London

Burned to the ground in 61 AD by Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni Celts, Londinium was soon rebuilt by it's Roman founders. The prosperous city became the capital of their province of Britannia. Anglo-Saxons and Vikings vied for control after Rome left around 410, but by the time William of Normandy was crowned at Westminster Abbey in 1066, London was again the largest and richest city within what are now the British Isles.

The next millennium would see the city become the center of an empire, with the wealth of a quarter of the world flowing into its coffers. The widespread use of English around the globe is a legacy of that period. So, too, is the interesting diversity of the city's population. A third of Londoners were not born in Britain.

In the past few decades, the improvements in the lives of gay people have been truly astounding, and today's gay scene rivals that of anywhere worldwide. There's a vast array of gay bars, clubs, restaurants and saunas, meaning that no matter what time of day or night there's fun to be had.

Samuel Johnson famously said: "when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." Two centuries later, 25 million tourists each year might agree that a trip to London will never be forgotten.

 

Getting here
Gatwick and Heathrow airports get most international arrivals. Express trains from Heathrow to Paddington Station take 15 minutes. The Gatwick Express takes 30 minute to Victoria Station. Tickets can be bought online or on the train. A return ticket is good for up to 30 days.
Stansted Airport has an express train to Liverpool Street Station or buses to Victoria Station.

Luton Airport has a free shuttle bus to Luton Parkway Station, where you can catch a train to Kings Cross/St. Pancreas Station.
Eurostar trains from Europe arrive at Waterloo station.

 

Getting around
Getting around London is a snap. Taxis are everywhere, buses are frequent, and the Underground (better known as 'the Tube') goes most everywhere. An Oyster card, available at customer service counters, will save about half the price of single Underground tickets. For information on all public transport options, see Tfl.gov.uk. If you drive here, or rent ("hire" they say here) a car, be aware of the Congestion Charge Zone for which you must pay a daily surcharge. It covers most of central London. See our CCZ link, or ask your car rental company.

 

Gay Community Centre and Pride

John Bull Community Centre (64 Tyres St, Vauxhall) classes, exhibitions, events, resources, weekday coffee shop 10am to 5pm.

Pride London Each July, a "fortnight of fun" - parade on Oxford Street, through Piccadilly, down Regent Street, finishing in Trafalgar Square where the main stage of festival entertainment includes DJ's, dance acts, comedy and music.

 

Local Media
BOYZ Magazine, GayTimes, Pink Paper and QX Magazine have gay news, reviews, club and party updates, photos  listings. Boyz has great maps in print and online, and the GayTimes website also has listings for other cities in the UK. Gay-to-Z is another gay website.

AXM Magazine, 2Bexposed and YVY Magazine are three of many publications on gay style, fashion, and photography.

 

Precautions
For the most part London is very safe, but for your own peace of mind keep your wallet in your front pocket. Leave your passport at your hotel (keep a photocopy with you), and use common sense when cruising.

 

Accommodations

Central Station (37 Wharfdale Rd; 207-278-3294) three rooms above popular gay bar in King's Cross, breakfast at the restaurant.
FitzBB (Fitzovia; (207-834-372-866) gay B&B townhouse, quiet street, not far from Soho.
Griffin House (22 Stockwell Green; 207-096-3332) gay-run holiday apartments near Vauxhall gay village.
Outlet Holidays (Outlet4holidays.com) Soho studio apartments, multi-level units, daily or weekly rentals, walk-in Soho office.
Swinton Hotel (18 Swinton St; 207-837-1451) central location in King's Cross, relaxed vibe, modern rooms with bath/showers.
Soho B&B (14 Old Compton St; 7834-372-866) two double rooms share kitchenette and bathroom.
Victoria Gay Hostel (164 Victoria St; 207-630-0766) 2 six-bed dorms from 20 GBP, private lockers, lounge, gay social ambience.

See our lodgings listings for locations and websites for above hotels among others.

 

Bars, pubs, & cafes
Gay life is everywhere across this vast metropolitan area, but Central London is the best place to start. Soho's Old Compton Street is a major artery with plenty of bars and pubs here and in surrounding streets. The Vauxhall Gay Village, south of the Thames, has a cluster of popular clubs, especially of interest to leathermen and bears, and for the dance clubs set into the railway embankments. The partying goes non-stop from Friday until Monday morning. Hustlaball, Salvation, and Matinee are some of the regulars in an ever-changing line-up of special nights around the city. Bears and the leather/fetish communities have weekly and monthly events, and there are ongoing Latin, Middle-Eastern and Asian parties too.  HardOn, third Tuesdays at Factory, is one leather/rubber bash that's for members only - sign up online. See local gay magazines to keep up with everything that's happening.

Some bars are listed below, but for a fuller list of bars and clubs, with locations and web-links, and for restaurant suggestions, see our map & listings and events tabs.

 

East London
Backstreet (Wentworth Mews) serious gay fetish club, rubber, leather, naked nights, dedicated following.
East Bloc (58 Old St, Barbican) formerly Ghetto, 'odd glamour' decor, internet juke box, cheap drinks, quirky party-boy dance club in black, Disco Fag Fridays, attire to amaze.
Kaos at Stunners (566 Cable St, Limehouse) monthly techno-electro dance at tranny club, fetish, tatoos, chic & fashionable kinky crowd, sometimes guest performers.
White Swan (556 Commercial Rd) pub, strippers, slapstick entertainment, live DJs and drag shows.

 

Soho & Central London
79 CXR (79 Charing Cross Rd) West End, shoulder-to-shoulder no fuss cruising, open front for street gazing.
Admiral Duncan (54 Old Compton St) famous raspberry exterior, popular, pleasant place for drinks, center of Soho scene, across from Comptons.
Balans Cafe (34 Old Compton St) open 24-hours, pre-theatre drinks, post-club snacks, great breakfasts.
Balans Soho (60 Old Compton St) stylish bar and restaurant, light fare burgers to full steak and seafood meals, Soho central, open daily from 8am, late weekends 'til 6am.
Circa (62 Frith St), new gay club in Soho, young crowd, mostly guys, diva MC.
Comptons Of Soho (53 Old Compton St) no cologne male turf on two levels, always crowded by late afternoon, spills later into the street, inexpensive drinks, upstairs relaxed lounge.
Duke of Wellington (77 Wardour St, Soho) conversation video bar, mixed ages, mostly regular-guy men, busy early, decent prices, short pub-crawl from Comptons.
Edge (11 Soho Sq) Euro-style bar and cafe hangout, overlooks the square, attractive crowd, dancing, go-go boys, drag shows, fills up early, open Saturdays 'til 3am.
Escape Bar (10A Brewer St, Soho) video and show bar, classics to latest releases, young Latin, Continental, and English crowd; Middle East Fridays, drag Mondays, Trannyoke Wednesdays.
First Out Cafe (52 Giles High St) neighborhood bar and cafe, 18+ mixed crowd, terrace seating, veggie menu, juices and shakes, art, free Wi-Fi.
Freedom (66 Wardour St, Soho) trendy early evenings, occasional spicy Mediterranean nights with shows.
Friendly Society (79 Wardour St, Soho), Barbie-doll ceilings, friendly vibe, 18+ mixed crowd.
G-A-Y Bar (30 Old Compton St, Soho) elegant video bar on three levels, cheap drinks and bagels.
G-A-Y Late (5 Goslett Yd) modern style, late-night lounge and dance club, near the Tottonham Court Rd tube station.
Heaven G-A-Y Club (Under the Arches, off Villiers St) legendary dance club, four rooms; Thursday Porn Idol amateur strippers show all.
Halfway II Heaven (7 Duncannon St) traditional pub upstairs, downstairs intimate encounters.
Ku Bar / Ku Klub (30 Lisle St) young lads, three floors, cheap drinks, comedy club.
Ku Bar (25 Frith St) second location, fine coffees, teas and sweets afternoons, three floors of music evenings.
Lo-Profile (84-86 Wardour St, Soho) busy basement dance club under restaurant/bar, hot muscle guys, drag divas.
Madame JoJo's (8-10 Brewer St, Soho) live bands, classic burlesque and cabaret, famous Tranny Shack Wednesday.
Piccolo Diavolo (8 Old Compton St, Soho) good pizza and pasta, reasonably priced lunches and dinners.
Popstarz at Den (18 W Central Rd) heart of young indie club scene, dancing Fridays until 6am, rooms playing indie, pop, and R&B.
Profile (84-86 Wardour St) stylish cocktail lounge, booth seats for burgers, hot dogs, lunch specials, Sunday roasts; Friday/Saturday downstairs dance club.
Retro Bar (2 George Ct) bar and lounge off the Strand, retro sounds, gaming machines.
Room Service at Diu (12-13 Greek St) sweaty new Thursday house and electro night for hot Soho men, among top gay nights of the moment.
Rupert Street Cafe Bar (50 Rupert St) light fare all day, stylish ambiance, young and fashionable professional crowd.
Stag (15 Bressenden Pl) Victoria Station sanctuary, pub grub menu, fish and chips recommended, dancing weekends.
Star at Night (22 Great Chapel St) coffeeshop with sandwiches days, night-time cocktail lounge, women-popular.
Trash Palace (11 Wardour St) alternative to golden oldies, hip vibe, young Piccadilly crowd.
Vault (139b-143 Whitfield St) cruising, dark rooms, mixed age range, underwear and naked nights.
Village (81 Wardour St, Soho) split-level space, cool vibe, younger set hangout.
Yard Bar (57 Rupert St) fashionable scene, fresh-air seating in inner courtyard.

 

West London
Load of Hay (201 Pinner Rd, Watford), locals' goodtimes pub, karaoke, quiz nights, bingo, holiday parties.
Richmond Arms (20 The Square, Richmond), gay & mixed pub, easy-going settled, early, mostly male crowd, karaoke.
Ted's Place (305a North End Rd, West Brompton) private club, very cruisy, men-only and transgender nights.
West 5 (56 Popes Lane), lively gay bar, quiz games, film nights, piano lounge, pool table, karaoke, big parties.
Windsor Castle (152 Bath Rd, Hounslow) local pub with seven nights of entertainment, contests, all- hours men.

 

North London
Black Cap (171 Camden High St) North London's famous drag cabaret and dance club, classic pub, outdoor patio.
Central Station (37 Wharfdale Rd, Kings Cross) cabaret shows, restaurant, roof terrace, free internet.
Club Kali @ Dome (3rd Fridays) (178 Junction Rd, Tufnell Park) only South Asian music GBLT event, each 3rd Friday, with BBC DJ Ritu.
Dalston Superstore (117 Kingsland High St. Shoreditch) daytime cafe, breakfast from 10am, free Wi-Fi, later nightclub, dancing, cheap drinks, hip young crowd, men/women, mostly gay but straight-friendly.
Underground Club (37 Wharfdale Rd; under Central Station), men-only fetish, rubber, spanking, naked, and cruise parties.

 

Vauxhall & South London
Arcadia (51-53 Southwark St, aka The Arches) big dance venue near London Bridge, circuit parties, bears to musclemen; Thursday Hogs leather/rubber/fetish strict dress code, Wednesday and Saturday XXL big guys.
Area (67-68 Albert Embankment; Vauxhall) massive mixed club, 4 dance areas, gayest for Fridays Onyx 'til 5am.
Barcode Vauxhall (69 Albert Embankment, Vauxhall) warm-up place for bears and dance crowd.
Club Colosseum (1 Nine Elms Lane) big Indie club, serious dancing, variety of music, special party nights.
Eagle (349 Kennington Lane) big beer selection, pool games, cruisy, leather and fetish nights.
Electric (1 Town Hall Parade, Brixton Hill) refurbished former Fridge, concert venue, club nights such as Brava.
Fire (South Lambeth Rd) cutting-edge lighting and sound system, muscle guys mix with club kids; gayest Sundays 'til 9am Monday.
Fort (131 Grange Rd, off Tower Bridge Rd) dark rooms, glory holes, blackout parties, boots-only nights.
Hidden (100 Tinsworth St, Vauxhall) serious dancing, latest in sound and lights, fetish parties.
Hoist (47C South Lambeth Rd) raunchy dress code, boots only, leather/fetish bar, bears, skinheads, buff guys, fetish store
Royal Vauxhall Tavern (372 Kennington Lane) drag shows, male burlesque, diverse ages, big crowd Sunday afternoons after 4.
Two8Six (286 Lewisham High St) biggest gay club in the southeast outer suburbs.
Two Brewers (114 Clapham High St) party and cabaret bar, karaoke, drag shows.
Union (66 Albert Embankment, Vauxhall) cruising, glory holes, cabins, spanking, jack-off and underwear nights; Bodyshakers afterhours dancing Saturday 4-10am.

 

Escorts

Marcello & Enrico (Oxford St) 19-yr-old German-Italian and 22-yr-old Italian-Brazilian married couple, attractive, well-endowed, multi-lingual, many-talented; massage, pampering, full satisfaction, kinky or vanilla, your place or theirs, overnights with breakfast options.
VG Club (20-7259-2529) Earl's Court location, in or out service, dinner date or overnight companion.
 

Saunas & Gyms

England's largest chain is Chariots, and in London there are five locations, each with video rooms, internet connections and around-the-clock hours Wednesday to Monday.
Chariots Limehouse (574 Commercial Rd) big hot tub and three floors of playspace.
Chariots Shoreditch (1 Fairchild St) heated pool, hot tubs, 30-man steam rooms, full gym, massage.
Chariots Streatham (292 Streatham High Rd) three hot cabins, cinemas, video rooms, tanning bed.
Chariots Vauxhall (63-64 Albert Embankment) 20-man steam room, 30-man sauna, dark rooms.
Chariots Waterloo (101 Lower March) UK's largest sauna, 40-man steam room, huge cruising maze.
E15 Club (6 Leytonstone Rd, Stratford) small sauna and steam room, hot tub, local rough trade and regular types.
Locker Room (8 Cleaver St, Kennington) local men's sauna, cruisy dark rooms, video lounge, fully naked all week long.
Paris Gym (73 Goding St, Vauxhall) fully equipped gym, mixed gay/straight crowd, serious body conditioning.
Pleasuredrome (Arch 124, Cornwall at Alaska, Waterloo) "gym with everything," large men-only sauna and spa, massage, dark rooms, tanning, cafe/bar, always open.
Saunabar (29 Endell St, Covent Garden) huge whirlpool, comfy lounge bar, after-work relaxation, steam room, massage, private rooms.
Star Stream (38 Lavender Hill, Battersea) saunas (one very hot), steam, videos, sling room, outdoor patio.
Steamworks (309 New Cross Rd, New Cross) 20-man sauna, steam, sling, refreshments.
Sweatbox (1-2 Ramillies St, Soho) sauna, Jacuzzi, maze, full gym, massage, house DJs, drinks and snacks.
 

Shopping & Services

Ashbury Fine Arts Gallery (77 Beak St, #31, Soho), aka Frolic Room, gay artists, sexy male paintings, leather archive.
BFI Filmstore (Belvedere Rd, South Bank, Waterloo) classic screenplays, limited edition DVDs.
Blue Rose (4 Kentish Town Rd) sex shop to tickle your fancy.
Clone Zone - Earls Court (266 Old Brompton Rd) gay chain, fashion and fetish wear.
Clone Zone - Soho (64 Old Compton St) CDs videos, books, magazines, ticket sales, staff knows the local scene.
DV8 (50 Old Compton St, Soho) masculine fashions and accessories, styles from sports to military.
Expectations (75 Great Eastern St, off Old St) leather, rubber, fetish, toys, undies, guides, erotic books and comics.
Fetish Freak (S Lambeth Rd, next to Hoist) everything for your leather/fetish/bondage needs.
Gay's the Word (66 Marchmont St) London's leading gay and lesbian bookshop, near King's Cross.
ICA (The Mall) best of new art and film from Britain and around the world, bookstore and cafe.
Master U (330 Kennington Lane, Vauxhall) custom-crafted leather, bondage gear, toys accessories.
Prowler- Soho (5-7 Brewer St) books, videos, large enclosed porn section, fashion wear, variety of poppers.
Regulation (17a St. Albans Pl, Islington Green) bondage accoutrements, leather, rubber, underwear, accessories.
Rob London (24 Wells St, West End) leather/rubber emporium, quality clothing, toys, accessories
Urban Wellbeing (7 Silver Pl, Soho) salon, laser hair removal, acupuncture, tanning.
 

Arts
For fans of theater, London's West End needs no introduction.
For direct and discounted tickets, try
Theatreticketsdirect.co.uk, Londontheatreboxoffice.net or Londonwestendboxoffice.com

Above the Stag Theatre (15 Bressenden Pl) is where Shameless Theatre presents "London’s most central fringe theatre” with productions that include such gay titles as Cabaret Whore.
The Barbican is Europe's largest music, theater, dance, and film center, home to the London Symphony Orchestra.

The Bears Movie Club bears meet to go to movies each month, visitors welcome.
The Jermyn Street Theatre (16-B Jermyn St) has new talent showcased at a studio venue.
Southbank Centre is three buildings full of music, dance, and visual arts, plus the London Philharmonic and Sinfonietta Orchestras perform here too. This is also one of the venues for the annual Lesbian Gay Film Festival in March.
 

Sights
The British Museum has a vast collection of world art and artifacts, free to visitors.
Kew Gardens has extensive gardens and botanical greenhouses, an attraction that draws two million visitors each year.
The London Eye, also known as the 'Millennium Wheel,' has views of the city from 443 feet.
The life and earth science specimens at the National History Museum include famous dinosaurs.
Shows this season at the Tate Britain include a major survey exhibition of the works of American-born Susan Hiller, including her pioneering mixed-media installations; and Watercolour, with works spanning 800 years.
The Tate Boat ferries you to the Tate Modern with it's contemporary collections at Bankside -- this summer with a retrospective of Joan Miró's works. Boats depart every 40 minutes.
The Victoria and Albert Museum (Cromwell Rd) has the world's greatest collection of decorative arts and design.

See more by scrolling down on our pics, events and experiences page.

 

Cruising
George Michael is reported to have said 'Fuck off! This is my culture,' when caught with pants down in Hampstead Heath. As Mark Turner of King's College writes in the Guardian newspaper: 'queer encounters in parks, on embankments, in toilets, streets and back alleys are an integral part of the way our cities, and sexualities, express themselves.'
Turner, who wrote Backward Glances: Cruising the Queer Streets of New York and London, recommends Hampstead Heath, extolling the crowd of 'leather queens, randy teenagers, local husbands, young and old, black and white.' He complains, however, at the distance one must walk. 'Have you ever tried getting a taxi at Jack Straw's Castle at 4am?'
Hyde Park is noted as runner-up, as well as the more international option. Russell Square and Bloomsbury Square, once cruisy with students, office workers and pickpockets, are both now locked up at night.

 

Birmingham, Blackpool, Brighton, Bristol, Liverpool and Manchester in England, Cardiff in Wales, plus Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland, are other UK cities we cover.