9 Best LGBT-Friendly Bars and Clubs in Orlando

As one of the largest and most popular gay clubs in Orlando, Parliament House is considered one of the premier entertainment destinations in the city. Home to the Rainbow Café, Footlight Theater and 7 different bars, the club itself is known for its locally produced plays and musicals, as well as its daily drink specials. A large dance floor occupies centre stage, complete with laser lights and fog effects. The Rainbow Café is open daily and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. An even more impressive feature of Parliament House is the 112-room motel attached to the entertainment complex. The motel features single and double rooms surrounding a large courtyard pool. The whole complex is gay-friendly.

Popularly billed as ‘an open-air bar for open-minded people’, Hamburger Mary’s provides a flamboyant dining experience complete with drag shows and trivia nights. A menu of burgers, soups and salads is offered alongside an extensive bar menu of craft beers and cocktails. The nightly ‘Dining with the Divas’ drag shows incorporate singing, dancing and improv as the ladies put on a performance while you dine. Charity trivia nights, bingo and karaoke are also held here regularly.

This College Park gay bar is widely recognised for its lodge-like appearance on the outside. Complete with a koi pond and backyard deck area, Barcodes radiates an extremely relaxed and laid-back atmosphere. This gay-friendly bar in Orlando is great if you fancy grabbing a few drinks with friends. There’s a billiards area alongside a novelty shop selling adult toys and movies. Thursday Latin nights are by far the most popular nights at Barcodes. The bar is also known for its biweekly ‘underwear nights’, where entry is not permitted if you’re wearing anything over your undies.

White Wolf Café & Bar is a gay-friendly eatery and nightspot in Orlando’s Ivanhoe Village District – a colourful bohemian community. This award-winning bistro serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and is renowned for its locally-sourced crab cake eggs benedict. Weekend brunch is an extremely popular event at White Wolf, featuring specially priced dishes and mimosas. Named one of Orlando’s top gems, this eclectic restaurant is family-owned and decorated with a large assortment of antiques.

As one of Orlando’s oldest LGBT clubs, Southern Nights has been welcoming partygoers for over 35 years. The club closed for major renovations in 2014 and reopened bigger, better and more colourful than ever. Southern Nights is known for welcoming popular local DJs and hosting various live events. Weekdays usually include a number of different drag shows. Happy hour is between 4pm and 9pm, and there’s no cover before 11pm.

This popular bar has been part of the Orlando gay scene for over 30 years and is known for holding various pool tournaments and trivia nights. The friendly atmosphere at Hank’s is due in part to their antique jukebox and the large private patio behind the bar. Although an understated building on the outside, Hank’s is popular among locals for its great drink specials. Beers are reasonably priced and college students get their first draught free.

A gay nightclub with entertainment dancers and LED lights, Savoy Orlando is made up of 2 separate bars – Savoy and Tattoo Lounge. Both include a premium liquor selection and over 30 imported and domestic beers. Located on Orange Avenue, about 10 minutes from downtown Orlando, Savoy is renowned for its modern atmosphere. Pool tables, electronic darts and flat-screen TVs are dotted around the large outdoor patio. Savoy is also home to The Men of Savoy – shirtless go-go dancers, who perform every day from 6pm to 2am.

As the only gay bar in Downtown Orlando, Stonewall is an industrial-chic establishment with multiple levels and a state-of-the-art sound system. The main bar hosts different themes throughout the week, while the patio bar provides a tropical-themed seating area. Sky Bar is an open-air bar located on the second floor of Stonewall, with a stunning view of the downtown Orlando skyline. Various TVs line the bar, where you can order your favourite bar food.