Most will be found dancing to house remixes in the main area others will slope off to explore the (in)famous dark room. XXL is so popular that it regularly attracts up to 2,000 punters.
It’s a men-only affair, but you don’t have to be hench ’n’ hairy to have fun: the crowd is friendly and anyone who enjoys whipping his top off on the dancefloor will feel at home. Held every Saturday in a huge cavernous space near London Bridge, XXL is the UK’s biggest bear night.
Men-only dance club for bears, cubs, chubs, muscle bears and their admirers.Īdmission: Saturday 15 £, 10 £ for members Wednesday 5 £, free for members Look out for 80s tunes and quiz nights for something a little different. Set aside in a little alleyway near Charing Cross, the Retro Bar's music is eclectic, and the decor features photos of many iconic rock and pop figures. Head down to one of gay London's secret gems and enjoy a small mixed indie bar with plenty of vibrant personality. Debbie, a monthly Saturday night party which only plays songs by female artists, is also worth seeking out. On Sunday nights, the dancefloor welcomes a younger and more fashion-conscious crowd for Horse Meat Disco, one of London’s very best club nights. Eagle’s large horseshoe bar still attracts many an older, burlier gay gent, but the overall ambience now feels slick and sexy rather than, well, slightly sleazy. Out went the licence permitting sexual activity on the premises and in came the trendy decor inspired by New York’s Meatpacking District. This Vauxhall institution has recently had a facelift to rival Sharon Osbourne’s. To keep the party going after closing time, G-A-Y Late is just around the corner and stays open into the early hours. Thursday, Friday and Saturday night G-A-Y party.Īn offshoot of the legendary G-A-Y club night at Heaven, G-A-Y Bar on Old Compton Street in Soho hosts regular live music and DJ nights spinning top 40 hits, as well as a video jukebox which projects onto 16 large LCD screens. London's gay mainstream party temple since decades. The music jumps from night to night (think more underground dance music than Top 40), but it generally attracts a varied crowd including beardy homo hipsters, edgy East End drag queens and trendy gay girls with asymmetric haircuts. Sedition, formerly known as East Bloc, is compact yet filled with intrigue as you slink from one grotto-like room to the next. Tucked away under a Turkish supermarket near Old Street, you’ll find this deliciously dingy disco basement. You'll find a host of classic and unusual cocktails at Bar Soho, expertly crafted by skilled mixologists, alongside wines, beers and drinks offers to keep you going on the dance floor into the early hours. After all, the venue’s most famous feature is the massive penis mural in the loos.ĭark and seductive, this eclectic townhouse-style bar and dancing venue features everything from sofas made from bathtubs to a bar adorned with old books within it's two floors - it's certainly one of the quirkiest gay bars in Soho. VFD has the chutzpah to host club nights with names like Cuntmafia and Sassitude, but never takes itself too seriously. As its name suggests, it attracts a creative and fashion-conscious LGBT crowd who love to dress up (though no one will really care if you rock up in sneakers and a polo top). Fuel up with brunch or a burger from midday during the week or 10am on Saturdays, and sample the extensive cocktail list as night falls amid avant-garde decor.įormerly (and still commonly) known as Vogue Fabrics, this bijou Dalston basement hosts drag and spoken word events as well as genre-spanning club nights and parties.
It’s all very trendy but everyone is welcome: don’t be surprised to see drag queens rubbing shoulders with off-duty dads from nearby Stoke Newington.Ī cafe by day, club by night, Dalston Superstore is a vibrant and trendy hub for gay and straight party people in east London, and one of the area's best clubbing hotspots. Regular nights include Uncontrollable Urge (eccentric electro on Wednesdays) and SorryNotSorry Sundays (a monthly helping of ‘unapologetic pop’). The upstairs bar is fun for a warm-up drink, but the basement is where the club action happens. By day, this East End favourite plates up brunch and burgers by night, it’s London’s best pansexual party spot.