Timeline of West End Bars and Clubs

The gay scene in London has always been centred around the West End, especially Soho. In the 1980s some clubs opened up in Earls Court, where the rent was cheaper. In the 1990s, the scene reverted back to Soho, revitalised by new style bars like The Village. Vauxhall became the locus of gay clubs from 2000. Included in the following timeline are bars and clubs in Earl’s Court and Vauxhall, though they are not strictly in the West End.

1800s
1810 The White Swan, Vere Street

1839 Admiral Duncan

The Hundred Guineas Club Portland Place

1866 Coleherne

1889 19 Cleveland Street (of the Cleveland Street scandal)

1893 St James's

1896 Trocadero Long Bar Shaftesbury Avenue

1900s
1905 Criterion

1910s
1910 York Minster Dean Street (now The French House)

1920s
1925 Hotel de France now the site of Heaven

1927 The Adelphi Rooms

The Marquis of Granby in Soho.

The Hungry Horse

Gerano's New Compton Street

Chez Victor Wardour Street

The downstairs bar at the Ritz Hotel

The Bunch of Grapes

Windsor Castle

Cavour

1930s
Jamset

Cosmopolitan Wardour Street

Running Horse

Black Cat

1934 The Caravan Endell Street

1935 Billie's Club Little Denmark Street

1935 Festival Dean Street

1935 Careless Stork Denman Street

1937 Music Box Leicester Place

1937 Sphinx Gerrard Street

1939 Boeuf sur Le Toit Orange Street

1940s
Queen's Head Tryon Street

1941 Arts and Battledress Orange Street

1941 Sam's Café Rupert Street

1941 Swiss Hotel Old Compton Street

1941 The Crown and Two Chairmen Dean Street

The Salisbury

Cave of the Golden Calf Heddon Street

1950s
1951 White Horse Rupert Street

1952 A&B (previously Arts and Battledress in Orange Street) Rupert Street

Rockingham Archer Street

Spartan Tachbrook Street

Bennett's Festival Brydges Street

1960s
The White Bear

The Carousel Club Orange Street, moved to Panton Street

The Roundabout

The Coffee House Haymarket

Vince Foubert's Place

Danny La Rue's Hanover Square

La Douce D'Arbly Street

Peppermint Lounge Piccadilly Circus

1970s
Kings Head Soho

Golden Lion Dean Street

Green Man Portland Street

Dog and Trumpet Great Marlborough Street

Apollo Wardour Street

Pink Elephant Newport Place

Toucan Gerrard Street

Vortex Tachbrook Street

Louis Poland Street

1975 The Regency Club Great Newport Street

1979 Heaven Under the Arches, Villiers Street

1980s
Stallions

Mud Club Charing Cross Road

Harpoon Louis, later named Harpo’s and Banana Max

1981 Subway

1984 The French House previously The York Minster

1984 Clubbing in London in 1984 – http://history-is-made-at-night.blogspot.co.uk/2008/02/clubbing-in-london-1984.html

1990s
1990 The Village

1992 The Yard

External sites
http://qxmagazine.com/pdf/gayhistory-soho.pdf

http://www.kemglen.talktalk.net/stradivarius/