The Edge

I stumbled across The Edge many years ago during a solo trip to London (2002?) while I was wandering about, looking for another bar. Since I was already there I stopped in and enjoyed a drink on a quiet night. This year I finally returned to London with my husband, and once again stumbled across The Edge while we were looking for some other place. Once again, I decided to stop in for a drink.
It was the early evening on a weeknight, the ground floor was full, and patrons were spilling out onto the surrounding sidewalk (where they had seating). We got a couple of glasses of red wine then went upstairs to explore.
The Edge is made up of four floors of small rooms with their own bars and different décor. It’s kind of a cool idea, and a real shame that there weren’t more people there. The top floor was closed. The third floor was reserved for a private party, and the second floor was open but didn’t have a bartender. There were no seats available downstairs so we settled on the second floor to enjoy our wine and chat about our trip so far.
It was a fairly pleasant place to chat, but the «DJ» who piped in music to all floors was awful! The actual selection of songs was good (upbeat dance /​pop), but the mixing was amateurish at best. There was no beat matching between tracks. My dancing buddies and I would refer to these transitions as «Ankle Breakers». Hell, there are automated programs that will help amateur DJs with beat matching. What was happening here? Fortunately, there was no dancefloor and the music wasn’t as loud as it could have been, but still … details matter.
Overall, it seems like a fairly nice bar where the locals meet. I’m not sure I’d make any special effort to get there; but if you stumble across it while on your way to some other place, it might be worth checking out. Especially if they have a DJ who knows what they’re doing.

A great bar located right next to Soho Square, it is difficult to miss. Just look for the four story building light up with bright, neon colours.
Recently remodelled on the ground floor, this bar is a great space to relax with your friends and enjoy a drink. With friendly bartenders (that are also typically shirtless), you can even get a discount with their free loyalty club program (which also works at The Yard and Stef’s Italian Restaurant).
Assuming a floor has not already been reserved, you can take a drink on any of the bar’s fabulous bars on different floors. Or, if you want your group of friends to have your own space, you can reserve a floor for free. Check out their website to find out more about what the different floors look like.

We weren’t planning on going to The Edge. In fact, I didn’t even know it existed until last Tuesday night. But I was meeting a friend and we decided to duck into the nearest pub/​bar, which happened to be The Edge.
The atmosphere was dead, the music was far too cheesy, the interior was dull and one of the walls was covered with TVs showing some bizarre videos on loop.
We had bottled beer and you can’t mess that up, so I’ve no idea what their cocktails are like but the vibes just weren’t quite right.
Soho is packed with bars and pubs, so I’d advise walking 100 metres and having drinks elsewhere.

Love the edge!!! Perfect cocktails and shooters. Order the cowboy c*** shooter!
Staff is so friendly and interactive! Perfect place for pre-​drinks for a night out in soho

Nice place to go for a drink with a friend and catch up — it’s actually possible to have a decent conversation here.

Got a Birthday or a celebration coming up? Want someone in-​offensive and convenient. Easy to find, comfy and sharp interior? Friendly and mild mannered staff? Then this is the place for you.
I wouldn’t necessarily choose to come here for a drink on a night out. However you can hire a floor or a table for free on any night of the week. For all the reasons above it’s perfect for groups and a place to meet up for a drink before heading further into town.
I’ve been to several birthdays/​celebrations here and it’s perfect. You can chat as the music isn’t pumping in the upstairs area. You can also have a little boogie. There’s no particular dance floor, the space is intimate with a range of booths and tables to sit or not.
Defiantly one to check out.

Mmmm, it’s just missing something here. It’s just a bit boring in my opinion. Very bland. Queues for toilets are usually a bloody nightmare too.

L’établissement est très joli, sur trois étages, mais malheureusement très peu confortable. Les serveurs né font pas beaucoup d’efforts pour rendre le lieu agréable. La clientèle semble principalement constituée d’habitués. J’y suis allé tôt en soirée, l’ambiance est peut-​être meilleure plus tard… Les cocktails sont bons, et la musique également. Avis mitigé: à retenter.

A bit gay.

Not as lively as I thought it would be. Very low-​energy on the main dance floor and as you walk up to the second and third level, it gets even more dead. This lounge/​bar is more for the minglers and the ones that can’t/don’t want to dance. Could only stay for about 20 minutes before deciding to try another place with more energy.

Now I understand why the gays have fled Soho for Vauxhall.
The DJ seemed more into the tunes he was spinning than anyone on the dance floor. I’m from the land of American gay clubs where they’re packed with hot, shirtless men, dancing as if their lives depended on it. There was none of that here. Frankly, I missed it.
The Edge was also pretty overrun with hen parties on the night I went. In a word: lame.

One of my favourite bars in C.London. Check out the piano karaōke on a Wednesday evening!

Cool bar, usual prices for Soho, female friendly and nice bar staff. Good afternoon /​night out.

I’ve probably only ever been in this place after 9pm and drinks elsewhere but no matter, the atmosphere here is overpowering enough to penetrate any number of vodka tonics. It’s commercial dance music on loud to a gay crowd. The building is a bit of a townhouse of a club slash bar with 2 or so levels all squatting on the main bar downstairs where most of the tables are.
There isn’t usually any entrance cost and it is in a good location, right on Soho Square so I guess it often ends up being a sort of drink pit stop place. I wouldn’t want to make a night of it in here but certainly as a before or after place it works alright.

For a long time I never really liked this bar but now its charms have worked on me and I find myself visiting there more frequently.
Situated on Soho Square, this is the perfect summer bar, fit guys just spilling out onto the warm streets or taking their pints for a lie down in the square itself to admire other boys and girls, alongside the occasional tramp!
Inside the bar has many levels including a little nightclub area with Saturday Night Fever flooring for those wanting to throw shapes.
The 1^st floor is the best, though quite tiny, but, with it’s own bar and comfy seating it’s perfect for small groups to relax and enjoy each other. I may be a bit too safe and polite for the weekend crowd but is definitely worth checking out for mid-​week drinks with mates.

«London’s premier polysexual zone!» Yep, you read that right… at least, that’s what’s written on the receipt. Not that I had any inkling of this when I ventured inside; what had lured me in was a promising-​sounding cheese plate on the menu.
No, it wasn’t until I’d gone to wash my hands in the extremely awkward unisex toilet, then sat back at the table… noticed the display of rainbow Absolut bottles behind the bar, then the collection box for a gay-​related charity on the counter, and *then* the inordinate number of same-​sex couple patrons before I glanced at my friend and said, «wait a second…»
No matter… a member of the polysexual set or not, I don’t think it will change your basic experience of the The Edge.
The woman who waited on us was wonderfully outgoing and friendly. She promptly took our food order… even though we were pretty much the only people in the place eating. I got my cheese platter (an assortment of cheddar, goats cheese, brie, and something else soft and smokey…) and my friend ordered olives and feta; accompaniments for our bottle of Shiraz. I have to say I was *extremely* surprised at the quality and presentation of both of these items… *especially* since they both were priced less than 5 quid. Awesome.
As a whole this place gets *major* props for its food and its prices… but I give it a three because of the atmosphere… the music was really obnoxious and loud when we first walked in, and I just didn’t like setup of the joint — a jumble of cramped tables. But I would definitely go back in the late afternoon/​early evening when I’ve seen this place looking more mellow.

I used to really dislike the Edge, but in the last year the owners have had a re-​think, it seems, and as a result the bar is much friendlier and comfier. The quality of clientele seems to have changed a little as well — less posers, and more amiable types!
I don’t know if they still have this, but when I went a while ago, there was a small dancefloor that lights up different colours, on the top floor. Awesome. You can’t beat a lit up dancefloor.
Also, its perfect in summer, beause you can grab your beer in a plastic cup and head into Soho Square for some people watching.

It’s always been hit and miss in this bar and even more so since they re-​fitted the place.
Ok it’s a four storey townhouse on Soho Square. It’s tall and not very spacious. This causes problems during peak times when there is no chance of reaching the bar due to the selfish ‘so and so’s’ who insist on drinking at the bar.
Each floor has a different vibe and I like that. It’s a good place to hang out and have a quiet drink if you need or want one. A broad range of gay men come here. It seems to be either the very young ‘just out’ crowd or the professional side but there’s a mix at weekends.
Prices are very expensive, even for Soho, and the crowds can border on the pretentious, but that’s London for you.

This place is deceptively small from the outside. We went during happy hour one evening at about 9pm and got really nice strawberry daiquiris for £4 which is really good for the Oxford Street area. We then went upstairs to the 2^nd level where a singer called Genniva was performing fantastic soul music. It was free and everyone was just sitting around chatting and drinking while enjoying the music; a really relaxed atmosphere.
According to Genniva’s flier she performs there on the last Wednesday of every month so if you’re checking this place out do it then. On the 3^rd level they have a night club and if it’s a meal you’re after I’m told they do good fish and chips on the ground floor.
This bar is great if you’re looking for a place that isn’t too trendy or try hard, definite thumbs up.

Although it is small, this place has character — if you can get in. It has three or four floors, the top one being where you dance. But don’t let that fool you, the space of the floors is very restricted. Music is great, drink prices usual for soho (high) but the staff are quite friendly and fun. The other floors are varied lounge bars and it is a male prominent gay bar however they welcome females. Well we were welcomed when we went and there were quite a few other females there too. Average i would say and closes early.

The Edge is the perfect summer bar, seeing as it’s ideally situated by Soho Square. For gay men it’s so easy to grab a drink and retire to the square itself to view the topless eye-​candy and occasional tramp.
The bar itself is very pleasant, not in your face or pretentious but well run and ideal for those looking to chat with friends, rather than out on the pull.
Spread over three floors, the ground floor has DJ’s and small seating area, the second a small bar with larger seating area and then the top floor which is popular for functions. None of the levels are particularly huge but for once size doesn’t matter as you never feel more than welcome at the bar and service is simple but good.