Gay bars in london uk
London, affectionately known as GAY London in the UK, is celebrated for its lively and diverse gay scene. With an impressive selection of gay clubs in London, the city offers a perfect spot for everyone, making it a dynamic hub for the Gay community.
Calling Berlin our home, we are a bit wrecked for choice and find that there is no place in the planet quite as liberal as Berlin clubs and Berlin parties, which led to our initial disappointment when traversing the London gay nightlife scene while living there, but adv we have started to find out that London can be a similar scene for homosexual clubbing in London.
Spoiler alert: Although we also love the Soho scene, none of these places are in Soho or on Vintage Compton Street 🙉 (we still affection you Ku Bar). While Soho is arguably the center of gay being in London, we find most venues to be more of a prevent vibe than a club vibe. While Soho is gentle for a consume , the parties below are where the true Londoners would go when they really want to let loose.
You also won't find G-A-Y or Heaven here, as we are no longer that young crowd anymore 🤣.
So, let's search the best same-sex attracted nightlife and clubs that London has to offer!
The Timeline of London Bars and Clubs
The queer scene in London has always been centred around the West End, especially Soho. In the 1980s some clubs opened up in Earls Court, where the rent was cheaper. In the 1990s, the scene reverted back to Soho, revitalised by new style bars like The Village. Vauxhallbecame the locus of gay clubs from 2000. Included in the tracking timeline are bars and clubs in Earl’s Court and Vauxhall, though they are not strictly in the West End. 1720s
The Golden Ball (Bond's Stables, off Chancery Lane).
Jenny Greensleeves' Molly House (Durham Yard, off the Strand).[1]
Julius Caesar Taylor's Molly House (Tottenham Court Road).[2]
Plump Nelly's Molly House (St James's Square, St James's).[2]
Royal Oak Molly Home (Giltspur Street, Smithfield)[2]
Three Tobacco Rolls (Covent Garden).
1724Mother Clap's Molly House, closed 1726 (Holborn).
1770s
Harlequin (Nag's Head Court, Covent Garden)
1800s
1810The White Swan, Vere Street (Vere Street)
1832Admiral Duncan (54 Old Compton Avenue, Soho)
The Hundred Guineas Club (Portland Place)
1866 The Coleherne, gay from the 1950s?, closed 24 September 2008 (261 Earls Court Road, Earls Co
Sink a cocktail in one of London's finest Queer bars and pubs and you'll be drinking in more than just some watered down booze: these spots are LGBTQ+ landmarks in their own right, places where you can find collective, kinship, and drag-fuelled mayhem. Beats billiards in your local.
Once upon a day, having a gay aged time in London meant hotfooting it straight to Soho. But now, the city's queer centre of seriousness has shifted east, with edgier spots pulling crowds to Dalston when late hours falls, while some of the city's most storied LGBTQ+ venues have taken up residence in Vauxhall. So whether you're after a drag brunch, a burlesque show or just a quiet pint, here's a comprehensive list of the capital's gay and queer-friendly bars and pubs, from the legendary G-A-Y to lesbian-centric She Soho to sing-yer-heart-out special The Karaoke Hole.
RECOMMENDED: Keep the party going at London's best LGBTQ+ clubs.
Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.
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🙌
Awesome, you'
Why are London's gay bars disappearing?
Others have pointed out the loss of these venues need not be seen as a "gay" issue at all, but part of wider trends: pressures faced by all pubs and rising London property prices.
The British Beer and Pub Association estimates that pub numbers have fallen from 60,100 across the UK in 2002 to 48,006 in 2013.
Pub closures are slowing across the UK, according to the BBPA, but common issues affecting pubs in general add "beer taxes amongst the highest in the world" and "changing social lives, with more people drinking at home" .
The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) reported earlier in August that there are currently 1,733 nightclubs in the UK, down from 3,144 in 2005.
Chris Wiseman, 37, who lives in Crystal Palace, says there is a "bleeding heart" mentality among some of the gay community.
"Dozens of bars and clubs are exposed to the same pressures. When I see people complaining about it on social media, I think 'when was the last time you went there?' People should actually be going down to support these places if they care about them."
But Mr Stru
Gay Bars and Pubs in London
London has countless gay bars. To save this page usable for travellers not all of these bars have been listed here (particularly those of interest mainly for locals).
Admiral Duncan
Monday-Thursday 13:00 – 23:30;Friday, Saturday 12:00 – 24:00;Sunday 12:00 – 22:30
Traditional London gay pub in Soho. With drag shows and karaoke.
admiral-duncan.co.uk
@ 54 Old Compton Street
London W1D 4UD
Subway: Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road
+44 20 7437 5300
↑
Arch Clapham
Tuesday-Thursday 16:00 – 24:00;Friday 16:00 – 01:00/02:00;Saturday 14:00 – 02:00;Sunday 14:00 – 22:00
LGBTQ cocktail bar in the south of London.
Themed evenings with DJs, karaoke, drag bingo and more.
archclapham.co.uk
@ Voltaire Route (Arch 642)
London SW4 6DH
Subway: Clapham North
↑
City of Quebec
Monday, Tuesday 11:00 – 00:30;Wednesday 11:00 – 02:00;Thursday-Saturday 11:00 – 03:00;Sunday 12:00 – 01:00
One of the oldest male lover bars in London (since 1946)
Timeline of London Bars and Clubs
1720s
The Golden Ball (Bond's Stables, off Chancery Lane).
Jenny Greensleeves' Molly House (Durham Yard, off the Strand).[1]
Julius Caesar Taylor's Molly House (Tottenham Court Road).[2]
Plump Nelly's Molly House (St James's Square, St James's).[2]
Royal Oak Molly Home (Giltspur Street, Smithfield)[2]
Three Tobacco Rolls (Covent Garden).
1724Mother Clap's Molly House, closed 1726 (Holborn).
1770s
Harlequin (Nag's Head Court, Covent Garden)
1800s
1810The White Swan, Vere Street (Vere Street)
1832Admiral Duncan (54 Old Compton Avenue, Soho)
The Hundred Guineas Club (Portland Place)
1866 The Coleherne, gay from the 1950s?, closed 24 September 2008 (261 Earls Court Road, Earls Co
Sink a cocktail in one of London's finest Queer bars and pubs and you'll be drinking in more than just some watered down booze: these spots are LGBTQ+ landmarks in their own right, places where you can find collective, kinship, and drag-fuelled mayhem. Beats billiards in your local.
Once upon a day, having a gay aged time in London meant hotfooting it straight to Soho. But now, the city's queer centre of seriousness has shifted east, with edgier spots pulling crowds to Dalston when late hours falls, while some of the city's most storied LGBTQ+ venues have taken up residence in Vauxhall. So whether you're after a drag brunch, a burlesque show or just a quiet pint, here's a comprehensive list of the capital's gay and queer-friendly bars and pubs, from the legendary G-A-Y to lesbian-centric She Soho to sing-yer-heart-out special The Karaoke Hole.
RECOMMENDED: Keep the party going at London's best LGBTQ+ clubs.
Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.
By entering your email talk to you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and permission to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and spouse promotions.
🙌
Awesome, you'
Why are London's gay bars disappearing?
Others have pointed out the loss of these venues need not be seen as a "gay" issue at all, but part of wider trends: pressures faced by all pubs and rising London property prices.
The British Beer and Pub Association estimates that pub numbers have fallen from 60,100 across the UK in 2002 to 48,006 in 2013.
Pub closures are slowing across the UK, according to the BBPA, but common issues affecting pubs in general add "beer taxes amongst the highest in the world" and "changing social lives, with more people drinking at home" .
The Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR) reported earlier in August that there are currently 1,733 nightclubs in the UK, down from 3,144 in 2005.
Chris Wiseman, 37, who lives in Crystal Palace, says there is a "bleeding heart" mentality among some of the gay community.
"Dozens of bars and clubs are exposed to the same pressures. When I see people complaining about it on social media, I think 'when was the last time you went there?' People should actually be going down to support these places if they care about them."
But Mr Stru
Gay Bars and Pubs in London
London has countless gay bars. To save this page usable for travellers not all of these bars have been listed here (particularly those of interest mainly for locals).
Admiral Duncan
Monday-Thursday 13:00 – 23:30;Friday, Saturday 12:00 – 24:00;Sunday 12:00 – 22:30
Traditional London gay pub in Soho. With drag shows and karaoke.
admiral-duncan.co.uk
@ 54 Old Compton Street
London W1D 4UD
Subway: Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road
+44 20 7437 5300
↑
Arch Clapham
Tuesday-Thursday 16:00 – 24:00;Friday 16:00 – 01:00/02:00;Saturday 14:00 – 02:00;Sunday 14:00 – 22:00
LGBTQ cocktail bar in the south of London.
Themed evenings with DJs, karaoke, drag bingo and more.
archclapham.co.uk
@ Voltaire Route (Arch 642)
London SW4 6DH
Subway: Clapham North
↑
City of Quebec
Monday, Tuesday 11:00 – 00:30;Wednesday 11:00 – 02:00;Thursday-Saturday 11:00 – 03:00;Sunday 12:00 – 01:00
One of the oldest male lover bars in London (since 1946)