London The West End

Absolut Icebar, 31-33 Heddon St. (020 7478 8910; www.absoluticebarlondon.com) This bar is absurd in the best way possible—the way where everything is made out of ice imported from the Torne River in Sweden. Located in the former wine vault for the monarchy, Absolut Icebar is the perfect place to escape all that British..er, cold. Before entering the hip, "cool" bar, visitors are given designer thermal wear. Each stay is 40 minutes, during which time you drink as much as possible so you don't feel your face as it slowly freezes off. All drinks are served in glasses made of ice. Chipping ice off the wall and into your drink is frowned upon. Highly. Piccadilly Circus. Turn left onto Regent St. and left onto Heddon St. Tickets include first vodka cocktail. Refills £6. Reserve for weekends around 2 weeks in advance. Reservations are taken up to 28 days in advance. M-W £13.50 (£12.50 if booked in advance), Th until 6:30pm £13.50 (£12.50 if booked in advance), Th night-Sa £15, Th-Sa all day £16 without reservation, Su £13.50 (£12.50 if booked in advance). Open M-W 3:30-11pm, Th 3:30-11:45pm, F noon-1:15am, Sa 12:30pm-1:15am, Su 3:30-11pm. Last entry 45min. before close. DJs F and Sa from around 8pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.

Gordon's Wine Bar 47 Villiers St. (020 7930 1408; www.gordonswinebar.com ) Once down the narrow staircase visitors come upon what looks like a cave. Bottles draped in melted wax and rough, irregularly sloping walls lit by flickering candles fill the space between people sharing bottles of wine from around the world. Out on Watergate Walk, winos sip the fine wines of London's oldest wine bar if the weather permits. Charing Cross. Upon exiting, turn 180 degrees and go down Villiers. Wine £16-17 per bottle, around £4.50 per glass. Hot meals £9-11, items from the grill are around £6.65. Open M-Sa 10am-11pm, Su noon-10pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.

Freud, 198 Shaftesbury ( 020 7240 9933 ;www.freudliving.com) You wouldn't find Freud unless you were looking for it. With original art decorating the otherwise spare space, Freud is a study in successful understatement. The young and hip come to Freud and get a seat wherever they can, enjoying the reasonably priced drinks. Piccadilly Circus. Exit with Haymarket on your right and Regent to your left. turn right around the triangular intersection and right at Shaftesbury. Credit card min. £10. Beer £3.15-3.65. Mixed drinks £5.55-6.50 on average. Open M-Sa 11am-11pm, Su noon-10:30pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.

Ku,25 Frith St. (020 7287 7986; www.ku-bar.com) A more relaxed alternative to some of the more pulsing gay clubs on the Soho scene, Ku serves up well-priced drinks with a friendly staff. Located above the bar is the gay tourist office (open daily noon-6pm), providing tips for gay travelers. A comfortable and fun bar (and accompanying club downstairs) with a good heart, Ku is the place to be. Tottenham Court Road. Turn left onto Oxford St., turn left onto Soho St., left around Soho Sq., left onto Frith St. Free Wi-Fi. Single+mixer £3.50, double shot+mixer £6. Pints £3.50. Bar open daily noon-midnight. Nightclub open daily 7pm-midnight. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.

Cafe Pacifica 5 Langley St. ( 020 7379 7728 ; www.cafepacifico-laperla.com ) Though at first glance Cafe Pacifica may seem a typical Mexican restaurant, its 130 varieties of tequila beg to differ. Though you have to order food to drink, the atmosphere is pleasant, with light Latin music piping through the speakers and classic Mexican entrees like enchiladas. If you're feeling like a real taste in exorbitant spending, pick up a shot of the Cuervo Coleccion (£125). If you buy it, you'll get your name on a board in the restaurant and also possibly on the IRS's auditing list. Covent Garden. Left on Long Acre, right on Langley. Shots of tequila £3-15. Enchiladas around £9.50. Open M-Sa noon-11:45pm, Su noon-10:45pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.

LAB, 12 Old Compton ( 020 7437 7820 ;www.labbaruk.com ) LAB, which is short for the London Academy of Bartenders, is known for its bartenders, who compete as drink makers, sometimes internationally. When off the circuit, they serve up affordable cocktails that fill up 32 pages of a menu. With drinks ranging from the Aviation (Plymouth gin, maraschino liqueur shaken hard with freshly squeezed lemon juice, served straight up with a cherry £7) to the Hemmingway Daiquiri, Death in the Afternoon, and the playful Satan's Whiskers, LAB does it all in a pleasant, retro 70s bar space. Tottenham Court Road. Turn right down Charing Cross Rd. and turn right on Old Compton St. Most cocktails £7-7.50. Open M-Sa 4pm-midnight, Su 4-10:30pm. Table service downstairs Th-Sa. DJs W-Sa 8pm-midnight. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.

The Edge, 11 Soho Sq. (020 7439 1313; www.edgesoho.co.uk)) With four floors, The Edge is a full clubbing experience. Disco balls and a crazy light-changing chandelier that looks like an exploding atom decorate the space. The first floor has a quieter lounge bar filled with couches. The second floor is the al fresco lounge, serving up massages every night where the recipient pays however much he or she feels it's worth. The third floor has fake trees with climbing blue lights and a dance floor with tiles that change color. Tottenham Court Road. Turn left onto Oxford St., turn left onto Soho St., Edge is on your right. Pints £3. Open M-Sa noon-1am, Su noon-10:30pm. Dance floor open F-Sa 8pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. GLBT.

Thirst, 53 Greek St. ( 020 7437 1977 ;www.thirstbar.com) A hip, spare space where the music's always funky and it's always either "Stupid" hour, where the drinks are almost half price, or happy hour (the two never coincide, so ignorance is never bliss). Thirst is stylish with its candles, spray-painted signs and stainless steel tables. Ask for a student discount. Dancing is downstairs whenever your feet start to move uncontrollably. Tottenham Court Road. Turn left onto Oxford St., turn left onto Soho St., left around Soho Sq., left onto Greek St. Credit card min. £10. "Stupid" prices are £4.25-4.50, "happy" are around £6, "normal" £8. Open daiiy 5pm-3am. Stupid hour 5-7:30pm daily. Happy hour M-W 7:30pm-3am, Th-Su 7:30-10:30pm. Downstairs bar open Th-Sa, as well as busy nights. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.

Soho Village, 81 Wardour St. (020 7434 2124; www.village-soho.co.uk) Walking down Wardour St., it's hard to miss Soho Village, even if you aren't looking for it. A typical night has crowds of giggling spectators of all sexual orientations whose faces are lit by occasional flashes of light in time to pulsing music. Inside, "Gogo Boys" (Th-Sa from 8pm) might be dancing on platforms, and hot and sweaty dancers abound. Down the steel staircase is another dance floor, bordered by cool blue-lit booths, where people of all sexual orientations come to have a good time. Though the club is primarily gay, it is definitely straight-friendly. Tottenham Court Road. Turn down Oxford St. with your back to Tottenham Court Road, turn left onto Wardour St. Open M-Sa 4pm-1am, Su 4-11:30pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.

Profile, 84-86 Wardour St. (020 7734 3444; www.profilesoho.com) With one of the brightest yellow interiors in Soho, Profile practically screams good time. Serving up American diner food and providing events like Bingo at 6pm on Sundays and psychic Sundays on off-bingo weeks (get your fortune read!), Profile is a great GLBT bar. Downstairs is the cleverly-titled Low Profile, the bar's corresponding nightclub. Tottenham Court Road. Turn down Oxford St. with your back to Tottenham Court Road, turn left onto Wardour St. Mixed drinks £6-7. Beer £3.50. Profile M-Sa 11am-11pm, Su 11am-10:30pm. Low Profile T 10:30pm-2am, F-Sa 10:30pm-4am. Bar closes at 3am. DJs upstairs F 7pm, Sa 8pm. Happy hour at Profile daily 5-7pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. GLBT.

Bar Rumba, 36 Shaftesbury Ave. (020 7287 6933; www.barrumbadisco.co.uk) Boasting a very young crowd, Bar Rumba is one of the more popular clubs in the area. In a spare space with low ceilings, booths, and tables, the dance floor is where all the action takes place among the flashing lights and young crowd. Watch out for the long queue, though! Themed Saturdays are advertised on the website, and if you dress in theme you get in free. Check the website for details. Piccadilly Circus. Turn left onto Great Windmill St. and follow it to Shaftesbury Ave. Credit card min. £10. Up until 10:30pm guys get in for £5, girls get in free. 10:30-11:30pm, guys £10, girls £5. After 11:30pm, everyone £10. Cash only for cover. Open daily 8:30pm-3am. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.

22 Below 22 Great Marlborough (020 7437 4106; www.22below.co.uk) A simple bar in every way, 22 below is, appropriately, in the basement of the 22nd building on Great Marlborough St. Seasonal themes dominate the decoration, but the space is small, bright, and relaxed. The drinks menu includes award winning recipes, and many of the drinks are associated with authors. The Thai Sorbet (£8.50) nearly won the Bacardi Capital Cocktail Competition, so drink it slow. Oxford Circus. Turn left onto Regent St., left onto Great Marlborough St. Cocktails £7.50-8.50. Open M-F 5pm-midnight, Sa 7pm-midnight. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.

G-A-Y Bar, 30 Old Compton St. (020 7494 2756; www.g-a-y.co.uk) Bringing in an eccentric and eclectic clientele, G-A-Y Bar serves up cheap drinks and loud chart music throughout the whole space. Decked out with tons of TVs embedded in the walls, pink walls and just the right number of flashing lights, G-A-Y is a solid bar. Tottenham Court Road. Turn right down Charing Cross Rd. and turn right on Old Compton St. Some drinks available for £1.59 M-F noon-8pm. M-Th and Su noon-midnight house, red, or white wine is £1.60. Open daily noon-midnight. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. GLBT.

Alphabet 61-63 Beak St. ( 020 7439 2190 ; alphabet@a3bars.com ) Alphabet is the kind of pub that can mix soul, funk, top forty and Frank Sinatra without it seeming incongruous. Between the stylish decor, the sharing boards of meat and cheese, and the graffiti-covered walls, Alphabet covers "stylish" from several different angles, and its customers are all the better for it. The downstairs area is spacious and replete with leather couches and stools. As you descend, heed the wall's warning to "Mind yer bloody head!!" Oxford Circus. Left down Regent St., left onto Beak St. Credit card min. £5. Mixed drinks £6.50. Entrees £8-8.20. Shooters £3.60. Pints £4. Open M-Sa noon-11pm. Kitchen open noon-9pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.

Madame Jojo's 8-10 Brewer St. ( 020 7734 3040; www.madamejojos.com) Built on the cabaret and live entertainment traditions of yore, Madame Jojo's is not your average club. Every night begins with some form of entertainment before the cabaret tables disappear and the dance floor gets hopping. Dress is smart casual, music is smoking and, when the curtain goes down, the dancing begins. Piccadilly Circus. Go down Shaftesbury and turn left on Wardour St., turn left on Brewer St. Sometimes cover is cash only. Tu is indie night (which is also pretty much a student night). Show finishes around 9:30, and then club night begins with DJs. F is northern soul and funk. Sa is 1950s rockabilly and drive. Su is Latin, house, and bebop. W is Trannyshack night, aimed at the transgender community. Tickets £10-52.50 depending on event, so check website. Single measure spirits+mixer, bottles of beer and glasses of the house red or white £4.50. Open daily 7pm-3am. 7-9pm is live music, burlesque, comedy, magic, or variety show. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.

Candy Bar, 4 Carlisle St. ( 020 7287 5041; www.candybarsoho.co.uk) Though open only to women and their male friends, Candy Bar is otherwise a pretty standard bar. There are occasional student nights featuring a student DJ and a female pole dancer every other week on Friday or Saturday around 10pm (check online). Karaoke happens on Tuesdays and open mikes will be on Thursdays. Tottenham Court Road. Turn onto Oxford St. with your back to Tottenham Court Rd, turn left onto Dean St. Credit card min. £5. M-Th and Su 20% off everything: mixed drinks become £5. Pints £3.30. Mixed drinks average £7. Open daily noon-3am. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. GLBT.

Escape Dance Bar, 10a Brewer St. (020 7734 2626; www.escapesoho.co.uk) This stylish gay bar has a wide open dance floor with flashing lights and wallpaper with horses on them. Speakers with excellent quality sound thump out hits from the charts, and, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, karaoke reinterpretations of said tunes. Piccadilly Circus. Go down Shaftesbury and turn left on Wardour St., turn left on Brewer St. Credit card surcharge £.50. Pint of Stella £2. Other pints around £3.80. Open M-Sa 5pm-3am. Karaoke W 8pm-midnight, Sa 5-8pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. GLBT.

The Chandos, 60 Chandos Pl. (020 7836 1401) A classic, Sam Smith's pub near Trafalgar Square, the Chandos is a welcome change from the bar and club culture of the West End. Welcoming guests graciously into its open space, The Chandos has booths that are very secluded, and which keep visitors bathed in colored light from the stained glass that looks out onto the street. It also boasts some of the cheapest pints in town. Charing Cross. Turn left onto Strand, right onto St. Martin’s Ln. and right onto William IV St. Credit card min. £5. Pints £2. Burgers £4.50-5. Entrees £6-6.30. Open M-Sa 11am-11:30pm, Su noon-10:30pm. Kitchen open M-Sa 11am-7pm, Su noon-7pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.

Box Cafe Bar, 32-34 Monmouth St. (020 7240 5828; www.boxbar.com ) This gay-friendly bar has a very mixed crowd. Decorated with glittering paintings of stars such as Marilyn Monroe and lit by orange, blue and green hanging lights, The Box Cafe Bar is an exciting and friendly place to drink. They have a different promotion every day, so check ahead to find out how you can save! Covent Garden. Turn left onto James St., left on Long Acre. Turn right onto Upper Mercer St. and then left onto Monmouth. Free Wi-Fi with purchase. Average pint £3.50-3.80. Open M-Th noon-11pm. F-Sa noon-midnight, Su noon-11pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet. GLBT-friendly. Serves alcohol.

Dog and Duck, 18 Bateman St. ( 020 7494 0697) Formerly one of George Orwell's favorite pubs, the Dog and Duck is a standard pub in the middle of Soho's otherwise off-the-wall nightlife scene. The interior is decorated with elaborate mirrors, and every Thursday night from 5-10pm is Sausage night, with sausage and mash and a beer(£8). Tottenham Court Road. Turn down Oxford St. with your back to Tottenham Court Road, turn left onto Soho St., right around Soho Sq. and right onto Frith St. and right onto Bateman St. Pints £3-3.50. Open M-Th 10am-11pm, F-Sa 10am-11:30pm, Su noon-10:30pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.