Lesbian Travel Guide
Any lesbian will tell you that most conventional gay scenes are underdeveloped for girls who like girls. While most major cities have at least a bar or two specifically for lesbians, the dyke scene is often plagued with changing venues or a lack of adequate information. Fear not, ladies! Our Lesbian Travel Guide will give you the down-low on the hottest spots around the world for girl travel.
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Though the “Venice of Northern Europe” is developed most highly for gay men, there are a few lesbian venues. Girls can head to Saarein, the most popular lesbian bar in the city. Vive la Vie, a chic Art Deco bar and lounge, is a crowded alternative. Hospitality is generously doled out at Xaviera’s, run by a bisexual, bestselling author who was quite familiar with the Red Light district in her early days. You won’t want to leave the guesthouse, you’ll be so enthralled with her stories. For something female-only, snuggle up at Johanna’s B&B or at the more upscale Liliane’s Home. |
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Lesbian havens come in surprising places, and the Atlanta suburb of Decatur is one of them. Nicknamed “Dykecatur,” it is one of the most sought-after lesbian enclaves in America. My Sister’s Room is a kitschy lesbo-bar and danceclub, one of the most unique in the country. Indigo Girls fans will want to dine at the Watershed, partially owned by Emily Saliers. If you’re lucky, she just might be your server one night! Regardless, the authentic southern menu is nationally renowned. In nearby Candler Park, The Flying Biscuit Café is a lesbian-owned dive serving breakfast all day, light lunch fare, and gourmet dinners. They’ve become so popular that a second location has opened up in Atlanta’s midtown. Strangely enough, the Publix grocery store in midtown is thronging with lesbians thumping watermelons and squashes and eyeing each other just as carefully. The once-famous Above the Clouds lesbian B&B is no longer operating, but an alternate choice in the same quaint mountain village an hour north of Decatur is the Mountain Laurel Creek B&B and Day Spa, a gay-owned hostelry tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains. In Atlanta, check into the Gaslight Inn, a gay-owned historic mansion. |
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It’s the largest city in Europe (area-wise, anyway) and it never goes to sleep. And it’s waiting for you! Lesbians in Berlin flock to two popular café/bar, Begine, and Schoko in the Kreuzberg district. Mudd Club is a dyke disco that packs in the girls. Artimesia is a womyn-only hotel, close to the subway. (And in a city this big, that’s a very good thing!) |
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Boston serves as an urban mecca for lesbians in the New England area, including the uber-dyke girl-college towns of Northampton and Cambridge. It’s also the gateway for the lesbian super-destination of Provincetown. An organization called Circuit Girl regularly hosts events in both Boston and P-Town. Their busiest season is summer, but check their website for special events. The Ecko Lounge is Boston’s best karaoke bar. It’s in Chinatown, and lesbians make up a majority of the crowd on Saturday nights. The Delux Café and Lounge in the South End is also a popular dyke hangout. Club is a mainstream gay bar which attracts its share of lesbians. Over in Cambridge, CityGirl Caffe serves up tasty meals to an adoring crowd of ladies. Rest your head at the Charles Street Inn, an intimate lesbian-owned guesthouse with 6 rooms which are sumptuously decorated. |
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The Windy City has quite a few spots to cozy up with the ladies, and with that frigid winter wind coming off the lake, you’ll want to! Star Gaze is a lesbian bar in Andersonville, Chicago’s emerging low-key gay district. It’s the most popular and reliable hangout spot for ladies. Girls also flock to The Closet, also in Andersonville, as well as Lost and Found. ChixMix Productions hosts lesbian parties every few weeks at venues across town, primarily Club @tmosphere. Club Berlin , one of the hottest dance scenes in the northern US, hosts Women’s Obsession every Wednesday night. For a refreshingly different atmosphere, hit the monthly Mountain Moving , a womyn-only coffeehouse and folk music event. For fine dining, check out Tomboy, a lesbian-owned restaurant in Andersonville. Their highly-acclaimed eclectic American fare is so popular, you might not get in without a reservation. She She, developed by the same lesbians, has legendary martinis, and serves a popular Sunday brunch. For a lesbian-owned snoozery, try A Sister’s Place. The Villa Toscana is Chicago’s most famous gay hostelry, but you’ll be sharing it with boys. The Best Western Hawthorne Terrace is right in the center of Andersonville and usually has a high percentage of lesbian guests. Women and Children First is a feminist bookstore that often hosts lesbian events. |
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The D in “Big D” might as well stand for Dyke, because Dallas is full of them! Sip your fill at Sue Ellen’s, named for J.R. Ewing’s wife on the hit TV series Dallas. It’s the mainstream dyke hangout. For a cozier atmosphere, head to Buddies II. For a little two-steppin’ there’s no better place than the Roundup Saloon. The guys outnumber the girls here, but it still has the best country-western lesbian dance scene in Texas. When it’s time to dine, try Buli, a gay-owned but lesbian-run café and coffeehouse. For a more substantial meal, The Bronx draws a large lesbian following with its eclectic American menu and popular Sunday brunch. Rest your head at The Melrose, a gracious old hotel just steps from the gay district. |
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Most people have never heard of this tiny Ozark Mountain village in northwestern Arkansas. That may be exactly why it’s such a popular destination for lesbians. Heralded as “the place where misfits fit,” this little historic hamlet filled with gingerbread houses and quaint art galleries boasts no fewer than six gay-owned guesthouses (two of which are lesbian) and a gay church. The Candlestick Cottage Inn beckons with its Victoria charm, and you can walk to the shops in downtown, just a few steps away. The Pond Mountain Lodge and Resort is also lesbian-owned, and sits just outside the village, proving authentic mountain getaways. Eureka Springs is more about relaxation and shopping than clubbing, but lesbians congregate with gay men at Celebrity Club, Chelsea’s Corner Café, and the Center Street Bar and Grille. The Emerald Rainbow is a gay and lesbian curiosity shop, specializing in hand-made incense. |
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It’s that little slice of paradise way down at the tip of the islands of southern Florida. Key West is funky, friendly, and warm and sunny all year-round. Known as a legendary escape for gay men, Key West does have a few lesbian hideaways. Pearl’s Rainbow is a womyn-only Bed and Breakfast complete with pool and hot tub. If you happen to be staying somewhere else, Pearl’s Patio, at the B&B, is the island’s only lesbian hangout. Late at night, girls gather at the mixed club Aqua. Camille’s is the place to dine, with its naughty décor and menu quotes which liken their dining experience to something under-the-covers. Camille’s is where everyone meets for breakfast, and enjoys adventuresome dinner fare. Around the first of October, check out Women’s Fest, something of a lesbian circuit party. |
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London is where it’s at. There are so many dyke bars, girl parties, and womyn’s events, it’ll have your head spinning in no time. Candy Bar is the end-all-be-all place to be for chicks in London. It’s smack in the middle of Soho, and has been London’s most popular lesbian hangout for nearly eight years, and was the UK’s first all-girl-every-night bar. It’s still just as popular (though boys are welcome even without a female escort these days), and very trendy and stylish. For something a little lower-key, check out Blush, a large bar and beergarden with live music, comedy nights, karaoke, and a massively popular Sunday brunch. Nearby is Oak Bar, a girl’s dance club that draws an ethnically diverse crowd. Girls Go Down is even more centrally located, right in the dead center of Gay Soho, in the basement of the king of London gay bars, G-A-Y. You’ll find a lot of pretty-boys lost in the crowds of bull dykes and lipstick lesbians, having come downstairs to find a restroom. Tease them. The Star at Night changes from European restaurant by day to a candle-lit lesbian venue by night, where quiet conversation is held over glasses of wine. Vespa Lounge is a trendy bar in the upstairs half of The Conservatory. A mostly-lesbian crowd prevails on weekends, though the bar is open Wednesday through Saturday. For something even more intimate and unique, attempt to find Glass Bar. It’s located almost inside Euston Station, but impossible to find without help. Call from the station and someone will come show you the way. Sound strange? You’ll be amazed at how friendly this intimate pub is. Elaine, the owner, will instantly be your best friend, and will introduce you to virtually everyone in the place. It’s one of the only “womyn-only” spots in London. Southtopia is a happening restaurant and bar for lesbians with karaoke, blind dinner dating, trivia, and a PostGal who will send written messages to anyone you think is cute. It’s a big complex, with a membership-required, womyn-only basement bar. And that’s just the every-day bars! Miss Shape is held each Thursday at Ghetto Club (formerly The Tube), and draws a very young crowd. Not young enough for it? Try Thursday at Y-Bar. Only ladies get in, the crowd is very mixed and ultra-friendly. Rumours happens every first, third, and last Saturday at The Minories club, and it’s a rocking, girl-only party with a wide variety of ladies. Waltzing with Hilda happens each second and last Saturday at the Jacksons Lane Community Center. It’s a lesbian ballroom dancing event, and it’s all about learning, not about performing. It’s quite a popular social night, you’ll get to step on a few feet, you’ll go home with sore toes, but you’ll have a ball. French Kiss is held every first Saturday at Essence Bar, and it’s one of the most popular monthly lesbian events in the city. The second Saturday, also at Essence Bar, is Club Wotever, a gender-bending night full of drag kings and femme fatales. Indulgence happens the first Sunday of the month at Venus. It’s a lesbian-only strip show, with mostly amateurs on the stage. If you’re hungry, First Out will fill you up with delicious French food while you ogle the cute girls around the café. Hampstead Heath’s Women’s Pond is a womyn-only nude bathing park with an icy pond that the ladies occasionally brave. London makes up for its lack of gay- and lesbian-owned accommodations with great nightlife. So when it comes to getting a good night’s sleep, your choices are slim unless you go with a mainstream hotel. The Gate Hotel is a small, gay-owned hotel in central London, and The Townhouse, in northern London, is a gay guesthouse. Beyond that, The Clone Zone offers apartments for rent right in the middle of gay Soho. |
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Sprawling, indulgent, and glitzy, LA has a long way to go before it caters to its lesbian residents as well as it does to gay men. But every dyke in SoCal knows to head to The Palms, the oldest dyke-joint in the city, and one of the most famous in the entire nation. After a recent innovation, though, the place has become popular with boys, as well. The Factory, also known as UltraSuede, hosts GirlBar on Friday nights. GiGi Ultra-Lounge is a hot, girl-only night every Saturday in the Hotel Sofitel. The first Wednesday of the month is Girl’s Night Out (hosted by GirlBar), held at a different restaurant each time. Reservations are essential for this popular event. The Abbey is an incomparably stylish place to be seen, and if you can afford the martinis, you’ll find a few other chicks there to chat with. But it’s mostly male. Down in Long Beach, check out Executive Suite, a two-level lesbian-only club. Over in Garden Grove, Happy Hour is another womyn-only hangout. Currently, there aren’t any hotels which specifically advertise to the lesbian community, but you can always stay at the Gay Hotel, operated by Ramada Plaza, smack dab in the middle of gay West Hollywood. |
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The City of Sin does not have an organized lesbian social scene. (Wanna start one?) But if you can tear yourself away from the Strip for awhile, lesbians (for some unearthly reason) choose to congregate at Flex, a gay male strip club. |
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For its reputation as a top gay destination in America, Miami sure has a lack of any kind of gay bars. But there is a lesbian-only guesthouse nearby in Bal Harbour. Something Special is a one-bedroom apartment for rent, right across the street from the ocean, and a short drive to South Beach. In SoBe, you might find some girls hanging out at Laundry Bar, a gay bar/washeteria. In Miami proper, the Cactus Bar and Grill is friendly and laid-back locale, which often draws lesbians to its primarily gay-male scene.
Things are a bit better just to the north in Ft. Lauderdale. J’s Bar is the dyke hangout of choice, but it’s a little far from the gay center of Wilton Manors. A more centrally located joint is New Moon, which draws a primarily lesbian crowd. LIX nightclub is a girl-only disco. The Deauville Inn is a lesbian-owned guesthouse that’s as popular with guys as it is with gals. |
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This central Massachusetts town has been nicknamed “Lesbianville” for quite some time, due to the legacy of all-girl Smith College and Mount Holyoke College, and nearby Amherst and Berkshire colleges (now open to boys, as well, but still overwhelmingly female). Lesbian culture pervades the entire city, and, owing to its academic roots, the scene here is politically charged. In the early 90s, many establishments would admit only womyn. Girls hang out at Diva’s, a womyn’s bar (don’t expect your male friends to get a warm welcome here!), The Grotto, a mixed gay and lesbian dance club, and the Iron Horse, a live-music venue and performance space. When you’re hungry, chow down at the lesbian-owned Pearl Street Café. But rest assured that any establishment you set foot in will be heavily patronized by lesbians. There is no other place in America so saturated in dyke culture! Rest your head at either of two lesbian-owned properties in the area: the 1886 Todd House, a B&B in Amherst, or the Apple Valley Log Home, a self-catering cabin tucked away in the Berkshires. Pride and Joy is a gay and lesbian curiosity shop and a great source for local information. Lavender Lips is a local social group organizing womyn’s and lesbian’s events. Northampton’s pride event happens in early May, and the Northampton Lesbian Festival happens in late July at Hampshire College. |
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The Big Easy is one of the most popular vacation cities in America, and it’s no wonder why. With its quaint architecture and nightlife that never stops, it’s just a fun place to visit. Lesbians seem to enjoy vacationing there, as is evidenced by the crowds at Kim’s 940. Good Friends is also popular with the girls, but attracts a lot of guys, too. Girl Gang Productions hosts all-girl events throughout the year. The Bywater Bed and Breakfast is a lesbian-owned place to sleep, a charming B&B with Victorian atmosphere. |
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Is there a more amazing city on Earth? We can’t find one. New York has appealed to lesbians as both a destination and a place to live for decades. Henrietta Hudson’s Bar and Girl, in the Village, will make any lesbian gasp in disbelief. It’s a dyke mega-bar and disco. But wait! There’s more! Lover Girl is a genuine, sprawling, high-tech New York dance club, only for ladies! Two other massively-popular New York girlie bars, Meow Mix and Crazy Nanny’s, are currently closed. Xena Night is a semi-annual lesbian rave held at various venues. Girlz Party hosts Risque on Thursdays at The Player’s Club, and Friday nights at various venues. The WOW Café Theatre produces womyn’s theatre and performance art, as well as cabaret-style evenings. For fine dining, head to Dish, where a kitchen full of lesbians serve up fantastic American fare. The Rubyfruit Bar and Grill offers more modest fare, served up by hot chicks who love to flirt. When it’s time to rest your head in the city that never sleeps, check out the Ivy Terrace, a lesbian-owned B&B. For a more motley location, try the East Village B&B. |
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Paris is probably the most romantic city on Earth, and lots of ladies head there for vacation. Unfortunately, the social scene seems to be primarily dominated by gay men. Boobsbourg is the exception, packed with hot French chicks every night. Bliss Kfe is where you’ll likely run into as many lesbians as gay guys. The same holds true at L’Unity Bar, a lesbian-owned pool hall. Le Rive Gauche is primarily women, but is mostly busy on weekends. You might also check out a couple of new spots, Scandaleuses and Utopia. When you need to scoot your booty, head to Le Pulp. It’s the lesbian disco, and it thumps all night Thursday-Sunday. If you’re hungry, there’s no more stylish place to chow down than Le Sofa. All the Parisienne lesbiennes seem to love it. Le Petit Picard is a charming café in a neighborhood popular with dykes. Rest your head at A Pink Froggie, a lesbian-owned B&B out in the burbs. Or stay more central by renting a flat, the most popular thing for seasoned Paris travelers to do. Several gay organizations help organize this for you, including Frendy, Gay Accommodation Paris , and Rent Paris. |
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It just might be the most famous gay destination in America. And it’s just as popular with lesbians as it is for gay men. Especially in the quiet season (October-May). Girls gather to party at Vixen , a dance club and bar inside the Pilgrim House Inn. The Pied is primarily a women’s venue, hosting an all-female T-Dance on the beach on weekends. Circuit Girl hosts events here during the summer and fall. If you’re hungry, eat your fill at lesbian-owned Front Street. The head chef, Donna Aliperti, was mentored by Julia Child herself! It’s one of the most popular restaurants in P-Town, so make your reservations early. There’s no shortage of places to stay. Check into lesbian-owned Inn at the Moors, delightfully secluded at the very tip of the cape, the Fairbanks Inn, an award-winning small inn in a 200-year-old Captain’s house, the Bayshore, five traditional homes right on the beach, Ravenwood, gingerbread cottages with lovely gardens in the gallery district, and the Rose and Crown, an 18 th century Georgian mansion near the Boatslip gay resort. Women’s Week is the second week of October, and is something of a lesbian circuit party with a political and artistic flair. |
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The scene in San Diego isn’t huge. But with such great weather, such beautiful scenery, and so many things to see and do, who cares? While you’re there, check out The Flame UltraLounge. Historically ruled by lesbians, it has become a popular place for the boys to party on Friday nights. Six Degrees has become the lesbian hangout par-excellence, though it’s smaller than The Flame. On the other side of Balboa Park sits The Big Kitchen, the only place to have breakfast in San Diego. Extremely popular with the gay masses, the place is an institution in SD. Whoopi Goldberg worked here once. There aren’t any lesbian B&B’s, but you can check into the Park Manor Inn, a character hotel right on the edge of Balboa Park, and popular with the gay community for years. The Hillcrest Inn is even more centrally located, within walking distance of most bars. |
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