The best gay bars in San Antonio

One of the newest gay bars on The Strip, when it opened its doors Knockout became the first LGBT+ sports bar anywhere in the city. Modest in appearance (but not its everybody welcome philosophy), the front covered terrace may not be immediately alluring but leads into an interior of exposed brick fitted out with no less than 15 wall-mounted flatscreen televisions tuned to sports channels every night of the week. There’s also a number of pool tables and dartboards should you fancy a little friendly competition with the regulars and a backroom bar that’s opened up when it gets busier. Should the hunger pangs hit, not only is there a menu of bar favourites, accompanied by a dose of drag at brunchtime on Sunday’s, but also that of Pups Pizza which shares the site. With an ambience directed slightly more towards San Antonio’s working professionals than the anything goes mantra of Knockout (though there is a pool table and dartboard here too), Sparky’s Pub is a favoured after-work drinking spot in gay San Antonio. Its traditional British pub vibe means you’ll find an interior rich in polished woods and picture-strewn walls, while the drinks list ranges from cocktails to perfectly-acclimatised draft beers. Linger a while, and you’ll realise that there are a wealth of great-smelling aromas wafting from the café-style kitchen too.

For a low-key neighbourhood feel, be sure to check out 2015 Place on San Pedro, five minutes north of Main Avenue. The muted lighting of the interior makes it a super easy place to unwind, ensuring it’s a great spot to start or end an evening. The sunken dance floor, for better or worse, gets very little use, though the small covered patio garden out back is an unexpected boon (and a welcome one for the smokers among us). Creating quite a contrast with its airy space filled with natural light, Candlelight Coffee house and Wine bar can be found a short distance east on North St Mary Street. While not an official San Antonio gay bar, it is a welcoming one for the LGBT+ community. More than a place to grab a takeaway cappuccino on the go, Candlelight has more than 20 varieties of coffee to opt between for the perfect cup to suit your mood and some comfy sofa spaces on which to tuck into a slice of cake. As its full-length name suggests, Candlelight is also a wine bar and one that is popular with residents in the neighbourhood, perhaps due to the fact you can find more than your usual selection of whites and reds.