The Escape

Straight gay mixed bar, good music and crowd. Good place to bring your straight mates. It does feel like å gay bar

Cheap drinks, a good night of fun!

Gosh, very peculiar place. Seems like a bit of a rejects bar.

Fun times. There are really only a couple things I need to have a good night out, and this spot has em. I was there on a Friday night for a friend’s bf’s birthday party.
1) Excellent ventilation and air conditioning. It was a warm summer night, and even with it pretty full and everyone dancing around to «Baby, you’re a FIIIIIREwooooorrrk!!!» and jumping up and down, it never got too sweaty.
2) Good top 40 pop music. Around 1:30am or so it switched to more house music, which I am less of a fan of, but whatever. But till then I loved it and I can’t dock points because I like crappy pop music. Being a musicologist and all, what can I say? Guilty pleasure.
3) Cheap coat check. £1.50
Incidental things that went well:
— Teeny space, but well-​paced so it was never uncomfortably full, but full enough that it was definitely a party. The space is small enough so that you feel like you can talk to random people in a friendly, non-​hitting on, non-​sketchy way.
–Though we got there a little after 10 (I was on the list… just get on the list = no cover!) but my friend wasn’t. There was a guy outside who gave us free flyers for free entry! Lucky us!
–Super hetero-​friendly gay bar. Totally comfy and just fun for all, not judgy in any way. Singles, straight couples, gay couples, a couple queens, come one come all!

It was a bit early when I went in here, about 11pm, but i paid cover and was disappointed that I had come in. You can’t see in through the windows to get a vibe for the place.
I blindly walked in hoping it would be a great place to go dance.
I walked in to find what appeared to be 14 yr old boy dancing on a primarily empty dance floor on a saturday night. Saturday nights start off as karaōke nights and then turn to the dj.
There wasnt much ambiance apart from a couple colored disco lights on the tiny and primarily empty dance floor. Even though my favorite song was playing I couldn’t feel the energy to dance let alone finish my drink and left disappointed. I will not be returning. It may be good for some but not my scene. you don’t need to get dressed up anything special for this, plenty of people in jeans and t-​shirts.

After sampling a few gay bars on old compton st, we were told to go to Escape to finish the night. At the door the bouncer stopped us telling us we were drunk — and we were not — and as we were walking away called us a derogatory name for gays (f.) and made fun of us in front of another bouncer that had just come out from inside the bar. And that was during Pride week. Put these guy out of their miserable jobs and don’t go to this place.

Seeing as it’s such a long time since anyone reviewed this venue, I thought I’d add my tuppence worth. I popped in last Wednesday prior to photographing some fabulous NYC trannys at Madame JoJo’s next door. I was pleasantly surprised at the gorgeous overhaul the venue had received since my last visit many moons ago. Lots of flattering lighting, great effects, comfy seating, sound system and flatscreens. The place seemed roomier and much less claustrophobic.
It was Trannyoke! hosted by the impossibly beautiful scenester Gliteratti face, DJ and Model Lloyd Dixon. With Fosters at £2 a pint, and Vodka shots for a quid, I knew the night would get messy. By 11pm the place was jumping like a party and betweeen fun karaōke, everyone (including myself in a vodka shot fuelled careless moment) was up dancing. A great fun and gorgeous crowd, NO attitude whatsoever, and everyone welcome. Great friendly bar staff AND security. If you’ve not been lately, go along and re-​assess. Bars like this need supporting, or else we lose them.

This is one of my favorite bars in London.
It’s cute and fun with great music and unpretentious feel. Tucked away, you barely notice it on the street and it is a little small but the dance floor fills up with people having a great time. Drinks are reasonably priced and if you go early for a few cocktails, there’s rarely a cover charge. It’s a great place to just let loose and dance to your hearts content.
It takes a little while for the fun to get started but don’t be disheartened if you’re there at 10 and are the only one dancing, the rest will come soon enough and you’ll have a great time.

It’s the kind of place you can take your straight mates with no issues although the security might test a bit. Its a great place to go before hitting the big clubs or to finish up if you like a beer and the music but your not into the whole tops off Vauxhall thing or the pretentious screaming queen environment in the rest of Soho

Size-​queens amongst us may instantly be put off by the compact size of Escape bar in Central London and, with many larger venues nearby also opening till 3am; they certainly have the choice to explore elsewhere.
To judge on size alone, though, would be to do a grave disservice to this lively little venue which attracts a solid, mixed crowd of unpretentious boys and girls who want to dance, drink and pull.
The bar itself doesn’t really get going till after 9pm and is rarely open early, even on a weekend. Once it is open, it plays a mixture of music each night, from pop classics to full on dance music with the fantastic VJ’s playing their tracks on the various screens embedded in the bar as well as over the impressive sound-​system. There are many drinks promotions throughout the week to entice you and the cost of entry, after 11pm, is low enough that you won’t break the bank.
What I really like about Escape is that it is simply a good bar to have great night out with a small group of friends. It’s relaxed atmosphere really encourages people to let their hair down and don’t be surprised if you find yourself getting chatted up lots or even pulling. Perfect for those who want to carry on a couple more hours after the normal pubs close but don’t fancy one of the bigger clubs.
Credit, as well, to the door-​men and women who are polite and less heavy-​handed than some similar venues nearby.

One of my favorite mixed gay bars in Soho, you can always be sure of a good night here. The music is cheesy, the crowd is young and the drinks are always flowing. Escape is the perfect way to kick start your night.
With plasma screen in every corner you wont be able to get away from Kylie and Jason videos, but that’s the beauty of this small bar, and like the punters who drink there, it does not take itself too seriously and your find its generally an attitude free environment.
unlike many bars in Soho, the mix of gay boys and girls is actually fairly even, so if your up for a bit of flirting then you cant go wrong.
What more can I say, apart from get your self down there for a hoot of a night

Okay, the first thing you will notice about Escape bar is that it is quite tiny. Saying that it can cram in many a good-​looking boy and girl, has an affordable and well-​managed bar with good-​looking staff and is usually open till 3am at weekends with some late-​nighters during the week.
DJ’s play a range of music, mainly pop and dance and there are regular drinks promotions on certain nights to keep all the gay boys and girls happy (2−4 – 1’s when certain artists play and discounted cocktails).
Also of note are the very efficient but friendly door-​people, a major plus when many venues have over-​aggresive neanderthals blocking your way.
Mpre importantly, it is very unprententious so if you’re with a good group of people you really can have a good laugh.