Gay bars soho london

Ku Bar

Ku Bar (Lisle Street) | 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 robust. 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 Lane locale in 2007, it still retains its blissfully attitude-free, inclusive and welcoming spirit. One of Pride in London’s sponsors, each year Ku Bar pump up the move 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 crazy shapes to the latest pop smashes.

Bedecked in jet and white humbug stripes and cheery rainbow flags, Ku Bar has a relaxed day vibe. But, after shadowy, the magic really happens, and party-chasing customers can maintain the vibe going by heading downst

Soho continues to endure as a vibrant hub of diversity, representing the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. As we enter Pride Month, we list Soho’s most notable LGBTQ+-friendly bars and clubs!

The Admiral Duncan

The 30th of April marked the anniversary of the tragic London Nail bombings that occurred 25 years ago. The Soho community came together to pay tribute and honour the victims of the Admiral Duncan nail bombings, displaying solidarity and remembrance, with community groups and organisations from across London gathering outside Admiral Duncan, which proudly displayed Identity flags across its window facade. The Admiral Duncan pub holds significant historical value, boasting an LGBTQ+ heritage that dates back to the 1950s.

📍54 Old Compton St, London W1D 4UD

Compton’s of Soho

Since its founding in 1986 on Old Compton Street, Compton’s of Soho has been an important representative in London’s Homosexual community. The establishment provides an real British pub atmosphere with a vibrant twist. Whether you fancy a laid-back drink during Glad Hour or an evening of revelry, this venue has firmly established itself as a beloved presence on Ancient Compton Street. ItR

Timeline of London Bars and Clubs

The gay scene in London has always been centred around the West End, especially Soho. In the 1980s some clubs opened up in Earls Court, where the rent was cheaper. In the 1990s, the scene reverted back to Soho, revitalised by new style bars like The Village. Vauxhallbecame the locus of homosexual clubs from 2000. Included in the following timeline are bars and clubs in Earl’s Court and Vauxhall, though they are not strictly in the West End.

1720s

The Golden Ball (Bond's Stables, off Chancery Lane).

Jenny Greensleeves' Molly House (Durham Yard, off the Strand).^[1]

Julius Caesar Taylor's Molly House (Tottenham Court Road).^[2]

Plump Nelly's Molly House (St James's Square, St James's).^[2]

Royal Oak Molly House (Giltspur Street, Smithfield)^[2]

Three Tobacco Rolls (Covent Garden).

1724Mother Clap's Molly Residence, closed 1726 (Holborn).

1770s

Harlequin (Nag's Head Court, Covent Garden)

1800s

1810The White Swan, Vere Street (Vere Street)

1832Admiral Duncan (54 Aged Compton Street, Soho)

The Hundred Guineas Club (Portland Place)

1866 The Coleherne, gay from the 1950s?, closed 24 September 2008 (261 Earls Court Route, Earls C

For hundreds of years, Soho has been a haven for homosexual Londoners, full of packed pubs and late night drinking dens even before the decriminalisation of homosexuality. In these enlightened times, Diverse city dwellers have got a plethora of options all across the city. But gay elderly Soho still holds a exceptional place in London's LGBTQ scene and remains most visitors' first port of call, whether for drag nights or mingling. It's centred around Old Compton Lane, where you can spend a raucous night at the enduringly widespread G-A-Y bar or down unpretentious drinks at pubs like The Admiral Duncan. Here's our pick of the best gay bars and clubs in Soho.

RECOMMENDED: Venture further afield with London's best gay bars and gay clubs.

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The best queer bars and clubs in Soho

Occupying a prominent spot on Soho’s Chinatown