Can you believe that super-sexy al fresco drinking space of Soho, The Yard, is turning eighteen this weekend? And what a beautiful eighteen-year-old he is, with a gorgeous garden decked with delicate greenery, Grecian statues and trailing foliage, luring the hippest, coolest and all-round sexiest of Soho to drink and wile away the hot and heady summer evenings…
As the well-run team behind the opulent venue say, “Folks always vote with their feet and with the coming of its eighteenth birthday The Yard has clearly had the best milkshake – or ‘manshake’ – in Soho for the past two decades!”
To put it more bluntly, as a certain singer named Kelis once famously said: ‘My milkshake brings all the boys to the Yard… And damn right, it’s better than yours!’
So, we hear you cry, what’s happening to celebrate this momentous anniversary of such a stunning Soho institution? Well, lucky that you asked, for we’ve just been bursting to tell you that The Yard has a four-day celebration weekend lined up with a host of treats and nightly celebrations for this landmark occasion, which makes it officially one of the oldest and most successful bars in the central London gay village.
Having recently undergone a fantastic facelift, improving the teenager’s look yet further and bringing out the true beauty and history of the iconic venue, The Yard would like to welcome you to experience its pleasures on each night of the festivities from Thursday 25th to Sunday 28th July. However, no eighteenth birthday party is complete without one massive party and so the main event will take place on Saturday 27th July.
On Saturday 27th expect to find both The Yard’s self-contained courtyard and its overlooking balcony (‘where art thou, Romeo?!’) packed with bevies of beauties, the crème de la men, and in addition to the usual quenching, chilled drinks, summer cocktails and great music there’ll be offered a free ‘Sounds of the Yard’ CD to all guests, celebrating some of the best music around mixed exclusively by resident Fabio Luigi.
Plus over every day of the whole extended party weekend expect beautiful ripped shot boys with tray shots, an attractive friendly crowd and a good time had by all! With three distinct spaces to choose from including the vibrant terrace bar, enchanting courtyard or relaxing loft bar complete with comfortable sofas, you’d be hard-pushed to find a better space to choose to become acquainted with, if you’re not already.
And if you get there early, you can be lucky enough to indulge yourself in The Yard’s mouth-watering new Mediterranean style tapas menu, available from Wednesday to Sunday until 8pm each night. This means not only is The Yard an oasis from the hustle and bustle, searing heat and building dust of the Soho streets, but you can also relax alfresco over a bottle of wine and a continental meal platter, the perfect after-work treat.
And after you’ve enjoyed The Yard’s beguiling ambience and the seductive drinks have put you in the mood for dancing and an all-night party with friends and hot boys galore, then one of the cherries upon The Yard’s very succulent fruit cake is that you can get free entry and 2-4-1 drink wristbands for sister bar The Edge from your sexy bar men! The Edge is open until 3am on Friday and Saturday nights, with three stylish floors of Soho Square and DJs ensuring that it will meet all your late-night wishes!
So, to another eighteen years The Yard! We’ll be raising a glass of champagne on the night!
The Yard’s 18th Birthday celebrations run from Thursday 25th until Sunday 28th July, with their big main party on Saturday 27th July. The Yard is open until 11.30pm every day of the week except for Friday and Saturday nights when it is open from 2pm-12am. Free entry at all times.
The Yard is at 57 Rupert Street, Soho, W1D 7PL
The Edge is at 11 Soho Square, W1D 3QE
