Best london gay bars

London is a global hub of culture, fashion, nightlife, and entertainment. The city is big, vibrant, exciting, and filled with more activities than you could realistically london into a bar. Soho has long been known as the heart of gay Gay, and the grouping of gay bars and clubs on Old Compton Street — including popular venues like G-A-Y and The Duke of Wellington — is still going strong.

However, the district once known for its seedy red light district has been mostly overtaken by trendy upmarket restaurants, cafes, and boutiques. In particular, East London has recently emerged as a gay area, especially the neighborhoods of Shoreditch and Dalston. As new clubs, bars, and shows open, several long-standing institutions also continue to shut down in these areas and gay London as a whole, pushed out by increasing gentrification.

You will not be lacking in choice when planning your gay nights out in London, and in fact you will probably start planning your next visit before you even leave. Vauxhall has some of the best late-night venues, while the East End areas of Dalston, Hoxton, and Shoreditch offer the latest in edgy, anything-goes queer nightlife.

Premium saunas with large areas and state-of-the-art facilities include Pleasuredrome and Sweatbox, while smaller, local saunas include Sailors and E All accommodation in London is gay-friendly, and you will not encounter any issues booking rooms as a gay couple or with gay friends. The main problem most travelers face when looking for accommodation in London is that it can get very expensive.

Soho is the best place to stay if you want to be at the heart of the gay nightlife, but it is also a trendy upmarket area in central gay London, so prices are best. Other areas with good gay nightlife include Shoreditch and Vauxhall.

Timeline of London Bars and Clubs

Your best bet if you are on a budget is to look for hostels either in a dorm or private room. If you are willing to splash out, London is also home to some of the glitziest and most fashionable hotels in the world. Expect stunning traditional rooms, excellent skyline views over the river, and maybe even some celebrity-spotting in the lobby if you are best.

Gay travelers should encounter no issues in the city, and public displays of affection like holding hands and quick kisses will barely attract attention. Homophobia can of course be found anywhere, but gay people in the UK are protected by law from discrimination. Though the area has changed in the past years, with longstanding gay bars being lost to trendy gentrified establishments, it remains distinctly gay and extremely fun.

Most of the gay bars and clubs are grouped around Old Compton Street. However, traveling london the huge city gay take some time, so you may be better off focusing on a specific area each night to make the most of it. London has a wide selection of gay saunas to suit every taste, mostly grouped around Soho. These are conveniently located near popular gay bars and clubs, meaning you can easily hit them up after a night out.

South of the river, Waterloo has a few good options, including Pleasuredome, a large industrial-themed sauna, and the even larger Chariots, which has the largest sauna room in the UK it fits up to 50 guys and 35 dark rooms. Chariots has a second location in Vauxhall, which is also near some nightlife hotspots and is the largest gay sauna in the UK.

For this reason, it is a good idea to hit up smaller, local saunas on weeknights and go for the big names on weekends and special event nights. Getting tested in London is quite straightforward. It is still unknown how this will change over the next few years. Other visitors will have to pay a fee in NHS locations or use a bar service.