Gay Bars in London

London has countless gay bars. To keep this page usable for travellers not all of these bars have been listed here (particularly those of interest mainly for locals).

• The 2 Brewers
• Daily 12:00 – 02:00, Fri, Sat till 04:00
• 114 Clapham High Street [Subway: Clapham North, Clapham Common]
• +44 (0)20-74984971; www.the2brewers.com
• South London’s camp cabaret bar. It also has a club in the back with resident DJs, open on Friday and Saturday from 22:30 till 04:00.
  Entrance: 3 – 5 £ after 22:00

• 79 CXR
• Daily 13:00 – 03:00, Sun till 22:30, Mon till 02:00
• 79 Charing Cross Road [Subway: Leicester Square]
• +44 (0)20-77340769; www.79cxr.co.uk
• Friendly, unpretentious, London pub atmosphere.
  Entrance: small entry charge after 22:30

• Barcode (Soho)
• Daily 16:00 – 01:00, Sun till 23:00
• 3-4 Archer Street [Subway: Piccadilly Circus]
• +44 (0)20-77343342; www.bar-code.co.uk
• An institution in London Soho’s gay nightlife (and the favourite hideaway of our agent C.A.R. in London). 2 bars and a dancefloor. Happy Hour daily till 19:00.
  Entrance: on Friday and Saturday 4 £ after 22:00 (ticket valid at Barcode Vauxhall, too)

• Barcode (Vauxhall)
• Daily 16:00 – 01:00, Fri, Sat till 04:00
• Albert Embankment, Arch 69 [Subway: Vauxhall; Night bus N2, N36, N344, N87]
• +44 (0)20-75824180; www.bar-code.co.uk
• When London’s gay night-life moved more and more to Vauxhall, Barcode also opened its branch in Vauxhall in 2007. 2 bars and a dancefloor. Happy Hour daily till 19:00.
  Entrance: on Friday and Saturday 4 £ after 22:00

• Video

• BJ’s White Swan
• Tue-Thu 21:00 – 02:00; Fri, Sat 21:00 – 04:00; Sun 18:00 – 24:00; Mon closed
• 556 Commercial Road [Subway: Limehouse DLR]
• +44 (0)20-77809870; www.bjswhiteswan.com
• The gay legend in London’s East End. Not for a fashionable or muscle crowd but for those into London pub atmosphere, karaoke (Tue), amateur strip contests (Wed) and camp cabaret (Thu). Fri and Sat dance bar, Sun Tea Dance (Ballroom, Latin, Salsa, Disco).
  Entrance: 5 £ after 22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays

• The Black Cap
• Bar daily 12:00 – 01:00, Fri, Sat – 02:00, Sun – 22:30; Club Mon-Thu 22:00 – 02:00; Fri, Sat 22:00 – 03:00; Sun 21:00 – 01:00
• 171 Camden High Street [Subway: Camden Town (Northern line)]
• +44 (0)20-74282721; www.theblackcap.com
• In the club every night disco with regular drag shows or Karaoke.
  Foof served daily from 12:00 till 22:00 at the big pub-style bar.
  Entrance: Bar free, Club 3 – 5 £

• Box
• Mon-Sat 11:00 – 23:00, Sun 12:00 – 22:30
• 32-34 Monmouth St [Subway: Covent Garden, Leicester Square]
• +44 (0)20-72405828; www.boxbar.com
• Cafe and lunch in the afternoon, bar in the evening with lots of muscled pre-clubbing crowd. With its large glass frontage a popular place to see and be seen.

• Bromptons
• Daily 17:00 – 02:00, Sat till 03:00, Sun till 00:30
• 294 Old Brompton Road [Subway: Earl’s Court (exit Warwick Road)]
• +44 (0)20-73701344; www.bromptons.info
• Traditional London gay pub.

• Central Station
• Mon-Thu 17:00 – 02:00; Fri 17:00 – 05:00; Sat 14:00 – 05:00; Sun 13:00 – 02:00
• 37 Wharfdale Road [Subway: King’s Cross / St. Pancras]
• +44 (0)20-72783294; www.centralstation.co.uk
• Long established gay pub in London King’s Cross, famous for its comedy and cabaret performances on Friday and Saturday night.
  Cruisy bar with some dark corners downstairs in ›The Underground‹. Special interest parties: Buff (Naked), Club CP (Spanking), Shoot! (Sportswear) and In Yer Face.

• Coleherne
• Daily 12:00 – 23:00
• 261 Old Brompton Road [Subway: Earl’s Court]
• +44 (0)20-72445951
• With more than 30 years one of the oldest gay pubs in London. Used to be a cruisy bar for the clone, leather and skinhead crowd; not it is more mainstream and trendy.

• Comptons of Soho
• Daily from 12:00 till late
• 51-53 Old Compton Street [Subway: Leicester Sq, Piccadilly Circ, Tottenham]
• +44 (0)20-32380163
• The classic in the gay center of London Soho – for more than 20 years.

• The Edge
• Daily 12:00 – 01:00, Sun till 23:30
• 11 Soho Square [Subway: Tottenham Court Road]
• +44 (0)20-74391313; www.edgesoho.net
• Lounge bar and cafe in Soho. Modern design, ›polysexual‹ clientele, mixed age.
  During the day cafe with wide range of food: salads, Tapas, burgers, English dishes.
  In the evening several bars, on weekends with DJs.

• The Enclave
• 21:00 – 03:00
• 25-27 Brewer Street [Subway: Piccadilly Circus]
• +44 (0)20-74342911; www.enclavesoho.com
• Gay & lesbian lounge bar in London Soho.

• G-A-Y Bar
• 12:00 – 24:00
• 30 Old Compton Street [Subway: Leicester Square, Tottenham Court Road]
• www.g-a-y.co.uk/bar.asp
• Pre-clubbing bar with plasma screens and video walls.

• Geisha Bar
• Open daily
• 75 Charing Cross Road
• +44 (0)20-77346887; www.geisha-bar.co.uk
• Stylish, straight-friendly cocktail bar in London Soho. Live DJs on Fridays and Saturdays.

• King William IV (›Willie‹)
• Daily from 12:00
• 77 Hampstead High Street [Subway: Hampstead (Northern line)]
• +44 (0)20-74355747; www.kw4.co.uk
• Traditional gay pub close to the cruising ground in Hampstead Heath park and probably the oldest gay bar in London (since the late 1930s).

• King’s Arms
• Mon, Tue 12:00 – 23:30; Wed-Sat 12:00 – 00:30; Sun 13:00 – 24:00
• Poland Street [Subway: Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Rd]
• www.kingsarms-london.com
• Popular London pub for bears.

• Ku Bar
• Open daily
• 30 Lisle Street [Subway: Leicester Square]
• +44 (0)20-74374303; www.ku-bar.co.uk
• Rather young clientele.

• Kudos London
• 10 Adelaide Street [Subway: Charing Cross]
• +44 (0)20-73794573; www.kudosgroup.com

• The Quebec
• Daily 12:00 – 02:00, Fri, Sat till 03:00, Sun till 01:00
• 12 Old Quebec St [Subway: Marble Arch (Central line)]
• +44 (0)20-76296159; www.thequebec.co.uk
• One of the oldest gay bars in London (since 1946) and traditional British pub.
  Popular among the older gay crowd.

• The Star at Night
• Tue-Sat 18:00 – 24:00
• 22 Great Chapel Street [Subway: Tottenham Court Road]
• +44 (0)20-74942488; www.thestaratnight.com
• Mixed gay & lesbian cocktail bar in London Soho.

• Trash Palace
• Daily 17:30 – 01:00, Fri and Sat till 03:00
• 1 Wardour Street [Subway: Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square]
• +44 (0)20-77340522; www.trashpalace.co.uk
• Happy Hour daily 17:30 – 20:00. Discounted queue jump tickets for the nearby Popstarz party available at the bar.
  Entrance: 3 £ after 23:00 on Friday and Saturday, otherwise free

• Village
• Mon-Wed 16:00 – 01:00; Thu-Sat 15:00 – 01:00; Sun 15:00 – 23:00
• 81 Wardour Street [Subway: Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square]
• +44 (0)20-74342124; www.village-soho.co.uk
• Stylish bars on 3 floors; in London Soho.