THE 10 BEST London Gay Clubs & Bars (Updated 2023) - Tripadvisor

Contents:

• THE BT LGBTQ+ AND GAY CLUBS LONDON
• THE BT GAY BARS LONDON
• THE 10 BEST LONDON GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS LONDON
• LONDON'S LANDMARK BUILDG DOTTED WH STRIP CLUBS, GAY VENU TO TURN TO MOSQUE
• GAY BARS AND CLUBS SOHO
• THE DOS & DON'TS OF GAY CLUBBG
• NIGHTCLUBBG: GAY CLUBBG ’70S LONDON
• THE 10 BEST LONDON GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS LONDON
• LONDON GAY CLUBS
• KEV SPACEY DEFENDS COMG OUT AS GAY AFTER BEG ACCED OF SEXUAL MISNDUCT: ‘I WAS UNR A LOT OF PRSURE’

THE BT LGBTQ+ AND GAY CLUBS LONDON

While London’s queer nightclub scene has seen some sad, untimely partur, such as the Coleherne (briefly the Pembroke), London’s olst gay bar until s closure, and the Joer’s Arms, there are still some long-standg venu and new-ers to the scene workg hard to keep London’s queer nightlife alive.

Heaven, Charg Cross Cred: Lda Brdley, via Heaven One of the bt-known, most historic gay clubs London statned up s inic Charg Cross spot. Royal Vxhall Tavern, Vxhall The Royal Vxhall Tavern is a te slice of LGBTQ+ history London – a Gra II Listed venue that was famoly raid by police 1987 amidst over-policg of London’s gay muny. BJ’s Whe Swan, Limehoe Another longstandg London gay bar, which has been gog strong for over 30 years, is BJ’s Whe Swan East London.

THE BT GAY BARS LONDON

The Glory, Haggerston The Glory pris self beg one of East London’s bt gay bars, drag hotho, LGBTQ+ performance venu, nightclubs, and curators of London shows, ftivals, ntts and battl. 24 plac sorted by traveler favorBars & Clubs • Gay BarsTrafalgar Square / EmbankmentGay Bars • Dance Clubs & DissTrafalgar Square / EmbankmentBars & Clubs • Gay BarsLeicter Square / Shaftbury AvenueWhat travelers are saygBier than expected but service was fast and iendly. Loted the heart of London, Comptons is a mt-vis gay pub that guarante an credible experience.

THE 10 BEST LONDON GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS LONDON

Brilliant staff (pecially Jack, the fabulo bar manager and cktail maker), fabulo cktails and a relaxed atmosphere for all whether gay, straight or somethg else. A beguilg, alternative London gay bar.

LONDON'S LANDMARK BUILDG DOTTED WH STRIP CLUBS, GAY VENU TO TURN TO MOSQUE

The Glory pris self beg one of east London’s bt gay bars, drag hotho, LGBTQ+ performance venu, nightclubs, and curators of London shows, ftivals, ntts and battl. Comptons of Soho Photo:, Shutterstock Comprisg of two bars and a quieter lounge area, Soho’s Comptons pub has been a staple the cy’s gay scene sce 1986. Halfway To Heaven, Trafalgar Square Loted between Charg Cross Statn and Trafalgar Square, Halfway To Heaven is a tradnal gay pub and baret show bar wh a laid-back ground floor and club-like basement area.

GAY BARS AND CLUBS SOHO

Kgs Arms, Soho Loted on Soho’s Poland Street and open sce the 1700’s, the iendly Kgs Arms was one of the first spots Soho to serve the gay muny, billg self as a ‘gentlemen’s bar’ the 1970’s.

Officially a gay bar sce 1981, ’s now a firm favoure wh the LGBTQ+ muny – ‘bears’ particular – om London and around the world. From tablished legends of the gay scene to on that play baret and everythg between, there’s somethg for everyone here. Adam* said was dangero to e out as gay his home untry and feared beg forced to an arranged marriage wh a said he was "so lucky" to wed his soulmate, Ray, Manchter and wish everyone uld marry who they love.

There are more than 60 untri wh laws that crimalise same-sex sexual acts acrdg to the Internatnal Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Associatn, cludg Sdi Arabia.

THE DOS & DON'TS OF GAY CLUBBG

'Authentilly myself'Ray said he had also stggled growg up gay the 1970s and 80s England, which was "tough" said his relig school "dmmed to you, 'you are gog to hell'" Adam returned home to Sdi Arabia, spe beg more than 3, 000 apart and later rtricted by the Covid-19 panmic, they kept touch daily and the romance years ago, Ray proposed on a vio ll and after succsfully applyg for a UK fiancé visa, Adam moved to Manchter December 2022.

Adam said he had been aaid to even wear lours his home untry so the first thg he did when he moved was start to "grow my mullet, got my ears pierced and booked appotments for tattoos" relled how, ntrast, one of his gay iends Sdi had been forced to marry a woman, addg: "It has ed not only his life but the life of his wife. The uple, who live London, said a "really betiful memory" was on the way home when one of their sons shouted out of the black b wdow to Trafalgar Square, "My dads jt got married" and cheered "Yay, gay marriage".

The area is also known for s ncentratn of bars, nightclubs, gay venu and strip jots – all of which are nsired sful Islam. There are gay venu most ci and towns. ’s most remote gay bar) you uld probably fd one place to wet your whistle.

NIGHTCLUBBG: GAY CLUBBG ’70S LONDON

Chanc are, your first tentative steps out onto the London queer scene were ma or around Old Compton Street, the shg of London’s mastream gay culture. The inic Royal Vxhall Tavern is one of the olst gay venu the cy and ss, as you may have gused, Vxhall. Chanc are you probably won’t be starg down that barrel of that gun a gay club eher then pal.

THE 10 BEST LONDON GAY CLUBS & BARSGAY CLUBS & BARS LONDON

Csg a venue to ll out an expensive plummer bee you and your pals thought ’d be a great plan to smash up the toilet after your first h of gay gra gak isn’t exactly the pnacle of allyship. Gay men do not have any more right to touch a woman’s breasts than a straight man whout nsent.

It’s been 50 years sce homosexualy was crimalised this untry. A mere 30 years later, sectn 28 was passed - makg an offence to promote (talk about) homosexualy schools and only 5 years ago same sex marriag were not legal. Though the number of LGBT+ venu London has seen a cle the last or so, the cy's gay scene isn't ailg yet – fact, a handful of excellent new venu have opened recent years around the cy.

The hight ncentratn of LGBT+ spac n still be found around Old Compton Street Soho, a former red light district that's been heavily gentrified recent years, but remas London's gay heartland.

LONDON GAY CLUBS

This Soho stalwart tends to attract a slightly olr crowd of gay guys and has a reputatn for beg cisy.

KEV SPACEY DEFENDS COMG OUT AS GAY AFTER BEG ACCED OF SEXUAL MISNDUCT: ‘I WAS UNR A LOT OF PRSURE’

It’s closed on Mondays and Tudays, but hosts a r Sunday pub quiz and gets pretty packed on Friday and Saturday nights when the small dancefloor fills up wh a largely, though not exclively, gay male crowd. Loted Clapham, a 15-20 mute tube ri om the cy centre, this tradnal gay pub-club is a perennial favoure wh LGBT+ Londoners who love an unpretent party.

Keepg the gay flame burng out wt is this tradnal gay pub Ealg, a leafy suburb that’s about 25 mut by tube om central London. Before 1976, gay venu London me two tegori. There were the members’ clubs that provid dner and dance, pl baret, for the stately-homo set.

DJ Tricky Dicky was one of the first promoters to grasp the ia of the one-nighter – hirg out a pub or bar for the night, jt to put on a gay night. His Dick’s Inn Gay Dis operated out of straight venu as far afield
 as Croydon, Ilford, Bishopsgate and Eton, packg a few hundred gay boys and girls at a time.