LONDON

It’s fair to say that London has the nastiest, sleaziest, filthiest players in the English-speaking word.

Hot-spot neighborhoods:  Covent Garden, Fitzrovia, Soho, Vauxhall

Drink  Fuck  Shake  Buy  Crash  Eat  Pump  Trim  Ink  Hang  See  Plan

WHERE TO DRINK (AND CRUISE)

The Bunker (217 City Rd, Shoreditch)  This bar and sex club hosts regular events for fetish freaks.  link

Comptons (51-53 Old Compton St, Soho) London’s classic gay bar hosts the hugely popular monthly Leather Social.  link

Leather Social  Where to find London’s Leathermen every month.  link

Duke of Wellington (77 Wardour St, Soho) Leather-friendly Soho pub that’s home to the London Leathermen’s monthly Gear Social.  link

Gear Social  A monthly event for guys into any and every kinds of fetish.  link

Eagle London (349 Kennington Ln, Vauxhall) Popular Vauxhall spot, if not quite the leather bar the name might imply.  link

The Lord Clyde (9 Wotton Rd, Deptford)  This new cruisy spot in southeast London is getting a lot of buzz.  They have the occasional leather night.  link

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WHERE TO FUCK

The Bunker (217 City Rd, Shoreditch)  This bar and sex club hosts regular events for fetish freaks.  link

Covent Garden Health Spa (29 Endell St, Covent Garden) A bathhouse convenient to Soho.  link

E15 Club (6 Leytonstone Rd, Stratford) A bathhouse in the East End with a darkened basement.  link

Hampstead Heath (Behind Jack Straws Castle, N End Way, Hampstead) Horny guys in the great outdoors.  Unofficially condoned by the police.  Head uphill on Heath St. from Hampstead station.  link

Jaime HP  Membership sex parties carrying on the legacy of the dearly departed Hoist.  link

The Locker Room (8 Cleaver St, Kennington) Small bathhouse in South London with theme nights.  link

The Lord Clyde (9 Wotton Rd, Deptford)  Downstairs from the ground floor pub is a main cruising area with glory holes, a maze, and more.  link

Pleasuredrome (Arch, 124 Cornwall Rd, South Bank) Large bathhouse with “deluxe pods” for rent.  link

Sailors Sauna (570-574 Commercial Rd, Limehouse) A bathhouse in East London with a roof garden.  link

Saunabar London Portsea (2 Portsea Pl, Marble Arch) Small bathhouse near Hyde Park.  Skews a little older.  link

Sweatbox (1-2 Ramillies St, Soho) A Soho sauna with foam parties and other stuff going on, plus a full gym.  link

Underground Club London (37 Wharfdale Rd, Kings Cross) This play space underneath Central Station gay pub hosts an assortment of theme nights.  link

Vault 139 (139-143 Whitfield St, Fitzrovia) Sex bar close to Soho.  link

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WHERE TO SHAKE YOUR ASS (AND CRUISE)

Eagle London (349 Kennington Ln, Vauxhall) Dirty dancing at the Eagle on the weekend.  link

Hard On  (66 Albert Embankment @ Union, Vauxhall) Dance-slash-sex parties.  link

Rut  Strict dress-code parties at Bloc South nightclub.  (Currently closed.  Check the website for updates.)  link

Sugar Daddy (S Lambeth Rd, Vauxhall) Dance parties for sweet daddies.  link

TROUGH  Fetish dance parties held throughout London.  link

Union (66 Albert Embankment, Vauxhall) Vauxhall club for all-night cruising and dancing.  link

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WHERE TO BUY GEAR

100 Shades of Blue (100 Old St, St. Luke’s) Sex toys and poppers, poppers, poppers!  link

Clonezone (35 Old Compton St, Soho) Leather, sex toys, and all sorts of stuff for men, in the gayest part of Soho.  link

Clonezone – Earls Court (266 Old Brompton Rd, Earls Court) When you need to pick up restraints and Soho is just too far.  link

Fetch (Arch 6, Voltaire Rd, Clapham) Your flagship fetish store.  link

Fetish Freak (75 Bolton Cres, Kennington) Because you’re a freak.  link

Freedoms Shop (Mortimer Market Center, Capper St, Fitzrovia) Get your condoms and lube in this shop run by the National Health Service.  link

Lewis Leathers (33 Windmill St, Fitzrovia) Britain’s oldest retailer of motorcycle apparel.  Close to Soho.  link

Prowler (5-7 Brewer St, Soho) All sorts of really gay sex stuff.  link

Prowler RED (50 Old Compton St, Soho) Just like Prowler, but RED!  link

Regulation (13A Bateman St, Soho) Leather.  BDSM implements.  And lots and lots of rubber.  link

Silvermans (422-426 Mile End Rd, Stepney) Uniforms.  Motorcyle gear.  Military.  Police.  Boots.  Stuff you want.  link

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WHERE TO CRASH (AND MAYBE FUCK SOME MORE)

Blue Door Dungeon (Islington) Book this fully equipped dungeon by the hour or by the night.  link

The Corner (42 Adler St, Whitechapel) Hipsterish leather-friendly hotel in the East End.  link

Dirty Liquor Hotel (359a Mile End Rd, Mile End) Leather-friendly hotel in the East End close to the Backstreet.  link

Holiday Inn Express London – Stratford (196 High St, Stratford) Leather-friendly hotel in East London.  link

Holiday Inn London – Stratford City (10a Chestnut Plz, Montfichet Rd, Stratford) Leather-friendly hotel in East London.  link

Holiday Inn London – Whitechapel (5 Cavell St, Shadwell) Leather-friendly hotel in the East End.  link

hub by Premier Inn London Covent Garden (110 St Martin’s Ln, Leicester Square) Well regarded, reasonably priced spot close to Soho.  link

ibis budget London Whitechapel – Brick Lane (100 Whitechapel Rd, Whitechapel) Leather-friendly hotel in the East End.  link

ibis London City – Shoreditch Hotel (5 Commercial St, Spitalsfields) Leather-friendly hotel in the East End.  link

ibis London Stratford Hotel (1A Romford Rd, Stratford) Leather-friendly hotel in East London.  link

Mama Shelter London Shoreditch (437 Hackney Rd, Bethnal Green) Exceedingly hip leather-friendly hotel in the East End.  link

Sanderson (50 Berners St, Fitzrovia) Funky high-end property designed by Philippe Starck.  link

The Soho Hotel (4 Richmond Mews, Soho) Trendy boutique hotel in Soho central.  link

Travelodge London Bethnal Green (231-237 Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green) Leather-friendly budget hotel in the East End.  link

Travelodge London Mile End (141-147 Mile End Rd, Stepney) Another leather-friendly budget hotel in the East End.  link

Travelodge London Vauxhall (3 Bondway, Vauxhall) Budget-friendly hotel near all the madness of the Vauxhall nightlife.  link

The Whitechapel (49-53 New Rd, Whitechapel) Leather-friendly hotel in the East End.  link

Z Soho (17 Moor St, Soho) Very gay-friendly hotel just down the street from Comptons.  link

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WHERE TO EAT (AND CRUISE)

Balans Soho Society (60-62 Old Compton St, Soho) A place for basic dining directly across from Comptons.  link

Balans Soho Society Café (34 Old Compton St, Soho) A casual, 24-hour version of the Balans down the street.  link

Bistrotheque (23-27 Wadeson St, Cambridge Heath) Hip eatery in a converted warehouse in the East End.  link

Côte Brasserie (124-126 Wardour, Soho) Leather-friendly Soho branch of the French restaurant chain.  link

Mildreds (45 Lexington St, Soho) Popular vegetarian spot.  link

Nero Caffé (43 Frith St, Soho) Popular coffeehouse in Soho.  link

Poppie’s Fish & Chips (55-59 Old Compton St, Soho) Some say this gay-friendly favorite is London’s best place for fish & chips.  Plus, it’s conveniently located right next to Comptons, home of the Leather Social.  link

Sophie’s Soho (42-44 Great Windmill St, Soho) Stylish gay-friendly steakhouse in Soho.  link

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WHERE TO PUMP IRON (AND CRUISE)

Central YMCA (112 Great Russell St, Fitzrovia) Hang out with all the boys.  link

Fitness First London Oxford Circus (15 Great Marborough St, Soho) Cruisy outpost of the national chain.  link

Fitness First London The Strand (Covent Garden) (6 Bedford St, Covent Garden) Convenient location for gym bunnies.  link

Fitness First London Tottenham Court Road (179a Tottenham Court Rd, Fitzrovia) Big, cruisy gym.  link

Jubilee Hall (30 The Piaza, Covent Garden) For serious workouts.  link

Muscle Bull Gym (64-66 Gedling St, Bermondsey) With a name like that, it’s gotta be gay!  link

Oasis Sports Centre (32 Endell St, Covent Garden) Gym with indoor and outdoor pools.  link

Virgin Active (333 Goswell Rd, Islington) Big gym just a little north of the center of London.  link

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WHERE TO GET A BUZZ CUT AND BEARD TRIM

Murdock London (83 Brewer St, Soho) For the high hipster hair experience.  link

Roger’s demon barbers (34 Romilly St, Soho) Men’s grooming in Soho.  link

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WHERE TO GET INKED

Frith Street Tattoo (18 Frith St, Soho) Well loved shop in the heart of Soho.  link

New Wave Tattoo (157 Sydney Rd, Muswell Hill) One of London’s top shops, located in a suburban area of North London.  What better place to get your Depeche Mode tattoo!  link

Vagabond Tattoo (471 Hackney Rd, Cambridge Heath) Beautiful studio, friendly staff, gorgeous body art.  link

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WHO TO HANG WITH

BLUF  London is world headquarters for the club for men into full dress leather uniform.  link

London Leathermen  If you’re visiting London, you’ll want to make the acquaintance of these sexy Englishmen in leather.  link

SM Gays  A group of gay guys into serious SM play, going strong since 1981.  link

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WHAT TO SEE WHILE YOU’RE IN TOWN

St. Andrew’s Chapel at Southwark Cathedral (London Bridge, Southwark) A chapel that commemorates those around the world who live with and have died from AIDS.  link

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WHAT TO PLAN FOR

July

Fetish Week London  A week of twisted fun organized by fetish mega-site Recon.  link

Pride in London  Show your pride by marching in full leather in the annual parade.  link

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[Suggestions?  Corrections?  Contact me!]