The best whisky bars in London

Lovers of the malted grain have being paying homage at the whisky specialist Milroy’s since 1964. It has accumulated an enormous range of whiskies: around 400 from Scotland alone. A copper-topped tasting bar on the ground floor is the best place to sample it straight-up – it’s whisky-and-whiskey-only here. If you’re looking for other spirits, head downstairs. The basement bar, aka The Vault, is a ‘speakeasy’ hidden behind a fake bookcase where cocktails are king. Make ours an old fashioned. 

At this revolutionary whisky bar, there’s no actual bar. With help from staff pacing the room, work your way through three cabinets filled with over 250 bottles of whisky, which are organised by flavour profile: smoke, fruit, spice etc. Dots placed on each bottle give you the price – one, two or three dots; £9, £11 or £13 a slug. In the middle of it all is half the trunk of a magnificent 185-year-old oak tree, laid flat and topped with glass. It acts as a table but doubles as a ‘whisky’ river, within which the bar’s own blend is aging. 

While upstairs is dedicated to light, bright aperitivi, the basement at Swift is all dark and brooding – the perfect place for the bar to hide away its ‘Whisky Library’. There are over 300 drams to explore. Over half of them are Scotch while the rest hail from Ireland, Japan and America. An epic cocktail list supports the selection; loads of cocktails have whisky at their base. Make this your nightcap destination.

The Sun Tavern – a pub since 1851, but with a more modern approach these days – focuses on nearly 40 brands of Irish spirits. While its poitín stash gets a lot of attention for being rare and wonderful, the pub’s collection of Irish whiskey is also something to behold, celebrating many new distillers and resurrected brands. There are over 200 to sample, as well as a few whiskey cocktails populating the menu. 

While the minimal, wood-clad basement bar at Ollie Dabbous’ Green Park restaurant Hide is dedicated to all of the spirits (with specialist knowledge from partners Hedonism Wines), whisky gets its fair share of attention. There are close to 100 scotches to select from, while bourbon and rye are in healthy supply. Japanese and Irish whiskies follow up the charge, plus English, Swedish and Australian drams for the adventurers. Some of the rarer drops come in 10ml measures so you don’t come too close to bankrupting yourself on the water of life.

If for you whisky and tartan go hand in hand, Boisdale should be top of your list. This easterly branch of the Scottish restaurant group (also found in Belgravia) is a fantastically tartan-strewn celebration of food, jazz, cigars and, of course, whisky. It’s not cheap, but neither is a quality drop, and this is perhaps the best place to drink your way round Scotland (apart from actual Scotland, of course). The bar’s Scotch list is an epic 70-page read that takes you through the Highlands, the Lowlands and all the bits in between.

Richmond has its very own secretive whisky saloon, nestled above popular pub The Tap Tavern. While there are more extensive whisky lists in London, what’s on offer is well-chosen and they also mix up cocktails from their boozy collection. Find it open on Friday and Saturday nights, from 4pm until late.