London’s lesbian community came out in full force on Thursday evening for the grand opening of the city’s newest lesbian bar, La Camionera (which means a female truck driver in Spanish and is also slang for butch lesbians). You’ll find the intimate bar hidden near London Fields, where it is being heralded as a tonic in a city that has plenty of queer nights but virtually no dedicated spaces for lesbians to socialise, other than the one other Lesbian Bar in the city – SHE Soho.
Photos by Zula Rabikowska
The place is shrouded in mystery, with the owner currently wishing to remain anonymous and opening hours yet to be confirmed. Located at 63 Broadway Market, this cosy lesbian bar will be housed in the basement underneath the American jazz bar Off Broadway.
What happened on La Camionera open night?
According to TikTok (not sure if you’ve heard of it?), La Camionera was packed to the max come opening night on 15th Feb 2024. The venue hit its limited capacity of just twenty covers (the number of people or guests served during a particular period of time) shortly after opening at 5pm. The lucky birds who nabbed an in-demand table were treated to a curated drinks menu including Vermut, Negronis and natural wine by the bottle. All drinks were served with Spanish fare including olives, cornichons, and pickled chilis.
@lleoworld LESBIANS UNITE #lesbianthings #lesbiansbelike #wlw #wlwtiktok ♬ The L Word Theme Song (The Way That We Live) (Full Version) – Betty
After a brief chat with the team behind this new lesbian bar, we learned that they had “no idea” how the estimated 500 lesbians managed to assemble and flock to the venue, although they “heard it was passed on a lot in lesbian WhatsApp chats.” According to our source (yea, it’s all hush-hush around here – secret Sallys), the bar plans to open six nights a week although opening hours are set to be announced via their Instagram page.
The blurry snaps on the bar’s social media reveal very little, although they suggest a cosy, boudoir-like interior with candles, white tablecloths, and romantic vibes. There is a small menu of five drink options, signalling that La Camionera is distinctly not a clubby club (ya know, out out), but rather a relaxed neighbourhood bar for intimate conversations.
The majority of photographic evidence of the night consists of hoards of lesbians crowding the pavements and bars outside the venue; unable to get in for a drink but still loving the vibes and huge gathering of lesbians in London, choosing to drink beers and smoke cigarettes on the street and soak up the atmosphere.
Photos by Zula Rabikowska
Locals say that people are crying out for nights like this. “In the last 20 years we have seen so many lesbian bars in London close down,” says Polly Shute, Founder of Out & Wild Festival & Events.
“Southbank Surfing, which I host, reopened after a two-year break in May 2022. It now attracts around 200 people for its monthly events. Butch Please outgrew its home in RVT and now plays to packed crowds at Clapham Grand. With more women identifying as bisexual, these events provide safe supportive spaces to meet others.” – Polly Shute
Will you be visiting La Camionera? Let us know in the comments.
Love,
Team Nonchalant x
Last Updated on 19th February 2024 by Nonchalant Magazine
Fiona is a two-time author and freelance writer with words published in the Metro, Grazia, Readers Digest and Happiful Magazine. She runs online writing groups, loves tarot, live music and poetry.
Find me on: Web
