12 Gay Bars in Hell’s Kitchen

Hell’s Kitchen has one of the most significant concentrations of LGBTQIA people in New York City. The neighborhood was elected one of the most gay-friendly by a Census promoted by Localize.City in 2018. In the 80s and 90s, HK went through a drastic transformation, welcoming new Broadway theaters, actors studios, and LGBTQ-owned establishments. Nowadays, the area is a prominent destination for queer people. 

We listed all the 12 gay bars and clubs you will find in the Hell’s Kitchen, NY: Industry, The Q, Hush, Ritz, Laurie Beechman, The Spot, Atlas Social Club, DBL, Flaming Saddles Saloon, Hardware, Posh, and Rise - you will find more information about each one of them below on this post.

What to expect from gay bars in Hell’s Kitchen?

Hell’s Kitchen is known for its dance clubs, such as Industry, Hardware, and Ritz. The neighborhood has some of the best gay bars in New York City to watch drag queens giving their best. You can also find dive bars with cheap drinks and even a country queer bar! Because of its location, right next to Times Square, the crowd is very mixed with locals and tourists from everywhere. 

What is the best gay bar to hang out in Hell’s Kitchen?

We have a few options! Industry is probably the most famous bar in Hell’s Kitchen, along with Hardware. Those are both great places to see a drag queen show and enjoy a dancing night after. DBL has cheap drinks, and Flaming Saddles Salon is undoubtedly one of the unique queer spots in NYC. 

Gay Pub Crawl in Hell’s Kitchen

Get your sparkling shoes ready for a pub crawl in Hell’s Kitchen! There are so many bar options in the neighborhood that you should be visiting more than one bar on the same night. To help you with that, we created a map with all LGBTQ+ bars in Hell’s Kitchen! You can click here to save it on your phone!

How to get to Hell’s Kitchen?

The neighborhood is easily accessible by train, thanks to Times Square! You can get any of those lines: 1, 2, 3, 7, A, E, N, and Q.

Hell’s Kitchen Gay Bars Information: 

To avoid creating an endless page and getting you exhausted, we gathered only the main information of each bar. So, if you want to know more about their history, vibe, dress code, and watch videos so you can have an idea of where you’re going, please click on their names, and you will find everything you need! 

Industry

Location: 355 W 52nd St, New York
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Opening Hours: 5 PM-4 AM
Website | Instagram
Menu Price: $$

Industrial-style gay bar and lounge, where you can see famous drag queens performing and enjoy a night of dancing and flirting. The whole bar gets really crowded over the weekend, and you might face a waiting line outside. Is it worth it? Yes. 

Industry was opened in 2010 by Bob Pontarelli and Stephen Heighton. The bar design is based on Berghain, a famous nightclub in Berlin.  Iconic drag queens had their shows at Industry before they got into RuPaul's Drag Race, like Bob The Drag Queen, Miz Cracker, Tina Burner, and Monét X Change. Read More!

Hardware

Location: 697 10th Ave, New York
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Opening Hours: 2 PM-4 AM 
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Phone number: (212) 924-9885 
Menu Price: $$ 

Hardware is a Hell's Kitchen’s classic. They have a small stage and seating area in the back, where most of the drag queens from RuPaul's Drag Race performed before they got famous. They also have energetic parties happening on their dancefloor. And the Hardware's crowd is not afraid of dancing!

The bar has been around since 2012, which says a lot about a business in New York City. Read More!

Rise

Location: 859 9th Ave, New York
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Opening Hours: Monday thru Thursday 4 PM - 2 AM, Friday thru Sunday 3 PM - 4 AM.
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Phone number: (646) 892-3313
Menu Price: $$

It can get super packed, but the music, dancing, and drag queens line-up are always on point! Rise has been around for over six years, and it's one of the most popular gay bars in Hell's Kitchen for a reason. 

The bar was opened in 2015 by Ted Arenas, John Blair, and Beto Sutter, who recently opened another bar in Hell's Kitchen. Read More!

Flaming Saddles Salon

Location: 793 9th Avenue, between 52nd W 53rd St, New York
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Opening Hours: Monday thru Friday 3 PM - 4 AM, Saturday and Sunday 2 PM - 4 AM.
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Phone number: (212) 713-0481 
Menu Price: $$ - Cash Only

A cowboy-themed gay bar in the middle of New York City. It's like Trixie Mattel, Orville Peck, Dolly Parton, and Shania Twain were hanging out together. The drinks are relatively cheap, the bartenders are dancing in the bar, and the patrons are always having a good time. 

Jacqui Squatriglia and Chris Barnes, a straight couple, decided to open a gay country bar in 2011, inspired by the movie Coyote Ugly. Flaming Saddles was born, and soon, it was getting a lot of attention in Hell's Kitchen. Read More!

The Q

Location: 795 8th Ave, New York
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Opening Hours: Sunday thru Wednesday 5 PM-2 AM, Thursday thru Saturday 5 PM-4 AM
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Menu Price: $$$

The Q opened in June 2021, after getting a lot of buzz thanks to its concept - a multi-floor bar with different theme rooms - and its investors - Billy Porter, Zachary Quinto, Charlie Carver, and Jake Shears gay icons in New York City. The bar has a great line-up of drag queen shows and a good rotation of guest DJs. They also promote cruising nights for those looking for something spicier. 

The bar concept was created by Frankie Sharp, a famous event producer in New York City, and his business partners, Boxers co-owner Bob Fluet and party promoter Alan Picus. The building where The Q is located has four stories and five different rooms, with varying entertainment options. Read More!

Ritz

Location: 369 W 46th St, New York
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Opening Hours: Monday thru Saturday 4 PM-4 AM, Sunday 3 PM-4 AM
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Phone number: (212) 333-4177 
Menu Price: $$

The Ritz Bar and Lounge is where you go to get sweaty from dancing. It has two bars, a backyard patio, and a street-facing patio. You can listen to dance and house upstairs, where things tend to get a little bit naughtier, or enjoy a drag queen show downstairs in a very crowded dance floor. 

This nautical-themed club docked on Restaurant Row (West 46th Street) has been around for longer than most gay bars in Hell's Kitchen. Read More!

Hush

Location: 348 W 52nd St, New York
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Opening Hours:  Sunday thru Wednesday 5 PM-2 AM, Thursday thru Saturday 5 PM-4 AM
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Phone number: (917) 299-8800
Menu Price: $$

Hush is a new addition to Hell's Kitchen. They opened their doors in November 2021, keeping the essence of its ancestor, Therapy. They have great drag queen shows and dance parties. At the end of the day, that's all that you should expect from a gay club in Hell's Kitchen. 

The bar is owned by Bob Fluet, co-owner of the Q, and partner Rob Hynds. The Artist and Filmmaker Jasin Cadic was responsible for designing the space. Read More!

The Spot

Location: 599 10th Ave, New York
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Opening Hours: Monday thru Friday 4 PM-2 AM, Saturday and Sunday 3 PM-2 AM.  
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Phone number: (917) 675-7403
Menu Price: $$

This is a new addition to the Hell's Kitchen Gay Bars Hall of Fame! The Spot opened in July 2021, and the reviews are good so far. The good thing about this place is the happy hours and the Sunday drag brunch. 

The Spot is brought to you by the owners of Rise, Ted Arenas, and John Blair. They were planning to open the bar back in 2020, but unfortunately, there were several issues with the Community Board. Read More!

Atlas Social Club

Location: 753 9th Ave, New York
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Opening Hours: 4 PM-4 AM
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Phone number: (212) 262-8527
Menu Price: $$

It's a regular gay bar in Hell's Kitchen, which means that you'll probably find what you want or need to have a fun night out with friends. Some nights they host drag queen shows; on others, you might enjoy some male dancers. 

Atlas Social Club was opened in 2013 by four different owners from four different places in the world: Benjamin Maisani from France, Pablo Raimondi, Argentina, Asi Mazar, Israel, and Josh Wood from Illinois. At that time, ASC got a lot of publicity thanks to Benjamin Maisani, who used to date the journalist Anderson Cooper. Read More!

DBL

Location: 667 10th Ave, New York
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Opening Hours: Monday thru Wednesday 3 PM-2 AM, Thursday thru Sunday 3 PM-4 AM 
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Phone number: +16467565230
Menu Price: $

The name stands for Dive Bar Lounge, and that's what you get. The drinks are cheap, compared to other bars in the neighborhood. The atmosphere is fun, but the place can get crowded, and you'll have to wait for a while until a server shows up to take your order. 

DBL is co-owned by Richie Friendly, who was once considered the new mayor of Hell's Kitchen. He is also the owner of Mr. Biggs, and Mickey Spillane's, and used to operate Bottoms Up and Vodka Soda, which closed during the pandemic. Read More!

The Laurie Beechman Theatre

Location: 407 W 42nd St, New York
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Opening Hours: Monday thru Sunday 12 PM-4 PM, 8 PM-10 PM 
Website | Instagram
Menu Price: $$$

The Laurie Beechman Theatre is located downstairs in the West Bank Cafe, and it's one of the main venues for cabaret shows and subversive shows in New York City. The space can feel cramped, and the menu is pricey. Still, a great spot to watch your favorite drag queen performing. 

Steve Olsen, the owner of the West Bank Cafe, opened the theater in 1983 to welcome jazz entertainers and cabaret performances. Over the years, the theater started staging plays and comedy shows. More than 1,500 one-act plays have been performed at the theater. In 1988, the theater was renamed to pay tribute to Laurie Hope Beechman, a famous actress and singer who died in that year after fighting against ovarian cancer. Beechman was in the original production of Annie in 1977, and she was also the first Grizabella in Cats in 1983. Read More!

Posh Bar & Lounge

Location: 405 W 51st St, New York
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Opening Hours: Posh closed during the pandemic, and it's planning to reopen soon.  
Website | Instagram
Phone number: (212) 957-2222
Menu Price: $$ 

Posh is a casual bar with great happy hour deals during the day and then turns into a dance club after 11 PM. Yes, the space is small, but the music and the atmosphere are friendly and fun! You will notice a lot of mature men hanging out in the bar, which also attracts a lot of tourists. 

Opened in 1998, the bar is the first and original gay bar in Hell's Kitchen. At the time, Hell's Kitchen was a sketchy area in New York City, ruled by organized crime. Tom Greco, the founder of Posh, decided to take a chance in the neighborhood, opening an affordable gay club close enough to Times Square. 

In the late 90s, most gay bars were in Chelsea, a neighborhood that suffered with gentrification followed by rental spike. That’s when Posh started the transition of the gay nightlife to Hell's Kitchen. Read More!