Palms on Oxford
Visitors praise the venue for its friendly staff and music selection. However, many reviewers report negative experiences with bouncers, describing them as rude, abusive, and unfairly denying entry, sometimes without clear reasons.
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via Stay22About this place Palms on Oxford
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Community Reviews
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I can’t comment on the actual club as I was denied entry by a very rude bouncer who was eating a slice of pizza as I waited in line and told me I couldn’t get in as I was wearing sandals, in November, on a humid night. As someone who doesn’t drink, I felt humiliated and left so that my friends could get in. As I left the line I made a point of letting him know the guy behind me was wearing thongs, he ignored me, so I pointed it out again, and he said “well of course I’m going to pull him up” he did, but I can’t help but wonder if he would have just let him in. Not sure if this security guard just hates women or if he loves the power of rejecting people but I’m very disappointed. What was meant to be a really fun birthday night, ended up being ruined.
Best venue ever! The staff is so friendly specially the cute and hot Brazilian😍 Great place to listen to musics that you can actually sing. Good mix of old and new songs.
I have to be honest, I have been coming here for years and still love to. If you don’t come early there will be a queue and yes the bouncers can be awful, but be nice to them and it shouldn’t be a problem. Girls you will need to wear enclosed shoes, this had been in place since forever. There is now a cover charge on the weekend, but they donate some of it to ACON and it also covers the cloakroom. During the week they have different themed nights including cabaret and bingo. The music is what keeps me coming back for more. It is a mixture of old school to now, I describe it as going to a school disco. The crowd is mixed in age and friendly. Gone are the Palm trees painting on the back wall replaced by screens. This is one of my favourite gay bars, and if you go with the right attitude you will have a fabulous night.
I've tried to go to Palms twice. The first time was with women friends and we'd been to a lesbian event at a nearby venue and there were 4 or us. The bouncer pointed at us, said "I've had enough of you women tonight, you're drunk (and pointed at our tee total friend who had not and does never drink) and then said none of you are coming in. The second time, recently. Two of us were queueing to get in. Denied entry again - this time the same security guard walked along the queue and decided my friend had inappropriate footwear. She was wearing sandals, in Sydney, in summer. Management or owners. Please do something about your terrible security staff.
Absolutely the worst security I have ever encountered. This used to be a great fun venue to come to, but ever since new management, it's gone drastically downhill. They behave like they are operating the most exclusive club on the planet. They target and abuse people waiting in line and enjoy abusing patrons
One of the worst venues and security assessment I’ve ever experienced. Avoid this bar at all cost. Upon arrival at the start of our night. The bouncer advised we were unable to enter. There was no reason whatsoever and he was purely just throwing around what perceived power he thought he had. After requesting his badge details he still refused.
Went for a dance with my husband only to be escorted out like criminals. Absolutely disgusting . What a hole. Bouncers treat you like criminals moments after being allowed in as “too drunk”. Won’t be back!!
This was the worst experience of my life. I am a friend of a girl who live as a housemate as mine. No friend can ever get through security here. They are the most inhumane people I have met.
“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!
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.
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Last updated on 2 August 2026