Lost LGBT Scene | Napoleon Club

Written by

We’re creating an online memory board for some of London’s lost venues. Since the turn of the century, London’s gay scene has lost over 100 venues.

Lost LGBT Scene | Napoleon Club 1

We’d love for you to help us grow this historical archive of London’s lost gay scene. If you’ve got photos or memories of any of the venues you’d like to share please use the comment section below and we’ll add them right here.

Napoleons Club

An LGBT club on Bond Street

Memory from Paul:

“l worked at Napoleon Club in the early 1980s. It was a private members club located in the sizable basement of the Bonaparte Restaurant. Law at that time required new members to apply and pay a fee, but wait three days before they were allowed in.

The club reception was on the ground floor, but the bar and disco were down a narrow wooden staircase to the basement.

Rumour had it that in Victorian times the building had been some kind of hospital or clinic, and stories were spread that the place was haunted by the ghost of a nurse. It certainly felt uncomfortable being alone there after everyone had left.

The MD was a German guy named Hans, and the manager an Irish guy who decamped one night with the takings. An investigation showed that he had been skimming off a slice of the bar takings for years.

Despite the odd laws, the place was generally very busy all week, and felt like a family”

Can you add more description or pictures? Add them at the bottom of the page in the comment section.

Open date: Unknown (Can you help with that?)

Closed date: Unknown (Can you help with that?)

BACK TO MAIN LIST

YOUR SUPPORT MEANS EVERYTHING

Help us deliver unique, usable and reliable journalism that supports the gay, bisexual and curious community of the United Kingdom. Can you help protect LGBT+ media? Publishers like us have come under severe threat by the likes of Google and Facebook. The problem is that advertisers are choosing to put their money with them, rather than with niche publishers like us. Our goal is to eliminate banner ads altogether on site and we can do that if you could pledge us a tiny amount each month.

We’re asking our readers to pledge just £1 per month, more if you’re feeling swanky. You can stop payment at any time.

It’s quick and easy to sign up and you’ll only have to do it once.

Click to start the journey and support THEGAYUK!

Lost LGBT Scene

Comments

10 responses to “Lost LGBT Scene | Napoleon Club”

22nd March 2026

William Weber

Bonapart was actually quite a good restaurant, although t the food would be considered hopelessly old fashioned now: scallops mornay in the shell with piped potato, haddock roulade, chicken Kiev, steak Diane, tournedos Rossini, rum babas, that sort of thing. It was entirely carpeted, so no boomy noise and the tables had white linen cloths and were not too close to one another; the waiters (no waitresses in my memory) were all efficient, handsome and probably “Available”. It was fairly expensive. After your coffee you were invented to go down to the club, even if you were not a member. In a way it was a gay approximation of Annabel’s. It was in Lancashire Court, off Bond Street.

Reply
31st January 2026

Martin

I worked there when a man called william was in charge Bobby in charge of bar down stairs i was waiter worked with colin

Reply
25th May 2025

Simon jeffery

I loved napoleons club had great times there in the 70s. Every one was soo friendly sitting in the circle bar and in the dance floor

Reply
1st May 2025

Yves Hernot

It had a restaurant I frequented when I was in London. Lots of male prostitutes in the bar downstairs , it was fun before AIDS

Reply
1st February 2025

Francis Eshun

Oh yes those were the days I went there from the late eighties to the mid nineties so sad that kind of fun elegant gay nightlife is gone.i met some very interesting people there.i met a media baron,a Texan oil man ,a couple of high profile A list celebrities and some interesting people who are no longer with us.

Reply
3rd November 2024

Bill

I used to visit the Napoleon in the 70’s when I visited London from my home in Toronto. It was my favourite club in London, and I loved everything about it. The location, the music, the ambiance, the people who went there. They were from every walk of gay life in London, from the top to the bottom. People were very friendly, and it was very easy to meet a man for a night, or for a longer term connection. I so miss gay London of that era, and especially that venue.

Reply
2nd October 2024

Stephen Wiltshire

I visited the club in Bond Street in 1980 I was seeing a guy called Jim Rankin, some very happy memories from those years, I hope he’s still alive and happy and well.

Reply
1. 28th July 2025
  
  Stephen Wiltshire
  
  Sadly not, I loved London, some treasured memories I was 23 then 45 years ago, time as gone so quickly, I had a fantastic youth.
  
  Reply
10th November 2019

Greg

I also worked at Napoleon’s 1985 to 1987 upstairs in the restaurant. Manager was Andy, Valdek ran the bar and bills, Marcia (Mark), Rebecca (Gianni) and Misty who ran horseshoe bar. Hans and Gabby the owners. Many happy and hilarious memories

Reply
1. 11th November 2019
  
  AdminJake
  
  Thank you for sharing the memory! Do you have any photos from back then?
  
  Reply