QX has put together a list of the best London LGBTQ+ gay bars with outside spaces, terraces and bear gardens. With the days ahead looking to be right scorchers they are perfect for sipping cocktails or pints of cold bear. London comes into its own in summer and there’s space for everyone!
Outside LGBTQI+ space in The West End
Ku Bar, Leicester Square
Modern and stylish music video bar where the energy is always high, the drinks are flowing, and everyone is welcome. Boasting one of Soho’s largest LGBTQ+ outdoor terraces, perfect for sipping cocktails, catching up with friends, or just enjoying the buzzing atmosphere of Leicester Square. Late opening Klub after the bar closes.
30 Lisle Street, London W1D 5JL, United Kingdom.
The Yard, Soho
A two storey former stables. You’d never know that you were in the heart of Soho.
57 Rupert St, London W1D 7PL, United Kingdom.
Soho Square
An oldie but a goodie! At the height of summer, Soho Square harkens back to the good old days of Soho, London’s former queer hub. Drag queens stumble across sprinklers, queens called Carlos wave and pout, cans of Tesco pre-mixed vodka cranberry get spilled. It’s a special kind of hangover that you’re treated to the next day though, after drinking all day in the heat, then drinking all night in KU or Comptons. Remedy it with a Bloody Mary. We bloody love a Bloody Mary.
Soho Square, London W1D 3QU, United Kingdom
City Of Quebec, Marble Arch
Enjoy lunch and a drank on this lovely pavement terrace just off Marble Arch. Very handy after a morning’s shopping down Oxford Street.
12 Old Quebec Street, London W1H 7AF, United Kingdom.
Outside LGBTQI+ space in West London
Pop-up Friday Social at My Place with West London Queer Project
Fruit Bowl is every Friday night in May where (fingers crossed) you’ll all be sprawled out in the sunshine, enjoying a cocktail to two! And if the sun isn’t shining, then there’s plenty of space inside for you to mingle and even have a boogie!. Free entry. My Place Chiswick is just 5 minute walk from either Turnham Green or Stamford Brook Stations.
Fruit Bowl is on Fridays in May, from 6 pm – 12:30 am, at My Place Chiswick, 83 – 85 Chiswick High Road, London W4 2EF, United Kingdom.
Outside LGBTQI+ space in South London
Eagle Garden Bar, Vauxhall
A great way to start an evening of clubbing. The Eagle hosts some of the best club nights in Vauxhall, including Horse Meet Disco, Handsome and The Boy Is Mine.
349 Kennington Lane, London SE11 5QY, United Kingdom.
The Arch Bar, Clapham
A beautiful terrace makes Arch Plaza one of the best queer venues for outside drinking.
Arch, 642 Voltaire Rd, London SW4 6DH, United Kingdom.
Two Brewers, Clapham
Clapham tube. Wrap around terrace. Lots of men. Perfection!
114 Clapham High St, London SW4 7UJ, United Kingdom.
The Cock Tavern, Kennington
For lovers of The Cock, there’s some outside pavement seating.
340 Kennington Rd, London SE11 4LD, United Kingdom.
The Bridge Bar, Clapham
Small and intimate venue in a railway arch with a cutesy outside terrace.
8 Voltaire Road, London SW4 6DH, United Kingdom.
Outside LGBTQI+ space in North London
Central Station, Kings Cross
Round the corner from Kings Cross. A community pub that sells food with occasional entertainment.
37 Wharfdale Rd, London N1 9SD, United Kingdom.
Outside LGBTQI+ space in East London
The Old Ship, Limehouse
Lime House Station tube just 2 minutes away. A beer garden for those glorious summer days.
17 Barnes Street, Limehouse, London E14 7NW, United Kingdom.
More outside space in London
For the best outside spaces, London comes into its own in the warm weather, even if it does only last for a week. We’re in desperate need of some Summer fun and something LGBTQIA+ Londoners are good at, is making the most of the weather. So here’s our guide (we love a guide) to the best places to do that!
Regent’s Canal
One of London’s best commodities, a walk down Regent’s Canal is a beautifully varied, wending and scenic route. Start off at the Kings Cross basin, and stomp down past the Hunger Games-esque new developments on the water, up to Camden, where you can take in some touching Amy Winehouse art along the banks, and have a nose at the uber rich gardens of the canalside houses around Primrose Hill. There’s also a floating Chinese restaurant that looks like something out of Studio Ghibli.
London Fields
We LOVE London Fields. At its worst it’s a smack crack nightmare, and at its best, it’s a heady mix of Malibu, mature cheddar and marijuana. It’s great for a post-party dissection, whilst sipping a Strongbow Dark Fruit and listlessly scrolling through Grindr. Then there’s the lido, perfect for an afternoon dip (when it’s open!).
St Katherine’s Dock
WHO NEEDS Monaco or the Seychelles when you’ve got St Katherine’s Dock! If you battle through the thronging, Starbucks-strewn tourist hell at The Tower Of London and dive into an unassuming side street just by Tower Bridge, you’ll be rewarded with a glittering and fairly undiscovered oasis. An exclusive marina by day and a bustling restaurant/bar district by night, it’s the playground of London’s wealthy yacht connoisseurs.
Hampstead Heath
We probably use the word “iconic” too much, but Hampstead Heath IS iconic, truly. Its dappled woodland, crumbling walkways and cool ponds are steeped in queer history, and have provided a haven for gay men for decades. There’s something inherently queer and uniquely London about it. A bit like us really. Which might be why we love it so much. It is, possibly, our favourite outdoor space in the city. Highlights include the cruising grounds, frequented by salacious men looking for fun in the bushes on hazy, humid afternoons; the historic Pergola, a beautiful, vine-strewn walkway that’s like something out of Game Of Thrones; and of course the Men’s Pond, with its breathtakingly cold, glistening waters and hilariously camp lawns, strewn with tanned bodies, Call Me Maybe wafting from several iPhones.
Peckham
It’s all going down in Peckham at the moment – there are gay nights, art galleries, pioneering queer spaces, and creative hubs popping up left, right and centre. Peckham Levels is great for a date. It’s been featured in TimeOut about 50,000 times – it’s a recently gentrified multi-story car park, and there’s a trendy cocktail bar at the top with sweeping views of the city. There’s also a great space at The Bussey Building. It’s a large courtyard, that has since been converted into a performance space slash antique market slash food court slash queer bar. We see you rolling your eyes, but it’s actually very nice.
