January 16, 2026
Cat Gold/Val's Lesbian Bar
Clover Gilfor and Julia Harris, above, will open Val's Lesbian Bar in Queen Village this spring. It would be Philly's first lesbian bar since Toasted Walnut closed in 2021. Gilfor and Harris have been crowdfunding for their new venue since early 2024.
Val's Lesbian Bar will open its doors this spring after two years of development and fundraising.
The new venue is moving into 605 S. Third St., just two blocks from the queer-owned women's sports bar Marsha's. When it opens, it will be the sole lesbian bar in the city, which has not had one since 2021.
Val's owners Julia Harris and Clover Gilfor have been trying to open a lesbian bar since early 2024, seeking to fill the void left by the closure of the Toasted Walnut, the city's first lesbian bar, nearly five years ago.
The couple hosted several fundraisers to meet their goal, and now have secured a lease after previous locations fell through. Val's will begin operations with $15,000 in crowdfunding. Its owners say this will cover most of their first month of rent and security deposit.
"The costs of starting a new bar are huge, and this is an important chunk," the venue's management wrote on Instagram. "Val's is opening because of you."
The bar will take over the space from Reef Restaurant & Lounge. The Caribbean restaurant had been at that location for the past 22 years.
"As the time comes for us to close our doors, we do so with full hearts and deep gratitude," its staff wrote on Instagram. "Every visit, every conversation and every shared moment has meant more to us than we can express."
According to the Lesbian Bar Project, there are only 36 lesbian bars in the U.S. Val's will be the only one in Pennsylvania. New Jersey does not have any.
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