The Imperial Erskineville

Always a gem! Great shows and it’s one of the few places that does early night drag shows if you don’t want to stay up past midnight! 8.20, 9.20 and 10.20!

Waited 60mins for an overpriced burnt pizza, honestly don’t understand the hype. Queried the wait time at 40mins and was quickly dismissed by staff stating ‘yes that’s the wait time’ this wasn’t made clear when we ordered. Haven’t been to the imperial in quite some time as the atmosphere and clientele had significantly changed to our disliking. Not a great experience for our first time back celebrating a friends birthday. Certainly won’t be coming back! We used to love this place on a weekend!

Very disappointing experience. This was my first time here, and it will definitely be my last. I arrived around 8:45 pm and bought a beer on the ground floor. The bartender was friendly and mentioned there would be a drag show in about 30 minutes, which sounded great. I was alone and seated around the bar with other people who were also sharing the space, just enjoying my drink and even considering ordering food. Shortly after, a security staff member told everyone they needed to clear the space and that the chairs would be removed. The way he spoke was rude and dismissive. I asked where I could go, and he replied “there’s space everywhere,” without offering any real guidance. I then asked for five minutes to finish my schooner and leave, but he refused and told me to move immediately and take my drink. I could barely finish my beer and ended up leaving instead of staying for the show or ordering food. For a well-known gay venue that promotes diversity and inclusivity, this experience felt completely the opposite. The lack of respect and basic customer care was very disappointing.

Just posting to sing the praises of one of the security staff called Michelle. My friend was quite unwell, and Michelle was both very professional and genuinely caring. She went above and beyond to make sure we were both okay. Thank you for being such a beautiful person Michelle!!

Great trendy venue. Staff are lovely and attentive. The chips were amazing. Super crispy and seasoned. Loved the drag shows! Drinks were fairly priced.