G-A-Y Bar

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 16 reviews

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30 Old Compton Street,
Soho,
London,
W1D 5JX

0872 148 2291
Note: Calls cost 10p per min plus network extras.

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Reviewer moomoo33
15/10/2011
Great bar. Good music and friendly atmosphere. Staff are lovely and the prices are reasonable. Fantastic place to chill before hitting the clubs.
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Reviewer moomoo33
15/10/2011
Great bar. Good music and friendly atmosphere. Staff are lovely and the prices are reasonable. Fantastic place to chill before hitting the clubs.
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Reviewer eskij
08/08/2011
I have been to G-A-Y many times and it has been ok. It's does seem to be filled with the same old crowd every time and the music policy is typically poor. However, last time I tried to visit, my friends were turned away for not having a 'membership card'. When I challenged this, the abrasive woman on the door informed me I did need a membership card if I was with my friends. The only reason we were told this is because I was the only gay person in a group of 4. I can understand that gay venues need to keep the environment predominantly gay, however I was totally embarrassed that they were told to get membership to come in to a gay club and support me. Does this mean I have to find a group of gay friends to go out with if I wish to go into G-A-Y; or should I just go in on my own? This is just the type of discrimination I have spent years fighting against- and surely gay people are aware of just how hurtful it can be. In the end we went to Ku bar and had a lovely time with better music and a more interesting crowd.
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Reviewer JamesCub
06/02/2011
I'm 22 and I feel old in this place! If you're gay like me or just all in all hate those queens who trot along Oxford Street with one year old Selfridges bag with their lunchbox inside and a huge Burberry shoulder bag then you should avoid this place.
Being gay and having recently arrived in London, I wanted to experience some of its LGBT history and G-A-Y is a part of it, but apparently I was too late to experience its heyday.
The drinks are cheap and good enough, the staff is a bit unpleasant unless you work out 8 days a week and go along showing your bare chest and Armani shoes and the music is pop at its worst, it's like they have a set play-list for each day of the week and you can actually see the videos for the songs, which some people may find nice, but I didn't.
At this point I only go there if I'm with lesbian friends who don't want to go anywhere else in Soho because they believe it's too many men.
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Reviewer daisy.daisy
28/12/2010
Great bar, but beware of the door staff! As we were leaving at the end of the night one of the door staff decided some people weren't leaving quickly enough and assaulted a girl there to get her out the door. The doors were then quickly pulled shut and they hid inside making faces and refusing to apologise. The assault was so bad that they have been reported to the police. I understand that they have a horrible low paid job - but there is no need for violence, especially to get someone out of the door 5 seconds quicker.
Besides the violent door staff this is a fun bar with fun people.
I'm only giving it one star as I don't expect to see door staff assault people as they leave the bar.
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02/05/2009
This was amazing this bar... had tvs everywhere and the staff made u feel welcome. I would defo recommend this!!
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Reviewer npepper3
26/03/2009
i came to london 2 months ago and went to g.a.y. bar and i enjoyed it very much the bar staff were very nice to me and they held a conversation with me which i thought was very nice of them.

there was one bar man who was very polite i think he was the best of the bunch i will be certainly coming down again at the end of april. keep up the good work to all bar staff.

kind regards
nigel
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Reviewer LiziBet
18/01/2009
We visited G-A-Y Bar last night with some friends. After queuing for some time outside, were were offered an umbrella by a member of the door security team - very unexpected and a nice gesture!

Inside the bar, we were met with the usual camp/cheesy tunes and friendly atmosphere.

We waited patiently at the bar to be served our drinks. Two gentlemen behind me and my friend were served first (they were seemingly friends with the barman). When we finally ordered our drinks with the aforementioned barman, I found him to be aggressive and rude. He accused my friend of ordering the wrong drinks when I advised him that our order he served is was incorrect. He didn't apologise or even acknowledge his mistake - leaving an extremely sour taste in our mouths for the rest of the night.

Great bar, but the bar staff, well, in our case the Scottish barman who served us, seriously need to lighten up and gain some customer service skills.
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Reviewer Anonymous
24/11/2008
I have spend a good night or so in G-A-Y, however the place is becoming a bit of a dive. Filthy tables and chairs, dirty glasses etc. Such a shame as it has such a good atmostphere otherwise....
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Reviewer Anonymous
24/03/2007
I was clearly disappointed with the lack of respect the door staff showed me and my friends at G-A-Y Bar in Soho. Not only had we come a long way to come to Soho but we were told that my friends passport ID was not her own and was indeed mine which was completly untrue.


This was based just on a picture of my friend being told that her hair was the same as mine, and so therefore her ID was mine. I am clearly disappointed with the lack of common sense of the door staff at G-A-Y Bar!
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Reviewer Anonymous
13/03/2007
I'm not gay but I wish I was if it means you get places like G-A-Y Bar. Cue song...
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Reviewer Anonymous
21/04/2006
I think G-A-Y Bar is a great place; good fun, good people and great music! G-A-Y Bar is a fab pre-club venue!
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Reviewer wim raes
13/03/2006
I'm from Belgium and I think the G-A-Y Bar is great. In fact the G-A-Y Bar is my most lovely gay bar in the world.
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Reviewer marc house
10/03/2006
G-A-Y was one of the greatest nights out I have had for years. The music is pumping and I got to grind for hours. The people in G-A-Y are more than friendly and the cocktails are divine. I haven't sweated like that for ages.
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Reviewer Anonymous
29/09/2005
G-A-Y Bar was great when it opened just over two years ago but has gone downhill so far that the venue is literally falling apart around you. With holes in the seats (and we mean holes measured in feet) and general dirt around the place you get the feeling of student nights out, with every corner full of vomit.


If the customer area is anything to go by I dread to think what the kitchen and bar areas are like. The only thing that I might drink at G-A-Y Bar is a bottle or can. If health and safety were to pay this place a visit I think it would be shut down overnight.

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Reviewer Anonymous
16/05/2004
Very, very pleasant!
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