Gay venues
105
Country
United Kingdom
Population
9.0M
LGBTQ+ status
Welcoming
In this guide · 4 sections

London's lost a lot of gay bars in the last decade. What's left mostly clusters in Soho (Old Compton Street and surrounds) and Vauxhall (club-heavy, late-night). Both areas are worth your time for different reasons.

A note on timing: Soho bars get going early, but the crowd peaks around 9–11pm on weekends before people move on. Vauxhall clubs don't really start until midnight or later. Plan accordingly. Don't show up in Vauxhall at 10pm wondering why it's empty.

Soho

Old Compton Street is walkable and busy from early evening. The bars here are older, the crowd mixed, and it's better for actually talking to people. They close around midnight. Good for a first night out, a casual Thursday, or whenever you want a drink without a plan.

    Vauxhall

    Vauxhall isn't really bar territory—it's club territory. The venues here run specific nights, rather than being open all week. Check what's on before you go. Most run on Friday and Saturday, some on Thursday. The crowd skews younger and more circuit-oriented than Soho. Entry is typically £15–25.

    East London

    Dalston, Hackney, and Bethnal Green have a cluster of queer-friendly bars and venues. They pull a younger, more DIY crowd. Less polished than Soho, less intense than Vauxhall. If you're spending more than a long weekend in London, these are worth exploring. Ask at a Soho bar what's on, people will tell you.

    Tips

    • Avoid Old Compton Street on Saturday night if you hate crowds. It gets genuinely packed and the bars are slow.
    • Vauxhall demands more planning. But the nights, when you hit the right one, are better than anything Soho offers after midnight.
    • Drinks in London gay bars run £8–12. Some happy hour deals run until 8 or 9pm—worth asking.
    • Most venues are card-only now. Clubs sometimes have cash-only entry desks—bring a small amount just in case.

Back to the main guide: Gay London Guide.