Bars

Friendly Society

Name: Friendly Society
Address: Friendly Society, Wardour Street, London, UK, London, United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 20 7434 3805
Rating: 4.1

Hidden Soho gay basement bar with kitsch décor and disco energy

London, UK

4.2

471 reviews

Visit website Directions

Neighbourhood

London

About Friendly Society

Friendly Society is one of Soho's more eccentric gay bars, hidden down an alley off Wardour Street and below ground. Once inside, expect deliberately kitsch décor, suspended dolls, retro projections and a room that feels removed from the polished bars above street level. It works best for cocktails, a date or a small group starting a night. The soundtrack leans towards pop, disco and familiar queer favourites, with the compact room becoming more animated as the evening fills up. The crowd is mixed, welcoming and usually there for the bar's playful personality as much as the drinks. Finding the entrance is part of the experience, but accessibility may be limited by the basement location. Current listings are mainly social-media based, so confirm opening times before making a special trip.

What to expect

Expect a small, dimly lit and deliberately kitsch basement with cocktails, pop and disco. It is more intimate bar than full dance club.

Vibes

Gay bar Soho Basement bar Cocktails Disco Kitsch LGBTQ+

Good to know about Friendly Society

Practical tips before you visit

The basement location may present accessibility challenges

The entrance is tucked away off Wardour Street and can be easy to miss

Confirm current opening hours through the venue's social pages

Visit Friendly Society

Visit website Directions

Address

Friendly Society, Wardour Street, London, UK

Phone

+44 20 7434 3805

Opening hours

Closed now

Opens Saturday at 16:00

Monday: 16:00–23:30 Tuesday: 16:00–23:30 Wednesday: 16:00–23:30 Thursday: 16:00–23:30 Friday: 16:00–00:00 Saturday: 16:00–00:00 Sunday: 16:00–22:30

Location

Friendly Society, Wardour Street, London, UK

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Photos of Friendly Society

Venue photos and gallery images for Friendly Society in London.

Location

Friendly Society

Friendly Society, Wardour Street, London, UK

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Friendly Societyreviews & ratings

Read ratings and recent reviews of Friendly Society in London from Google Maps, Yelp and WhereIs.Gay where available.

4.4

471 reviews

Overall rating across WhereIs.Gay and Google Maps.

Rating by source

WhereIs.Gay
4.1
Google Maps
4.4

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WhereIs.Gay reviews

Submitted by WhereIs.Gay visitors and approved by our team.

bacardi

16 Apr 2017

Used to be a great quirky bar. Cool because most people didn't know about it ... but it seems the owners have gone a bit too commercial - went there last weekend. No beer on tap and £5.50 for a bottle of Singha beer. Crazy!

WhereIs.Gay review

ryabar

24 Jul 2015

This is often missed due to being hidden and accessed by a small door leading into an 80s vibe bar. Its name is a giveaway you will not find a more welcoming place. The drinks are generously poured. Worth a visit just to see the barbie dolls on the ceiling!

WhereIs.Gay review

Featured Google Maps reviews

Selected by Google Maps. Read more reviews on Google Maps.

Staff Grimes

2 months ago

What a fantastic bar! My Wife and I had a fantastic time. Good selection of drinks, and the Bar man was very warm and knowledgeable. Had some fantastic music playing , which you could hear really well , but still chat easily. Great main area , with two 'Snugs' which I can't do justice to, you have to visit, they are magnificent!!This was at 16.45 on a Thursday , so should imagine its even better at night and weekends. Thanks Friendly Society for making us so welcome, definitely see you again when are in Soho again.

Review from Google Maps

Benedict Arya Gruber

2 years ago

4.5 Nice little cocktail bar. Less than a dozen different cocktails, but high-quality, fresh ingredients. Interior is wild, hard to describe really. Located in a basement a little hidden in the midst of Soho. Queer-friendly, divers mixed crowd. Can be quite crowded on the weekends. Friendly staff. Worth a visit.

Review from Google Maps

Nate Gonzalez

2 months ago

Visiting from Florida spent my last day in UK checking out Soho and landed here. It was lovely meeting Jonathan and Maria. Good vibes here, thanks for making it a great night! ♥️

Review from Google Maps

Jessica Owen

5 months ago

Christian is the nicest person I ever could have met, we were in alone but yet he catered for Everything, as a straight woman he would To turn. But that being said he was really nice to us, good, empathetic and a genuine good laugh and I can’t wait to come back here and see him again.

Review from Google Maps