Milk & Honey bar

Milk & Honey is an Award winning private member's bar that operates in two locations, in London and New York. In their own words "At Milk & Honey we have a passion for making the highest quality drinks; using the best ingredients, and the finest, often painstaking, methods." Milk & Honey opened in New York in January 2000 and is located on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Entrance is by referral and appointment only, something that has to do with its small size, but that is about to change. ^[1] They are part of the Rushmore Group, and a sister Milk & Honey bar opened in Soho in April 2002, where door policy is about the same. What follows applies to the Soho location.

Described as a sexy, friendly hideaway in the midst of Soho it will make you feel, if only for an hour or two, like you play in a 50s Hollywood film. A prohibition style speakeasy entrance takes you past a clued up maitre d-style receptionist, through a plush curtain and into a low lit and beautifully decorated bar where lovingly crafted cocktails are served to the strains of laid back jazz standards. It's dark, small, cosy, secret. It's a great place for cocktails and the bartender knows what he is doing. It's about £9-10 for a cocktail.

The bar theme spreads with a twist over three separate floors, with a fourth room on the second floor available for private hire. Of those three floors (the basement bar, the main ground floor bar, and the red room on the first floor) the dimly lit booths in the ground floor bar are great if you're looking for a buzzier vibe, and the leather sofas and open fire in the members only red room provide a perfect place to relax and chat. The scented candles in the main bar can be a little over-powering though.

Non-members need to make a reservation for before 11:00pm (and in practice restricted to the early part of the week), unless going with a member. Make sure you know the address; the club is unmarked from the street. For members and their guests the bar is open until 03:00am, six nights a week. No reservation is required for members, but you better call ahead. Membership of Milk & Honey London also includes automatic membership of The Player in Soho, The Clubhouse in Chamonix, and access to Milk & Honey NY. In their own words "Our membership scheme is not a traditional one - there are no formal vetting and approval procedures, no referees or contacts required. In short, nothing wanky. Just apply. Act like a grown up and you can enjoy easy late drinking in London, New York and the French Alps for a change. There are no free memberships, so please don't ask. It doesn't matter who you are or who you think you know."

Check a review here. Get directions here.

^[1] Ref. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/30/dining/milk-and-honey-is-moving-on-and-attaboy-is-moving-in.html