Milroy's of Soho Whisky Bar: 300 Bottles, Walk-Ins Only

Milroy's of Soho runs a whisky bar at 3 Greek Street, London W1D 4NX, and it does not take reservations for its stools. You walk in, pull up a seat and choose from over 300 spirits served by the dram. The shop and bar open Monday to Saturday from 10:30am to midnight and on Sunday from 2:30pm to 10:30pm, so it works as a late-morning browse, an after-work drink or a Sunday afternoon pour.

Milroy's describes 3 Greek Street as the place where it was born in 1964. John Jack Milroy and his brother Wallace founded the business in Soho, and according to the company's own history, the shop quickly became the go-to for the city's whisky lovers, with customers who included residents of Downing Street. Today Milroy's calls itself London's original whisky specialist and says it has more than 60 years of service behind it.

That history matters when you sit down at the bar, because the shop, the bar and the tasting room share one Soho address. Milroy's is also an independent bottler, with own ranges named Soho Selection, Vintage Reserve, Vintage Reserve Black, Original Blend and Heavily Peated, so the stories behind many of the bottles on the shelf are the shop's own.

The whisky bar page is blunt about the rules. Over 300 bottles are available by the measure, the welcome is for everyone, and you just walk in. There are no reservations for stools, no dress code and, in the bar's words, no whisky rules. Step through the door at Three Greek Street and you are standing in the shop, so the first thing you see is the wall of bottles you can choose from.

The bar describes its team as people who love to talk whisky, and says it has become a home for the drinks industry. That means a first-timer can ask for a recommendation without feeling out of place, and a regular can talk about independent bottlings without being talked down to. Arrive at the quieter end of the afternoon if you want the bartender's full attention.

Milroy's says the bar has become an essential Soho after-work drinks spot for locals and whisky professionals alike, so expect a mixed room in the early evening: office groups, whisky regulars and curious first-timers sharing the same few stools. The bar also describes the room as relaxed, and invites guests to try before they buy or savour a dram while they shop, which keeps the atmosphere closer to a neighbourhood pub than a members' lounge.

The shop and bar are open Monday to Saturday from 10:30am to midnight and on Sunday from 2:30pm to 10:30pm. The Vault, the cocktail bar downstairs, opens Monday to Saturday from 5pm to midnight and is closed on Sunday. The bar's own contact page describes the bar as a few steps below the shop on Greek Street and says walk-ins are welcome, while tables, private hire and group bookings go through bar@3greekstreet.com.

The sensible plan is to treat the afternoon as whisky time and the evening as a choice. Arrive before 5pm for a quiet dram at the stools, or come after 5pm and decide between staying at the whisky bar and going down to The Vault. On Sunday only the shop and bar are open, so skip The Vault that day.

The Vault is Milroy's subterranean cocktail bar, entered through a bookcase at 3 Greek Street. The bar offers a seasonal menu that the team rewrites each season, plus whiskies, wine and beer, and it describes the room as low-lit, candlelit and unhurried. The Vault takes table bookings, and the website says it always keeps a few seats for walk-ins.

The drink most associated with the room is the Coconut Butter Old Fashioned, made with fat-washed bourbon, coconut and bitters. The bar says it has been on the menu for ten years. On Mondays The Vault fills with live jazz. If you want the whisky bar for the dram and The Vault for dessert, you can do both in one evening without leaving the building.

Upstairs at 3 Greek Street is the tasting room, which hosts distillery-hosted evenings, barrel-top pours and guided flights. Milroy's publishes upcoming tastings on an events calendar on its website, and it also runs private tastings and corporate events for groups. If you would rather taste with a plan than pull up a stool, book one of these evenings.

The same building also offers bespoke bottling services for people who want to put their own name on a cask. For most visitors the more useful service is the shop itself: the bar says you can try before you buy or savour a dram while you shop, which is a good way to find a bottle to take home after a pour at the counter.

Greek Street runs through the middle of Soho between Soho Square and Shaftesbury Avenue, so the area is easy to walk. Soho Square is a short stroll to the north, Chinatown lies to the south, and both Tottenham Court Road and Leicester Square stations are within a walk of the door. The area is busy on a Friday night, so aim for the early evening if you want elbow room at the stools.

If the whisky bar is full, the Vault downstairs is the obvious plan B once it opens at 5pm, and the shop's wall of bottles is a good way to spend a few minutes while a stool frees up.

Address: 3 Greek Street, Soho, London W1D 4NX. Email: bar@3greekstreet.com. Shop and bar: Monday to Saturday 10:30am to midnight, Sunday 2:30pm to 10:30pm. The Vault: Monday to Saturday 5pm to midnight, closed Sunday. The whisky bar is walk-in only, with no reservations for stools and no dress code. Tables at The Vault, private hire and group bookings go through the bar's email address.

Ask Karpo APP for other whisky bars and tasting rooms near Soho when you want a second stop.