Soho knows how to show you a good time, from a pint on Old Compton Street to a courtyard cocktail and a night beneath a mirror ball. There’s plenty beyond it too, with cabaret by Charing Cross, queer photography in Fitzrovia and books in Bloomsbury. Here are some of central London’s places to meet, browse, flirt and make a night of it. Familiar favourites and a few reasons to change your usual route.
Soho and Chinatown
Admiral Duncan
Website www.admiral-duncan.co.uk
Address 54 Old Compton Street, London W1D 4UD
Nearest station Leicester Square
Small pub, big personality. The Admiral Duncan puts cabaret and queer company right in the middle of Old Compton Street, with a room that brings you close to the action. A performer doesn’t have to work hard to find the audience here, although they may have plenty to say once they do. Its place in London’s LGBTQ+ history matters, and so does the everyday pleasure of the pub itself. Drop in for a drink, stay for the entertainment and enjoy a Soho favourite with very little room for standing on ceremony.
Comptons of Soho
Website www.comptonsofsoho.co.uk
Address 51–53 Old Compton Street, London W1D 6HN
Nearest station Leicester Square
A proper gay pub in the middle of Old Compton Street, Comptons is made for a pint, a catch-up and a good look at who’s about. Real ale is part of the appeal, alongside the familiar bar-room bustle of somewhere with regulars and a life of its own. You can use it as a meeting point, but don’t be surprised if everybody decides they’re quite happy where they are. Soho is right outside the door. Sometimes, though, the best part of a night out is finding your spot and staying put.
SHE Soho
Website ku-bar.co.uk/she
Address 23A Old Compton Street, London W1D 5JL
Nearest station Leicester Square
SHE puts lesbian and queer women’s nightlife in the middle of Old Compton Street, with a basement bar made for getting together and letting loose. DJs, parties and community events shape the calendar, with pop and dance favourites helping things along. It’s a place to bring your mates, meet somebody new or give your favourite anthem the attention it deserves. Different events have their own admission arrangements, so have a look at the night you fancy. Then leave the endless group-chat negotiations behind and get everybody out of the house.
COVEN: Headquarters
Website worldwidecoven.net
Address 30 Old Compton Street, London W1D 4UR
Nearest station Leicester Square
Old Compton Street knows a thing or two about a night out, and COVEN brings its own mix of queer club nights, performance and community events to the former G-A-Y Bar. DJs, artists and collectives share the bill, so there’s more than one flavour of party here. Come for a show, meet your mates at a social or make a night of the dancefloor. The familiar address has plenty of its own ideas. Have a look at what’s on and pick your temptation.
Ku Bar
Website ku-bar.co.uk
Address 30 Lisle Street, London WC2H 7BA
Nearest station Leicester Square
Ku’s Lisle Street flagship puts music videos, drinks and a terrace within flirting distance of Chinatown. There’s plenty of social life around the bar, with Ku Lounge and the basement Klub adding other ways to spend the evening at the same address. Meet for a catch-up, admire the passing company or give in when somebody suggests dancing. It’s a very handy place for a night with several possible endings. Just tell your friends which Ku you mean, as Little Ku has its own Soho address and nobody enjoys drinking alone by administrative error.
The Yard Bar
Website www.theyardbarsoho.co.uk
Address 57 Rupert Street, London W1D 7PL
Nearest station Piccadilly Circus
A courtyard in the middle of Soho is quite a find, especially when it comes with a gay bar attached. The Yard tucks itself away off Rupert Street, with an upstairs bar and balcony giving you another place to settle in. It’s made for drinks with friends, a date or an unhurried inspection of who’s arrived since your last sip. The enclosed setting feels a little removed from the street outside without losing the Soho atmosphere. Find your preferred perch and get comfortable. There’s no prize for racing round every bar.
Friendly Society
Website www.instagram.com/thefriendlysocietysoho
Address 79 Wardour Street, entrance via Tisbury Court, London W1D 6QB
Nearest station Piccadilly Circus
Look up. Yes, those are Barbie dolls. Friendly Society’s ceiling is just one reason this Soho basement deserves your attention, with mirror balls and gloriously camp decor doing their best to distract you from your drink. Disco and dance classics suit the surroundings nicely. The entrance is tucked into Tisbury Court, so it’s easy to miss and rather satisfying to find. Bring a friend with an eye for the ridiculous, order something you fancy and have a proper look around. Minimalists may need a moment to adjust.
Kings Arms Soho
Website www.kingsarms-soho.co.uk
Address 23 Poland Street, London W1F 8QJ
Nearest station Oxford Circus
Bears, beer and a bit of a singalong, the Kings Arms has a clear idea of a good time. This Poland Street pub is a familiar name in London’s bear community, with real ale and traditional pub surroundings alongside karaoke and DJs. You can come for a conversation without signing up for a solo, although we make no promises about your friends. It’s a little away from the busiest stretch of Old Compton Street and has plenty of character of its own. If you like your Soho with a beard, start here.
Charing Cross and the Strand
Halfway to Heaven
Website www.halfway2heaven.net
Address 7 Duncannon Street, London WC2N 4JF
Nearest station Charing Cross
A pub upstairs and cabaret downstairs, Halfway to Heaven is rather good at giving a quick drink other ideas. Drag and live performance are a big part of this Charing Cross favourite, with a close-up room where the audience is very much in the mix. There’s plenty of pleasure in settling in with friends and letting a performer take charge of the evening. The West End is all around you, but the show you came for might be below your feet. Have a look at the bill and head down for a turn.
Retro Bar
Website www.retrobarlondon.co.uk
Address 2 George Court, London WC2N 6HH
Nearest station Charing Cross
If your idea of queer nightlife comes with a good jukebox and a bit of rock attitude, Retro Bar should be on your list. Tucked into George Court off the Strand, this alternative pub wears its musical affections on the walls and gives conversation a place alongside the soundtrack. It’s a good spot for friends who can spend an alarming amount of time discussing one band. Come for a pint, a catch-up and the pleasure of hearing something you love. Your supposedly embarrassing teenage favourites may be in very good company here.
Fitzrovia, Bloomsbury and King’s Cross
BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! Gallery Café
Website boysboysboys.org/pages/boys-boys-boys-gallery-cafe
Address 30C Warren Street, London W1T 5NF
Nearest station Warren Street
Fine-art photography, coffee and wine, BOYS! BOYS! BOYS! gives Fitzrovia a very agreeable way to spend some time looking. The gallery café puts queer and gay photography at the centre, with books and magazines to browse and talks adding to the conversation. You can come for the work without feeling obliged to whisper your way around a silent gallery. Bring a friend, take a proper look and discuss your favourites over a drink. There’s plenty to hold the attention here, and the name has already made a fairly clear introduction.
Liberation, the Libidex boutique
Website liberation-london.com
Address 4 Percy Street, London W1T 1DF
Nearest station Tottenham Court Road
Fancy a little latex? Liberation has considerably more than a little. The Libidex boutique fills two retail floors on Percy Street with clothing and accessories, from smaller finishing touches to outfits that are unlikely to slip past unnoticed. Seeing the colours and finishes in person is half the pleasure, and trying things on takes some of the guesswork out of getting dressed. Follow whatever catches your eye. Just head to Fitzrovia, as the boutique’s former Shelton Street address is no longer the place for this particular shopping mission.
Gay’s The Word
Website www.gaystheword.co.uk
Address 66 Marchmont Street, London WC1N 1AB
Nearest station Russell Square
A quick browse at Gay’s The Word has a habit of becoming a very heavy bag. This independent LGBTQ+ bookshop is packed with queer fiction, history, poetry and memoir, with plenty to tempt you beyond the book you came in for. Its roots in London’s queer community run deep, but there’s nothing dusty about the reading list. Pick up a familiar favourite, discover somebody new or find a present that says a little more than another rainbow mug. Your bedside pile can take one more. Probably.
Central Station
Website centralstation.co.uk
Address 37 Wharfdale Road, London N1 9SD
Nearest station King’s Cross St Pancras
King’s Cross has more than trains coming and going. Central Station gives it a longstanding gay pub with food, live entertainment and a terrace for getting comfortable with friends. There’s plenty to enjoy at pub level, while the Underground Club hosts separate specialist events for those with a different evening in mind. The two have their own arrangements, so choose the part that takes your fancy. A drink, a show or something a little more niche, this Wharfdale Road address has more going on than its railway-inspired name lets on.
More of Soho and the West End
There’s plenty more company nearby. The Duke of Wellington, Rupert Street, Freedom, Village and Little Ku all feature in our London gay bars directory, alongside City of Quebec near Marble Arch.
Fancy a browse? Find Clonezone, Prowler, Prowler RED and REGULATION in the LGBTQ+ shopping guide. For something on stage, Soho Theatre is in our theatre guide.
Heaven and Klub at Ku offer reasons to keep dancing in the clubs directory, which also covers adult cruising venues Vault 139 and MA1: The Bunker. SweatBox and Covent Garden Health Spa bring the warmth in our saunas guide.
Explore more of LGBTQ+ London
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Browse by type: Bars · Clubs · Saunas · Shopping · Theatres.
