Classic local "dive" bar with that old neighborhood feel. A place for low key drinks with friends.

Great place! One of my regular places. Reminds me of one of my college bars back in the mid 1990s when I was in school. Kelsey is a fantastic bartender. Love when she is here. read more

That clueless bartender clearly has no idea what he's talking about--or how to do basic math. He took one look at my vertical ID, saw "Under 21," and immediately handed it back without actually reading it. I repeatedly asked if he had even bothered to check my birthdate because, surprise, I'm well over 21. Instead, he just kept parroting, "It's vertical," like that somehow overrides reality. Then he had the audacity to suggest I should've updated my ID early--like he was going to cover the fee himself. Right. Anyway, I'm at a new bar now. Hope the old one gets a lovely surprise, maybe some decorative eggs. (Aka getting egged) read more

Best, relaxed, and real bar. Local gem with nice owner. Pool table and arcade games, jukebox, and good fare for late nights.

As the red neon light gleams through the wooden bar table, you look around for a second and take a seat. As soon as you take seat, you feel at ease. There's much to be said about this place, it's one of only bars that is sought after by restaurant industry workers in Albany (you will see them afterhours.) It's also, one of few bars in Albany that is open till 4am everyday. To top it off, whether I'm in my pj's, suit, or chef suit, it's the one bar in Albany where I can come in and getaway. If it's quiet, it's a relaxing environment, when there's pool, darts, and music going on, the bar becomes a fun place to rejuvenate from work. read more

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Cool dive bar in Albany. Has a lot of history and the oldest liquor license in the city. read more

Palais Royale - a bar with a television in the background - Dive Bars Near Me - Albany, New York

I advanced along a dimly lit street when I noticed a dark public house among a nebulous cluster of dueling voids. I was assured by some sort of sprite in the entryway that "this place will be different from the others". That sprite was not seen again. I entered. Shimmering symbols slid off of the faces of these ethereal champions of suggestion. The symbols drip off of their brightly flashing faces and collect in pools at their feet. I was very impressed by the building clouds of symbolic and emotional energy that rose in steaming clouds over those feet. Although they never explicitly threatened me, I was acutely aware of their ability to lob strong bolts of energy towards me, as is common in folksy establishments such as these. I was never afraid. There were so many interesting inhabitants to observe. The drinks were enjoyable and the staff are pleasing to interact with! I will return. read more

One of the worst bathrooms I have ever seen even for a dive bar also there was a bartender hanging out that wasn't on shift that was extremely rude to people. Definitely won't be back. read more

Pretty much all you will ever need in a dive bar with the added bonus of having some non-terrible beer options. Do they have cheap lagers in cans? Yep. Do they have a killer juke box? Yep. Is it dark? Sure is. Is there pool/darts? Certainly. Add in the random knicknacks, the sign, some decent craft beers, and empanadas and you have a real winner. read more

Diveyest dive dive of all the dives. So much history. You either get it or gtfo. Halfway decent selection of craft. Lots of domestic bottles. Late night "food". If you're drunk who knows the difference. Pool table and a classic jukebox keeps the fun bumping. Real deal old school. Learn yo roots. read more

Oh do I love this dingy little rathole of a bar...it sounds so classy saying Palais Royale too...oooh how French. The jukebox had Curtis Mayfield, Steely Dan, and even some old Blondie. All good with function midgrade vodka. Prices are a little steep for the well drinks, but the beer selections are really quite reasonable. It's sort of in the shadow of the Empire State Plaza neighborhood...so before a show at the Egg, this is really a goodie. Albany has a fleck of cool here... read more

Trash panda's dream. Free hotdogs and cozy outdoor dining. Had unfortunate encounter with buzzed lady eying by buns, staff made up for it with a new broom. 10/10 would come again. read more

Palais Royale - Cozy patio selfie - Dive Bars Near Me - Albany, New York

Hung out here a bit in the eighties, the hey day of the Albany Punk scene and remember distinctly being welcomed by a cockroach running across my table as I sat down. My kind of place! Fast Forward to 2011. Came back after new ownership and its probably the best dive bar in Albany. Off the Lark street Longile-land crowd so don't worry about drunk and obnoxious college kids that hang around Bombers and Justins. Stellar juke box with many beers to choose from. I usually go for the Harp. I plop myself down in front of the jukebox. Laid back, dark and quiet. Although the pool table is usually busy. read more

Palais Royale - Dive Bars Near Me - Albany, New York

Years ago, the Palais was known for being the best dive around. It was described like this: "The Palais is trendy precisely because it's not. The wall above the bar is lined with crappy hummels. There's a jar of pickled sausages and mugs in the form of naked breasts. The old jukebox plays songs by Hank Williams and Billie Holiday." It was squalid and the decor was yellowing. The owner - 90-something Rocky - was authentic kitsch. But then things went awry. Rocky passed away and the place was sold, and re-opened under the same name. But the spirit was completely different. Now it touts itself as a "tapas bar." It features overpriced drinks, snotty service, weird lighting and bad music. I think it's having an identity crisis. One time, the bartender repeatedly served my boyfriend half-filled drinks - and they weren't half-priced. I was DD that night and my ginger ale was beyond watered down. It tasted and looked like water with a splash of soda. Gross! The patio is really nice though - probably one of the best bar patios in Albany. Points for the patio. I've never had the "tapas." read more

I used to love the Palais. No longer. Too much general grumpiness from management. Too much rudeness to employees. It really kills the happy atmosphere. Nobody likes seeing someone being grumpy behind the bar. Nobody likes seeing a person in a position of power belittle and berate others. If it were a one-time thing, it might have been an off night. Alas, it was just about every time I was in there. read more

It's the greatest bar that ever did live. I've been coming here for so, so long. I moved away in 2002 and when I returned in 2017, I was so happy the Palais was still around. I literally never have a bad time here. It's always where I bring dates - if they can't handle the Palais, they can't handle me. read more

You're going to read reviews from people who remember the so-called Old Palais, which was run by a very short fellow named Rocky, and evidently this was a time when magic was possible and unicorns roamed freely along Jefferson Street. That's all very well, but what we have now is the present-day Palais, and, judged on its own terms, I can say this is a true dive rock n roll bar, unlike any in town. There are poseurs and punkers and pretty people here alike, some freaks and some friendly people, too. This is the kind of place where you expect the bartender to be surly, and sometimes they are, but that's only because some Siena boy has hogged the pool table. This is a great bar. If you like great dive bars, go. If you like overpriced IPAs in the company of knob jobs, don't. We won't miss you. read more

Have done three, I think, consecutive weeks at their brunch. They seemed to have lost a bartender but now Shaun; Cook, Bartender, Busboy picks up the slack. Its odd. You don't wait for your drinks, your meals never cold, and Shaun always has a witty comeback or quip to say while you wait for your delights to be ready in the kitchen. I want empanadas from here everyday and soon I will be able to have a new one everyday for most of the month, as rumor has it, there is soon to be 20 varieties. I originally said this place was pricey for what it is. It isn't. It's very affordable food and generous portions, I was just being a douche and ordering Rare Vos with breakfast. Be a champion with a heavy wallet, and get the can beer with your empanadas. Bad ass. 4 stars for food, 5 stars for brunch service. 5 stars, because. read more

Very sweet dive bar. It's dark, gloomy, and seems like some weird stuff has gone down there. It's everything I want in my dive bar. This is the place for the hippest of the Albany hipsters to go and complain about the last show they went to in someone's basement. There's also a little mix of older dudes who definitely ride motorcycles and think they're in a biker gang. Cool crowd, great prices, and overall a good time. read more

Palais Royale feels like the place you want to go to get away from everyone who wants to go to the establishments in the Lark St. area. It immediately has a different feel to it. Maybe that's because it is a couple of blocks away from Lark St., in a more residential area. It has more of a "neighborhood" feel to it. The music was louder, better, more varied, and more interesting. I prefer the beer to the cocktails here, but I still like both. On a busy night, apps take a bit longer to get delivered to you, but every one of them we tried turned out to be delicious and worth the wait. It feels to me like if you're "making the rounds" on any night, Palais Royale should either be your first stop, or - preferably - your last for the evening. read more

Remember when you first started drinking? I don't mean your first legal drink, I mean when you had your first beer. Do you remember the atmosphere that probably surrounded you? Was it in your friend's garage/house-party? Was it perhaps in your friend's dad's den, complete with old rear-projected giant screened TV from the early 90's that he refused to throw away because "it still works"? If that sounds about right, prepare to walk down memory lane, because that's the atmosphere at Palais Royale. Palais is a combination of Elk's Lodge, Garage bar, and man cave. And it's FREAKIN' AWESOME! It's a great place for darts, pool or a game of Pac-Man. It's a great place to just hangout with your friends, and make new ones too. The drinks are priced fair. Get the chicken wings, you won't regret it! Everybody likes to talk about another area (former) dive bar for their wings and blue-cheese sauce, but Palais deserves an honorable mention. They stop serving food around 2am. BTW, if you played by the rules and didn't enjoy a beer before you turned 21, you probably won't like Palais read more

Located a few blocks away from the center of activity, Palais Royale tends to stay relatively quiet for the most part. This is a good thing. Because there's no pumping music or big crowds, this is one of the few places in my neighborhood where I can sit down and get liquored up on the cheap while having an actual conversation with my friends and/or the unique cast of characters. As others have pointed out, the tag team of co-barmaids is a definite highlight. Yes, Palais is dirty, it's shabby, and it's definitely not about great beer or great food, but it's about as comfortable for a marathon drinking session as my living room couch. read more

Just wanted to add an update here. Went to brunch again, again was very happy with it. But what I wanted to add is that they might just have the best empanadas in Albany. We were speaking to the chef, and he was telling us that he was hoping to have 20 varieties in the near future. All the varieties I've tried have been excellent, so I look forward to trying all 20. It's worth popping in here just to try them. Also, more people need to start going to Sunday brunch! It's been worryingly slow, and I don't want them to stop doing this. read more

The difference between yogurt and Albany is that yogurt has an active culture. Oh, how I wish I could take credit for coming up with that one. Still, though, if you were to sprinkle a few more Palais Royales-- grimy dive bars tucked inconspicuously off the beaten path, away from the scary bro bars where the old popular kids from my high school congregate to listen to popular music-- around Albany, it'd be on its way to being more yogurt-like. Here's the Palais scoop: Deliciously divey ambience? Check. Unnecessary tchotchke collection? Check. Pool tables and jukebox? Check. Seedy locals? This is Albany, duh! (Check.) I deduct a star only because there's something a little too forced "hipster" about this place, and maybe that's because it used to be a legendary dive before it closed and re-opened as a fresh version of itself. Our bartenders were neither friendly nor unpleasant, but maybe that's because it was New Year's Eve and the place was pretty busy. Anyway, you can't paint on the grime that (in my opinion) makes a bar a great bar-- it comes with time. So hopefully this place will continue to just improve with age. read more

The Good: - Best nights: Sunday night, Walking Dead. Great for a first date, because talking is prohibited. Monday, no one is there. Tuesday, no one there. - Always open The Bad: - Juke box only music The Verdict: You may or may not be pleased with the Palais. If your looking for a dive bar that serves cocktails with fresh mint muddled into a sugar cube, look elsewhere. There is nothing fresh about this place. read more

Love it! The closest thing to a "hipster bar" you can find in Albany (meaning, the people there aren't "real" hipsters in the pretentious sense of the word -- which is a good thing). Though, I went there on a seedy late-night rendezvous once and there were people juggling fire in the street. So, that's kinda hip. Or unusual, anyway. Make sure to order the Jiffy Pop made with the vintage 80's popcorn jiggling machine! read more

So, I was looking for a good dive bar when I was in Albany for New Years, and from the reviews, I really was expecting a bit better. I walked in and instantly felt out of place, the bar was empty, and the faint smell of pee filled up the entire place. It had decor you'd expect from your average dive bar, old knick knacks and the like. There was no music, and the bartender seemed more into her cell phone than engaging customers. We ordered the wings, which were pretty average, and the drinks we got were strong and cheap, which was the saving grace of this place. I assume a lot of this bad experience came from being here during off peak hours, so I might come here again on a Friday or Saturday night if I ever was back in town. read more

If God told you to spend one last night at one bar within the 518 area code, this should be among your top choices. Supreme value for drinks and atmosphere is that of a cozy cabin on a cold Minnesota winter morning. read more

A good place to stumble into when you just need that last drink before drifting home in a wind of Alzheimer's. Bonus to other yelpers if you also play "how many drinks before getting kicked out" game. Zero. Bonus star for Palais. read more

Definitely a "dive" type of a bar. Happy hour is all week $3 draught beers from 3-7pm. The neighborhood is surprisingly quiet. The bar also appreciates it when patrons "keep it down" for the sake if their neighbors, which I think is very cool. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the mood for a cheap happy hour. Enjoy!!! read more

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This rating is in honer of the original Palais. I haven't been back there for at least 8 years but in it's day , it was the spot. Rocky could be found behind the bar most nights. He stood about 5 foot nothing and was full of piss and vinegar. The man himself was an Albany institution. His father had owned a bar where the South mall now stands and Rocky had worked in bars all his life.He actually served drinks to the legendary gangster Legs Diamond. I guess it's all gone now but I can still see Rocky Behind the bar handing me a three dollar Spatin. I remember slow dancing to Billy Holliday with many friends, hardly able to stand. It's all a permanent part of my memory. Thanks and cheers Rocky. read more

The environment is nice and the people are fine. It's in the middle of nowhere and it's a bit dirty. I will come back here. I feel good here. read more

The only $ bar I like here. Very low key, without being creepy or too sad and dirty. A nice dark dive bar.

I was a total jerk last night but the owner was cool. I apologize for my actions for what it's worth, nice place unless you're being a confused whiny jerk like I am, but it was my fault not the establishment. Nice dive bar where you can chill with your friends in a relaxed environment. Though like most environments it can get a little hostile if you stir the pot in a negative way. Which reminds me of a story where one time I had to stir Sunday sauce but when you're young you don't realize how vital stirring is to the actual taste of stuff. So I just abandoned my duty of pot stirrer and played videogames and ruined the sauce. So I was a jerk when I was younger and I'm still a jerk. Great place though. read more

I went to the Palais Royale during a friend's going away pub crawl. The bar is set off the main drag, so I wasn't surprised that I never heard of this place before. The decor is quite dated and could use a facelift, but I suppose that is part of the charm. They do however, have a friendly group of barkeeps as well as an ample selection of beer. Also, the Palais Royale is certainly not as crowded as the nearby Lark Street scene, which was also refreshing. read more

Awesome dive. All the girls working there bust their ass and still provide timely service

I understand the concept of "dive bars" but this is a dirty bar. Who would pay $12 for wings while drinking a $3 PBR? The owner's Juan Sr and Juan Jr are both rude and have the worst customer service I've ever experienced. The bathrooms smell and I wouldn't eat anything out of the kitchen if you paid my Emergency Room bill. The few "highlights" are the pool table, bartenders Sarah and Pam. read more

My two kids who live in Albany brought me here for drinks shortly before I made the move to Calif. Nice place, most likely why my kids brought me right before I left town, no one wants their Dad showing up at the same place they're hanging out in. Good drinks, good selection of different beers. Nice friendly bartenderess. Fair prices. Kinda felt right at home here as soon as we sat down. Thanks Kids. read more

Although Rocky and Annie are no longer there, it still has a cool vibe. Hopefully it doesn't go to far on the loungy side and lose the dive bar feel. The mix of neighborhood folks and other is what Albany is about. Long live the palais royale. read more

AMAZING PUMPKIN PIE SHOT! loved it. Tasted like spiced pumpkin pie and I'm not even a huge pumpkin pie guy.