London Nightlife: Places and Districts to Go Out in London
- London Information
- Eating & drinking in London
- Night life in London
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Briefly summarizing London’s nightlife is a bit like trying to sum up the city overall: it's practically impossible. The city is too big and varied to say anything briefly with total conviction. And any advice or guide book that tries to should be steered clear of.
A good place to start looking for cool nightlife and upcoming gigs is on HostelBookers' own fortnightly blog, A Slice of London Pie for a list of what is on in London.
All that can safely be said is that London's nightlife really does cater for all tastes and moods. It runs the full gamut from the very wildest drinking dens and clubs to more sedate, laidback spots.
As a general rule, budget travelers - and indeed anyone in search of a proper night out - should avoid the West End. Chinatown may be great for dining, Shaftesbury Avenue has its theaters and Covent Garden is charming, but there are few glimpses of real, authentic London nighlife here.
But as with everything in London, this comes with one notable exception to the rule: Soho. Soho is a titan of the London night; gaudily-lit strip clubs and sex shops vie with achingly cool cocktail bars, smart members’ clubs, hip cellar bars and age-old London institutions.
Lying to the north of touristy Leicester Square, Soho is also the center of London’s gay scene with its main promenade, Old Compton Street, the hub of gay life in the city. To go on a night out in Soho is to really catch the many distinct flavors of the city after dark.
To the east of the city, from Hoxton Square in Shoreditch to Brick Lane and Whitechapel, an uber-trendy movement has now been bubbling over for a number of years. And a little to the northwest, Islington's Essex Road and Stoke Newington’s Church Street also have plenty going on.
For those backpackers serious about their music, Camden Town is the place to head for live gigs. Stretching away either side of Camden Road, small seedy pubs and bars are interspersed with some seriously good venues, all with a brilliantly bohemian feel.
For the archetypal 'old London pub,' well-heeled West London is a surprisingly good bet and has a number of very pleasant old places. Similarly, to the north leafy Hampstead and Highgate are ideal for a quiet drink; the perfect antidote to yet another crazily wild London night.
Across the length and breadth of the city, though, London’s nightlife continues to hum as never before. Its pubs and bars, live music venues and chic clubs, all push the envelope for musical innovation and serious late-night hedonism.