The Royal Room

Great place! Really relaxed atmosphere and the staff is fantastic! Music Venue 7 days a week in the heart of CC! Love it.

Did not expect to find this gem in this neighborhood. Awesome live music, great service by the staff, well priced drinks and the food was alright. I ordered the mac n cheese which was exactly what I needed after drinking all day. The only thing that I thought could have been better was just a pinch more salt but super creamy and nicely portioned. Our waitress was awesome at checking up on us and being super responsive.
The feel of the Royal Room is very warm and inviting, kind of a place you could imagine smoking a few cigars in… if only you could do that. The live music they had going on that night was amazing. Leaving the bar had a good laugh with a woman in one of those scooters selling warm pot cookies and said «What do you expect you’re in Rainier Valley!» Best end to the night ever.

why i’ll never go back to The Royal Room & you shouldn’t either:
i went there last thursday to hear the top-​shelf songwriting of Saint John writ large with the full band, Saint John and the Revelations. and they were amazing, they rocked the house to pieces for two solid hours, with Jaysen Lee as my witness. virtually everybody in the room was there to see them, including me & my table for two.
we spent $ 100 just on food & drinks, and presumably every other table did, too. the food was marginal, ½ a plate of greens that nobody wanted (this is not Mobster Mike’s), so we finished the night at Dick’s Drive In (best of #seattle, forever). but we still had a great time because the sound quality was excellent, and the band got all 5-​stars, seriously nailing it for two straight hours with ½ dozen people on stage, not including the warm-​up band.
so the venue raked in a lot of cash that night, and i’d be willing to go back again, but unfortunately #saintjohn did not get paid his guarantee. the waiters got paid, presumably the management & staff & landlords got paid, but all the bands that night were expected to play for tips.
wait, #fullstop. this is broken.
these guys are professional musicians. they’re not busking, they’re not begging. they were the stars of the night, they all brought a personal entourage, every member of the band. that’s why the place was packed: the cello, Mary Ann Miller’s vocals, etc. to require them to work for tips is like asking your dog to do tricks for biscuits: eventually they will tire of it.
i’m tired of it already. i went back to #theroyalroom the next night, friday. the place was empty. jaysen had already paid our entire tab but i forgot & left my card behind. it cost me $ 16 to get my credit card back because they screwed up our bill. to add insult to injury, i paid for two extra drinks on top of the thousands they cleared off the backs of the people that made their destination Columbia City from all around the PNW just to see saint john. seriously, people got on ferries & spent hours of time just to see the show, and all they got was tips, not much to go around.
what’s wrong with that?
a) they’re professionals.
b) few people tip when they’ve already been raked at the table, they presume the artists are getting paid like everybody else on the staff.
watch my signal, i’ll help you find a better experience going forward.
–rango \m/​~

Perhaps the best place to have a cocktail and hear live music in all of Seattle. The bar pours strong drinks, the waitresses are full of beans, and whoever books the musical performances is a person of genius. On any given night you could see a world class jazz saxophonist, an up-​and-​coming local piano player, a Brazilian percussion combo, a Latvian vocal ensemble… The list is infinite, and always interesting. If you’re not there at this very minute, I hope you’re on your way.

We LOVED this place. After getting turned away from the place we really wanted to eat at, we ended up here. Boy are we glad we did. The thing I love the best is that they can make me a Negroni. You would be surprised at how many bars lack Campari. The happy hour food was delightful and the service was spot on. The yam chips and crack dip were ordered twice! You should definitely try it. There was also plenty of seating and a sense of privacy at our table even though it was pretty full. Great happy hour!

Top notch music venue!
Got to see a fantastic Portland band here on our visit. Farnell Newton Band accompanied local Seattle band, Industrial Revelation, at the show tonight.
People were packed in enjoying the funky music, dinner, drinks and good company.
We ordered drinks. Prices were reasonable and selection was good. $ 6 beer and wine. Food looked tasty but I can’t vouch for it since we had a huge dinner before going to the Royal Room.
The stage was easy to see from most seats. Unfortunately, if you were by the bar it was hard to see the stage due to the wall between the rooms. Fortunately, you can hear just as well anywhere in the Royal Room.
Sound guy was spot on. Balance between the musicians in the space was excellent.
I will definitely visit again when I’m in Seattle!

Not sure what happened to this place. First couple times I went here the food was pretty good, the drinks were strong and the service was decent. Now, the food is awful and overpriced, the drinks never come and the service sucks. I’m not talking about, «oh, my burger is a little over cooked». More like, «my $ 13 burger taste like cardboard, the bun seems like it was fished out of the trash can, the fries were cold and rubbery, the $ 12 salad was brown and nasty, the drinks never came until we asked politely for them from another server.» They both ended up bringing us our drink orders several minutes later. We politely complained about the food and asked for a comp, the server said she would have to ask the manager on duty, there was no manager on duty, so she never came back to our table. I went up to the register to find out if we were going to be comped and she said the manager said we ate some of the salad so she can’t comp it, but they did offer to buy us another beer. We said no thanks for the beer, the server asked if I wanted a refill on my lemonade. I said sure. We got our bill and they charged me full price for the refill, charged us for the double drinks and didn’t comp anything. I told the server that I was under the impression that I would at least get a free refill of Kool-​Aid lemonade since we didn’t take the free beer. The server said, «oh, I’m sorry you think that’s what I meant». WHAT A B*%#%! We loved coming here for music and dinner, but with food and service this bad, why would we stay for the music? Also, the waitress had horrible body odor. NOT WORTH GOING HERE! THERE IS BETTER FOOD, MUSIC AND SERVICE ANYWHERE ELSE IN SEATTLE!

Nice to listen to music while having dinner but $ 10 for a simple caesar salad is too much.

The Royal Room is a little bit out of the way for me, but I’m glad I made the trip. The acoustics and sound quality were great for my friend’s jazz group’s performance, and even when people were talking and there was a bit of a hum, we could still hear the music well. While the house was packed, the hostess was able to make sure everyone had a seat. The drinks we got were pretty decent, but I think the food is a bit pricey for what you get. Service was a bit on the slow side, but since we were there to enjoy the show and not necessarily for a meal, that wasn’t a problem for me. So while I wouldn’t necessarily go back for just food, it’s definitely a good place to catch a show!

TACO TUESDAY!!! Taco Tuesday has arrived at The Royal Room. $ 10 for 3 tacos (pork, chicken, fish). They are so delicious. Great price. Great food. Great drinks. Great atmosphere. Get yourself down there on Tuesdays.

Argh! I love this place for music, but the food is overpriced and not very good. I suppose it makes sense; if you draw people in with the music, the food can be mediocre. But we’re in Seattle, and we can do better. We can!

The Royal Room is a hidden gem in Columbia City where you can find amazing live music for free from local artists. Since I didn’t try their food, my review is on drinks, the live music, and the customer service experience. Overall, I give The Royal Room a 3.5÷4 star rating.
After happy hour at Tutta Bella’s across the street on a Friday night, my friends and I headed over to The Royal Room to grab a drink. It’s an all ages music venue (before 10 pm), so it wasn’t out of place to see a kid or two sitting closeby.
Five days out of the week, they have free music and performers get paid by the generous, voluntary donations from the crowd. The atmosphere was relaxing and intimate. We luckily stumbled across singer Ayron Jones with the R&B voice of Chris Brown and the accoustic guitar skills of John Mayer. I definitely loved singing along to all his great covers of «Billy Jean» and «Ain’t No Sunshine.»
We wanted to sit in the dining area close to the stage, so we had to meet a $ 10 minimum/​person (which you can easily hit by ordering a cocktail). However, there’s really not a bad seat in the house and next time I would probably just sit in the bar. The customer service was okay (not mind blowing), but our waitress was generally nice.
My main disappointment though was my drink order (Ginger Hot Toddy for $ 9 and a bottle of champagne to share @ $ 28). Unfortunately, the Ginger Hot Toddy didn’t have a description of how they made it, so I was disappointed when it ultimately was a hot, medicinal tasting tea with a splash of vodka. I love hot tea, but it felt like an old lady drink better suited for a cold than a cocktail from a bar. The champagne was also average tasting, and not worth $ 28 a bottle.
However, despite the disappointing drink order, I loved the musical vibe of The Royal Room and would come back for another show to see some local bands in Seattle.

Came for live music. Good strong drinks, even good non-​alcoholic drinks for my wife who is preggy pregs. Not a bad seat in the house either.

Wanted to share with anyone interested. My husband 3 ½ year old and myself went out for a family date night. We wanted to check out a band playing at the Royal Room and I thought lets do dinner as well. We had such a great time and meal. Loved the kale salad! Shared the mussels, sliders and cheese plate with my husband and my little guy loved his cheeseburger and fries. The service and music were just as awesome!
Thanks
Royal Room

Epic Fail! I strongly agree with the Unilocaler who said it could have been great.
Let me begin by saying that it’s a low key spot which is great if you are trying to have a chill Friday night. Music was great! Probably the only reason why we stayed there longer than I wanted to. Aside from that… the service was absolutely HORRIBLE.
They have a sign asking you to wait to be seated, but no one is there to assist you so we ended up getting a table from someone who left without ordering. Ugh, it should’ve been our first sing. Then again, we were waiting for the person who invited us there. After we found a table, we waited for the waitress for a while and when she finally came around to deliver the drinks to a table nearby she didn’t even bother to ask if we needed anything.
I walked to the bar to grab a drink and it seriously took 8 minutes for the bartender to acknowledge me. Even had someone at the bar made a comment about it. It was poor customer service! We tried to order food but they didn’t have things on the menu, so that was another epic fail.
I could go on and on about how their customer service needs a major makeover, perhaps hire new staff. I do not recommend this place at all!

This was my second visit to see the musicians and enjoy the company of friends but I’m still not impressed.
Oh where to begin. How about the fact that both times I’ve gone, it’s been unseasonably warm outside but the place has no air conditioning. They claim to, but the performers were sweating and so were the patrons. I asked staff to open the front door and that never happened.
Next, the water is served lukewarm. I’ve never had any bar, nightclub, or restaurant serve me lukewarm drinks. On a warm evening. With sweat dripping down my back.
Then, our server was slow. She took too long bringing our lukewarm water and cold to the touch beer. We had to ask her to bring our bill and wait again for her to bring it. Perhaps she was slow because she was hot. Maybe next time they’ll open the door.

Great, low key spot for a night of cultural Shenanigans out on the town. Food is wayy better than your standard concert venue fare– Was splendidly surprised by my chicken goat cheese burger and sweet potato fries. Really Yum!
The music/​art here is always different — whether it is classical or folk or spoken word. Really enjoy the local vibe and always have a good time. A great place to come on your own, buy yourself a beer, and sit back for some lovely entertainment.

At first glance, the Royal Room might seem like a typical place you’d stop to get a bite — the décor’s pretty bland, almost IHOP-​like in a way — nothing speaks *good music* in particular, and the food is just pretty standard. But I’ve seen some of the most memorable acts here.
One huge standout was Bobby Previte with an entourage of accomplished musicians re-​doing Miles Davis’, «Bitches Brew». The musicians were all right on and excellent in their interpretation, and the show went on and on and onnn almost all night, in a good way. They also seemed to be a friendly bunch, as my friend snuck off during intermission to «hang out» back stage and came back smelling like a huge pothead in a manner of 10 minutes.
Two issues prevent me from coming back more often — (1) the place is in Columbia City, far away from me, and, (2) I have problems figuring out which acts are good or even who they are from the info on the website, which gives little information about their acts. For these two reasons, I’m wary of driving all the way out to the Royal Room in case I meet up with a band that’s a dud. But if I lived in the ‘hood, I’d be there more often.

Do you like beer? Do you like music? Do you like dark cozy spots? Do you like awesome? Then you’ll most likely like The Royal Room.
Visited this place for the first time to see a visiting band Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys last week, it’s a great establishment overall. Really this isn’t a bad spot to see a show. I’ve been to much worse when it comes to live music venues.
I would definitely go to The Royal Room again, if it was the right concert. I didn’t try any food but there was good selection of beer on taps.
Definitely a great place to go and share cocktails and listen to some music.
Wish I stayed closer to this venue.

This place comes from a long and venerable culinary tradition within the world of jazz clubs – this means, if you’re not picky about food, you can easily knock The Royal Room up to five stars. But everything else about the place, from bar to live room, is as perfect as can be.
First off, the reclamation of old space here is wonderful. They have taken everything back to the bare walls and ceiling and started again. The stage, mix board, and acoustics are all clearly placed with an ear toward maximum enjoyment of live music – they put as many people as possible in direct visual and audio contact with the band. They’ve added baffling and curtains to keep the sound from getting too wild.
They haven’t wasted a lot of flash cash on overdone furnishings or bathrooms – you see reclaimed materials wherever possible, but everything’s clean and nice and smells good. There’s a full bar off to the side, with a solid lineup of beers, wines, and spirits. They keep their tap lines clean and pour a nice pint of beer.
The menu is a couple pages, and very well thought out. Good apps, entrees, and desserts, with interesting specials thrown in. Unfortunately, the recipes aren’t quite as good – virtually everything tastes like it’s out of a can or a box, with the exception of the bread. There’s nothing wrong with it, but there’s so much good eating on these blocks, and a lot of times, the music doesn’t start here until after the dinner hour. They’re almost ordering you to dine elsewhere.
But that’s OK. You’ll be alright if you come early for a good seat and eat here, because the music is what matters. And they support the hell out of the music. On one Monday night they presented a very experimental post-​bop quartet, an ambitious 13-​piece big band conducted by the guy who owns the joint (Wayne Horvitz), who got great playing and tight listening out of everyone. The headliners were an already-​accomplished new five piece, the Majestical Quintet, featuring a bunch of local veterans. The 13-​piece had multiple musicians from both of the other bands. This is exactly what makes a healthy music scene – everybody playing together, everybody taking chances with what they’re playing, and playing their hearts out. The scene they’re cultivating here is impressive.
When it comes to the music, they leave an envelope on your table for you to cash in. $ 15 or $ 20 a head feels like the right donation, so the musicians can get paid. This is one of the coolest things happening in Seattle right now. Between here and Paratii, there’s definitely room for people to play jazz in a low-​key environment where people really want to hear the music, and hear it played well.