The ViewLondon Review
With great music from top-name DJs, cheap drinks and two floors to choose from, Barcode Soho is a cool London gay bar with a fun and flirty crowd.The VenueLocated on Archer Street, Barcode Soho is a short walk from Piccadilly Circus tube station and close to the capital’s heaving gay epicentre, Old Compton Street. Its big blue frontage makes it easy to find, and inside you’ll be met with an open stainless steel and pale wood interior, with tall stools and deep comfy sofas divided over the two floors. With the bar upstairs and a dancefloor downstairs, there’s space for everyone, whether you’re in the mood for a boogie or chatting the night away with pals.
The AtmosphereThis branch of Barcode brings a taste of its Vauxhall cousin to Soho, with cool dance music and a butch, fit mid-30’s gay crowd in Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirts. The crowd is mainly gay males and their straight female friends, blended with the odd group visiting to see a DJ or check out the cool Comedy Camp night. The bar staff are a bit of a letdown, they seem to serve punters in the order they fancy them and display an appallingly snooty attitude at times.
The MusicBarcode Soho attracts great London scene DJs such as Kris di Angelis, who has made a name for himself with residencies at exclusive gay hotspots such as the Soho Revue Bar and the Shadow Lounge. Spinning the full range of house music from funky and electro to lounge tunes, the small dancefloor gets packed every night except Tuesdays when it’s given over to the comedy contingent.
The DrinkWith regular happy hours, including late-night offers, Barcode Soho offers a full range of bottled beers and house double spirits and mixers for just £2.50 on Friday nights, and drinks from £2 throughout the rest of the week. Well known for its great drinks prices, they seem to hope the bargains will make up for the exceptionally moody people serving them.
The Last WordLet down by the bar staff, the Barcode Soho outpost offers the best music in the area, cheap drinks and a cool, buzzy crowd. An easy place to dance the night away.