I had completely forgotten about Milk & Honey (and no, not because there isn't a sign on the door). But a friend considering joining made a reservation, and we ended up having the perfect time.

If you've never been to the semi-secret Soho spot, there are four things worth knowing:

• Milk & Honey is a member's bar that's open to the great unwashed before 11 p.m., provided you make a reservation. After two hours they kick you out.
• They take their drinks very seriously, and they are top notch. This means you can't get a Chocolate Martini, you can barely get a Mojito, but you can get a beautiful Gibson (a martini with onions), Rusty Nail (scotch and Drambuie) or Red Hook (rye, vermouth and maraschino).
• Once inside, you have to follow the house rules, which most notably mean that men can't chat up women. Women can, however, chat up men (or ask the bartender to introduce them, which is fabulously quaint).
• The onion rings (called onion sesame fritters) are absolutely divine, and best with ketchup. We also loved the Catalan croquettas, tiger prawns and shoestring fries, but didn't like the lamb & hummus as much as we hoped.
  

Milk & Honey opened in London in 2002 after the original New York City location took off. The word speakeasy is thrown around a lot in connection to Milk & Honey adding to the allure of the joint (although the first NYC location used to be an illegal Chinese casino - same thing, I guess). And sure enough, hammered tin lines the walls, the bartenders wear ties and braces, and everything about it is old-school (including the rules and drink-making techniques.

My friend has decided to join, but either way, I'll be back. And soon.

Here Is The Writer : Madame B

Foreign-born Madame B thinks she's a City girl, but mostly just walks our streets checking things out and searching for the best wi-fi hotspots offered by The Cloud. You can spot her typing furiously on her shiny white MacBook, wearing dark sunglasses and drinking a glass of champagne. She's one half of the Shopaholics, which might explain things...

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