Milroys has been selling whisky in Soho since 1964.

I’ve been in London for more than three decades and I’ve bought the odd bottle of whisky for Christmas presents from there but never really paid it much attention nestling next to The Gay Hussar restaurant at No 3 Greek Street. I always assumed that it was just a shop and was surprised when a friend suggested we head there for a drink after a particularly liquid dinner. I thought he was talking nonsense when he told me there was a bar in the shop but as we got closer I could see people drinking in the ground floor shop. He was right. Good. What could be more desirable after a vat of wine than a couple of snorts of peaty whisky to set the evening up.

We went in and I headed to the bar to order.

“No, no…don’t do that,” he said as he staggered past the bar area before looking around and gesturing at me to follow him.

“C’mon,” he waved. and then marched towards the wall like Harry Potter on platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross station.

A bookcase covered the wall but he charged towards it with outstretched arms and attacked the shelves.

I caught up with him just as the wall moved aside to reveal some stairs down into a hidden basement.

“I told you,” he slurred with pride, beaming. Even though he hadn’t told me anything such.

“Let’s get a drink.”

I followed him through the bookcase and found stairs leading down below a sign declaring “The Vault” and then into a small packed musty speakeasy-type bar. It was very noisy down there. everybody was talking at once. Perfect.

Before I knew it I had a tumbler of whisky in my hand and that was soon consumed and replaces and we had joined a table of drinkers. The whisky flowed and the conversation followed suit. It was great fun. At the time.

I should know better than to drink whisky at all but especially after wine. The following day I had a hangover of gargantuan size.

If you, too, would like such a sensation I can heartily recommend Milroys as a venue. The bar is a great addition to Soho.

Milroys next door to The Gay Hussar

Opened since 1964

Milroys lit up at night

Whisky being drunk in the bar in the groundfloor shop

Push through the bookcase and you find steps leading down to The Vault

The speakeasy bar in the basement