London, UK
Bars, Nights & Clubs
Bar Wotever (Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Central Station)
Born out of the Drag King movement, Bar Wotever has morphed into a gender bender stage promoting all kinds of queer culture. They show films on Wednesdays, and on Tuesdays it’s open mic where you’ll see everything from tranny bois to butch daddies to femmes fatales perform music and spoken word. Do not take yourself seriously and dress up, dress fun!
37 Wharfdale Rd.
Islington, London
Blow (last Sunday of the month at Rush Bar)
Brand spankin' new monthly lesbian T-dance that kicks off as of 6:00 p.m. "Blow - is a free, fun nite that you can chill out from your hectic weekend or something to get you started for Sunday nite clubbin'. The music is a Mish Mash of Funky, Progressive, Tech House with a lil sprinkling of Trance & Techno!"
25 Frith St.
Soho, London
Blush Bar
Local pub for the lesbian set with a lovely garden and the pre-requisite pool tables. Different themes every evening, from Texas Hold’em lessons and tournaments on Tuesday nights to Krazy Karaoke on Fridays and a delicious roast lunch served on Sundays until 6:00 p.m. This Sunday meal is quite popular, so it’s always best to reserve.
8 Cazenove Rd.
Stoke Newington, London
Bootylicious (every 2nd Saturday of the month at Area)
“Bootylicious is the home of black music for polysexual guyz and girlz in London. 3 floors, 5 bars, + separate VIP areas. Hiphop RNB, Dancehall, Soca and Reggaeton, Latin House Soul disco classings, brought to you by the superb Bootylicious DJ Crew.”
67-68 Albert Embankment
London
Candy Bar
For some reason London dykes have a tendency to slag off the Candy Bar, but then they show up again the next night like clockwork. This is London’s three floor lesbian institution that opened back in 1996, and hosts different theme parties most evenings. On Tuesdays it’s Kinky Candy and her Candy Girls performing alternative erotic strip shows, on Wednesdays it’s karaoke and things get quite raunchy downstairs on Thursdays for the weekly pole dancing evening. Of course there’s the run of the mill dancing every night of the week, but the place gets especially packed on the weekends.
4 Carlisle St.
Soho, London
Club Dum Dum (2nd Saturday of the month at the Dome downstairs)
Lesbian DJ Qurra (of Club Kali fame) hosts this new monthly Asian/Arab queer dance party with RnB, Hip Hop, Bhangra, Arabic and Desi beats.
178 Junction Rd.
Islington, London
Club Kali (1st and 3rd Fridays of the month at the Dome)
While 95% of the year this is a straight south-Asian club, two Fridays of the month it turns into the biggest LGBT Asian music party in the world! Contemporary Bhangra and Hindi mixed with Western pop and soul bring the house down.
1 Dartmouth Park Hill
London
Club Motherfucker (2nd Saturday of the month at Bardens Boudoir)
Hard core to the core, this pansexual night is brought to you by the Daughters of Kaos, two kick-ass party gals who wanna rumble. It’s punk, indie, metal, lectro, anything they fucking want and you better want it too! Keep your eyes peeled for their occasional one-off party, Potty Mouth.
38-44 Stoke Newington Rd.
Stoke Newington, London
Club Revue (3rd Saturday of the month at 26 Smithfield)
Brand-new night launched February, 2008 and hosted by the promoters of the super-successful Lounge parties (see below). Club Revue is basically four nights in one, in four distinct spaces at the same address. Arrive at 8 p.m. for cocktails in the main bar, at 9 p.m. a lesbian movie is shown in the film room for those who are interested, and by 11 p.m. dancing starts in the basement bar. There's also a lovely rooftop terrace for smokers that's also great for summer BBQ. Expect a crowd mainly in their 30s.
26 Smithfield St.
London
Club Wotever (1st Saturday of the month at the Master’s Club)
More gender-bending fun from the Wotever gang. Queers of all sorts are invited for the party that starts with a 10 p.m. show and is followed by dancing galore.
12 Denman St.
Soho, London
Crazy Behaviour (First Friday of the month at the Bar Music Hall)
Hot’n’heavy mixed East End electro/house/pop party brought to you by Girls On Top. For both bent boys and girls, but ladies tend to rule. One extra special bonus? It's free to get in!
134 Curtain Rd.
Shoreditch, London
Cupcakes (Tuesdays on the ground floor of the Profile bar)
Cute name for a new ladies night in Soho. "The delectable Miss Cupcake presents a brand new weekly girls’ night of tasty tunes, scrumptious shenanigans, frosted fun and frolics." Part dance party, part dating game, part bake sale and part crafts show. It'll be interesting to see how this night develops.
56 Frith St.
Soho, London
Curves (First Saturday of the month at Apt club)
It's ladies only at this popular monthly event with R 'n' B, soul, Old Skool, hip hop, funky house and more. A great two-floor space offers the chance to wander around and check out the girls. Arriving before 10:30 p.m. gives you a reduced admission fee.
Aldermary House
10-15 Queen St.
London
Dirty Ticket (1st Wednesday of the month at Madame JoJo’s)
“Dirty Ticket is a drop kick in the face of all of those insipid girl nights where the music is deader than the crowd. We are reclaiming Soho as our own, leading a revolution for all of those girls who wont settle for anything less. Every month we will be showcasing the hottest female live acts around with special guest DJs in rotation.”
10A Brewer St.
Soho, London
Duckie (every Saturday night at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern)
Here’s an escape from the Kylie and Madonna of so many homo bars. Duckie is old-school, make that back to the roots old-old-school, courtesy their DJs the London Readers’ Wifes. This is a mixed post-gay vaudeville and burlesque performance/dance event that won’t disappoint.
327 Kennington Lane
Lambeth, London
Exilio (every Saturday night at the LSE Underground)
If samba, rhumba and merengue are part of your vocabulary, check out Exilio, London’s only LGBT Latin party. More boys, but there’s still cute girls and verrrrry sexy dancing.
LSE SU Underground
Houghton St.
Soho, London
F-Rated
This is an occasional, yet popular event that happens every couple of months, and is meant as a party to celebrate women who work in film. F-Rated aims at bringing filmmakers together to recognise the lack of female filmmakers in the industry. The night is intended to create a networking space for filmmakers at a lively and entertaining evening with music, dance, film and more. Check the website for upcoming dates and locations.
First Out Café/Bar (especially on Friday and Saturday nights)
I've put this listing in the "Bars, Nights & Clubs" section, but it could also go in "Restaurants." Established in 1986, First Out calls itself the "first gay and lesbian cafe-bar in London." Generally though, girls will drop by here on a Friday or even more on Saturday night to get the evening rolling before heading out to the bars. On Friday night they host their weekly Girl Friday parties and on Saturdays there's a new Cut'n'Paste party for lesbians. You get your groove on early here, as of 7 p.m., but the party only goes until 11 p.m. when you'll move on to your next destination. They’ve also got tons of flyers for lesbian parties at the entranceway.
52 St Giles High St.
Camden, London
Funk Me (3rd Thursday of the month at the Rex Cinema Bar)
Very swish lesbian party for a cause, as each month profits go to a different LGBT or women's charity. A cool, laid back spot, enjoy a drink to the sounds of funk, nu soul and jazzy house. And yes, there really is a cinema in this space and when Funk Me is on, you can enjoy work from up-and-coming queer filmmakers on their big screen.
21 Rupert St.
Soho, London
Geisha Girls (Thursdays at Geisha Bar) — Updated
Great way to start you clubbing weekend in the heart of Soho. This is quite a swish and very gay cocktail bar (think apple-lychee mojitos and "saketinis" made with sake, vodka, sugary syrup and strings of fresh cucumber....) that is generally for the boys, but on this night is reserved for the ladies. This is where you'll go to start your evening... have a drink with the girls before heading over to Miss Shapes at Ghetto (they'll even give you reduced entry coupons for that party!)
75 Charing Cross Rd.
Soho, London
Ghetto Bar
Ghetto calls itself a gay and lesbian bar, but in reality, more men go here than women, but for the hip, young, alternative dykes this is still one of their favorite venues, especially on week nights. Ghetto has a different party every night of the week (and they’re all pretty popular) like Monday’s Rockstarz, Tuesday’s “Don’t Call Me Babe”, Wednesday’s “Nag Nag Nag” and Thursday’s “Miss-Shapes” (which is especially enjoyed by the girls).
5 Falconberg Ct.
Soho, London
Girls Go Down
Lesbian space located in the basement of the G-A-Y Bar, said to be the biggest homo bar in London. Lots of classic pop, dance and r’n’b draw in the younger crowd. Expect to line-up on the weekends.
30 Old Compton St.
Soho, London
Glass Bar
Calling itself a member’s-only lesbian club, the membership only demands that you pay a £1 entrance fee (or £5 on Saturday nights) with each visit. Glass Bar had some serious landlord problems in summer, 2007. They closed down for a couple of months due to a legal battle, but Glass Bar ultimately won and re-opened in September, 2007, with a slight change in mandate. They are now not only a bar/club, but also a Women's Arts and Community Centre, hosting all kinds of cultural and social events.
190 Euston Rd.
Camden, London
www.theglassbar.org.uk
Hello Hooray (every 2nd Thursday of the month at Trash Palace)
For those 30-something former teen new wave/punk/electro kids, you’ll feel right at home here. Hosted by Dame Amy and DJs JunkLady and WhoresDevores, flip out to everything from Kate Bush to Siouxsie Sioux and the latest in indie alternatives.
11 Wardour St.
Westminster, London
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