Ok so it’s not like we’ve been to every gay bar in the world BUT, in our travels across 29 countries, and far more cities, partying in the local gay scene has always been high on the list so we’ve still been to a TON of gay bars (+100).
Our list is made up of our favourite bars primarily for the ones that for one reason or another, completely stand out as an original on the world stage for at least one quality whether its venue, energy, staff, style or any number of other qualities. But when you’re there, it doesn’t just feel like every other gay bar.
Other criteria, it’s not inclusive of gay events or bars that have weekly gay nights, it must be an always on, LGBT establishment. And it’s gotta be easy to meet new people! For us, our favourite places are ones you can show up stone sober, and even by yourself, and you can still have a good time making new friends and partying late into the night.
So here’s our list of top 8 gay bars!
1. Flaming Saddles – New York, U.S
Flaming Saddles has bar top cowboy dancers all night long!Who didn’t love the movie Coyote Ugly growing up or wanted to visit that bar? Well, replace bar top dancing country girls with hot and at times shirtless cowboys and you’ve got Flaming Saddles. Located in New York City’s gay district of Hell’s Kitchen, it’s a perfect and hilariously fun stop on a night out pub crawl (Or like us, a bachelor party) to watch an ongoing line up of cowboy booted men strutting their stuff to the tune of Americana hits, while sipping a whiskey sour or beer.
2. The Abbey – West Holywood, Los Angeles, U.S
The Abbey has got to be one of the most famous gay bars in the world as the centre of the gay mecca, West Hollywood. Let’s be honest The Abbey is probably best known for its hot guys. From the bar tenders to the patrons to the celebrity sightings whether it’s reality stars like Joey Graceffa (met him in the bathroom) or actors like Scott Evans (met him on the dance floor!).
With an open concept style from inside into an outdoor beer garden, it’s a great stop any evening or better yet, Sunday afternoon for a Drag Brunch. And as an American bar, they are pros at the free pour, so you get your money’s worth on every drink, especially if you’re a pro tipper!
3. The Stonewall Hotel – Sydney, Australia
The Stonewall Hotel is a cornerstone of Sydney night life as it’s pretty much the only bar in the city that’s busy and draws a crowd every single night of the week. Super pink and super camp it has three floors: the first for live shows and mingling, the second floor for a bit o’ cage and stage dancing, and the third floor for bigger beats and a smoke machine.
Every night a different event from trivia, karaoke, professionally choreographed drag shows, you name it. And a special weekly event, MaleBox is on every Wednesday. Long before Grindr, in this set up, everyone in the bar gets stickered with a number upon entry and you can leave private messages in “maleboxes” that will get called out for pick up throughout the night. To be honest even our straight friends loved this event haha.
4. Via – Manchester, England
Located on Canal Street, one of the most packed streets of gay bars you’ll find anywhere. Even better with a mixed crowd of gays but also lots of party-ready pro-LGBT patrons from tradesman bachelor parties to bingo grandmas.
Via in particular, stood out like a camp smoking room. A series of dark mahogany rooms, chandeliers, leather couches, gothic balconies and bars with a consistently posh English style but with the subtle gayness of rail draped rainbow flags and a drag queen DJ.
5. Velvet Lounge – St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada
Located in one of the oldest cities in North America at the most easterly point on the continent, St. John’s in general is a standout city for its fun-loving people and culture. And The Velvet Lounge, in the middle of downtown, where all the magic happens, has long been Newfoundland’s only gay bar. Taking many forms over the years, Velvet Lounge can be counted on for cheap drink student nights, celebrity drag queens and regularly on Saturday night, your quintessential sing-along gay anthems from a city staple, DJ Fabian. It also may be the only bar in the world where you will see a drag queen get screeched in (and kissing a codfish).
Aside from all that, how it could not be on our favourites list when Velvet Lounge (then called The Zone) is where we met!…in an alley…behind the bar…get your mind out of the gutter guys!
6. Bali Joe – Bali, Indonesia
Indonesia was seriously not one of the places we were expecting to find such a thriving gay community which is why we were all the more happily surprised when we came across what we believe to be the best drag shows we have EVER seen!
Nestled in between a series of side by side open-front gay bars, all of them quaintly sized and spilling into the street, sits “Bali Joe”. A bar with extremely cheap drinks, regularly busy with shirtless foreigners and locals (Because of the heat), fit bar top dancers and the most well-rehearsed and dedicated drag queens that we have seen almost anywhere. Even better that they perform every 30 minutes all night long! So no waiting around all night and forever in between shows for just a half-assed performance like you do in some bars around the world.
Just watching yourself because they are eager for crowd participation and your clothes may easily get snatched off on stage if you ain’t payin’ no mind. See Larry as the shining example of what to be careful of.
7. Coming Out Bar – Rome, Italy
The reason this bar makes it the top list is because of its location. Why? Because it is literally NEXT DOOR to the FRICKIN 2,000 YEAR OLD ROMAN COLOSEUM! You can cheers cocktails with the local and visiting gay community mingling out in front of the bar and on the street while standing next to one of the most famous landmarks in the world. And across the road you can literally lean against the 2,000 year old Ludus Magnus, Rome’s largest historical gladiator school.
What a more perfect historical place for a gay bar than across from the source of some of the world’s most famous homoerotic fantasy scenes. If you have any doubt, you really need to watch the show Sparticus….
8. The George – Dublin, Ireland
The George is a great, lively multi-level dance bar with an open outdoor alley and adjoining pub. With entertainment including Karaoke Saturdays, Drag Bingo Sundays and drag shows performances on multiple times a week it’s an easy place for a good time and to meet a ton of interesting people from across Ireland, Europe and the world including the local gay soccer and rugby teams. And though mostly gay, it curiously draws in a pile of party loving straight folk as well which leads to a wrap around the street line-up to get in every Saturday night so be sure to get in early.
What do you think?
So what do you think? Other recommendations? Some not so much? Let us know and keep in touch at:
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Thanks guys!
Chris and Larry
