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Where do gay men hang out

For hundreds of years, Soho has been a haven for gay Londoners, packed of packed pubs and late night drinking dens even before the decriminalisation of homosexuality. In these enlightened times, LGBTQ+ city dwellers have got a plethora of options all across the city. But male lover old Soho still holds a special 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 Street, where you can spend a raucous night at the enduringly popular 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: Undertaking further afield with London's best gay bars and gay clubs.

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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The best gay bars and clubs in Soho

Occupying a prominent spot on Soho’s Chinatown

What straight people desire to know about going to lgbtq+ bars

As a lgbtq+ person, knowing my straight friends wish for to come to LGBTQ+ bars and spaces fills my heart with delight. I appreciate the accepting atmosphere that these spaces generate, and I cherish that my friends want to demonstrate their support of me and my community so openly in them.

I came out just before starting university, having made awesome (and very straight) friends during my time at college. I was worried they would cure me differently after I came out, or be freaked out thinking I either hated men or fancied one of them. Luckily, neither one of those age-old stereotypes came true, and actually I didn’t give them enough credit. It turned out most of them knew I was gay drawn-out before I did.

But recently, when I took a group of them to Soho in London for a night out, I realised even the most well-intentioned, supportive straight/cis friends can miss the tag entirely. One of my male friends came back from the bar carrying drinks and a phone number, written on a napkin. He loudly demanded to know why the bartender had thought he’d be interested because after all, he didn’t "look gay". Sigh.

"They'd made me

Gay Bars 101: What You Should Know Before Going to a Gay Bar

So, there you are:

  • It’s a Friday night.
  • The weather is warm.
  • You’ve finished a long labor week.
  • You’re just itching to fetch out and have a bit of fun, mix it up, and have a few drinks to transition you gracefully into the weekend. 

There’s this bar downtown you’ve heard about, and you decide to give it a shot. You shave, shower, brush your teeth, throw together the cutest outfit you can locate, and hop in an Uber on your way to this new experience that has your heart beating just a bit faster. 

You walk through the doors, a smile spreads across your face, and you tell yourself, “This is going to be an interesting night.” 

A safe space for us all

The bar is filled with people:

  • Older men with bright gold rings adorning most of their fingers and chain necklaces behind swaying across their chests. 
  • Young twinks—that group of young men in their earlier 20s who watch like they could model for GQ—are bubbly, chit-chatting with each other and making eyes at every single man walking by. 
  • A few women dot the room, drinking casually and engaging in witty conversation. 

Let’s not forget the 75-year-old man who

THE GAY SCENE AND RELATIONSHIPS

Is the male lover scene a fine or bad thing for gay men who want to find a partner? Surely it makes sense to frequent the places where most gay men hang out if you are looking to meet a boyfriend? There are so many dance clubs, leather bars and phone apps packed of sexy unpartnered gay guys, so it would appear the possibilities for meeting a companion are endless!  In actual world things are not so clear.

Is the grass always greener?

Firstly, there are so many gay men ‘available’, especially in big cities, that many single guys who are looking for a partnership find it hard to settle into seeing the same person for a distant period of age when the grass could be much greener with that cute guy on the other side of the exclude or that hot guy who just looked at me in the club. The choices are endless so why agree for something that could be second best? You might be able to find a richer guy or a guy with a greater body, maybe you should hold out for him. This is a trap that so many gay men are falling into; they are not valuing the person in front of them for fear of missing something better. This may seem adorable normal for male lover (or str