60 HOURS IN GAY LONDON
The Big Smoke, the Great Wen or London Town, it's swinging and calling! Use our 60by80 gay guide to London to explore the British capital, with Club, Queen and King-sized recommendations on what to see and do, and where to eat, shop and go out.
Friday afternoon.
CLUB-SIZED
Ease into London with a bite at Soho's Fernandez & Wells, where media types queue for some of the best sandwiches in town. Then peruse at Riflemaker, the gunmaker shop turned art gallery, until it's time for happy hour at Covent Garden's The Box.
QUEEN-SIZED
Head East to explore Rivington Place, London's new multi-purpose visual arts space, before swapping the venue for Rivington Bar & Grill's whitewashed walls and stripped wooden floors and some simple food for complicated people.
KING-SIZED
Restored back to its former glory, smart and clubby, Soho legend Quo Vadis makes a suitable food stop before beating the weekend crowds at the imposing Tate Modern, home, of course, to the nation’s largest collection of contemporary art.
MORE SUGGESTIONS FOR WHAT TO DO IN OUR LONDON THINGS TO DO SECTION
Friday evening.
CLUB-SIZED
Soho is not only London's gay ghetto but also home to some delectable eateries. Get acquainted with Jacob Kenedy’s Bocca di Lupo - perfectly rustic, untampered Italian dishes - before hitting the bars.
QUEEN-SIZED
Bistro-style and host to many a cabaret night, Bistrotheque is a bit arty, a bit industrial, but verrrrry fashion dahling. But despite its luvvy sensibilities, it's open and welcoming no matter what label you’re touting.
KING-SIZED
Having conquered East London with his Oyster and Chop House, Mark Hix grows his empire thanks to his new Soho HIX restaurant, serving up twisted British fare to a clientele of fans and fan-favourites.
MORE SUGGESTIONS FOR EATING OUT IN OUR LONDON RESTAURANT SECTION
Friday night.
CLUB-SIZED
Gaydar gets physical with its Lo Profile club. The cruising site’s clubbing venture may be underground but it sure as hell isn’t hiding anything. Warm up with drinks at the busy - and recently redecorated - Rupert Street bar.
QUEEN-SIZED
It's far East, alright, but hipper than hip and opened only last year, Dalston Superstore has swiftly become known for its eclectic line ups, awesome theme nights and tongue-in-cheek events.
KING-SIZED
Dimly lit and smoky, but the line up is always varied and exciting at London's premier jazz venue Ronnie Scott’s. Style it up with the style crowd afterwards at nearby Sketch, Mourad Mazouz’s slightly OTT experience.
MORE SUGGESTIONS FOR GOING OUT IN OUR LONDON GAY NIGHTLIFE SECTION
Saturday morning.
CLUB-SIZED
Get a wet start to the day with RIB Thames Tours, not your usual river tour, before exploring the Hayward and the rest of the Southbank Centre or taking a swing on the London Eye.
QUEEN-SIZED
For a morning excursion head to The Wapping Project. The extraordinary space of this ex-power station really dictates the pace of the exhibitions which fit themselves around the venue.
KING-SIZED
Go gallery hopping in Mayfair where White Cube, Hauser & Wirth and the Gagosian await you, before visiting the The Real Van Gogh at the Royal Academy, one of this year's art blockbusters.
Saturday afternoon.
CLUB-SIZED
Part of Alan Yau’s classy chopstick conglomerate, it's not Hakkasan but oodles of noodles, stall style at Cha Cha Moon. Then attack Carnaby Street's quirky boutiques, or go boy spotting and designer hunting at Selfridges.
QUEEN-SIZED
Fashionistas fill up at Mayfair's Americana diner Automat. It's a convenient stop before some sophisticated retail therapy at Comme des Garçon's Dover Street Market, Paul Smith's No 9 or department store gem Liberty.
KING-SIZED
Brit-fare for the famous at The Ivy, which despite the hype and slavish celebrity fans, serves a surprisingly unpretentious menu of British favourites including fish and chips. Digest with a West End matinee, say Legally Blonde.
MORE LONDON SHOP RECOMMENDATIONS IN OUR LONDON SHOPPING SECTION
Saturday evening.
CLUB-SIZED
A varied menu of favourites at Balans Soho, from Caesar Salads to quesadillas, makes the perfect accompaniment to some people watching by its windows, Old Compton’s raison d’être any time of the day.
QUEEN-SIZED
Embrace yourself for an over the top dining experience. Antique curiosities, artsy hangings and a baroque sensibility that, if the food wasn’t so good, could easily act as a distraction at Les Trois Garçons.
KING-SIZED
Alan Yau’s Hakkasan is still hot. His Shanghai show-horse serves highly stylised Chinese dishes to a high-rolling clientele of celebrities, dignitaries, and the odd Arab sheik in a glamorous, 30s low-lit décor.
Saturday night.
CLUB-SIZED
Hardcore clubbers head to the gay village in Vauxhall where Fire and Area play tag for non-stop weekend clubbing. Start the night with some alternative entertainment with Duckie and Amy Lamé at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern.
QUEEN-SIZED
Show off your new Marc Jacobs top at Shadow Lounge, one of London’s finest, and original, gay clubs. Ostensibly a members-only venue, most manage to get in to the subterranean disco den.
KING-SIZED
Centre Point divides opinion - an eyesore and an architectural gem? However, once you’ve ascended to the 33rd floor Paramount, drink in hand, you’ll be hard-pressed to complain about anything.
Sunday day.
CLUB-SIZED
Though part of the Soho House group, anyone is welcome to dine and brunch at The Electric Brasserie. Just down the street you have the Sunday masses invading the area to get to Portobello Market.
QUEEN-SIZED
Recover with a luxe brunch in the private cinema at rock'n'roll hotel The Sanctum Soho before heading east to nose around specialist boutiques and blooms on Columbia Road or mingle with designers and craft makers at Brick Lane's Old Truman Brewery.
KING-SIZED
Brunch, not subtlety, on the menu at The Wolseley - high, barrel vaulted ceilings, wall frescos and silver service. The rest of Sunday? Best spent at Soho House’s cool Shoreditch House. Members only, but booking a treatment at the Cowshed spa gets you in.
Sunday evening.
CLUB-SIZED
For some nibbles that won't leave you bloated, Barrafina offers just that. The go-to locale in Soho for the finest quality tapas made with fresh ingredients and the minimum of fuss.
QUEEN-SIZED
Soho House’s brand spanking new pizzeria gets non-members in on a slice of the action. Pizza East is within a stone’s throw of the group’s East End outpost, Shoreditch House and spices up your capricciosa with some people watching.
KING-SIZED
Treat yourself at Galvin Bistrot de Luxe, one of London's culinary reference points. A classic, clubby establishment with beautiful understated 30s décor, impeccable service and gutsy French cuisine for an entente cordiale.
Sunday night.
CLUB-SIZED
The original ‘queer party for everyone’, Horse Meat Disco is one of London’s most established Sunday club nights with golden age disco to go Ga-Ga for. Need something more hardcore? Then Fire's the place to be.
QUEEN-SIZED
With its daft interiors and cheesy music, The George & Dragon in Hoxton gets rammed to the rafters with fashion folk and trendsetters come the weekend and is a great way to end it.
KING-SIZED
Less of a scene than its St Martins Lane cousin, the Long Bar at The Sanderson is the perfect place to sip a sophisticated cocktail, especially on Sundays when most of the weekend amateurs have returned to the burbs.
FIND RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHERE TO STAY IN LONDON IN OUR HOTELS SECTION
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