With Crooked Tooth Brewing Co., Anello, Tap & Bottle, and Exo Roast Co. all located within a couple of blocks of each other, the Warehouse Arts District just off Fourth Avenue has become a food and drink hot spot. But it’s about to get even hotter.
The Royal Room, which opens Tuesday, October 17 in the historic brick warehouse at 450 N. 6th Ave (the space previously housed an office for PSA Art Awakenings) adds a nice mid-century touch to the blossoming area.
The 1,400-square-foot and 53-seat Royal Room offers a cozy, laid back vibe to enjoy a glass of wine and uncomplicated food. Guests are greeted at the entrance of the main room with a retro-style tile pattern spelling out “The Royal Room” and a blend of indie rock and sixties music playing softly in the background. While half of the space is surrounded by windows, only a modest amount of light shines in with a bit of warmth from small lamps and the upper panel of colorful window panes. A Rube Goldberg-like orange juicer and massive 25-cup Yama Glass cold drip maker sit behind the bar.
To the right of the entrance in the side room, the Patch & Clark Design work is more apparent with cozy mid-century furniture, polished wood, and zebra print (the whole zebra, not just the stripes) walls. The Royal Room partner Jeff Bufano also assisted with the interior design.
“We’re excited to be here,” said Ian Stupar, owner of the Royal Room. “Based on our friends and family night on Saturday, we had a diverse crowd. We had a couple bikers, older couples, younger families, all enjoying themselves and nobody seemed out of place. We had some people at the bar playing Yahtzee all night too.”
Wine is the main focus with 12 wine taps and 12 wines by the bottle. Beer drinkers can choose from eight beers on tap. A fridge of about 24 different beers are available for purchase to-go alongside an assortment of non-alcoholic beverages such as Original New York Seltzer, Mexican Coca-Cola, Jones Cane Sugar Cola, and Jarritos.
Food offerings include a small assortment of sandwiches, salads, charcuterie, and more.
Hot sandwiches include a grilled cheese and weekly special panini. Cold sandwiches include, ham & cheese, turkey swiss, roast beef & provolone, and caprese.
Customers can customize their own charcuterie boards by choosing from fresh mozzarella, aged Jack cheese, parmesan, brie, blue, smoked Gouda, provolone, prosciutto, salami, guanciale, capicola, olives, figs, and other seasonal items such as pickled or roasted vegetables. The Royal Room will also eventually incorporate items from Forbes Meat Company and Pivot Produce.
Coffee will be available as cold brew or French press with beans from neighbor Exo Roast Co. They won’t have espresso, but don’t have any issues suggesting that guests walk down the street to Exo for espresso.
Operating hours will be 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Tuesday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – midnight Friday – Saturday, and 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sunday.
The Royal Room is located at 450 N. 6th Ave. Keep up with The Royal Room on Instagram.
Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
