The Admiral Duncan

About this place The Admiral Duncan

The Admiral Duncan has been on Old Compton Street since 1952 and is the most historically significant gay pub in London. On 30 April 1999, a nail bomb placed by a far-right extremist killed three people inside and injured 79 others — the worst anti-LGBTQ+ attack in British history. The pub was rebuilt and reopened within weeks. The brass plaques commemorating the three victims (Nick Moore, Andrea Dykes, John Light) are on the wall inside. Every pint in the Admiral Duncan carries that weight. The pub is a traditional English boozer — low ceilings, wood panelling, a jukebox, a loyal crowd of regulars who come as much for the history as for the drinks. There are no gimmicks, no DJs, no themed nights beyond the occasional quiz: just a proper London gay pub that has been at the centre of Soho's life for seven decades. It gets busy on Friday and Saturday evenings; earlier in the week it is quieter and more of a neighbourhood regulars bar. The Old Compton Street location puts it equidistant from Tottenham Court Road and Leicester Square Tube stations.