Gay and Lesbian Bars in London

Village opened in 1991 and has since established itself as one of Soho's premier gay bars. Popular as a pre-club meeting place, entry is free and entertainment includes DJs, camp karaoke and scantily clad "gogo boy" dancers. Packed on Friday and Saturday nights, it's a great place to experience the Soho vibe.

Friendly Soho bar The Edge has three floors of music, so you can move up or downstairs depending on your mood. Relax on comfy sofas or strut your stuff on the illuminated dancefloor, while DJs serve up a mix of house, pop and R&B. You can reserve a space in advance for special occasions.

An offshoot of the famous G-A-Y club night at Heaven, G-A-Y Bar is the perfect place to start your evening. There are three floors (with a lesbian bar on the lower floor), plus a video jukebox and screens displaying customers' text messages. For late-night drinking, head to nearby G-A-Y Late.

For a more laidback option, enjoy a pint at the Duke of Wellington, a traditional London pub that attracts a slightly older (30 plus) gay crowd. The atmosphere at "the Welly" is friendly and drinkers spill out onto the pavements in the summer months. A great place to soak up the Soho atmosphere!

Candy Bar is one of London's best-known lesbian bars, where you'll find a rolling schedule of entertainment including DJs, dancers, live shows and karaoke. Robbie Williams, Martina Navratilova, the Pet Shop Boys and Naomi Campbell are among the celebrities who've been spotted here.

Sister bar to The Edge, The Green brings a taste of Soho to Upper Street in Islington, which is lined with restaurants and bars. Pop in for a coffee during the day, order something from the bar menu, enjoy a few cocktails in the evening, or dance the night away at one of the regular DJ nights.

The Black Cap in Camden offers a packed schedule of entertainment, ranging from drag acts to DJs, karaoke and open stage nights. Drinks are affordable and on summer evenings you can sit outside on the terrace. This historic pub has been around since the 1700s and has a fascinating history.

One of London's oldest gay pubs, the King William IV in Hampstead has been a gay hangout since the 1930s. There's a good mixture of clientele, many of whom pop in for a few drinks after a walk on nearby Hampstead Heath. You'll often find a long queue outside for the adjacent crepe stall (also highly recommended!).

Renowned for its entertainment, from bingo to cabaret, the Royal Vauxhall Tavern has been pulling in the crowds for decades. The venue helped launch Lily Savage and Julian Clary, and is now home to alternative club night Duckie, which fuses clubbing with experimental theatre.

Head to Shoreditch and join the trendy, mixed crowd at the George & Dragon. The old London pub has been redecorated with kitsch ornaments, including an animated horse's head on the wall. The jukebox plays an eclectic range of pop music and DJs sometimes take over the decks for a night of partying.