You might’ve seen La Camionera’s inscrutably sexy Instagram presence. In an anonymous interview with The Standard, the owner mysteriously described the bar in three words as “Sewing circle mafia.” But there was nothing mysterious about the popularity of London’s newest lesbian bar’s opening night: a viral TikTok shows hundreds of queers taking to the streets for its debut last Thursday.
La Camionera, which directly translates to female truck driver and informally means butch lesbian, opened with a two-part night. This first part of the night took place from 5 pm-6 pm, where London’s lesbians sipped on ‘Caña’, ‘Vermut’ and Negronis and sampled skewered olives, cornichons, anchovies, and pickled chilis.
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The second half of the night took place from 6 pm-11 pm, and attracted hundreds more party-goers, thrill-seekers, and girl-lovers. The crowd filled La Camionera, overflowing into the upstairs bar Off Broadway, and cascading onto the street. In fact, the entire lesbian community of London filled the full width of the street, including the sidewalks. One attendee said, “‘It’s wild, literally everyone is here, my ex, her ex and her ex’s ex.”
@shado.mag La Camionera had it’s opening night last night and the turn out was insane!! showing the crazy demand for lesbian bars in London. La Camionera translates to female truck driver in Spanish but it’s also slang for butch lesbians. It’s a small space furnished like a romantic restaurant with white table cloths and candles. 📍London, Broadway Market #shadomag #lacamionera #lesbiansoftiktok #lesbianbar #queernightlife #broadwaymarket #londonfields #lgb #lgbtq #lgbtbar
♬ Please these gays theyre trying to murder me – Candy Moore
A queer reporter at Dazed attended the opening, and in talking with the crowd, one sentiment was clear: this space was necessary. Attendees of La Camionera all had familiar responses to the night, “it’s sooooo needed”, “it’s just so needed”, “we need more things like this”, etc.
After the recent closings of two of London‘s queer bars, The Glory in Haggerston and Soho’s G-A-Y Late, the popularity is of La Camionera highlights the grave importance and sheer lack of queer spaces. It’s not just about having a place to go out; it’s about finding a spot where you can be yourself, meet friends who get it, and just breathe easy knowing you’re not alone. And with drinks for as little as 3 euros, La Camionera is truly a miracle. Specifics about the bar have not yet been released and questions remain. Will it be a permanent space?
More information, such as days and hours of operation, will be available soon on La Camionera’s Instagram.
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