March 30, 2007
Brooklyn Drinks: Royal's Downtown
“You want to sit at the bar?" said the waiter.
"Yes, please."
"Oh...no one has really ever done that before.”
We walked into Royal’s Downtown yesterday, partly out of curiosity. This gorgeously lit restaurant sits on the western edge of Carroll Gardens, and seems completely out of place. Unlike the cute little restaurants dotted around the area, it’s grand and pretentious, more like a Brooklyn Heights standby that is decorated well but prohibitively expensive. There is only one entree under $20.
But the main reason we showed up last night was that we heard there was a bar. So we donned our cocktail attire, and though we hardly had a twenty in our pocket, we stopped by and hoped we could afford a drink. The room is every bit as gorgeous as it looks from the street, with a roaring fireplace in the back. Along one wall is the dark wooded bar, rung with seats, that provides one of the more romantic cocktail settings in the area.
Unfortunately, it’s not much of a bar. They have a small wine list with scant wines by the glass, no cocktail menu, and only 5 bottled beers, which is probably why our waiter was so baffled we wanted to sit there. But they couldn't have been nicer, and poured huge drinks and charged us very little for them.
It can be intimidating walking in. It's a place where everyone still dresses up and the tables are spread very far apart. The prices reflect that. But there is this bar with empty seats, in a stunning room, with great waiters, and pretty good drinks that aren't too expensive. We think people should go.
Has anyone else ventured in?
Royal's Downtown
215 Union Street
(718) 923-9866
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I haven't been but walked past it a few times.. I'm wondering how long they can last without patrons though because it seems pretty dead each time I walk by.
I might have to go in for a drink though..thanks
Ummm...That place is TOTALLY a front for something (although my boyfriend would probably prefer I not post this since he's rather attached to his kneecaps...). I live just past there over the BQE and every night, when I walk home from the Carroll St. stop, I'm amazed that the restaurant remains totally empty. It does look nice, but I say - be afraid.
It has very inconsistent hours - you can walk by at 8 pm on a weekend, and sometimes they're just not open. I can't seem to fathom the schedule, it seems rather random.
I mean, a bar that no one has ever sat at?? What's up with that?
my boyfriend and i did stop in for a drink late one night. I live around the corner. It was strange because the bartender did look a little shocked that we just came in for drinks but, like you mentioned, they were very friendly and the drinks are not expensive at all.
A front for something in our neighborhood? fuggeetttaboutit!
domminick dunne and joan didion were spotted eating here, during the day, a few weeks ago - which piqued my curiosity tremendously.
definitely mafia owned.
Royal's is participating in Brooklyn Restaurant Week, and it actually seems like a good deal. Unlike some of the Smith Street places that charge less than $15 for an entree anyway, Restaurant Week is about the only time I could imagine considering Royal's. It looks like they actually offer items from their regular menu too.
It is not mafia owned. It is douchebag owned, and, shady as hell though he may be, he is not, to my knowledge, in any way connected to the mob. At least not the old-school Carroll Gardens variety. He is nouveau Brooklyn--the joint just opened up in the last two years.
i'm surprised by the comments about royals. i've been going with friends for at least a year and the food is great. the meat is perfectly prepared and the service is excellent.
seriously, give it a chance.
Usually when I pass, it's empty or closed.
That place has changed hands about four times since I've been in the neighborhood. The charges of it being Mafia owned may very well be accurate. The Mob still has a grip on the nabe and there must be some reason why it stays open when it is empty night after night. At one point it was owned by the same folks who own Nino's pizzeria next door. Perhaps it still is. But my impression has always been that the place is owned or rented by some local fellow of dubious business connections who, hoping to cash in on Carroll Garden's popularity, keeps trying to figure out what the local yuppie population might like, and always fails. Every 18 months it turns into another crass version of a "classy" restaurant with "upscale" prices and a roaring fireplace.
two words: mob front
this place is ALWAYS empty
Every monster needs a "business" to launder money. Yes it is usually closed or empty, but I bet if you saw tax returns it would show a diff. picture.
This post in general is a bit odd.
Why even mention *this* (always empty/sometimes closed) place if you didn't actually eat the food? There are so many places in the 718 that deserve press for the awesome food they are producing.
R. Robot: Did you not see the title? It's about the drinks, not the food. You're a bit odd.