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The insider’s guide on where to party, stay, shop, and eat in London
This London-based award-winning queer journalist has investigated every inch of the city.
David Hudson is an award-winning journalist who’s been working in the LGBTQ+ sector for 30+ years. Besides contributing to GayCities in the past, he’s a regular writer for our sister sites, Queerty and INTO.
His home is London, UK. We quizzed him for recommendations for queer travelers.
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Where do you bar hop when you go out with your friends, and in what order?
For the greatest concentration of bars, head to Soho and the area in and around Old Compton Street. I prefer more traditional pub-style places, so I favor the likes of the King’s Arms on Poland Street, always busy with bears, and the Duke Of Wellington on Wardour Street. The Ku Bar in Chinatown is also good but skewed a little younger. No visit to London is complete without checking out the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in Vauxhall, which has plenty of club nights and cabaret. Outside of central London, Dalston Superstore in Hackney pulls in a younger crowd. It’s a café by day and offers a diverse range of promotions by night.
Which one is your favorite?
That depends on my mood, but I’ve probably spent more nights in the King’s Arms than any other bar. If you’re wary of going into a bar on your own, Sunday karaoke and Tuesday night quiz have a more communal vibe.
Who is the best drag queen in the city?
It’s unfair just to choose one, but I’ll highlight Myra Dubois. She’s not a RuPaul’s Drag Race queen but has earned a nationwide following after a successful run on Britain’s Got Talent four years ago. She’s a brassy, northern and tough old-fashioned stand-up comic. She’s more likely to be engaged on a theater tour these days but still does occasional appearances at bars.
Which hotel do you suggest for out-of-town friends?
If you’ve got the money and want to stay somewhere near Soho, St Martin’s Lane Hotel or any of the Firmdale Hotels (Soho Hotel, Ham Yard Hotel), are super gorgeous. Even if you don’t stay there, their restaurants are also memorable destinations.
I also like the Andaz Hotel, above Liverpool Street station. For regency-era opulence, check out the Rookery in Farringdon. For a more budget option, there’s the St Giles Hotels in Bloomsbury, near the British Museum. Premier Inns are also more affordable on the budget end.
What is your favorite food and where do you get it in London?
For Italian food in Soho, the small Lina Stores on Greek Street or Bocca Di Lupo on Archer Street are delights.
For French, Brasserie Zedel near Piccadilly has a huge, impressive subterranean dining room and daily cheap menu options. Prixe Fixe on Dean Street offers a similarly affordable pre-theatre menu. I have a liking for Vietnamese food, and there are lots of little local places in Shoreditch and Deptford. In Soho, I recommend Cay Tre Soho on Dean Street. For vegans and vegetarians, Mildred’s.
Visitors to the UK sometimes ask me for the best places for fish and chips. Head for Poppies in Spitalfields or the Seashell of Lisson Grove for the authentic dish, although any neighborhood fish and chip bar will offer a similar take on a simple, deep-fried classic.
Where do you like to go shopping in London?
I like Carnaby Street and Kingly Court. Carnaby Street became famous as the fashion center of the Swinging Sixties in London and it’s still rammed with small boutiques. The neighboring Kingly Court offers more independent stores and restaurants. It’s a block away from Regents Street and Oxford Street, which also offer countless shops, such as the high-end Selfridge’s (worth a visit even if you only pop in for a coffee and sweet treat in the food hall). Spitalfields Market in Liverpool Street is good for anyone who likes to browse markets. It offers a bewildering array of stalls and plenty of food and drink options.
What’s the best part about the nightlife in London?
I think the diversity: There is something for everyone and no two nights are the same. You can enjoy a queer Asian night in a sweaty basement room in Dalston or the joyous, retro vibes of something like the original Horse Meat Disco at The Eagle in Vauxhall. The long-running G-A-Y has hosted everyone from Madonna to Gaga and is popular with twinks and camp pop lovers, while Jake is a high-end gay gathering at posh hotel bars. London also has its fair share of places for more uninhibited fun, from bathhouses to recent scene additions such as the Lord Clyde in Deptford (the monthly bears night—Paunchy—is wild).
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