Reviews of Admiral Duncan. (Pub) in London (London).

Admiral Duncan

240 Reviews

158 Comments

Pub

Gay bar

54 Old Compton St, London W1D 4UD, United Kingdom

Description

Information of Admiral Duncan, Pub in London (London)

On this page you’ll find the address, open hours, more popular times, the contact, photos and real reviews of this business.

This business has received very good reviews from their customers, so probably it’s a place you should try if you are looking for this kind of services.

Map

Open hours of Admiral Duncan

Popular times

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Reviews of Admiral Duncan

T. B.

Love this venue. Top quality cabaret all through the week. The staff are fabulous and they often have my drink ready before I've even ordered! Special shout out for Jabbey who always raves about my karaoke performances on a Monday night 🥰

J. H. T. S. B. B.

Absolutely adore this bar. It's at the heart of Soho and the team make sure everyone is looked after. Would highly recommend for the great drag shows too. Brilliant atmosphere. Its a must go-to.

D. M.

Always a brilliant night out, the live drag acts belt out top tunes, classics and ditties that always get me singing along. A friendly and lively venue suitable for all genders and sexual orientation. Good for small groups, couples, friends and allies. #safespace

T. C.

Went to Duncan last night for their Saturday cabaret and had a brilliant time. Wilma Ballsdrop was great, but #Joe stole the show for me. His patter and chemistry with the crowd was infectious and it was brilliant to see some representation of the broad spectrum of drag and cabaret. Show-stopping rendition of Waving Through a Window from Dear Evan Hanson that brought the house down. Looking forward to seeing them here again soon! Staff were very friendly and the bar has a unique atmosphere.

R. B.

One of the last great gay pubs left in Soho. If you want good cabaret - old school and new and emerging acts, brilliant customer service from bar and door teams and a real warm welcome London experience, this place can't be missed. It's a historic pub and I always bring visiting friends in for a drink and a sing-song. As other reviews say, Tom (and the rest of the team) behind the bar is an asset to the place and aside from being easy on the eye, he's attentive and works hard to keep everyone served with a minimum of waiting.

E. G. R.

I had a wonderful time in this historic pub in the heart of London. Wonderful atmosphere, inclusive and safe for the LGBTQ+ community. Drag show was super fun. Jack's attention was great, he gave me tons of tips about the city. I will be back when I visit London again.

k.

Easily my favourite bar in soho. :) really chill atmosphere, where a varied group of people come to enjoy a variety of cabaret acts. The bar staff are very friendly especially Jabbie, Warren, Thomas, Tamas but all of the staff are increasingly friendly and accommodating - Henners :)

M. F.

Always have a great time here. Good location, reasonably priced, good entertainment and great staff who are always friendly! Jabbey especially is always very welcoming. Can't wait for my next visit. 😃

L. H.

Great atmosphere, amazing drag shows! Some of the best are always booked here. staff are really friendly and quick to service you. very accomodating

L. W.

Great venue with really entertaining performers. The staff are all great and Jabbey really helped make our night. I’d recommend anyone to go who wants a nice venue for a few drinks watching some good drag.

S. U.

Friendliest bar teams, funny and all have banter! Fantastic evening with Wilma, amazing dragqueen! Thanks so much to Warren, Jabbey and Tom! These guys certainly did cheer me up!

K. B.

Amazing Thursday night! Had so much laugh with the drag queen! Totally enjoyed tonight and staff are spot on with my drink! Love the atmosphere!

M. C.

Great local bar in the heart of Soho! Always a good/diverse crowd and great friendly staff (especially Jabbey!) Always recommend friends to start a night off here and enjoy one of the drag shows!

M. G.

Always friendly and welcoming. You're guaranteed to start up a conversation. Staff keep the jukebox playing with pop divas and musical theatre. Get there early for the shows, they're always busy (and fab!)

S. P.

My review over all the times I’ve been to admiral Duncan is great. Every time I enjoy myself and there’s always a drag queen on or really nicely themed nights! The halloween night I went to in October 2021 was so much fun! The bar staff are doing such a good job, considering it gets rammed in there every single time as the place is so small. The barman Jabbey that served me last time was attentive and made sure that I had the right drinks. He was also making a lot of different drinks at once whilst still helping out others, gold star! This photo is of the drag queen and a fellow punter talking and having a laugh!

J. D.

The Admiral Duncan is a great place to drink. Great shows, music and exceptional staff. Thanks to the service I received from a bartender called Jabbey I'll be returning again very soon!

T. J.

Lovely place! It’s a very nice and small bar, where u feel directly comfortable! The guest and stuff, especially Jabbey as a barkeeper are very kind and accommodating! A place where u like to come more then one time 😉🤪😊

c. m.

Been quite a regular at the Admiral Duncan for some years now as I am a big fan of Drag and they have some of the best shows in soho. Fun & friendly atmosphere plus a lovely staff - special shoutout to Jack who always remembers my order, a pint of Amstel with a tequila shot on the side 😜)

B.

Always a great night to be had in here. Nice diverse busy crowd. Great drag and karaoke acts friendly bar and door staff. Easy to get served. An old and well established valuable asset to london gay scene.

E. A.

I love the Admiral! Iconic gay venue in Soho. Really recommend their fun drag shows - every single night! And those shiny paperwalls 😍

N. O.

I went with a t girl after we had a meal very near and she said let's go as I have never been in this pub and we had such a good time there as it was brief saw a drag show. I love this place and all these years I was in soho I never went to this place. Would recommend this establishment to anyone with an open excepting mind.

S. d. G.

I really like this plAce. Good price of drinks, people who go there are nice and most of all the staff were really friendly and welcoming to the customers. Staff Jabbey was really nice and helpful when I need suggestions about what to drink, sometimes I do get confuse with these things lol. Lovely place to visit in soho. I will surely go back.

E. N.

Friendly atmosphere. Everyone is welcome. Safe space for women and LGBTIQ+, and of course:The hot Spanish boy behind the bar.

D. S.

Visited this venue few weeks ago. Great atmosphere and good music. Staff was very friendly, I was served by Jabbey such a nice guy. Highly recommend this place.

G. R.

Brilliant venue with a deeply important history, one of the best places for catching real cabaret these days. Varied talents, from old school nudge-nudge wink-wink drag to more modern acts. Wilma, Miss Moppe and #Joe rocked Saturday night. Bar staff are also amazing, think I'm right in remembering the name Tomasz as a barman who is particularly attentive, remembering me and my order really well. Touches like that make it feel really personal, which is a rare commodity in a central London venue. Great job.

M. M.

One of my favourite bars in London. The staff are incredible all year round. Jabbey is one the best in Soho!!

j. s.

Absolutely my fave bar and Always a fun atmosphere. The bar man Jabbey is so friendly such an amazing guy! X

M. M.

Great Drag Queen show, inclusive and friendly atmosphere. Jack, the spanish waiter is adorable and funny. Will definetly come back!

J. C.

Great venue, been coming here for years, particularly love the warm welcome you get from all the great and enthusiastic staff, they really do make you feel like part of the family... Jabby in particular is a treat to be served by!

E. M. N.

A great little pub in the heart of Soho. It is on Old Compton St which is a lively place day or night. The bar staff are super friendly. I love the drag cabaret. The atmosphere is lively and it always brings a smile to my face when I walk through the door. Highly recommend.

c. j.

One of the best bars in soho for a good night out always fabulous entertainment and a real easygoing vibe the bar staff are so friendly and welcoming a shout out to Jabbey for always delivering wonderful service with a smile so thank you 🙏 x

G. B.

This is fantastic venue that’s you always leave with a buzz due to the atmosphere and friendliness of the fantastic bar staff. Jabbey and Warren are diamonds.

C. B.

Had a great laugh in the admiral Duncan! Quick service considering how busy it was and Jabbey had a lot of banter in him! Can’t wait for another night out there

M.

I think unless the place is rammed packed, it seems somehow empty? Does that make any sense? I guess what it is is… I always enjoy it there when it’s packed, otherwise… 🤷🏼‍♂️ To be fair I was there on a Tuesday night so… But the staff ARE lovely

J. K.

This venue is soooo great!! My friends & I love it! Wilma Ballsdrop opening up on a Saturday is just sublime- she is an old school drag queen with great comedy timing, whit and isn’t afraid to punch it to the audience!! Miss Moppe was also terrific and has a great voice! Really got the crowd going and again what you expect from a drag show!!! The reason for the three stars is a couple of things #Joe is not a conventional drag queen, it’s like watching a Westend rehearsal where someone forgets words and requests the songs by track numbers, it’s a boy in a coord with some make up on who changes everything with a pronounced ‘O’ in to ‘Joe’. The toilets are soooo tiny it’s crazy- gender neutral is deffo the way forward, prices aren’t bad for drinks but asking for a tip every time you use the card machine is monotonous. Top Tips- try and get a stool and table at the top, check the ‘what’s on’, it’s free entry, the bearded security guy is great and the bar staff are nice.

B. A.

Had a really nice time in there, as usual, really friendly and fast stuff, especially jabbey, he always know my drink and never left me with empty glass (I’m not alcoholic)

R. M.

Fantastic night at the Admiral Duncan last night, as always — a legendary queer venue and for good reason: it is one of the best. The cabaret acts are always excellent and last night was no exception. Wilma Ballsdrop was brilliant, a real old school Soho drag queen. Hashtag Joe was also fantastic, and went down a treat — the crowd loved every minute (the repeated chanting of ‘Hashtag Joe! Hashtag Joe!’ at every opportunity showed as much!!). So much to sing and scream along to. What a joyous, hilarious, brilliant night, as always.

E. M.

#Joe provided high-quality entertainment and went above and beyond to help create the welcoming atmosphere that all LGBT members/bars should be aiming for. Thanks so much for the invite Joe, you were awesome.

A. N.

The location is great. The drag show is amazing. Jabbey, the bartender, gives the best drinks.

E. P.

Great atmosphere in this LGBT Cabaret/Bar. Very friendly staff, very good live music. Even if you're straight, you will be accepted as you are - enchanting people are having fun here. Don't be bothered by the security check at the entrance. Sometimes you have to queue when it's crowded.

O. B.

Great lgbtq+ bar in the heart of Soho with amazing cabaret entertainment. Karl (the manager) was the perfect host and they were very attentive with our drinks orders and customer service. A MUST for visiting the Soho scene.

N. D.

Absolutely amazing to see #Joe’s first show at this wonderful venue! His performance was outstanding and he kept the whole crowd enthralled for his entire set! A must-see and looking forward to his next show at the Duncan!

F. S.

Was visiting from out of town & loved Admiral Duncan’s. Friendly crowd & great show - #Joe (or Hashtag Joe?) pulled off an incredible performance - it was a lot of fun!

N. P.

Really great pub. Always love visiting when I'm in London. The staff are really friendly, there's always a great atmosphere and they have great cabaret. Definitely worth visiting for the evening if you're in London!

M. H.

Amazing atmosphere in the centre of soho. Served by Jabbey who was a delight, five stars

S. L. V.

Manager Karl has a huge amount of experience of running LGBTQ+ venues and you can tell he loves being at the Admiral Duncan. Always a great atmosphere and a line of of cabaret as long as your arm to keep you entertained.

C. W.

What an amazing night out. Bar tender Jabby 😍😍😍😍 such a kind human being just made the night fabulous

G. H.

Great bar in the centre of Soho, free entertainment on most nights with the best of London drag. Quick service from friendly staff. The outdoor seating is great when the sun is out.

K. L.

This gem of a bar isn’t just in the heart of Soho, it is the heart of Soho, Karl and his team were fantastic, the service was perfect even though restrictions due to Covid made their job that much harder, we had an amazing time and will 100% be back. A big thank you to all the team for making us feel so welcomed.

M. H.

I attend the Admiral Duncan on an regular basis and always have an excellent night! The staff, especially post covid, have been efficient, effective yet warm and friendly. The drinks are reasonably priced and the majority of time there is Cabaret on, featuring the best of the london scene. Karl, the manager, runs a tight ship with no messing about, from regulars or visitors alike, providing a safe space for the lgbt community. Thoroughly recommend!

R. J.

Absolutely love this place and so glad that the easing of restrictions has means it can reopened again - Great location in the heart of Soho and always get a warm welcome - They have some fantastic cabaret shows on with the UKs top Drag Queens - Even have some outdoors seating now too !!!!

K. C.

ICONIC! You can’t go to Soho without visiting the Admiral Duncan. Fantastic staff, brilliant live acts & the venue has a great atmosphere! Love it! 10/10

S. G.

This place has always been my must go a night out. I’m so happy that they’ve managed to open up again and still having cabaret. Staff are always fun and polite. Soho wouldn’t be Soho without it!

H. B.

World famous. World fabulous. On my trips to London it's impossible not to call in. Great bar.

E. B.

Good ambience and staffs are very helpful,definitely will comeback with my other friends.

W. A.

I finished studying and I needed to relax myself. As usual, I said one pint and then home. As usual, It was two pints and another late night. I always get nice customer service, a pint of estrella and nice conversations. Summer is coming!!!

M. B.

Fabulous evening with gorgeous friends and consistently excellent cabaret. In love with #Joe.

P. G.

Absolutely love this place. Great atmosphere. Free to enter. Cabaret most nights. Always in there on a night out and amazing team

A. W.

I absolutely love this bar. The staff are so friendly and the service is fast. The crowd is pretty chilled and happy and not stuck up. It's a true gay bar, London's most iconic gay bar in fact, and it's survived for good reason. The drag shows are funny and inclusive, especially Martha D'Arthur.

m. E.

Admiral Duncan is brilliant and even better now with outside tables! Top entertainment in the evenings! A must visit when in Soho

L.

Absolutely Fantastic bar! Great selection of drinks, Cabaret is top notch and your guaranteed a great night.

S. K.

What a great night out, was greeted at the door by the sweetest host with magical blue and pink hair, he was the perfect host with speedy service and great prices I can not wait to go back just to see what colour hair he will have, deff recommend this bar to anyone visiting soho

C.

One of my absolute favourite bars in That London That They Have Down There. A trip to the capital just doesn't feel complete without at least one night spent deep inside Duncan. The fantastic atmosphere is created and maintained by the energetic and friendly staff, not to mention the live entertainment nightly. I've never ever spent a night in there which hasn't left me thoroughly entertained, inebriated and satisfied.

L. S.

Oh what a night! Sandra at The Admiral Duncan was fabulous, funny and had an amazing singing voice too. The vibe was brilliant, everybody was so lovely and the bar & door staff were kind, efficient and friendly. Go if you can.

I. M.

Thank you all. Jabbey and Warren. Tomasz. Jack. Rich, David*.

T. S.

In the heart of Soho The Admiral Duncan situated on Old Compton Street has a great atmosphere with very friendly bar staff. The perfect place for meeting friends with a very sociable crowd of after work drinkers, tourists & locals. Entertainment is provided by the best Drag Queens on the circuit. Always one of my favourite Soho pubs to visit on a night out.

J. M.

Drinks here were great and the show was even better. Coming from America where most performers lip sync, the live performance was an entirely new experience. While the atmosphere here makes it well worth a visit, it is important to remember the historical significance of this location as well. It was the scene of a bomb blast in 1999 that killed 3 and injured 70 and a turning point in what was described as a tempestuous relationship between the community and police.

s. p.

Really nice Bar Staff..Bit like the TARDIS inside as they manage to put on a Cabaret..My cold Guiness was perfect.I,m not Gay but my Boyfriend is.🤔..Anyway, the Admiral Duncan is never boring that,s for sure, even if some, and you know who you are, of the patrons can be..Mostly its a good relaxed vibe though..

E.

Nice vibe. The security agent(big, tall, black earrings, bearded) is amazing! There was a younger one who was REALLY BAD and actually haven't been there for a long time just bcoz of him! didn't see him for a while, so maybe they sent him home! Bar staff are nice, only the Asian guy seems not to like me and EVERY TIME I queue to buy a drink he serves all the people around me except me lol EVERY SINGLE TIME!! So it's definitely not a coincidence!

S. M.

I have been a regular at the Duncan for a number of years. However, I have to say the (less than amenable) current manager’s insistence that the door be left open - ‘because more people will come in’ - is infuriating. It speaks of not actually caring about the comfort of your clients. As a public servant myself - a doctor of 30 years standing - I resent this attitude. Disgraceful. No wonder it’s empty when it’s cold.

J. M.

I've been to The Duncan loads of times. The slightly steep prices cost it that 5th star but I love the atmosphere and never have a problem getting served (and I don't think that's just because of my looks and my skin tight tops). Bette's Boozy Thursdays are the highlight of the week there. I've never been to another bar that had the same great atmosphere, I find the others I've tried in the area (The Village and Ku Bar) just feel dull.

C. C.

Friendly LGBTQI+ bar in the beating heart of Soho, great atmosphere, really friendly staff with great entertainment.

J. M.

Fabulous little cute venue in the centre of soho. Great entertainment across the week. Super cheap drinks on a Monday from just £2.50. Will definitely be returning !

D. G.

Excellent for night out with friends friendly bar staff and always support LGBTQ 👍👍👍

B. D.

Good fun. Friendly Crowd.

M. C.

Had such a fun night tonight 😂😂

D. T.

Had a great Monday afternoon in here. Half price drinks made things go with a swing. Lovely friendly team behind the bar and a friendly crowd on the customer side

s. p.

Jack is so nice! Perfect place!!!

D. W.

Small and quirky little bar. Great friendly bar staff...entertainment nearly every night. Worth a visit

K. C.

Was pretty cool it is Monday afternoon. Not too busy but seemed cool while I was there. I had 3 guys buy me drink's before I even sat down.

w. g.

the admiral duncan is that delicate combination of good ole' boy pub and sleazy gay palace. i remember walking in one night and spotting an enormous gay skinhead who made eye contact with me, and immediately made a dash for me, picking me up off the floor like my 270 lb, 6'4" body was a toy. we had a drink and rode off into the london night on his motorcycle. this is the admiral duncan.

D. B.

Cracking venue, atmosphere was brilliant, everyone was having a fantastic time. Live was decent.

C. H.

Fun every day of the week. Friendly staff and amazing shows on daily... Monday's are great for karaoke

A. L.

Love the seats outside. Watch the world go by with a pint in your hand.

a. a.

Always a warm welcome, love Monday nights because its cheap drinks(limited selection though) Love this place.:-)

C. C.

Enjoyable and friendly most of the time. Find the security friendly aswell. Great atmosphere and great drinks at good prices.

p. d.

Always a lovely smile when i walk in. Nothing but Love

k.

Great range of Cabaret throughout the week & the drink prices are reasonable for London

L. M.

Fabulous pub. Great entertainment, lovely staff and a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere

R. E.

Good friendly atmosphere. Disappointingly narrow and crowded. Difficult to enjoy entertainment

D. A.

A gem of a place whether your straight or not,,a good comfortable warm bar and cabaret to njoy..

m. F.

Well known lbtg pub. Don't be offended by men kissing or a bag check as both will happen.

L. L.

Lively atmosphere busy small pub very welcoming whatever age or sex

A. R.

Really friendly stuff

N. E.

Funny weird odd pub but friendly atmosphere staff and people

Z. P.

Nice place for drink

E. C.

Lively bar with nightly entertainment ,always something going on on small stage.

D. C.

While Ive not been there much its a Soho classic bar and is part of the gay community.

J. J. H.

Nice old atmosphere, friendly staff and nice drag show

N. M.

Great place, very small, very busy! Friendly open clientele and good service.

D. W.

good atmosphere ...can wait a while to be served and very crowded....always check your change ...

L. B.

Great atmosphere, at busy times your like a sardine in a tin

W. J.

Great atmosphere, good service, have been back a few times, always amazing

J. D.

Traditional pub atmosphere, older crowd, good for a brew

C. L.

My favourite bar in london. Love this place

E. A.

Cabaret 7 nights a week for free and a lovely atmosphere.

A. W.

A great night out for entertainment and live performances!

P. P.

Brilliant bar will definitely be coming back

R. K.

Great Soho pub - fantastic management et al. Barbosa Cpt. X

T. W.

What a great place in the beating heart of Soho a must for any traveller

J. C.

Amazing Monday Karaoke and Drinks

D. B.

Lovely pub with a great atmosphere

A. T.

Great friendly central Soho bar , with friendly and efficient staff .

R. T.

Always packed at peak times, better off peak.

S. H.

I. Gay. .man. St. 1999

C. G.

Fun times and the staff were fun

A. N.

Great pub with a bit of history...

w. e. (.

Great pub with a lot of event

J. F. -. B.

Always with you 30th April 1999

P. H.

Nice staff and great place to watch the world go by

M. H.

Great bar in SOHO

S. P.

Looks good

s. w.

Not my scene but ok

S. G.

Fun gay pub.

J. N.

Nice crowd at night

A. P.

Tiny but enjoyable.

P. B.

Good place for drinking

M.

Really like it!

A. Q.

Really good atmosphere....

M. G.

I loved the atmosphere

J. F.

Nice and funny place

D. W.

All day every day

S. B.

OK

A. c.

great time

J. M.

We’ve been a regular customer at this iconic gay bar for a good few years now. Great vibe, great entertainment and the bar staff are top drawer, especially Tom, Warren and Jabbey.

a. m.

Amazing bar. It's at the heart of Soho, amazing live drag shows. Brilliant atmosphere, great team who are very welcoming and friendly. Highly recommend it.

J. F.

Great friendly venue with amazing acts an electric good time feel! Staff are friendly, attentive and make you feel at home. Always love my visits to the Admiral Duncan.

A. A.

I absolutely loved it here! The staff are so nice and make your night so much fun! Can’t wait to come back x

A. A.

(Translated) Nice typical English pub with a large beer selection. You can eat well in a nice atmosphere. (Original) Fajny , typowy angielski pub , duży wybór piwa . Można dobrze zjeść w milej atmosferze .

N. R.

(Translated) A nice bar to take the aperitif, customers mixed age, easy discussion, a nice digital jukebox too .. We did not test the shows in the evening (Original) Un bar sympa pour prendre l apero, clientele d age melangé, discussion facile, un jukebox numerique sympa aussi.. Nous n avons pas testé les shows en soirée

A. T. L. (. T. L.

(Translated) Typical London local prices. (Original) Prețuri tipic localuri londoneze.

S. H.

(Translated) Steve haniff for Guyana good luck (Original) Steve haniff for Guyana good luck

R. G.

(Translated) Nice pub (Original) Pub sympa

D. H.

M. G.

M. G. P.

R. H.

S. G.

C. T.

V. J.

F. T.

J. M.

R. B.

J. M.

c. w.

C. N.

C. H.

I. d. C.

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