Royal Vauxhall Tavern

OK I admit I'm a stereotype, but I'm a gay dude who loves to dance in clubs with bangin' sound…read moresystems. This London gay club has just the right mixture of sexual undercurrent and outrageously good sound system. It is a gay cousin of the alien bar in the opening sequence of Star Wars, with a definitely one-of-a-kind vibe, and some characters that may or may not be human. It used to be much more in-your-face with the sex, but that's been toned down from NC-17 (bordering on X-rated) to R-rated...just the same, even now don't bring prudes here. Bizarrely enough, my straight work colleagues turned to me and said they wanted to go to an outrageously fun gay disco. So, I took them to this Vauxhall institution, and they let the female work colleagues in too, after I flirted with the bouncer. Before the night was over, they'd definitely had the aforementioned outrageous fun. The place really reminds me of another one-of-a-kind club with a sex theme dialed up to the max and a chest-vibrating sound system: Miami's E11even. The main differences are (1) this club is not 24 hours, 365 days a year like the Miami fraternal twin (opens 8PM and runs very late), and (2) there are boys wearing next to nothing gyrating, not girls. It's easy to find with GPS. Any London cabbie will know the place, and it's easy to get to by subway. For logistics, just remember the Tube closes down fairly early by large city standards, and the cabs get a huge spike in demand when the last train departs. Thank [insert deity here] that London let Uber resume operations. The neighborhood can be slightly edgy, especially late at night, but dodge the dark archways, etc., and you should be fine. If you're a cocktail fan, this place has a great bar. The real star of the show is the truly amazing sound system with laser lights, etc. Most nights have themes, and the night we went was Horse Meat Disco night, which despite the name seems to be generally just a fun dance party with cool lighting effects. Other nights are a little more themed by body type and clothing (bears, underwears, etc). Oh one important thing: with a name like Eagle London, you might expect this to be mostly leather guys and maybe a little seedy. Instead it's sort of a radical cross-section of gay Londoners and pretty spiffy decor. I recommend the place highly.

Fun and relaxed atmosphere. My husband and I were visiting from Los Angeles and we had a great time.read more

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The Cockpit

4.3(23 reviews)

2.0 mi•Blackfriars

The Vibe: The atmosphere is a perfect blend of modern and…read morecozy. The lighting is warm, and the background music is subtle enough to allow for easy conversation--ideal for a quiet dinner. The Food: I ordered the [Dish Name, e.g., Grilled Sea Bass]. It was cooked to perfection--moist on the inside with a crisp skin. The flavors were balanced, though the portion size was a bit smaller than expected for the price. The Service: The staff was attentive without being intrusive. You can tell they take pride in their work, which gives the place an authentic feel rather than a corporate, "robotic" vibe.

Really cool pub with lots of history. Bar staff was very friendly and explained lots about the pub.read more

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Inside the pub

Ku Bar

3.5(57 reviews)

1.8 mi•Chinatown

KU is a corner bar that sits smack in the middle of the gayborhood. The first floor is the "bar"…read morewith a jovial and packed pub atmosphere. Upstairs is more lounge-like with plush couch seats around cocktail tables. We liked upstairs but could only find stools at the bar. It was fun to observe the bartenders pouring drinks. We found the bartenders don't serve the customers directly and they don't have cash registers. So you don't really chat with the bartenders or tip them. Instead orders are placed via roaming servers who handle the cashless transactions. This was a first for me in a gay bar setting. The world is changing. Upstairs music was current. Volume was not too loud (surprising for a Friday night) so we could converse without shouting. Clientele was a great mix, showing the diversity of LGBTQ+ London. We like that and will come back again.

Love KU!!!!! Always have the best time! Best staff! Yummy drinks and a good vibe. Would highly…read morerecommend!!! And again the whole staff is lovely and Awesome!!!

1.7 mi•Clapham, Clapham Common

Street scene outside Ku Bar

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Two Brewers

3.5(23 reviews)

As an American tourist I was looking forward to seeing gay nightlife in London. My friend and I…read morewalked up to the security guard and was immediately met with a barrage of weird questions like "have you been here before". " when was the last time?" Yada yada. Then we were told that we were being denied entry since it was locals only that evening . What the actual F***. This place discriminates even towards gay men. Very disappointed I urge you to take your business elsewhere

Great bar staff, great entertainment l very friendly environment always…read more Tuesday nights exceptional

Club room

Front room (cabaret bar)

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Heaven

3.0(114 reviews)

1.5 mi•Strand

Security guard got annoyed when I kissed a guy. It's a gay club lighten up, I have never felt more…read moreuncomfortable, it was like I was back at primary school. Even the performer was shook

Guy taking payment for tickets was rude. Discounted tickets…read moreif you have the app, but app not available for Android!

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Wikd clubbing photo at Heaven

Kings Arms

3.8(19 reviews)

2.1 mi•Soho

Have been here several times - though this time a new member of staff made the choice to…read morespecifically pick me out and decide to flex their power. About 15 guys were crowded around the bar, some of them even sat on stools right at the bar. I was there with a friend, and were also stood at the bar. A gentlemen asked if he could get to the bar, and I happily moved out of his way. This new staff member then called me *back* to the bar after I'd made space by stepping away, and told me to make room for other people - completely ignoring the 15 or so other guys standing around, and literally *seated* at the bar. It felt as though I was being personally picked on; not only had I *already* moved out of the way, but I was the only one to have bothered to move for this new gentlemen. I've been here plenty of times before, but I'm not sure if I feel particularly safe with this new staff member working there, he seemed to zero in on me, and decide to abuse his power to call me back, only to send me away from the bar I'd *already* moved away from....

This has been the best bar we have been to. Jack, Felipe, and Josh are the best! Not only great but…read moresuper attentive. The management has been amazing, Alan and Dane have been amazing with helping us with our drinks and customer service.

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Sussex Arms

3.8(18 reviews)

3.0 mi•Paddington

This pub was around the street from our hotel during our stay in London and we claimed it as "our…read morelocal pub". The bar tenders were always very kind and friendly, and I absolutely love the original decor they designed the bar with. You can see original aircraft pieces all over the place, and I also really enjoyed their beer selection. My only "negative" is that I wished they had some olive juice for a martini.

Great pub that is open til midnight. Friendly servers, comfortable seating, and in my experience, a…read moregreat crowd. Good selection of beer and cider. A go to place for me in Paddington.

Sunrise

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Retro Bar

3.9(24 reviews)

1.6 mi•Strand

Great little bar nestled into a small alley. One of my favorite places to go in London for a drink!…read moreTheir bar tender (I forget his name), is a strangely cute and I could not stop staring at him ‍ I'd honestly fly back to London just to order a drink from him again. Thanks for the great drinks and experience!

I-- I'll do anything that you want me to do, And I'll do…read morealmost anything that you want me to do, But I can't go for that, (No can do) No, I can't go for that, (No can do) Oh, I can't go for that, (No can do)* That sums up my opinion of Retro (also what I said when I went out with someone who was into diapers...no thanks!). I gave it a shot, but I just can't go for that. There was nothing compelling about it. The jukebox was good and the posters on the wall were neat, but the beer was mundane, the crowd didn't have a great vibe (kind of "clique-ish") and it was so bright! Oh my goodness, maybe I should have quoted a line from "Blinded by the Light" it was so lit up in there. Trust me I look better in dim lighting and maybe a filtered lens. This place was very bright, like when a policeman shines a light inside your car when you're parked by a dumpster in a deserted Wal-Mart parking lot and catches you...well never mind about that last part. In short, nice enough place, not my scene. ____________________________ *the dudes from Philly, Hall & Oates http://youtu.be/ccenFp_3kq8

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Comptons

3.8(26 reviews)

1.9 mi•Soho

Comptons has been around for a long time, looks the same for years, and still manages to pack in…read morethe gay crowd especially in evenings and weekends. Don't let the crowds outside fool you thinking there's a long line to get in. They're just drinking and smoking in the designated sidewalk pub area. Downstairs can be smashing full of fun, but we enjoyed upstairs even more. It was a "little" more sedated and Cheers pub-like with lots of regulars. Drinks are reasonably priced, and doubles are encouraged. That's cool so we don't have to wait at the bar twice, especially since only one bartender upstairs was handling the whole floor.

Great bar in London…read more Came here for my first visit and came back again. This time is was during the week after work and there was a great crowd still. Bartenders are friendly and fast with drinks. Locals are pretty friendly to talk to as well.

1.2 mi•Waterloo, Southwark

Front of the bar

Interior

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Second floor bar

Old Vic

4.5(47 reviews)

What a fantastic venue! We went to see "A Christmas Carol" play at this theater and the production…read morewas just perfect. The stage was located in the middle with the audience sitting all around it. It felt like we were part of the play. It was nothing like the theaters in the US. We loved it. Can't wait to be back in London and see another play at the Old Vic!

Love The Old Vic! It oozes history and class. The interior decor is stunning and the exterior looks…read morepretty swell too especially when lit up at night. I was so excited to be there for one of the previews of 'Other Desert Cities' and curious as to how that would work with the theatre having just been reconfigured to 'in the round'. It actually worked very well, and while we in the upper level, I can imagine it would be particularly interesting to be in the seats that were vitrually part of the set. I think I spied Melvin Bragg Down there. Who-ever it was he seemed to enjoy the show as much as us. OK perhaps it wasn't what I would call must-see theatre but it had a little something for everyone, and despite its dark nature in places, we had plenty of knowing belly laughs too. Since press night its been garnering a solid four stars. Perhaps because the show was in preview we were able to bag reasonably priced tickets at the box office direct. The staff were very friendly and helpful when we popped in the day before to check on availability. If there was a down-side it was that the seats were uncomfortable and the leg room very cramped, and thats coming from someone who is just 5ft & 2 inches! My companion had another foot on me and found the cramped seating a distraction from the show. Perhaps the more expensive seats are more comfortable. Wish everywhere had seats as cosy and roomy as The National Theatre! Conveniently located just along the road from Waterloo station for tube, rail and taxis.