The Duke of Wellington sits on the corner of Wardour Street and Winnett Street, a dark green Victorian pub with the awnings out and a crowd on the pavement. Locals call it the Welly. It has been a gay pub for over twenty years.
It is the least polished of the Wardour Street venues and the better for it. Downstairs is a proper pub room; the crowd is mixed in age and less transient than the bars further down. Weekly drag bingo and a quiz do the midweek work, and DJs take over at the weekend.
It is a good first stop on a Soho evening, and a good last one.
