Soho bar Milk & Honey announces last 10 weeks open before permanent closure

Old favourite: Milk & Honey on Poland St

Longstanding Soho bar Milk & Honey, which has served London's drinkers for 18 years, has announced its reopening – and permanent closure.

In an email to the bar's members, owner Jonathan Downey wrote: "It’s been a very strange and difficult few months. We have some good and some very bad news for you.

"We were forced to close our doors on Tuesday 17 March but we plan to re-open this Friday, 17 July, and we’d love to see you again soon. That’s the good news.

"The very bad news is that, after more than 18 years in Soho, this will be our final 10 weeks before we are forced to close for good."

With the lease expiring at the end September, the bar is facing nine months of due rent, which it will not be able to pay; accordingly, the space is due to be repossessed by the landlords, who Downey says have issued court proceedings.

The email reads: "Despite paying almost £4m in rent since we first signed the lease on Poland St, our landlords are refusing to allow us any rent-free or other reduced deal for the period we’ve been closed by Government order, and their position has not changed in months. It looks like it never will."

Downey continues: "For the last few months, I have been campaigning and lobbying Government to provide a national rent deal for hospitality tenants but so far we’ve seen nothing. This may change (and if it does we will let you know) but, for now, we have to accept and expect the worst."

The bar will be back serving drinks between now and its closure, though, first opening from 6pm – 1am tonight and tomorrow, and then every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening from next week onwards.

Milk & Honey is considered a pioneer of London's modern cocktail scene, and was known to many in the industry as "the bartender's bar".

"Please come down to support us," Downey's email concludes, "and to say goodbye to one of your favourite places to drink and hang out."

For more information, visit mlkhny.com

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