Comptons of Soho

Long before Soho became known as London’s gay village, long before the likes of Ku Bar and G-A-Y, there was Compton’s. Once an old-fashioned gay club with blacked-out windows and sawdust on the floor, the venue now has two floors, clear-glass windows and far nicer toilets. Compton’s is still popular with a crowd of beer-drinking, blokey gay men and remains kinda cruisey. But don’t let the throng of punters spilling on to the street put you off. The upstairs lounge is a good place for a date or conversation, and the ground floor is a surprisingly inviting bar space.