Freedom Bar on Wardour Street: what to order and when to go

Freedom Bar is a gay bar and club at 66 Wardour Street, with a cocktail bar on the ground floor and a club in the basement. The crowd is mixed, the mood is theatrical, and Piccadilly Circus is about 350 metres away. Soho has had it for more than two decades, and the 2024 refit has kept it busy.

What it is

Upstairs there are mini chandeliers, booths and a Vegas-lite feel, according to GayCities. Downstairs is plush seating, disco mirrorballs and dance poles. Lighting supplier Showtec says it installed 36 rotating mirrorballs and two dance podiums in the 2024 renovation.

The history is a little blurred. One listing places it among the defining names of the early to mid 1990s Soho gay scene, while CAMRA says the premises opened around 1999 as a former Regent Inns free house. So we will say only this: it has been part of Soho for decades, and it has a long link with West End performers.

What to order

• Pornstar Martini. Gay London Life says many people claim Freedom does the best in town. It was £7.90 on a Monday late happy hour in a November 2025 post.
• Espresso Martini. Made with Grey Goose, Kahlúa, coffee and vanilla syrup. It was £8.90 in happy hour and £14.90 after, in an autumn 2025 post, so check the current price.
• Cocktail of the Month. It changes monthly and past examples have been £10.60. Check the bar's Instagram for the current one.

Happy hour runs 4pm to 8pm Monday to Friday and 4pm to 6pm at weekends. The most recent posts put cocktails at £8.90. There is also draught Heineken and Guinness, snacks and pizzas.

When to go

For a drink and a proper chat, go in happy hour, when it is quieter. For the show, go Monday or Wednesday from about ten.

• Monday: Kinky Kabaret, West End performers and drag, starting at half ten. The venue calls it London's longest-running late-night cabaret, and says it launched on 1 June 2009. It is produced by Nath Hunter-Pope.
• Tuesday: Anthems, live vocals and a DJ, 10pm to 3am.
• Wednesday: High on Heels, drag and live vocals, 10pm to 3am.
• Friday and Saturday: Freedom House Party and Fabulous, the nights for dancing.
• Sunday: Soho Sundays.

On the first Tuesday of the month there is Freedom Live Jam, hosted by David Albury. Listed hours are roughly 4pm to 3am Monday to Thursday and later opening at weekends, but check before you go. It is over 21s.

Booking and the door

Online bookings go up to 15 people through the venue's booking page. Larger groups should ring the reservations team on 020 7734 0071. There is no booking fee, though a £50 card authorisation is taken and only charged for a no-show. Hen and stag bookings are not accepted.

Entry for some nights has been free and for others ticketed, so do not assume. QX says there are often queues at weekends, and some reviewers have complained of an inconsistent door, so book for Friday and Saturday.

For after

For a calmer stop before or around the show, the French House at 49 Dean Street is a short walk away. It opened in 1891 as the York Minster and became the French House in 1984. It is known for half pints only, so order a half of Meteor. Check its hours before you plan a late finish.

More details are on the venue's booking page, in the Gay London Life profile and on the QX Magazine listing.