Gay Bars in London

Heaven

The young, the restless and the G-A-Y

The enduringly popular G-A-Y remains one of London's defining gay institutions, especially among the under-25s....

3rd place in Best of GayCities 2023 - Nightclub

Central · Villiers St, London

• dancing
• mixed LGBTQ+

Big club for big men and the rest

Very popular club luring cruisy, older bears (ex-1970s/80s clones) and their younger protégé cubs, rubbing up against...

London

• leather
• outdoor seating
• bears

Poppy pre-club video bar

Three floors of lively and camp-sympathetic atmosphere, with a decidedly up-and-coming (read young) crowd meeting up...

Soho · 30 Old Compton St, London

• dancing
• video
• mixed LGBTQ+

Basement bollocks and cocks

Two tube stops north of Soho in an area known more for its literary past (Fitzrovia) than as a destination for...

Central · 139—143 Whitfield St, Fitzrovia, London

• video
• cruising
• themed

Male-dominant Soho institution

Cruisy and casual two-floor pub attracting mostly non-perfumed guys, including leathermen in day wear (or in leather),...

Soho · 53 Old Compton St, London

• leather
• outdoor seating
• bears
• cruising
• pub

Stand-alone Vauxhall mecca

Indestructible Victorian pub with a singular gay history — including drag performances since the middle of the...

Vauxhall · 372 Kennington Lane, London

• dancing
• drag
• outdoor seating
• bears
• mixed LGBTQ+
• cabaret

Men drink here

Nothing out of the ordinary to say about this perfectly fine Soho corner pub. At its most extreme it's...

Soho · 77 Wardour St, London

• outdoor seating
• bears
• cruising
• pub

Cruisy old-fashioned pub atmosphere

Popular, nearly-all-male Vauxhall spot with an unusually pleasing and spacious outdoor patio/smoking area. The bar...

Vauxhall · 349 Kennington Lane, London

• leather
• outdoor seating
• pool table
• bears
• cruising
• pub
• themed

Soho's premier den for bears

Casual, carpeted and cosy pub with an undeniable cruisy thing going on, the King's Arms is a magnet for older...

Soho · 23 Poland St, London

• bears
• cruising
• karaoke

Ku ku ka choo

Very popular and casual hot spot luring an image-aware, youngish and camp-friendly clientele, set on three floors...

Central · 30 Lisle St, London

• 20+
• 30+
• 40+
• dancing
• outdoor seating
• comedy club
• cabaret