Every good gay bar, minus the guesswork.

Church-Wellesley Village · 467 Church St

The Village's busiest men's bar since 1989, with several rooms, drag shows, dancing and a patio, plus the club-style Sailor under the same roof. Weekend afternoons and late evenings are when it really fills up; closed Mondays.

Tower Grove South · 3503 S Spring Ave

A corner bar open since 1988, with a regulars' room up front and a cabaret room for weekend drag. It feels like a neighborhood local, and the patio is nice in summer.

Baltimore Ave · 35 Baltimore Ave

A restaurant and bar in an old cottage that has been part of gay Rehoboth since 1981, with happy hour, drag bingo, and live-singing tribute shows. Good for dinner and a show rather than dancing.

West Village · 159 W 10th St

NYC's oldest gay bar, famous for its burgers. Cash only.

West Village · 53 Christopher St

A national monument that still pours drinks. Go on a weeknight.

Downtown, Hennepin Ave · 830 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403

A gay-owned dance club open since 1977, with DJs, weekend drag and late-night food. It's open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Downtown, Hennepin Ave · 408 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401

A big complex with seven bars on two floors. The drag shows in La Femme Lounge run most weekends, and a karaoke bar is part of the mix.

Loring Park · 19 W 15th St, Minneapolis, MN

One of the oldest gay bars in the country: a cash-only dive with pool tables and darts. It reopened in 2025 after a fire, and the regulars came right back.

Masonic Place, off Commercial St · 4-6 Masonic Place

A creaky old tavern with three rooms under one roof: the Little Bar downstairs for a quiet drink, the Macho Bar upstairs for the leather and denim guys, and the Big Room for dancing late. It's open year-round, so it's the reliable stop in the off-season too.

French Quarter · 901 Bourbon St

Historic bar with a balcony.

Downtown west / 600 West · 102 S 600 W

The city's oldest gay bar, a small brick dive with a big back patio, and Utah's first unionized bar. Go on a warm evening to sit outside with the regulars.

Zona Rosa, Calle Florencia · Florencia 37-B, Juárez

One of Zona Rosa's longest-running gay bars, with drag, comedy and DJ sets, affordable drinks and lots of regulars in their 35-plus years. A comfortable place to settle in for the evening.

Commercial Center / East Sahara · 953 E Sahara Ave #22B, Las Vegas, NV 89104

One of Vegas's longest-running gay bars, a laid-back 24-hour saloon in the Commercial Center with pool, darts, bingo, karaoke and Friday drag. It's a true locals' hangout far from the Strip.

Arenas Road · 224 E Arenas Rd, Palm Springs, CA 92262

Palm Springs' first gay bar, open since 1991, and still the place to start an evening. It's a talk-to-your-neighbor kind of room with themed karaoke and live shows, and the regulars are friendly to newcomers.

Hillcrest · 3796 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92103

San Diego's oldest gay bar, with roots going back to 1934. In 2026 it went back to its full historic name. Saturdays bring a busy Latin night with reggaetón and Latin pop.

Old Town/Chinatown · 219 NW Davis St, Portland, OR 97209

Portland's longest-running gay nightclub, open since 1981. New owners stepped in when it nearly closed in 2025. There's drag bingo on Mondays, live-band karaoke on Sundays and dancing on weekends.

Old Town/Chinatown · 208 NW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97209

A drag cabaret running since 1967, with a house cast and weekend shows. The Sunday drag brunch is a great outing for first-timers and visiting friends.

NE Alberta · 827 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211

After 46 years downtown, Scandals moved into a yellow bungalow on Alberta in March 2026. Now it's more neighborhood hangout than party bar, with New Mexican plates, a patio, karaoke and live music.

Castro · 401 Castro St

The historic glass-front corner bar; older, chatty crowd.

Soho, Old Compton Street · 54 Old Compton Street, London W1D 4UD

A small, friendly pub where the crowd is mixed and the music runs to pop classics, with drag and cabaret on many nights. Good for an early drink before the street gets busy.

Soho, Old Compton Street · 51-53 Old Compton Street, London W1D 6HN

A traditional corner pub in the middle of Old Compton Street. The ground floor is busy and sociable, and upstairs is a calmer lounge. A good place to meet people after work.

Vauxhall · 372 Kennington Lane, London SE11 5HY

A Victorian pub with a horseshoe bar and a small stage, home to cabaret, drag and queer performance for decades. Check the listings and book for weekend shows; Friday and Saturday club nights run late.

Zeedijk · Zeedijk 63, 1012 AS Amsterdam

A tiny brown café opened in 1927 and run today by a foundation named for the van Beeren family. Go in the early evening for a beer and a chat. It reopened in June 2025 after renovation.

Chueca, Calle de la Libertad · Calle de la Libertad, 34, 28004 Madrid

A long-running club on two floors: a quieter bar upstairs and a dance floor downstairs, with nightly drag and cabaret. It stays open until 6am.

Chueca, Calle de San Bartolomé · Calle de San Bartolomé, 7, 28004 Madrid

A packed basement bar with baroque decor and black-and-white movie star photos on the walls, playing disco and pop until late. The crowd is mixed gay and straight. Go after midnight.

Schöneberg, Motzstraße · Motzstraße 19, 10777 Berlin

A bar that has been part of the neighborhood since 1990, with several rooms, a friendly mix of locals and visitors, and pop hits from past decades. The Sunday disco nights and themed parties are when it's busiest.