Granted, I did not grow up in London, so I don't know what the Coleherne use to be...That said, I did visit the bar on my last trip to London (January 2008). I visited the bar on Sunday evening and ten days later on a Wednesday evening. Both times, I found the bar to be full and lively.

In terms of men, I agree with the later reveiw, it was mixed bag of men: all ages and styles. Although I like older men and bears, when I go out I'm not looking for a homogenous crowd, so the Colorherne was right up my alley. Still, there were plenty of older guys and bears to chat up. I found most the men at the bar, and the staff, a friendly lot.

Geez, it's a pub. I don't know how to do a critique on beers, but I can say that the bartenders know how to pull a Guinness and the Stella was delicious. I did take note that the bar runs specials during the weekdays on spirits during the early hours. I think that most of the men I spoke with would not care whether they could get a "real ale".

Overall, the atmosphere was not loud in terms of style or music. The Sunday night I was there was karoke night, so all the guys were up having fun doing their thing. On Wedneday night, it was some techno music, not to fetching in terms of music, but not played at an ear splitting level, so I could enjoy my pint and talk to the men around me without having to shout or say, "WHAT?".

My one critique of the bar has to be directed at the loo. I took a leak and one of the--not so clean--urinals had a bucket underneath to catch...whatever. The bucket was still there, and the loo was still just as dirty, ten days later. It seems like a plummer and a mop would be in good order for the loo.

That one critique aside, I would recommend the pub. Nice folks, great location, and a plesant atmosphere make for a nice gay pub experience. Cheers!

Very tragic that this once great pub has been hijacked by the waves of mincing queens determined to take over the whole of the gay scene. You now are more likely to see guys standing in a number 3 ballet position sipping bacardi breezers than REAL men looking to meet other REAL men. as a 45 yo gay man who came out and grew up in the good old days of Earls Court I am saddened to say that this pub is not a patch on what it once was. My suggestion is stay on the tube and jump off at London Bridge station, make your way to XXL, Its everything that the Colehole should be.

The Coleherne can lay claim to being the most famous gay pub in the UK: it features in Armistead Maupin's book 'Babycakes' and, rather more chillingly, it was cited as a stalking ground for the serial killers Dennis Nilsen and Colin Ireland.

It's certainly one of the oldest gay pubs in the UK, as it's been going for over 30 years. For most of that time it was a traditional pub, smoky and atmospheric, and popular with the leather-and-denim crowd.

About 10 years ago it had a major refit, resulting in a cavernous interior in the 'international industrial' style. That's since been toned down a bit, and it's become more of a regular gay bar, with thumping techno and the like. There's no real ale any more, and the service is very variable - oddly, it seems better when they are busier.

The crowd now is also more mixed, both in dress and age range, and many punters move on to the nearby Brompton's club towards closing time.

The Coleherne gets busy towards the week-ends, and is very cruisy. Fine if that's your thing, but not the place for a quiet drink if you're a bit shy...