The Cock Tavern
The Cock Tavern is a force of funAverage Reviews
About
Looking for a chill spot with a quirky twist in South London? The Cock Tavern in Kennington is your go-to. This place isn't your typical gay bar. Think Georgian building with a past life as a tiki bar. Now, it's got this cool, unique vibe that makes it stand out.
The crowd here? A fab mix, but it's especially a hit with the over-30s. It's not as hectic as some other spots, so you can actually have a conversation without shouting. On weekends, though, it does get livelier with a dance floor that’s all about good vibes and fun times.
Cocktail lovers, you're in for a treat. Their signature 'Cock Punch' is a must-try, and they've got all the classic cocktails nailed too. No kitchen? No problem. You can bring your own food from nearby spots, which honestly, just adds to the laid-back feel.
And hey, if you love a good quiz night, they've got one on the first Sunday of each month. It's a great way to kick back, have some laughs, and maybe show off your trivia skills.
So, if you're in the mood for something a bit different in the London gay bar scene, The Cock Tavern should definitely be on your radar. It's got that perfect mix of relaxed and lively, with a side of quirky charm. Just head to Kennington and look for the Georgian building with a story.
The crowd here? A fab mix, but it's especially a hit with the over-30s. It's not as hectic as some other spots, so you can actually have a conversation without shouting. On weekends, though, it does get livelier with a dance floor that’s all about good vibes and fun times.
Cocktail lovers, you're in for a treat. Their signature 'Cock Punch' is a must-try, and they've got all the classic cocktails nailed too. No kitchen? No problem. You can bring your own food from nearby spots, which honestly, just adds to the laid-back feel.
And hey, if you love a good quiz night, they've got one on the first Sunday of each month. It's a great way to kick back, have some laughs, and maybe show off your trivia skills.
So, if you're in the mood for something a bit different in the London gay bar scene, The Cock Tavern should definitely be on your radar. It's got that perfect mix of relaxed and lively, with a side of quirky charm. Just head to Kennington and look for the Georgian building with a story.
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Reviews
Based on 149 reviews
Mike A
17:39 23 Feb 24
Amazing place, extremely friendly service. It’s a dog friendly environment (until 9pm). Best to think about your dog’s health and wellbeing because the crowds start pouring. I love this place 🐕. Some gays don’t seem to care about their pets, thanks for looking out. 🐩 I’m an American living and working in London. Got tea? ☕️I love that it doesn’t matter where you come from, just an amazing place, world accepted. XoxHP K
20:43 12 Feb 24
Police should come and search everyone in the queue, lots of guys with illicit drugs… Lady Manager is okay with it, one of my friends nearly overdosed on bad cocaine.ihaydock
01:42 26 Nov 23
‘Gay bar’ aka gay men. Don’t bother going if you’re a gay woman. If you present as any woman you will be judged by most of the crowd. It is quite a hostile environment.Jean Guimaraes
13:35 11 Nov 23
Very nice place! I just wish that the JD last night was a little more friendly! She was so rude! Visited Friday 10/11/23Kuba
07:57 10 Oct 23
Very disappointing experience. I haven’t seen such a homogenous crowd since visiting gay clubs in eastern Europe. Everyone is white and everyone is cis. I was absolutely shocked how unrepresentative of our community the bar was. When I walked in, the dj played two songs by Roisin Murphy, a known anti trans artist, back to back. Knew I needed to get out asap.Kuba
01:23 16 Sep 23
Very disappointing experience. I haven’t seen such a homogenous crowd since visiting gay clubs in eastern Europe. Everyone is white and everyone is cis. I was absolutely shocked how unrepresentative of our community the bar was. When I walked in, the dj played two songs by Roisin Murphy, a know anti trans artist, back to back. Knew I needed to get out asap.Chris Thomas
21:35 23 Jul 23
Love it. Our first visit and the atmosphere were great with good music. The drinks were lovely and the bar staff were nice to look at, which is always a bonus. We will return when we can. Shame it isn't open 7 days a week.Liam looked after us really well. Thank you for being so welcoming l.Mike A
09:49 23 Jul 23
Amazing place, extremely friendly service. It’s a dog friendly environment (until 9pm). Best to think about your dog’s health and wellbeing because the crowds start pouring. I love this place 🐕. Some gays don’t seem to care about their pets, thanks for looking out. 🐩 I’m an American, so I love that it doesn’t matter where you come from, just an amazing place, world accepted. XoxRaymond Matthews
19:27 18 Jun 23
Great atmosphere and very friendly staff! My new favourite gay bar in LondonCole Turner
02:50 18 Jun 23
I really loved this place until my visit on the night of June 17, when I was using the toilets. I’m having a terrible bout of hay fever and needed toilet paper to blow my nose, so I used a stall. Upon trying to exit, the stall door came loose and hit me in the face.I was not offered help when I explained the situation to cost check or anyone else. Unfortunately for these folks, I’m an American attorney, and intend to enlist a British analogue to rain hell on these people for injuring me and offering no assistance.J W
12:39 03 Mar 23
A great place with good music. Surprisingly quiet for a Thursday night. Lots of beer and drink options and some good comfortable seating.Max Willson
18:25 16 Dec 22
I always enjoy coming here. Wonderfully decorated, unique and relatively friendly gay bar with a good selection, reasonably priced drinks and music! A welcome change from the drab, all black walls of soho gay bars. Would highly recommendJeremie Herpson
13:21 13 Nov 22
What a great new venue in Kennington. I really enjoyed the place last night. However, the owner was so rude and impolite. An absolute disgrace. Due to lower back issues affecting my sciatic nerve, I sometimes need to lean on something to give a rest to my painful leg, so that I can keep enjoying my night out. The owner shouted at me when I leaned on the bar claiming that I had to move as waiters were not taking orders where I was located. When I tried to explain my health situation, she did not try to understand what was going on. I did try twice until she ran away from the discussion. I had to complain to one of the waiters. He was nice but totally clueless on how to handle the drama that was taking place. Message to the owner: when you have a LGBTQ business, the whole point of it is not only making money, and consequently ignoring customer service and any kind of issues that your attitude can cause. You should instead be proud of promoting diversity and be capable to understand your customers, or at least make an effort to take them into consideration. Some people have some health conditions that you might not be aware of, bear that in mind in the future, thanks. 🙏Lee Wardle
20:27 12 Nov 22
So INCREDIBLY friendly. I’ve never been made to feel so welcome in a London bar. LGBTQ+ or different.Thank you so much!Ryan Kelley
21:42 30 Aug 22
Really impressed with the friendly and fast service here on a busy Saturday night. Staff are awesome.S E
23:22 23 Jul 22
Guys, you earn money a lot. Time to buy more air conditioning machines. It is super hot inside.Daniele Bevilacqua
04:23 20 Jul 22
Lovely atmosphere, great to hang out before a night club or spending there an evening with friends.Basilio Martino
01:33 12 Feb 22
What to say ….‽ words can’t describe how I feel about this place! I love it here so much! Staff is on point!!!! 10 out of 10!!! You are the best!Hendrik de Vries
21:56 29 Jan 22
Attending a friends wig & birthday party, lovely staff, quick service, great place with character. My kinda dance music, buzzy atmosphere.My 2nd visit here. More to come!Alexandra Malmqvist
11:40 18 Jan 22
Great atmosphere, lovely staff and nice place. Had a lot of fun here!Fouad
14:10 01 Jan 22
A true gem of a place, great cocktails, great music, great ambiance and loads of fun and games. A must if you live in London or just visiting. It will keeping coming again and again!Gmail Sucks
09:51 31 Oct 21
Friday great and lovely staff but recent Saturday, very bad music. Older crowd milling around, confused by a DJ who basically is playing the current top 40 on automatic most of which was dross. Come on Fridays, but not Saturdays.Gmail Sucks
22:58 30 Oct 21
Very bad music. Older crowd milling around, confused by a DJ who basically is playing the current top 40 on automatic. Go to the 2 Brewers.Anish
10:52 17 Sep 21
Thank you so much Bonnie for a wonderful evening - you treated us with so much kindness and love. LGBT friendly and POC friendly!Markaiu Mason
18:36 12 Sep 21
Friendly waiters who were quick and polite not to mention attractive. Was a great atmosphere with cool and and camp party goes. Great for just bar drinks or for a party party.Keith Trimmings
08:28 01 Jun 21
This was my first visit and i must say the girl who served me was so welcoming and extreamly helpfull she smiled and made me feel good. The male staff member when i asked where the toilets were he escorted me to them i was amazed . The decor was good and the layout was outstanding .the staff were even dancing and they made me laugh . It is well worth a visit go for yourself its a lovely experience.12 stars .Sam Hill
22:44 21 May 21
Friendly, welcoming and excellent LGBTQ bar. Popped in for my birthday tonight and absolutely loved it. Welcoming staff, efficient sanitising and cleaning, fantastic cocktails and attentive service. My wife and I left very happy after a great evening. Looking forward to returning very soon!Mark N.
16:28 08 Sep 19
Probably everyone has a place where it is as convenient as at home. For me, it is here - and tasty, and drunk, and fun, and sad, and romantic, and calm. The bar has a separate room with a good bed for privacy. I always make new friends here👍👍There is a small trick: if you want to get a free cocktail and a separate room for free for 2 hours, you need to register on site 909gay,com 😍and tell the bar counter the profile number or provide a screenshot. The drain should work👍👍Kim Y.
09:13 07 Sep 19
I love this place! The beer is cold, bartenders are helpful and the place is just so cool, a must goto place.Robert Gerchalk
08:05 03 Aug 19
This was well rated as a Gay space. We went on a Friday evening at 10 pm. There was a queue to get in, all straight couples. We were disappointed and left. They seemed to be nice folks having a good time, but was this straight night? Change of format? Or is this how Gay bars are going? I’ve seen this in New York too.SHAMAILA K
19:30 05 Jul 19
Lovely bar with a relaxed vibe. Went for happy hour cocktails which were mixed very well by friendly bar staff who took care with each cocktail. Nice interior and layout and very clean.Tiki elements and cool ceiling. Comfy seating and outdoor space too. Look forward to my next visit. Well done guys. 😀Piotr Włodarczyk
12:33 19 Jun 19
Unique and cool LGBT place in Kennington, an interesting mixture of standard pub and tiki decor. Good music, nice atmosphere and really good cocktails (blood orange margarita was a treat).Pande Monki
19:25 03 Feb 19
Newish gay bar. We came on a Sunday afternoon, it was quiet before the quiz. Pleasant music. Good atmosphere. Drinks seemed a bit on the pricy side.Miro Demucha
00:36 20 Jan 19
Awesome place. Very chilled. I always say that even if I didn't live nearby I would commute here. Also, pretty much everyone is over 30, which makes things so much easier. No attitude whatsoever and great music.Carl Dalton
23:33 17 Aug 18
GREAT door staff (made a joke about age ,(we're a gay couple)) GOOD bar staff, GREAT venue, great music, GOOD bar service. Will be back!Monica O.
14:42 10 May 18
Had some friends from Phoenix in London as the same time as I was so we thought it would be cool to meet up at a pub and grab some beers and The Cock Tavern...Al O.
05:05 27 Nov 15
Nice he olde pub just behind Nike town near Oxford St. This is a Samuel Smiths pub and for those unfamiliar with them they are a British brewery that sell...
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