Milroy's of Spitalfields

Over 50 years since the opening of its original shop in Soho, Milroy’s has finally opened a second venue – and it’s a must-visit for the City’s whisky connoisseurs. Following the success of The Vault bar below Milroy’s of Soho, the team from the original site, led by owner Martyn ‘Simo’ Simpson, have designed this four-floor whisky den from scratch.

Based in an elegant townhouse, Milroy’s of Spitalfields consists of a relaxed whisky bar on the ground floor, a swanky basement cocktail bar and a private members’ club and tasting room up top. With around 1,100 different whiskies on offer throughout the venue, varying from £6 to over £1,000 a dram, there certainly isn’t a lack of choice.

A large number of these bottles are beautifully displayed in backlit, cage-like cabinets which hug the walls of the ground-floor bar, all organised according to their taste and origin. It could be geeky, but the atmosphere is welcoming and knowledgeable staff are on hand to talk you expertly through the vast collection and suggest which whiskies to try based on your personal preferences. We particularly enjoyed the 2010 Port Charlotte MRC:01 in which the heavily peaty notes broke into a light fruitiness after just a drip or two of water was added from a pipette.

Our favourite floor, however, has to be the incredible Proofing Room in the basement, created by talented bartender Chris Tanner. The moodily lit, cave-like lounge provides the perfect atmosphere in which to enjoy some wonderful cocktails. Our highlight was ‘The Dirt’, which requires soil to be distilled and turned into a cordial before being combined with calvados and mastika, the earthiness perfectly offsetting the bite of the calvados.

A small but well thought-out food menu consists of dishes designed to be paired with the whisky and included some of the most moreish Brie croquettes we’ve ever tasted. Runny-in-the-middle miniature quail scotch eggs are another delicious late-night snack.

Whether you’re a whisky fanatic or just a casual drinker, Milroy’s of Spitalfields is a perfect demonstration of how good a bar can be when done well. Get yourself down there and get lost in whisky galore.

This expansive bar is the second permanent project from globally-renowned Milroy’s of Soho. Found in bustling Spitalfields and spreading itself across four floors on Commercial Street, Milroy’s Townhouse is home to three bars, an exclusive members club and a tasting room.

Across the four floors, you’ll find a whisky bar, a cocktail Bar and a private members club which includes a rooftop cigar terrace and personalised whisky lockers for paying members. Guests can head down to the basement to enjoy The Proofing Room, which serves a range of classic cocktails as well as a few seasonal mixes.

On the ground floor, you’ll find a whisky bar boasting more than 1,000 different bottles from all over the globe, including varieties from the likes of Scotland, Japan, South Africa and Australia. If you’re a newcomer to whisky, there’s no need to feel intimated – staff are on hand to help you explore the vast collection, as well as leading guided tastings. The Dram House meanwhile, is the first-floor private members club, which features a tasting room and a rooftop cigar terrace where you can find rare Scotch whiskies and high-end Cuban cigars.

The original Milroy’s opened in 1964, and again under new owners in 2016, (pictured above) and the bar holds the title of London's oldest whisky specialist. The venue is best known for possessing the largest collection of whisky in the capital, as well as for its longevity. Hidden behind a stack of Whisky books at the back of the shop is the ‘secret’ entrance to Milroy’s much-feted basement bar The Vault, which has played host to various famous faces propping up the bar there over the years, including the likes of prime ministers and even royalty.

Milroy’s Townhouse is found on the former site of Madame D’s, the Himalayan inspired restaurant from the team behind much-loved Indian small plates joint Gunpowder. The restaurant shut its doors in the summer of 2018 when the owners decided to focus on their Gunpowder sites in Spitalfields and Tower Bridge.