Located in what used to be a Victorian hotel, Comptons of Soho had become a pub called 'The Swiss Tavern' in the 1950s and acquired a reputation as being a meeting place for gay men which was illegal at the time.

In 1986, the name was changed to "Comptons of Soho" and it came out in the open as being a gay bar. Over 25 years later, Comptons is still regarded as one of the most popular gay pubs in London.

The place attracts a more mature, beer-drinking crowd than found in some of the other gay bars in Soho.