Look again: yes, this is a gay pub. It wouldn’t be strange to see girls looking for manly attention stepping inside as, at first glance, 79CXR doesn’t look the part. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The Venue
Slightly scary from the outside, you could imagine all sort of seediness hidden behind the black glass wall at the entrance. 79 CXR is definitely deceptive; inside, this looks like a typical geezer’s bar that women feel uncomfortable stepping into. It takes a good second look at the fairly dark room to pick up the details and realise that this is actually a gay venue.

The decor is bare and the place looks untouched for over a decade: 79 CXR is far from derelict but refuses to conform to the over decoration other gay venues are known for. It has a raised balcony with a second bar, red and orange lights, a funny pixel display on the back of the well stocked bar, booths, a couple of game machines, outdoor seating, and camp curtains with a light machine behind the DJ booth. However, these are the only concessions to gay extravagance you will find - even the dancefloor is barely there, almost hiding itself amongst the furniture.

The Atmosphere
If ever there was a sober and discreet pub for gay men, this is it. The place looks half Western ballroom, half manly straight pub, and there is no attitude to be found. The staff are friendly and able to put even the shyest of characters at ease, soon having them partake in the karaoke. Yes, this is the last concession to the gayness of the venue, together with the great party anthems spinning from the DJ booth after dark. However, these elements aren’t preponderant and 79 CXR remains very contained.

There is no average age, but the clientele - almost entirely men, some alone, others in couples - are not the super young and gym fit type. Here, gay men of all ages are free to express themselves.

The Food
There is no menu and the dishes on offer are reduced to the bare minimum: 79CXR does not indulge its usually spoilt customers with such trifles as an elaborate menu. If you’re hungry, you won’t snob their chicken korma with mixed salad (£9), sausage and mash (£9), pasta of the day (£10), or the vegetarian lasagna (£9).

The Drink
Nothing fancy in this department, either: beer is the house drink, with San Miguel, Holsten and Corona being the most extravagant. Prices are pretty standard for the area, with draughts at £2.80-£3.20 and regular bottles at £3.10.

You will not find regular cocktails, but they have a selection of house doubles, shooters and mixers, including their own ‘Gun and Baby’ and pretty much anything you want mixed with fruit juice, coke or Red Bull. Prices vary throughout the night including a decent Happy Hour.

The Last Word
79 CXR provides a welcome change in the gay bar panorama of Soho: forget diva attitudes, snobby door staff, and pretentious drinks. This is a manly pub for manly men - just gay ones.

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