NOW CLOSED: The Intrepid Fox, Archway, London, N193TD

Have you been to the Intrepid Fox yet because it always looks busy?

“Well, the Holocaust was busy, but that wasn’t good.”

Comments like these put me off quicker than picturing Margret Thatcher with a boner. But, I took it upon myself to visit the Intrepid Fox anyway. It has been littering the Archway area with goths and punks for some time now and I wanted to know what’s the craic.

The Intrepid Fox isn’t new. It’s been sitting in the back streets of Soho, previously in Wardour Street. The bar was legendary for attracting the likes of Malcolm Mclaren and Motörhead singer, Lemmy. The Fox’s history dates back until 1784 but was shut down in 2006 to make way for new flats. After cementing its new place in St Giles High Street, it had to be relocated yet again. Now, the Fox has a new home in Archway, but is the old spirit still there?

The owners had transformed a previously shabby abandoned pub into a dark sadistic palace. Outside, the front area is littered with tables that are squeezed too close together, resulting in everybody having to climb across benches to get to their seat. Already, an obstacle from keeping your drink parted from your mouth. The Fox’s trademark gargoyle resides above the door, daring you to enter.

Inside, it’s dark, black (naturally) and busy. Although, the past had built the reputation, it seemed that the young had carried on the legacy. The kids at the bar have one or less tattoos, with dreams or regrets of building a sleeve one day. I watched as boys ran around near the stage while the girls sat awkwardly in their skin. Though the atmosphere is relaxed and a good spot to get drunk (within a five second walk to the tube), it is quintessentially, full of youth culture.

Though, The Fox has attracted this kind of crowd for a good reason. It stocks the standard cheap booze, chilled out bar staff and space to shake your bum fluff. Good bands come to play from time to time which could potentially bring in the older crowd. That might be a better time to visit.

Having never visited the previous locations of The Intrepid Fox, it’s hard to decipher whether any sort of attachment to the historical bar lives on. As far as I could see it is just another rock bar with a good name.

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