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Europe United Kingdom London Bars & Nightlife Soho

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Soho

The guide was updated: 2024-09-22

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Soho Music & Historic Pubs Tour

The energetic streets of Soho are the most popular nightlife destination. The neighbourhood still retains a somewhat risqué vibe with bars, cafes and restaurants that cater to hip crowds of international creatives. Soho is also known as the centre of LGBTQA+ community, so don't miss out on all the gay and lesbian party spots in the area. Soho is an absolute must-see, since it's so multifaceted. Dean, Frith, Beak, and Old Compton streets are lively around the clock, and long-running Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club can be found here. Shaftesbury Avenue attracts theatre-goers, while Carnaby, Oxford and Regent streets and the iconic Liberty's department store are there for your shopping needs. Music shops, small cafes and quaint bakeries are on every corner!

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Address: Soho, West End, London
Public Transport: Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road or Piccadilly Circus tube station

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Our travel guides are free to read and explore online. If you want to get your own copy, the full travel guide for this destination is available to you offline* to bring along anywhere or print for your trip.

*this will be downloaded as a PDF.

Price

€4,95

Purchase

Ministry of Sound

Ministry of Sound

Converted from an old bus station in the 90s, the Ministry of Sound is a legendary spot in London's clubbing scene, and it's an international brand, too. Located close to Elephant and Castle, south of Waterloo, the club boasts five rooms, four bars, a VIP lounge, a courtyard area and what's said to be the world’s best sound system.

Vaulty Towers

Vaulty Towers

Run by the creative minds behind The Vaults, Vaulty Towers is a bar that perfectly captures the whimsical essence of the experimental art space beneath. It's packed with curios like an exaggeratedly tall bar stool, or a table disguised as a secret tree house. Whimsy runs through the drink menu, too: negronis are served on tap, and there is a genuine creative touch to everything they do, down to a makeshift spinning wheel to determine your pick of drink if you're so inclined.

Marksman Public House

Marksman Public House

Marksman Public House is an award-winning establishment in London's flourishing East End features a revamped 150-year-old pub, unmistakably modern yet layered with history, and an upstairs dining room where you can fully expect to be served one of the city's finest Sunday roasts.

Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town

Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town

Sure, the concept of "insider-only" speakeasy is far from new, but we think this little place is worth seeking out. It's not just the satisfaction of being somewhere secret — Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town takes itself with a refreshingly healthy dose of irony, which shines through its "rules of engagement" (as point 2 reads, "The town is Scaredy Cat Town, not Cool Cats Town, the Mayor demands the highest standards of self deprecation"), all the while serving a great selection of inventive cocktails and finger foods; there's also a weekend brunch at 39£ a piece. To get here, enter through The Breakfast Club (Spitalfields) and head straight for the Smeg fridge. Don't even think of leaving the same way you came in lest you blow their cover: there is a separate exit through the toilet.

The Four Quarters

The Four Quarters

The Four Quarters is a no-frills bar in Peckham with major nostalgia-factor packed full of retro arcade games. Each game is only 25 pence to play, so you can have them all, plus great vegetarian and vegan grub.

Ladies & Gents

Ladies & Gents

What could easily have been a gimmick actually became one of Kentish Town's favourite watering holes: a former public toilet transformed into a below-ground bar. There is another one in Camden now — walk up or down Kentish Town Road if either is full.

The Vaults

The Vaults

Housed deep below the ground (underneath London's Waterloo station) are The Vaults: a one-of-a-kind venue for experimental art in all its forms. Their calendar is updated regularly, and since anyone can rent a space to host an event (all rooms are for hire), the selection is expectedly both quirky and robust.

Soho

Soho

The energetic streets of Soho are the most popular nightlife destination. The neighbourhood still retains a somewhat risqué vibe with bars, cafes and restaurants that cater to hip crowds of international creatives. Soho is also known as the centre of LGBTQA+ community, so don't miss out on all the gay and lesbian party spots in the area. Soho is an absolute must-see, since it's so multifaceted. Dean, Frith, Beak, and Old Compton streets are lively around the clock, and long-running Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club can be found here. Shaftesbury Avenue attracts theatre-goers, while Carnaby, Oxford and Regent streets and the iconic Liberty's department store are there for your shopping needs. Music shops, small cafes and quaint bakeries are on every corner!

The Argyll Arms

The Argyll Arms

Known for its real ales, traditional pub grub and beautiful Victorian decor with mahogany panelling, The Argyll Arms is a slice of old London in the bustling shopping district of Oxford Street. Completed in 1742, the Grade II listed pub is named after the second Duke of Argyll and there is a rumour that a secret tunnel once connected the pub to the duke's mansion.

The Top Secret Comedy Club

The Top Secret Comedy Club

In keeping with its name, the Top Secret Comedy Club is perhaps London's best kept secret when it comes to comedy entertainment. But watch out — it's unlikely to stay this way for long! Dishing out the jests, the quips and the witticisms every night of the week are a range of both well-established and up-and-coming comedians. At prices accessible beyond belief, you can find yourself spending the evening (and only a pound or two) at one of the city's most interesting comedy venues.

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is perhaps the capital's most iconic jazz venue. Up and running since 1959, Ronnie Scott's has had the pleasure of hosting some of the world's most renowned musicians. Whether it's the weekly jam sessions in the upstairs cocktail bar or any of the top notch live bands playing in the main club, it is guaranteed you will enjoy the evening in style in one of the coolest and classiest places in London.

The King's Head Theatre Pub

The King's Head Theatre Pub

A cheaper and more authentic alternative to the glamour of London's West End can be found hidden away upstairs or downstairs in many pubs across the capital. The King's Head in Islington was the first theatre pub to open since Shakespearean times. And if you're willing to leave the city centre for an evening, The King's Head offers theatre, musicals and stand-up comedy. This is where a handful of world-renowned actors started off before being propelled to fame and where many a successful West End production was born. Make sure to have a look at the shows on their website and see if anything catches your eye before booking tickets.

The Atlas Pub

The Atlas Pub

The Atlas Pub is a warm and relaxing venue, where you'll find stylish wood panelling, fresh flowers and a brick fireplace. It also has a fine selection of wines and ales, a menu full of delicious and diverse dishes, and is the location of The London Wine Academy’s popular wine workshops.

Gordon’s Wine Bar

Gordon’s Wine Bar

Thought to be London’s oldest wine bar — established in 1890 — Gordon's is a wonderfully atmospheric venue that feels like something from another era. This candlelit cellar-bar serves a wide range of wines, sherries and ports from the barrel, as well as big hearty meals. Always busy, you're advised to arrive around 4pm if you want to bag a table.

The Roxy

The Roxy

Below the busy streets of London's West End lies informal basement bar The Roxy. Popular with everyone from students to the after-work crowd, The Roxy has six weekly club nights pumping out popular, electronic and alternative music. Happy hour kicks off at 5pm and ends at 8.30pm.

The Prince Alfred

The Prince Alfred

Established in 1863, The Prince Alfred has retained much of its period features, including the original Victorian snugs — each with its own door onto the street and separated from each other by a wooden partition with a small access door. The PA, as it is known locally, also serves food in the adjoining Formosa dining room, and is located close to the picturesque waterside of Little Venice.

The Hippodrome Casino

The Hippodrome Casino

Just like Leicester Square, where it is located, the five-floor Hippodrome Casino is glitzy and vibrant. Aside from the gaming areas, there are live shows, six bars, a restaurant, two lounges and an outdoor smoking and cigar bar. The heart of it all is the Heliot bar on the first floor balcony, serving classic cocktails with a Hippodrome twist.

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