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London 1994 LGBT venues

From LGBT History Project

This is a transcription of the listings printed on the reverse of the Back Pocket Guide to Gay & Lesbian London, issue 4, published in July 1994 by JWH Design and given away free in London's gay venues. It records the bars, clubs, cafés, restaurants, shops, saunas and theatres trading in London at that date, together with the short descriptions printed alongside each entry, and is reproduced here as a dated snapshot of the scene.

In the original, an asterisk marked a venue lying outside the area covered by the map, and ★NEW★ marked one newly opened. A copy of the guide is held by the Wellcome Collection.

Bars and pubs

  • 1/2 Way to Heaven – 7 Duncannon Street, WC2 – friendly mixed age pub
  • The Angel – 65 Graham Street, N1 – mixed bar m/f
  • The Attic Bar, at the Peacock – 13 Maiden Lane, W1 – theatrical crowd
  • Attitude – junction of Trafalgar Avenue and Sumner Road, SE15 ★NEW★
  • The Base – 167 Drury Lane, WC2 – west-end cabaret
  • The Bell – 257 Pentonville Road, N1
  • The Black Cap – Camden High Street, NW1 – traditional cabaret and drag
  • The Box – 7 Dials, Covent Garden, WC2 – chic café/bar
  • The Bridge – 425 New King's Road, SW6 – raunchy, lively pub
  • Brief Encounter – 42 St Martins Lane, WC2 – London's first US-style bar
  • The Brixtonian Backayard – Neals Yard, WC2
  • Central Station – 37 Wharfdale Road, N1 – theme nights
  • The Champion – 1 Wellington Terrace, W2 – traditional English pub
  • City of Quebec – 12 Old Quebec Street, W1 – older crowd
  • The Cloudesley Arms – 34 Cloudesley Place, N1
  • The Coleherne – 261 Old Brompton Road, SW5 – leather and clones
  • Comptons – 53 Old Compton Street, W1 – traditional lively pub
  • Crews – 14 Upper St Martins Lane, WC2 – latest music, big cruise bar
  • CXR79 – 79 Charing Cross Road, WC2 ★NEW★ – largest bar
  • The Edge – 11 Soho Square, W1 – modern café/bar
  • Edward VI – 25 Bromfield Street, N1 – great food
  • The Empire – Little Turnstile, High Holborn, WC1 – City lunchtime pub
  • The Grapes – 121 Borough High Street, SE1 – traditional coaching house
  • Harpo's – 180 Earl's Court Road, SW5 – young Earls Court crowd
  • King's Arms – 23 Poland Street, W1 – older, traditional
  • Kudos – 10 Adelaide Street, WC2 – lively modern café/bar
  • The Little Apple – Kennington Lane, SE11 ★NEW★
  • Locomotion – 18 Bear Street, Leicester Square, WC2 – women and men's
  • The Market Tavern – Market Towers, Wandsworth Road, Vauxhall, SW8 – raunchy, with cabaret
  • Partners – 305 Kennington Road, SE11
  • The Piano Bar – 8 Brewer Street, W1 – older, piano bar
  • Pride – 269 Stepney Way, E1
  • The Royal Oak – 62 Glenthorne Road, W6 – Hammersmith cabaret
  • Royal Vauxhall Tavern – 372 Kennington Lane, SE11 – traditional cabaret
  • The Salmon and Compasses – 58 Penton Street, N1
  • Sherwoods – Rotherhithe Street, Tower Bridge Road ★NEW★
  • Village Soho – 81 Wardour Street, W1 – young continental
  • The Yard – 57 Rupert Street, W1 – young professional

Late bars

Open until after 11pm.

  • The Anvil, at the Shipwrights Arms – 88 Tooley Street, SE1
  • The Backstreet – Wentworth Mews, E3
  • Bromptons – 294 Old Brompton Road, SW5
  • The Edge – 11 Soho Square, W1
  • The Gate – 68 Notting Hill Gate, W11
  • Hangar Bar at Soundshaft – Hungerford Lane, WC2
  • London Apprentice (the LA) – 333 Old Street, EC1 – raunchy young leather
  • Manhattans – 286 Fulham Road, SW10 – piano bar
  • Sub-Station – Falconberg Court, W1 – raunchy industrial

Clubs

  • Bang Streatham – 225 Streatham High Road, SW16
  • Benjy's – 562a Mile End Road, E3 – Sunday night
  • Bump – 12 Acklam Road, Portobello, W10 – Sunday afternoons
  • D.T.P.M. – Bar Rumba, Shaftesbury Avenue, WC1 – Sunday afternoons
  • G.A.Y. – 157 Charing Cross Road, W1 – Thursday and Saturday
  • FF at Turnmills – 63b Clerkenwell Road, EC1 – Sunday
  • Fist at The Club – 101 Tinworth Street, SE11 ★NEW★ – last Friday
  • The Fridge – Town Hall Parade, Brixton Hill, SW2 – Tuesday and Saturday
  • Extreme – 1300 London Road, Norbury, SW16 – Friday and Saturday
  • Heaven – Under the Arches, Villiers Street, WC2 – Wednesday, Friday and Saturday
  • Madame Jo Jo – 8 Brewer Street, W1
  • Paradise – Parkfield Road, Islington, N1 – Sunday night
  • The Phoenix – 37 Cavendish Square, W1 – Friday and Saturday
  • Pressure Zone at The Vox – Brixton – Fridays
  • Queer Nation – 4 The Piazza, Covent Garden, WC2 – Sunday
  • Resurrection at the Astoria – 157 Charing Cross Road, WC2 – last Saturdays
  • Romp at the Ministry of Sound – 101 Gaunt Street, SE1 – monthly, last Thursday
  • Sadie Maisie at the Market Tavern – SW9 ★NEW★ – every Friday
  • Star Fish at the Emporium – Kingly Street, behind Liberty, W1 – Tuesday
  • Strawberry Sundae at Maximus – Leicester Square, W1 – Sundays
  • Trade at Turnmills – 63b Clerkenwell Road, EC1 – Sunday, 3am to noon
  • Underground – 37 Wharfdale Road, Islington, N1
  • Village Youth at the Limelight – Shaftesbury Avenue, W1 – Monday
  • Yvette's Red Hot Night at the Café de Paris, W1 ★NEW★ – Tuesday

For women

  • Ace of Clubs – 52 Piccadilly, W1 – every Saturday evening
  • The Box – Monmouth Street, WC2 – every Sunday evening
  • Clit Club – Elephant and Castle pub, Vauxhall, SW8 – monthly, third Saturday
  • Drill Hall Arts Centre – 16 Chenies Street, WC1 – Mondays, 6pm to 11pm
  • Pumpin Curls at Turnmills – 63 Clerkenwell Road, EC1 – every Saturday evening
  • Rosanna's – off Victoria Street, Strutton Ground, SW1 – vegetarian, Wednesday to Friday
  • Silver Moon – 64–68 Charing Cross Road, WC2 – women's bookshop
  • Girls Night at Substation – Falconberg Court, W1 – first and third Sunday
  • Tattoo at First Out – St Giles High Street, WC1 – Friday night
  • Venus Rising – awaiting new venue
  • WOW Bar at the Brixtonian Backayard, WC2 – every Saturday evening

Cafés

  • Balans – 60 Old Compton Street, W1 ★NEW★
  • The Box – Monmouth Street, WC2
  • First Out – St Giles High Street, WC2
  • Freedom Café – Wardour Street, W1 ★NEW★
  • La Rue's Café Bar – Manette Street, W1 ★NEW★
  • Old Compton Street Café – 34 Old Compton Street, W1
  • Silver Screen Café Bar – 233 Earls Court Road, SW5 ★NEW★

Restaurants

  • Amazonas – 75 Westbourne Grove, W2
  • The Creole Garden – 88 Battersea Rise, SW11 – southern American
  • Ed's Easy Diner – Moor Street, Soho, W1 – American fifties diner
  • Edward VI – 25 Bromfield Street, N1 – Tex-Mex
  • Keable's – 26 Knights Hill, West Norwood, SE27
  • La Liberté, at the New York Hotel, SW5
  • Le Lavandier – 140 Fetter Lane, Fleet Street, EC4
  • My Old Dutch – High Holborn, WC2 – pancake house
  • Rage, at Casper's on Mondays – St Anne's Court, W1
  • Rosanna's – off Victoria Street, Strutton Ground, SW1 – women, Wednesday to Friday
  • Roy's West End – Upper St Martin's Lane, WC2 – good food and wine
  • The Saloon – 306b Fulham Road, SW10 – formerly Roy's Restaurant
  • Steph's – 39 Dean Street, W1
  • Wilde About Oscar – 30–31 Philbeach Gardens, SW5

Shops

  • American Retro – 35 Old Compton Street, W1 – gifts, clothes, cards
  • Bodytech – 48 Kenway Road, SW5 – sportswear
  • BOY – Moor Street, W1 – latest and unusual fashion
  • Clone Zone – 64 Old Compton Street, W1 – leather, clothes, books
  • The Colt Bookshop – 2 Berwick Street, W1 – books, magazines and videos
  • Expectations – 75 Great Eastern Street, EC2 – leather and toys
  • Gay's the Word – 66 Marchmont Street, WC1 – bookshop
  • HOM – 12a Fouberts Place, W1 – underwear with style
  • Key Largo – 2 Bow Street, Covent Garden, WC2 – men's clothes
  • Obsessions – 30 Monmouth Street, WC2; 1 Coleherne Road, Earls Court, SW10; and 160 Heath Street, Hampstead – gifts, cards
  • Paradiso – Old Compton Street, W1 – stylish fetish wear
  • Regulation – 17a St Albans Place, N1 – uniforms and fetish
  • Sports Locker – 17 Floral Street, WC2 – sexy sportswear
  • Studio 40 – 69 Berwick Street, W1 – leather and toys
  • Sweat – 75b Great Eastern Street, EC2 – sexy sportswear
  • Zipperstore – 283 Camden High Street, NW1 – leather, toys and books

Health and leisure

  • Brownies Sauna Club – 14 Gleneagles Road, SW16
  • Centre Point Gym – New Oxford Street, W1 – men only
  • Covent Garden Health Spa – 29 Endell Street, W1 – luxurious sauna
  • Earth Travel & Tickets – 49 Frith Street, W1
  • Nino's Hair – Frith Street, W1 – friendly, great haircuts
  • One-on-One Health Gym – 48 Kenway Road, SW5
  • Perspiration sauna – 278 Caledonian Road, N1 ★NEW★ – seven days a week
  • ROX hair – 49 Old Compton Street, W1 – typical 'gay' haircuts
  • SohoMen – 64 Old Compton Street, W1 – male grooming
  • Soho Athletic Club – 10–14 Macklin Street, WC2 ★NEW★ – opens in August 1994
  • Star Steam – 38 Lavender Hill, Battersea, SW11

Theatres

  • Drill Hall Arts Centre – 16 Chenies Street, WC1 – drama workshops and vegetarian café
  • ICA, SW1 – cinema, theatre and bar
  • Vaudeville Theatre – The Strand, WC2 – occasional gay theme

The gay press in 1994

The guide directed readers to the gay press for fuller listings, noting which titles were free and which were sold. Available free from most of the venues listed: Boyz, Capital Gay, MX, the Pink Paper and Shebang for women. Available from newsagents: Attitude and Bona (men only), Gay Times, Time Out, Phase, and Diva for women.

Source

Back Pocket Guide to Gay & Lesbian London, issue 4, JWH Design / Back Pocket Guides, July 1994. Wellcome Collection, shelfmark EPH+40:14.

References

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