While I was doing my research on fun places to eat and drink in London before our trip, I discovered that London has a good number of Speakeasy Bars! I wanted to visit as many as we could during our short trip. One of the top speakeasy bars I found was located inside Milroy’s – London’s oldest whiskey shop – offers whiskey and whiskey only. Rather small, just some counter seats for true whiskey lovers.
If you are more of a cocktail lover like me, then head to the back of Milroy’s. There, the walls are covered with bookshelves full of old books, and one chair to make it look like a small lounge. One of those bookshelves is actually a secret door, to a whole new world below. There is a tiny little sign by the bookshelf that says “The Vault.” I always loved a secret bar behind a secret bookshelf door…so this was amazing!
The door is quite thick and heavy. It is operated by weighted barrels and ropes that opens and closed the door with its weight. Pretty cool!
When you open the secret bookcase door, you enter into a space lit with neon blue light sign. Make your way down the dark staircase to the basement, and all of a sudden, it is as if we have traveled back in time.
The candles and barrels, antique-looking furnishings, and cave or bunker-feel space…it is all so mysterious and awesome! It is dimly lit, common for speakeasy, producing romantic, attractive, and welcoming ambiance. They offer classic cocktails in chilled, relaxing atmosphere. The interior is heavy with wood and exposed brick walls, reminiscent of old days.
It seemed like a really popular bar, we saw people coming downstairs, only to be turned around with sad faces. If you want to make sure you get a seat, then reservation is highly recommended. We were so happy we had reservations!
As for cocktails, since they are in the basement of whiskey shop, whiskey takes the main stage. They have loads of whiskey from around the world, which you can have straight up, or in a form of classic cocktails. If you are not a whiskey person, not to worry. They do offer all sorts of cocktails that are non-whiskey. We asked our server for some recommendation, and he gave us really good ones! We each ordered different kind of cocktails.
Our friend had Yuzu Gimlet (£12), made with gin, yuzu, and lime cordial. It was almost clear like water, and tasted like a mix between martini and negroni, if that makes any sense… I chose Hostile Takeover (£12), recommended by our server. It is made with cachaca, Ramazotti mentha, fresh strawberry, and lemon. It tasted almost like a mojito with strawberry. Not too sweet, but fruity with nice amount of mint flavor. I also tasted sweetness similar to coconut, it was really nice drink! My hubby went with Vetiver Fizz (£12.50), made with Craigellachie 13, lemon, soda, yolks, and vetiver. My hubby asked for a recommendation on cocktails with egg white, but since they didn’t have that, instead, this drink with egg yolk was recommended. It was bubbly, and a bit fruity. Very high quality!
Men’s bathroom is located by the host/hostess station at the bottom of the stairs. Ladies’ bathroom is at the top of stairs, right behind the bookshelf door. Not much space there, so if there is a wait, it gets really tight up there. The bathroom was very small, but it does the job.
We had a really nice time there, the staffs were amazing with loads of knowledge when it came to drinks. They were kind and polite, gave us great recommendations on cocktails. I loved the ambiance, and each drinks were strong, high quality, and tasty! I understand the reason why they are so popular… If you are interested in visiting this spot, make sure to get a reservation beforehand!
The Vault – 3 Greek St, Soho, London W1D 4NX, United Kingdom