Soho bar gay
For hundreds of years, Soho has been a haven for gay Londoners, packed of packed pubs and late darkness drinking dens even before the decriminalisation of homosexuality. In these enlightened times, Diverse city dwellers hold got a plethora of options all across the urban area. But gay elderly Soho still holds a special place in London's LGBTQ scene and remains most visitors' first port of name, whether for performative nights or mingling. It's centred around Old Compton Lane, where you can spend a raucous night at the enduringly popular G-A-Y prevent or down unpretentious drinks at pubs like The Admiral Duncan. Here's our pick of the best same-sex attracted bars and clubs in Soho.
RECOMMENDED: Project further afield with London's best queer bars and same-sex attracted clubs.
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The best gay bars and clubs in Soho
Occupying a prominent spot on Soho’s Chinatown
The Best Gay Bars In Soho
Soho has some of the best gay bars in London and is the UK’s biggest gaybourhood. It’s right in the heart of London, nestled between Mayfair and Covent Garden. In the centre of Soho, you’ll find Soho Square: a great place to sit and have a sip in the summer. Soho Square was founded in 1661 to mark the restoration of the monarchy. A statue of Charles II still stands in the square. Today it's a playground for London's Homosexual community.
Surrounding Soho Square you’ll find many of London's most famous gay bars. This part of the city has long been a haven for same-sex attracted people and bohemians. By the post-war era, it was packed with brothels, underground drinking dens, cruising areas and gay bars. Soho was a byword for sin. Bars like the Colony Room became legendary.
When the Colony closed its doors in 2008, it marked the end of an era. A new Soho was emerging. Richer, less bohemian but still very gay. The Soho of today may be less rowdy, but it still retains its anarchic spirit. It’s the place to go if you want to party in central London. You should begin by strutting your stuff down world-famous Old Compton Avenue - you're sure to get a few
G-A-Y Bar goes on sale as Soho 'loses vibrancy'
One of central London's main LGBTQ+ bars has gone on sale with its owner saying Soho has "lost its vibrancy".
G-A-Y Bar owner Jeremy Joseph said he had had to make the "tough decision" after his other venue, Heaven nightclub, was temporarily closed late last year after a member of security staff allegedly raped a woman.
He criticised Westminster City Council and the Met Police as well as local residents' groups as being too resistant to measures, such as late licences, which he said would benefit the nightlife industry.
A council spokesperson said they were proud supporters of LGBT+ businesses and the wider community in Soho and Westminster, while the Met said it understood the "complexities" that night-time venues face.
"This isn't an easy decision. To me it is more than just a bar, it's also my home - I've lived above it for over 15 years," Mr Joseph said in a statement.
He added the closure of Heaven while its licence was under review had position G-A-Y Bar "at risk financially".
"Even now after Heaven's reopen
Ku Bar
Ku Bar (Lisle Street)Â | LGBT Bar
After a spell in Ibiza during the 80s, Ku Bar’s owner, Gary Henshaw, was inspired by the now defunct Ku Club. Taking the name from the iconic Balearic nightspot (infamous for hosting Bacchanalian parties), he hoped to sprinkle some of the same Ibiza fairy dust on London.
Ku Bar has now worked its magic on Soho for over twenty years and it’s still going strong. One of the first gay bars in the area, it was a beacon for the LGBT community.
After moving from Charing Cross Road to its current Lisle Road locale in 2007, it still retains its blissfully attitude-free, inclusive and welcoming spirit. One of Identity festival in London’s sponsors, each year Ku Bar pump up the action and celebrate in style, with the party spilling out onto Chinatown’s streets.
Open seven days a week from midday to midnight, Ku Bar is a destination hotspot for fun-seeking regulars, locals and tourists looking to throw some insane shapes to the latest pop smashes.
Bedecked in ebony and white humbug stripes and cheery rainbow flags, Ku Bar has a relaxed day vibe. But, after dark, the magic really happens, and party-chasing customers can keep the vibe going by heading downst