more (and the toilet paper roll needs some work... Like, it actually needs to roll). But, the bartenders are nice. Security is nice. There are hooks under the bar for your bag. All in all - yes, do try it out! read more

Bottom Line: a cool and comfortable little wine and coffee bar. I liked the vibe this place gave off. The patrons were all very reserved and respectful of one another, and it wasn't rowdy. The place was about 33% filled, so it was popular without being crowded. It was easy to find a place to sit (keep in mind, we showed up a little after midnight.) Although, the paintings on the back wall did creep me out a little bit (various animals which appeared to me to be decapitated, dribbling shiny black blood.) There's an old pool table with some crushed bumpers and uneven spots, but unless you're a pool shark, you're not gonna care. The cues are straight, and there's a reasonable amount of room at most angles. Tip: A game of pool is only 75 cents a pop. Great deal! You can order coffee drinks, wines, soju cocktails, or what I always have here - Meade! :) read more

I dunno what's the deal with all these mediocre reviews... I really like this place. With an overload of noisy crowded pretentious bars in the area, Cafe Royale is such a wonderful alternative. Couches are hard to find downtown, here they are comfy and that's great. They have good selections of wine and beers, even Chimay Bleu, which is hard to find in a regular sized bottle these days. They also have some creative mixed drinks of Sake and Soju with some refreshing ingredients. I have never had negative treatment by the waitresses or staff there whatsoever. In fact, I have only experienced friendliness and generosity! Cozy, good wine, casual relaxed atmosphere, friendly bartenders, couches, live jazz, good cheese plates and salads, good beers... that's Cafe Royale... read more

I'm more of a get wasted and order some ******* and **** kind of drunk, and not so much of a chill with your laptop and a glass of wine kind of a drunk. Cafe Royale is for the second [lamer] group. But both types of drinking have their merit, I suppose. The place is cozy and relaxing inside. The owner was a nice guy--he kind of reminded me of Larry David. He said the business was doing well. 5 bucks for a glass of house wine, so average price. I don't usually order wine but it seemed like a larger-than-usual helping. Two wishes for this place--more live music, and be open during the day. I could totally see going in there and shooting pool with a nice cup of coffee. Or maybe with some tea and strumpets. read more

I'm not going to give an opinion, so to speak, just share a story and let you take what you will from it. On the menu board is a Soju "Drop", their version of a lemon drop. Simple. I ordered one, and the bartender selected a clean glass (after a few tries) from off of the towel all of the glasses were drying on. He then gave me a really puzzled look and asked "is the sugar rim ABSOLUTELY necessary? Because we don't have....all we have is sugar cubes...i mean...i can grind one up for you, if you want...but it would take a while..." (yes, the menu does say that the rim is sugared) I passed on the sugar rim. Aside from that, the drink was fine. The place was totally empty though, except for my friends and I. read more

New favorite Sunday evening spot. And potential weeknight spot based on their calendar bursting with a spectrum of enticing events. Was having a casual Sunday w/ my BFF. We spent a large chunk of the day drinking chai at a cafe, but the urge to hear some live music swept over us like the fog blanketing itself across San Francisco. We were determined to find some jazz. We came across this place on Yelp, conveniently located blocks from my friend's apt and knew we had to check it out. So yes, older crowd. But that's kind of what we loved most about it. First of all, it's endearing to see a crowd genuinely enjoying the performance, bobbing their heads, tapping their feet- no twerking, no awkward dancing...a nice relief. Older people= more relaxed atmosphere, less pushy at the bar, no unwanted advances from creepy guys, potential exchanges of words of wisdom... over all mellow experience. And we LOVE Dan the bartender. Hi Dan!!!!! He gave us such a warm welcome to this local neighborhood bar and made us want to be regulars. So we will be back! ASAP. read more

+1 The girl is nice +1 Great atmosphere +1 It's close to my house +1 It's busy but never crowded -2 Bewildering wine list -1 Expensive. ( I don't mind paying $30 for a bottle but get some juice worth drinking.) -1 Closes at midnight Sunday - Thursday +1 Free Wifi +2 Cause I need to end up with three stars. (This review didn't end up how I envisioned it.) read more

What a find. Great little down-to-Earth neighborhood joint, the kind where the bar tenders would remember you after only one or two visits. Attentive bar staff that knows how to mix a drink. Excellent old fashions my friends...excellent. Good live music (trends towards jazz I believe), that's entertaining enough to keep your attention but not too loud that it demands it! It's dark enough to be romantic (nice little balcony to get away from the crowds) cool enough to be hip, small enough to be intimate, big enough to easliy find a seat. Will head back for sure. read more

The bartender was a judgemental prick, but the big couches in the middle of the bar were comfy. The beer prices are decent ($4-6) and the wine selection alllllright, but the pretention in the air is just killing me. I could stay in my neighborhood for that. Regardless, they have a good thing going for them here. If I lived in the neighborhood, I could see it becoming a spot I'd frequent...but I don't think I'll be jetting across town for it anytime soon. Oh, and a basic grilled cheese for $4? Really? Also, they were supporting a woman running for District 3 Supervisor and they had banners all over the cafe about her being there for a meet-and-greet at 8:30 p.m. the night we were there. Around 9 p.m., they announced her presence and I saw not ONE person approach her the whole night. In fact, she came up to us and gave us a campaign card and told us to vote for her, oblivious to the fact that I am a District 5 resident. read more

Love this place...great place to veg after work for a drink, or for coffee. Coffee is okay...beer selection is awesome -- mainly cause they stock Chimay. Pool table is only 0.75/game, but you have to be careful not to knock other people out. A little more space would be nice. Some folky/acoustic shows here round out an overall good drunken weeknight. read more

They get one star because you can't manage a business. They double booked the venue for two shows and waited til that evening to let a full lineup of comedians know they weren't performing. Unacceptable! Get in the Game Cafe Royale. read more

An excellent drink choice offered up by the bartender: "My Junk": apple syrup, vanilla syrup, raspberry, bourbon. Cozy atmosphere, local crowd, easy lounging. read more

1 star for the pool table, 1 more for the chillness feeling, 1 more for the sometimes interesting art (except for this latest one of random notes on the wall)... -1 for the bartender that didn't know how to make a black and tan (she had to be schooled....quick learner I must say, and now she's a pro) -1 for the soapy glass that seems to be a constant mishap, but she was embarassed enough for the fouled black and tan, so I didn't want to even bother. read more

I love this place, quiet and relaxed. Great place to end a date or go out with friends for a quiet one. Beer, Coffee and more with a cheese platter that is golden and a (shhh) secret second floor, great for hiding in. Always have great local art and a pool table Gold. read more

I just spent about three hours here reading in the corner of this wonderful cafe. Both bartenders/workers were very pleasant to deal with. I had the "vegetarian Clark Kent" - avocado, cream cheese, tomato sandwich. Yum yum :-) The latte was fine, as was the glass of wine. The atmosphere was very chill. It was a great place to read for a few hours on a Sunday night. My only complaint is that the glasses of wine were a bit pricey, except for the one that I got, which was $5. read more

I came here to drink lovely, lovely alcohol, and saw my friend's art expo en the walls. It was awesome and the perfect combination. I got toured the upstairs, walked all around, looked out the windows, loved the feel, the vibe, the old wood. I also have a trivia answer away. Whoops! It was "Lucky Charms" though. read more

One of my favorite lowkey neighborhood bars to visit when I'm in SF. The vibe is always lively with great music and friendly faces. If you like jazz you won't be disappointed. I wish I was better at taking notes to share the names of some of the bands I've seen here. Just know they have all been exceptional. read more

My favorite city is London and and because Cafe Royale serve Boddington's I can pretend I'm there when I here. Yo check it, Cafe Royale gots local art on the wallz and has a pool table to mess and fool around with, You can lounge around like a social bee or whatever too. They serve beers wines and soju cocktails. it gets hoppin' and they got performances here from what I read but never saw. Good bar for the locals read more

Cool, laid-back place to meet friends, chat, enjoy some music. First Monday of the month = Live Beatles Karaoke. Wow! Awesome musicians, led by amazing keyboardist Joshua Brody, can transpose every Beatles song into the perfect key for your range. And they'll do back-up, or others in the pub will join along. Lots of fun! Other nights they offer a line-up of interesting musicians and artists. Very friendly staff, very welcoming and relaxed vibes. read more

I love Cafe Royale; it's a bar that thinks it's a coffee shop! Okay, not really. It truly is both a cafe and a bar, frankly, and it has it all: snacks, drinks, red couches, art work and live music. Plus, it never seems to be overly crowded, making it an excellent date place. I've had several very successful first dates at Cafe Royale. Admittedly, I'm no longer with any of the dudes involved, but all but one of those Cafe Royale first dates led to second dates. So yay! I also had a great birthday party here in 2004. I believe Cafe Royale was under different ownership at that time, but still, it was much fun. I'm not sure how they stay in business because the place really never seems to be crowded, but that's just fine by me. Plus, they have Chimay. Yum. read more