Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CAFÉS, BARS AND PUBS
There are loads of lesbian and gay eating and watering holes in London, many of them operating as cafés by day and
transforming into drinking dens by night. Lots have cabaret or disco nights and are open until the early hours, making them
an affordable alternative to clubs. Most have free admission, though a few levy a charge after 10.30pm (expect to pay
about £5) if there's music, cabaret or a disco. The places below represent a selective list of the best and most accessible,
from self-consciously minimalist bars to shabby old pubs. We use “mixed” to mean places for both gays and lesbians,
though many are mostly frequented by men.
on being Soho's cheapest gay night out.
Sun & Mon
9pm-3am, Tues-Sat 5pm-3am.
Freedom
66 Wardour St, W1
T
020 7734 0071,
W
freedombarsoho.com;
!
Piccadilly Circus; map
p.100.
Hip, metrosexual place, popular with a straight/gay
Soho crowd. The basement becomes an intimate club at
night that plays home to cabaret and comedy.
Mon-Thurs
4pm-3am, Fri & Sat 2pm-3am, Sun 2-10.30pm.
G-A-Y Bar
30 Old Compton St, W1
T
020 7494 2756,
W
g-a-y.co.uk;
!
Leicester Square; map p.100.
Vast,
pinky-purple video bar that attracts a young, fashionable,
pre-G-A-Y crowd. There is a basement bar for women and
guests only in the evening.
Daily noon-midnight.
Green Carnation
4 Greek St, W1
T
020 8123 4267,
W
greencarnationlondon.com;
!
Tottenham Court
Road; map p.100.
The classiest cocktail joint in gay Soho,
it's still affordable if you hit happy hour.
Mon-Sat
4pm-2am, Sun 4pm-12.30am.
Ì
Ku Bar
30 Lisle St, WC2
T
020 7437 4303; 25 Frith
St, W1
T
020 7437 4303,
W
ku-bar.co.uk;
!
Leicester
Square; map p.100.
The Lisle St original, with a downstairs
club open till 3am, is one of Soho's largest and best-loved
gay bars, serving a scene-conscious yet low-on-attitude
clientele. It's now joined by a stylish sibling bar on Frith St;
the basement holds Ruby Tuesdays for lesbians only.
Lisle
St: Mon-Sat noon-3am, Sun noon-midnight; Frith St:
Mon-Thurs noon-11pm, Fri & Sat noon-midnight,
Sun noon-10.30pm.
Rupert Street
50 Rupert St, W1
W
rupert-street.com;
!
Piccadilly Circus; map p.100.
Smart, mainstream bar
attracting a mixed after-work crowd, but with a more pre-
club vibe at weekends. Ideal central location to start a Soho
night out.
Mon-Fri noon-11pm, Sat noon-midnight,
Sun noon-10.30pm.
Village Soho
81 Wardour St, W1
T
020 7478 0530,
W
village-soho.co.uk;
!
Piccadilly Circus; map p.100.
Elegant three-floor café-bar attracting pretty boyz: clean
and modern on the ground floor, with a stylish basement
and a plush, comfortable upstairs boudoir
. Mon-Sat
4pm-1am, Sun 4-11.30pm.
The Yard
57 Rupert St, W1
T
020 7437 2652,
W
yardbar.co.uk;
!
Piccadilly Circus; map p.100.
The
only central al fresco gay bar, it has a laidback, sociable
atmosphere. Expect a packed-out varied post-work crowd
when the sun is out.
Mon-Wed 4-11.30pm, Thurs
3-11.30pm, Fri & Sat noon-midnight, Sun 2-10.30pm.
MIXED CAFÉS, BARS AND PUBS
SOHO
The Admiral Duncan
54 Old Compton St, W1
T
020
7437 5300;
!
Leicester Square; map p.100.
Unpretentious, traditional-style gay bar in the heart of
Soho, popular and busy with the post-work crowd. Expect
cocktails and camp classics on the jukebox.
Mon-Thurs
noon-11pm,
27
Fri
&
Sat
noon-midnight,
Sun
noon-10.30pm.
Balans
34 Old Compton St, W1
T
020 7439 3309; 60
Old Compton St, W1
T
020 7439 2183;
W
balans.co.uk;
!
Leicester Square; map p.100.
Balans
has spawned
several branches across the city but these two remain a
Soho institution, serving a menu that includes a lengthy
hangover-busting breakfast and brunch section.
No. 34
24hr; no. 60 Mon-Thurs 8am-5am, Fri & Sat
7.30am-6am, Sun 7.30am-2am.
Circa
62 Frith St, W1
T
020 7734 6826,
W
circasoho
.com;
!
Tottenham Court Road; map p.100.
An
unpretentious new entrant to the Soho scene. There's little
to differentiate it from more established boy bars, but
when the drinks are this cheap, who cares?
Daily
4pm-1am.
City of Quebec
12 Old Quebec St, W1
T
020 7629 6159;
!
Marble Arch; map p.89.
Aimed at an older gay
audience, but given the number of weary shoppers
drinking pints, you might not even notice it's a gay bar.
Mon-Thurs noon-2am, Fri & Sat noon-3am, Sun
noon-1am.
Ì
Duke of Wellington
77 Wardour St, W1
T
020
7439 1274;
!
Piccadilly Circus; map p.100.
Traditional
pub on two floors in the heart of Soho, with cheap lager
and real ale on pump and a down-to-earth, male-
dominated crowd, keen on chatting and socializing.
Mon-Wed noon-11pm, Thurs-Sat noon-midnight,
Sun noon-10.30pm.
The Edge
11 Soho Square, W1
T
020 7439 1313,
W
edgesoho.co.uk;
!
Tottenham Court Road; map
p.100.
Sister to
The Yard
, it may be a regular Soho bar by
night, but by day it's a useful stop-off point with decent
food.
Mon-Wed 4pm-1am, Thurs 3pm-1am, Fri & Sat
3pm-3am, Sun 3-11.30pm.
Escape
10a Brewer St, W1
T
020 7734 3040,
W
escapesoho.com;
!
Piccadilly Circus; map, p.100.
If
you're heading to
Madame Jojo'
s, then head to
Escape
first,
the club's trendy sister DJ bar. Tues Queerly Out prides itself
