Great bar, I was resting my legs on the bin as others had, a security guard pushed my legs off, told me I was giving an attitude with my face, asked if I would like to leave so I did because it didn’t sound like a suggestion. I’m sorry that what I did was wrong but the bearded security guard could have asked me to stop instead of touching me without myPermission. Great bar but maybe that guard should find another job maybe at a pokies idk
Time / date - Saturday (28/12/24) before the 2025 New Year’s Eve – Enough Is EnoughWhere do I even begin?Palms Nightclub has long had a reputation as a staple on Oxford Street, but after our recent experience, it’s clear this place is coasting on nostalgia and arrogance. The behaviour I witnessed—and experienced—was nothing short of humiliating, and frankly, it’s time the owners took a good, hard look at how this venue is run.Firstly, the security guard’s behaviour was appalling.This isn’t just my experience—scroll through the reviews, and you’ll see a consistent pattern of complaints about bullying, intimidation, and humiliation. And every single time, we see the same defensive response from Michael (who manages the bar and lives to tell people and does the reviews). He’s always ready to jump in, defend the staff, blame the patrons, and promise to check the footage. Well, here’s a thought—how about talking to your patrons and actually fixing the problem?People come to Palms to feel safe, to have fun, and to celebrate in a space that’s meant to be inclusive. Instead, what I experienced was a night of intimidation and condescension, led by a security guard who seems more focused on power trips and public humiliation than keeping people safe. It’s not just bad management—it’s embarrassing for Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ community.Michael, your footage excuse you give needs to thrown out the window.What’s more important—covering your tracks or listening to your patrons who are repeatedly calling out the same toxic behaviour?There’s clearly a pattern, and ignoring it won’t make it go away.Stop gaslighting your customers.We’re tired of reading defensive replies and non-apologies. Enough is enough.Palms, it’s time to smell the roses. You are one of the few remaining gay bars in Sydney, but don’t think for a second that people won’t walk. With this kind of behaviour, it’s not a matter of if people will leave, it’s when.We don’t need to put up with arrogance and humiliation tactics when there are plenty of other venues ready to welcome us without judgement.This isn’t just about one night—it’s about years of complaints that have clearly fallen on deaf ears.MardiGras is around the corner, and unless you want this to be your reputation heading into 2025, it’s time for serious change.Start listening to your community, or watch them walk away.For now?We will be taking my business elsewhere. And judging by the reviews, I won’t be the only one.
It’s small bar/club. The service is nice. Music is great. People are mixed. Some have attitude, Mostly are open minded. Overall, recommend to go. Beer glass is like 6 AUD. Good price
Last night’s music was sooooo much better than usual.. the same pop songs were there, but disguised in great remixes/mixing, and the usual ups and downs of energy were replaced with consistency of tempo and drive. It showed in the vibe of the crowd - hopefully in bar sales too!! Haha
Hello!Me and 3 girlfriends were dressed as rabbits in line for the club. We were just chatting amongst ourselves whilst we waited and the security came up to us after about 20 minutes and said very rudely and dismissively "Take your fancy dress ups somewhere else. Go somewhere else with your costumes."Not sure if he knew he was on Oxford St where Drag Queens and queer expression is a part of our culture but sure.We respectfully left the line but the whole experience was very disappointing as I was with my cousins who'd only been to a gay club once before and as a gay man I was looking forward to showing them this place. Not sure if them being women was also a part of the problem but I'm seeing that theme come up a lot in these reviews.I'm also seeing a lot of reviews complaining about the demeanour of the security guards here so perhaps it's time for a performance review.Edit to respond:Hi Michael,We were not a hens/bucks/work function party, nor were we asked if we were. If we’d been unruly or disruptive in line then I’d understand but if you check the security cameras you’d see we were waiting patiently and respectfully. It’s clear the comfort of the majority of your patrons is not the reason we were rudely ejected from the line by your security (you also didn’t address the needlessly rude way we were spoken to by them unprovoked either) but I’m glad to see you’re doing your best and I truly hope it works out for you.Kind Regards,Sebastian
My phone was not broken, it’s a brand new iPhone and it’s charging amazingly, thank you for losing a customer because of a petty useless waiter who thinks he’s famous but he forgot he’s just a damn waiter at a low budget gay bar. Your staff has been repeatedly bullying me for months and that’s not acceptable, congratulations on protecting your staff. Do Not come to this bar.
Hello!Me and 3 girlfriends were dressed as rabbits in line for the club. We were just chatting amongst ourselves whilst we waited and the security came up to us after about 20 minutes and said very rudely and dismissively "Take your fancy dress ups somewhere else. Go somewhere else with your costumes."Not sure if he knew he was on Oxford St where Drag Queens and queer expression is a part of our culture but sure.We respectfully left the line but the whole experience was very disappointing as I was with my cousins who'd only been to a gay club once before and as a gay man I was looking forward to showing them this place. Not sure if them being women was also a part of the problem but I'm seeing that theme come up a lot in these reviews.I'm also seeing a lot of reviews complaining about the demeanour of the security guards here so perhaps it's time for a performance review.
Hats off to Michael and the team at Palms!Such a friendly welcoming environment where they always do their best to look after every person that enters.Amazing DJs, Good venue and always the best nights had when you go to Palms! Hands down one of the best venues on Oxford Street
Last night when I got charged $80 for 2 drinks and then questioned the bar staff they called security and I was kicked out! I'm glad that the girls next to me enjoyed their free drinks! If you're the owner please get back to me and watch your CCTV footage! Thank you 😊To add to the response, if it was time for me to go home because I was intoxicated, don't serve me a drink... That was not the case! As soon as I questioned your staff about the cost he clearly was unable to communicate and the easiest way was him to call security!
To any woman of any sexual orientation reading this review, don't go to this club; you will not be welcome there. Trust the many reviews about the rampant misogyny and take your business elsewhere.My friends and I (all queer women and a queer man, all sober) waited for 40 minutes to get into this club after being told that it was an inclusive space that centered queer people. When we got to the front of the line, we were immediately turned away by the bouncer, who claimed we were too drunk. Given that we knew we all were sober and were all wearing closed-toe shoes, we asked the bouncer why we were being denied entry, but he gave no further explanation.When other women were kicked out of the bar under similar false pretenses at the same time, the bouncer seemed more than happy to overlook the supposed RSA issues with a few hundred dollars cash under the table. Of course, that same bouncer immediately proceeded to allow entry to the man behind us, who was slurring his speech, falling into our group, and swaying the entire time he was waiting in line.The canned RSA justification that the owner of this club pastes as a response to the many reviews alleging misogyny and the exclusion of queer women seems disingenuous when you consider the blatant violations of RSA rules happening at this establishment. When relatively sober women are being kicked out of the bar unless they bribe the bouncer at the exact same time that dangerously intoxicated men are allowed in without complaint, you know you have a problem.Even more egregious to me is the fact that the owner claims that these rules are enforced to protect the sanctity of LGBTQI+ spaces in Sydney. Justifying discrimination against women and lesbians under the guise of “protecting” these queer spaces undermines the most important reasons these spaces exist. The owner of this business seems to have no interest in re-examining why so many women feel so unwelcome, which sadly means that very little is likely to change. The best thing anyone can do at this point is to go to other bars and invest in spaces that care about everyone in our community, not just men.
Let me be clear: this is not an appraisal of sobriety monitoring tactics or criticism of an attempt to create space for queer people. This is merely a matter of drawing attention to unfair, even discriminatory security tactics.My 5 friends and myself, all gay women (and one gay man), all wearing close toed shoes, all in our early twenties, and all stone cold sober and respectful, waited in line for half an hour only to be told that we were “too drunk” and there were “too many of us” by security, and waved off without another word. The man behind us was on what seemed to be a cocktail of drugs. We saw no women allowed entry in front of us, or even any women in line. We spoke with a group of lesbians who had paid $200 per person to get in, only to be kicked out.If you are looking for a space for 40 year old gay white men, this is the space for you (as those were the only people we saw allowed entry). But it is not the inclusive queer space it is purported to be. Whether this is misogyny or whether this club has decentered lesbians intentionally, I do not know. All I know is that my friends and I were hurt by this experience, and that the defensiveness of the manager in the replies of the Google reviews tells us all we need to know — that this is not a space for us, and that we would have saved our time, energy, and sadness by trying another location, rather than one that excluded us based on objective lies and double standards. I am going to call it misogyny. If the reply guy manager wants to tell me that security was right to deny us entry for being young, sober, respectful, queer, and female, then I will believe he is telling the truth — and that this place is not as welcoming as it pretends to be.
We need to talk about Palms’s blatant discrimination against women. It’s truly disgusting and they’re not even trying to hide it anymore. Palms used to be a place where queer men AND women could freely dance to daggy music on sticky floors and enjoy overpriced drinks. It is no longer an inclusive space for women.Over the past year I have witnessed multiple instances of discrimination against women, specifically by the security staff. One time my friend “didn’t have the right shoes” (despite them being closed toed dress shoes). One time my (lesbian) friend was told “you know this is a gay club, right?” before not allowing her in for that very reason. Other times no reason at all was given. And yet every time my male friends and I were let in without a problem.These are not isolated incidents. This is by design. The misogyny comes straight from the top - you can tell by the owner’s defensive comments on other similar reviews (of which there are plenty and I recommend reading them). He’ll claim it’s an RSA issue even when little to no alcohol was consumed. You can’t argue with this and if you do you’ll be labeled as aggressive.This does not happen at other gay bars on Oxford St! Let me be clear. I want Palms to exist. I LIKE Palms. But they can’t keep getting away with this discriminatory behaviour. Palms: please do better at being more compassionate and inclusive.I look forward to a defensive reply from the owner claiming that these comments are baseless and aggressive, and not what they can do to be more inclusive to return Palms to the queer haven it once was.
Palms is a cozy bar. Ended up there on a Sunday night, fun time with dragshows, eclectic crowd. Drinks were not so good, but the staff was friendly, and the shows were fun.
The only GAY owned & GAY managed venue remaining On Oxford Street with consistent queues every weekend... Welcoming service & a charming upgrade to the venue...Congratulations in keeping the venue GAY!Successful venues are not operated by kids, nor old wood passed their use by date, rather PROFESSIONALS who know the community & deliver accordingly.Stevie Wonder can see what happens to other venues that wish to continue to alienate their customer base, plainly evidenced on the once “Golden Mile”.
Tall, white, skinny bouncer with beard kicked my mate out tonight for "being intoxicated".I totally understand that if he was, but we asked both the security guard and the door staff what he had done to indicate his intoxication and noone would provide and answer.I was an airline flight attendant for 11 years, and removed many people off flights during this time. I would always give a reason as to why the decision was made so it was very clear and less confusing. But Palms failed at doing this (or simply doesn't care for its returning and regular patrons).Such a shame. I've come here for close to 20 years and even met my husband while enjoying a night out here almost a decade ago...I understand RSA but no explanation could be given. Very disappointed. I've always loved it here but security and door staff were very rude.They told my mate "you're embarassing yourself just go". Very rude response when we were being polite and just asking for the reason why we were being kicked out of the venue.I understand if people are intoxicated they need to be removed, but to not be able to explain why is ridiculous. My mate had just won an award for his contribution to the Australian legal system and we were out celebrating, yet your security staff also said "even lawyers get drunk". So rude!
The worst security/door staff I have ever encountered. Myself and three friends, all respectful, sober and well dressed, walked up to the door, and were abruptly told without hesitation “come back another night” (Cue the “we’ve had the no open toe shoes policy in place for 23 years” response from venue management - the security had not even seen my feet when he originally declined entry). No wonder there was nobody else in the line and a list as long as my arm of terrible reviews for security.
I have been a loyal Palms worshipper for a decade. we come most weekends. but please restrain your bouncers. the new cloakroom rule is insane. we got kicked out last night because a friend had her coat with her. We are not difficult customers and normally do what we are told by staff. We were not given an option to cloak it, just booted out. It was really out of line.
A night out at Palms is like a slice of heaven. The staff are friendly, the music is great, the drinks are reasonably priced, what’s not to love about Palms. You can find something at Palms Wednesday through Sunday. Go to Palms for an amazing time and to make good memories!
Re-train your bouncers. He was extremely rude last night. He thought I was intoxicated. Asked how much I had to drink tonight. I had had 2 beers before going to palms. I was walking straight and wasn’t not slurring my words at all. He thought this because I had just finished yawning because we were waiting to get in and it was cold and I was tired. His behaviour towards me was not acceptable. Treat people with respect! It’s free. Thank goodness the bar downstairs itself was good and had good music.
🌴Palms never disappoints! Always a great night out. The security look out for everyone, the bar staff are always friendly and the latest addition of Penny’s delightful face on the door makes for an even more unforgettable night of dancing the night away🕺
The best gay bar in Sydney. Gay owned and gay safe space. Best music for those who love music from 70s to now always fun and a great party atmosphere. Staff are amazing and friendly with great drag shows and trivia nights. Always a good time out dont miss it.
Fantastic little place. Service is fast and knowledgeable. Clearly people hired with experience. It’s camp and all renovated. I was looking under the tables. Not even one chewing gum. Music is great singalongs and don’t be surprised if you hear 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton and the place goes off. Highly recommended.
Security at door has some attitude issues. The guy didn’t let me and friends in, even we were not drunk. This second time has happened to us. I’m pretty sure there were others who were more drunk than us. Anyways i don’t think we will visit again. Security at other bars considerate. We just end up going to Universal after that, there was issue at the security over there.
So my three friends were kicked out of there last week for dancing, well at first it was supposedly being drunk or high. I have seen video footage of them dancing and can't see the issue. After your security told you they were sober, could you not have done the decent thing and at least talked to them?
Don't go! Manager is on a hair trigger to create trouble! Security forcibly manhandled us out of the club, because the manager thought we were high on...
Security are awful. They hassle you at the front door about jackets must be checked in but charge a minimum $5 plus more for others. It is good discouraging people from dumping their crap everywhere but a high charge does not encourage people to use the coat room.They were hassling customers and kicked two out for the smallest reason. Security is important but they way it happened and with the entrance it really made the place feel uncomfortable.Since the ATM went and they took cards it has gone backwards. Definitely need a review of security, they set the tone and that was angry and off before you even walk in.It feels cleaner and sounds better which is good.Edit. Clearly from the response from Michael there is a refusal to accept any other view. $10 for coat check being the norm what rubbish. I agree as I said if you have a large jacket and bag etc check it in but a small hoodie no need just don't dump it leaving for others to deal with.You don't listen you attack, I am telling you security brought a negative feeling to the venue. From the door to inside. I never said someone causing problems needs to go, I said the way it was done is the issue. I had comments from regulars who have been there most weekends for 20 years that things have changed and not for good and the attitude I see in these responses shows where the problem starts.There are improvements in the venue that's great but it does not feel as welcoming as it used to.
Went to Palms last night and were asked to leave by security and literally pushed up the stairs.Apparently two men in their 60’s dancing means they are intoxicated or on drugs.When we tried to sort it out with security at the door he kindly tried speaking to the manager Michael who was the one that had us removed.Even though he knew we only had one drink and certainly hadn’t taken any drugs he still refused to let us back in.So my advice would be go to another bar and give palms a big miss.It’s a shame customer service goes out the window at some of these places and a simple conversation could have alleviated all this unpleasantness.If you have any doubts about my review just read the manager’s response.Security pushed people aside to take me off the dance floor and I can assure you we were only given the reason after we were forcibly removed.
“Utterly shocked and appalled” are my words –Don’t go to the Palms, unless you like being forcibly pushed out by security, with brute force, with no reason answered to you as to why. Totally shocked, as we did absolutely nothing wrong. A couple of guys in our early 60s, and one younger friend. We were given no reason why. Just screaming “You have to leave, you have to leave.” Repeated Over and over, as if we committed a serious crime. Kept asking why, no answer. Just physically pushed up the stairs, and out. Once out, a different security guard took a different (more professional) tactic to answer us. According to him, the manager, Michael, claims we were either overly drunk, or on drugs. First of all - My drink was a lemon lime and bitters, and the other two in the group, 1 cider each. This was our first drink for the evening. Secondly none of us were on drugs. Period! I’ve never taken an illegal drug in my life! The fuss turned out to be our enthusiastic dancing. So, if you dance properly that means you have to be high?? I actually danced to one song only, a favourite “We Like To Party” by the Vengaboys. A highly energetic song, requiring an equally exuberant dance! It takes a good song to get me dancing. As the talk went on with the second security guard, it was clear he recognised we were perfectly sober. We asked him to talk to the manager, and he did. When he came back out, said we were still refused re-entry. So, we professionally said “thank you” for calmly talking through this with us, and shook hands with him, and left, while the manager took the cowardly way out and didn’t have the professionalism to have a chat with us! This has to be the very worst management I’ve ever encountered in a gay night club in all 40 years of going to clubs! Absolutely no customer service skills, not capable of telling his goons to confirm first if there’s an actual problem with a group of patrons. But here’s the best part. I just got word ahead of posting this, as the manager conveniently switched his narrative, to “Erratic dancing, while holding a drink in my hand, endangering other guests.” My space was clear of others. Camera footage would prove that! And even if I came close to someone, I’d simply slow down to not hit someone. It’s not hard! Even so, then is it still okay to send your goons to treat us like a hardened criminal? What’s his “new” narrative going to be next? Either way, he is in the wrong, and I want the world to know, this manager either needs to shape up, or be shipped out! Until that happens, I will never step into Palms ever again, as long as there is management WHO MAKE STUFF UP with PAYING customers. Reading other reviews, I see there have been similar complaints to management more recently. AVOID this potential nightmare by just going to another club!
Shocked!!I’ve been going to Palms for more than 10 years, I love the place and only experienced great things, until last night (Saturday night) I went out with two friends in their 60’s, they love to dance and great at it.They were asked to leave at 9.30pm by the security, giving them no reason, they were manhandled and shoved up the stairs.We spoke to the security outside, he said Michael the manager had decided that my friends were drunk or on drugs (which one was sober and one had one drink).The security told us he could tell we were all sober and not on drugs.Micheal was a coward and didn’t come out to speak to us, and decided not to let us in, after the security officer advised him we were sober.I will never go back, definitely give Palms a miss.My response to Micheal: if you thought my friends were dancing erratically, why didn’t you ask your security guard to ask them to “settle down”, also once you found out they were sober - all three of us, why didn’t you let us back in, it could’ve been a simple to chat.
Went to Palms last night and were asked to leave by security and literally pushed up the stairs.Apparently two men in their 60's dancing means they are...
I'm very disappointed in the staff at Palms tonight. My friend was being attacked by a stranger, but the Palms staff didn't show any duty of care. They just threw him out along with the guy who was trying to attack him. I'm extremely disappointed in Palms and I'm not happy. - Kevin. 28/04/24
Great vibes at palms all night long. Drinks are good and the music is good. It’s a shame the place gets so crowded that you can’t actually move. So you often get shoved near the speaker which is deafening. Otherwise 10/10 😊🌈
Great place to celebrate and dance. However, the customer service was quite disappointing. I bought a water bottle with me (not an alcohol) and for some reason, the bartender sntached it out from me, and said "Sorry, this is company rules. No water bottle allowed." Now, for me, I am worried about being spiked, hence I bought my own drink (and allergic to alcohol and normal tap water as well). And I questioned the bartender and said "Well, I don't want to get spiked. Do you have like a cover for your cups?" And he replied "No sorry. That's not our problem, that's your responsibility." Like, how. Just how can they care about a person's safety? Like, that's a first thing you do when you run a business. Safety is first. I mean, prior, I did try to check out the site, but nothing has been stated or any policy about not bringing your own water bottle. Then, the same guy came up and touched my back twice without my consent, and really ignored boundaries here, just to tell me and my group some rule announcement (which I felt very, very uncomfortable). And, when I wasn't even at the song selection (DJ crowd tablet), as I was grabbing a cup of water, he came to me and said "No more song selecting, it's gonna be closed." Then, he crosses to the other side where the tablet is, where my other friends were selecting, but didn't tell them off. I wasn't even near the damn tablet! As a result, I had to walk to the tablet side just to tell my friends, before the dude started walking back the other side.For the policies, they honestly, need to put the no-bottle water rule in their page, and any other rules. Otherwise, the atmosphere was great, just needs better policy and customer service.
the in house security is creepy to young women in the venue, the in house security is beyond the misogynistic. a male patron dropped in front of us and nothing was done. but one female patron was feeling herself and asked to leave, disgusting plams, do better, disgusting behaviour from the males your employees.
Great vibes at palms all night long. Drinks are good and the music is even better especially they play classical hits. Great reason to put your dancing shoes on 🕺🍺🌈
Apparently a gay friendly venue, which we all looked up to and forward to heading to at some point in the night. Yes the door staff don’t want to let drag queens in based on their attire not matching the “dress code” seems very left field for me!
It’s so sad. A real fall from grace. I probably haven’t visited this establishment in over 5 years. I tried to enter at around 9.30 pm after yes perhaps one too many as an Asian person which is 2. I was turned away by surly bouncers when I communicated that my intention was only to perhaps dance for an hour with my friends and be out of there by 12. This is the reason Sydney’s night life is appalling. And management do treat your staff to have some discretion and sensibility. A really horrid experience and I hope this club just dies now for something else to awaken in its ashes.
First time at Palms - what a vibe!!! Couldn't have had a better time if I tried. Note - they won't let you in without enclosed shoes on, however the Tobacconist next door sells Kmart flats for $18 if you're stuck ;)Unfortunately, I can't give 5 stars as both of the female toilets were blocked all night which was a real pain!
Great music and atmosphere. nothing pretentious about it. if you are a poser or a social media queen, this is not the place for you. If you are looking for a fun night, this IS the place
I love Palms and have been going for years. You are always guaranteed a great night. The music is consistent which is one of the main reasons I keep returning. The excellent mix of 70s, 80s and 90s retro is a recipe for success. It is a LBGTQIA+ club and most patrons are there to dance and have a fun night. Ladies be warned, Palms takes their "No open toed shoes" policy very seriously, so wear flats or boots.Reasons I can't give a 5 star rating:* The bar is cash only. And although there is an ATM inside it is ridiculous you can't buy drinks with cards. Come on, it's 2018!* The sound system needs replacing. Or at least the treble turned down. Try not to dance near the speakers.* The bathrooms get quite disgusting. A combination of patrons and a lack of cleaning throughout the night.If you can get past the above, Palms is a great night out where you can dance until almost dawn. 😁❤️🎶🏳️🌈
The music has become to slow with the beat... I’m a HUGE fan of this place... but it’s all slowed down pop music... No one has their hands above their head like they used to. Yes, everyone is having fun.... but I can guarantee it will be empty but 1130
I love this place! It’s like my favourite retro bar in the world, yes it’s a little bit seedy but the atmosphere and the fun music make it all worthwhile. ❤️
As mentioned in their Google listig 👉🏻cash only! Coming from Europe, I've managed 5 days of Sydney as a tourist without touching a single dollar. So I wasn’t really willing to use their ATM here. I spent a little hour without a drink, enjoying the cheesy songs - ABBA Kylie Cher - and simply went back to the other side of Oxford for my next Lomg Island Ice Tea.If I were living here, and would have used cash, I would have come back.
I love the music in Palms... But besides that I find that I always love to see the Bulgarian security guard out front - he's so hot. Any chance I could get his phone number and ask him out? Is he into guys? 🙊
Club with retro music! Great place to relax and make new friends. There are cozy separate rooms. The action takes place, you can get a free room for 2 hours and a cocktail, you need to register on site 909gay,com take a screenshot and show the bartender. This should work
This place is WAY to hot. I think they do have air conditioning but it must just be very small and old because it isn’t doing a good enough job.Drinks are very expensive here compared to other clubs on Oxford Street.Speakers on the dance floor are very low and too loud.I think they just have the same list of songs on repeat each night.
So we came here at the suggestion of a friend in Sydney. We saw the decent reviews and decided why not?First of all, the atmosphere and bartenders were...
At no point did they say or show they didn't accept credit cards. Welcome to the 21st century. But was kicked out bc I ordered a drink and they wouldn't...
I love this night club!They play fun 80s music that everyone knows and can sing along to! Drinks are average for club. but THEY DON'T ACCEPT CARD although...
Forget Stonewall, Arq and the rest... Palms is the place to be!It's very unassuming and I have never even heard of it when I was in Sydney. It was only...
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