London's First Pop-Up Fox Café Is On Its Way

The Next Weird Hipster Pop-Up Is A Fox Café. Really.
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Stevie The Fox/Twitter

We loved the idea of Soho's owl bar, Shoreditch's cat café and even the pig picnic, but this one might be a bit too far.

On 25 May, East London will be getting its first fox café, opening from 5pm to 9pm every day.

Over a three week period, customers will be able to go to the currently tbc location and, perhaps, drink a coffee while six foxes upturn bins around you.

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The café will only contain fully-trained and domesticated foxes

Not really, the owners assure us this will not be the case.

"Foxes often receive a lot of bad press due to nuisance they cause in urban areas from destroying bin bags, digging gardens, fouling on the street and making noises throughout the night," Stevie The Fox's website says.

"However our aim is to change that perception and show you how foxes are playful gentle creatures."

Anyone hoping to go to the pop-up will need to sign up for the chance, as well as splashing £15 for a hot drink and an hour-and-a-half of face-to-face fox time.

The café will also be selling Fox’s biscuits and Fox’s Glacier Mints, which led us to believe this is almost definitely a publicity stunt. But according to Metro, the organisers claim to be totally unaffiliated with the biscuit brand and simply chose to sell their product because of its name.

In light of recent animal welfare concerns at the owl bar in Soho, the people behind Stevie The Fox have confirmed they will only go ahead if the creatures can be comfortably accommodated, and will have trained handlers on site at all times.

"The foxes’ welfare is our number one priority," they said.

"If we cannot provide a safe and controlled environment then we will not go ahead (although we are confident that we can)."

What does the fox say? Find out on 25 May.

London's Best Cocktail Bars
City Social(01 of12)
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"You can keep your dark grottos and Dickensian apothecaries. When I want a cocktail, I want to feel fabulous. There are fewer better locations than City Social, which has a jaw-dropping, wall to ceiling view of London, and cosy booths to sip your tipple.

"Speaking of tipple, cocktails are perfectly executed, from the more out-there Pea-lini (pictured) (that's peas and bellini, dah-ling) to straight vodka martinis.

"Plus, the fact that it's a Jason Atherton winner means the bar snacks are superb - no pork scratchings here, and even if they did them you can bet it'd be the best pork scratching of your life. Oh, and make sure you visit the toilets. You'll see what we mean"
City Social24th Floor, 25 Old Broad St, London EC2N 1HQ020 7877 7703
(credit:City Social)
Booking Office, St Pancras Renaissance Hotel(02 of12)
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"Rest assured - although this bar may be in a train station, it's certainly not your standard Wetherspoon's.

"With live music and a glowing atmosphere, beaten only by the drinks, it's a great place to while away the night. The bar is well worth a visit, not to mention it's part of the stunning St Pancras Renaissance.

"Try the Burnt Brandy, served warm and the perfect drink for those chilly winter evenings, or the Old Fashioned - certainly the best I've tasted in London (and believe me, I've tried a fair few). For something with a fruity punch, opt for for the Kentucky Spritzer or the Buffalo Diamond - a refreshing number with an agostura kick, served in a delightfully quirky silver tankard.

Booking Office
St Pancras Renaissance Hotel
Euston Road, King's Cross, NW1 2AR
020 7841 3566
(credit:Booking Office)
Nightjar(03 of12)
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"Blink and you'll miss it, this tucked away bar on Old Street is one of London's hidden gems. Grab a cosy corner at this old-school glamour venue and drink the night away.

"The cocktails are rich and dressed to impress. Smoking, bedecked in foliage or dressed up in sweet treats, the drinks are split into four categories: pre-prohibition, prohibition, post-war and nightjar signatures."

She added: "My faves were the Hobson's Kiss, served up with pineapple sorbet and topped with champagne, and the naughty but delicious Adam and Eve. All topped off by the delightful live blues band, who well and truly made the night."

Consumer marketing manager Caoimhe O'Reilly says: "This place is so much fun: authentic cocktails, great music and a lot of dancing. I would recommend to book in advance. Good spot and it’s open til the small hours of the morning. Perfect blend of prohibition alcohol, jazz and great company."
Nightjar
129 City Road, EC1V 1JB
0207 253 4101
(credit:Nightjar)
Hoxton 100(04 of12)
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"Glass-fronted, white walls, minimalist - the interior is inspired by the council block that the cocktail-bar-slash-restaurant calls home. It's pretty damn cool and well worth the walk from Shoreditch High Street."

"My favourite cocktails are the 100 Hoxton (prosecco with a hint of lychee, ginger, lemongrass & chili) for some uplifting fruity fizz and the Jamaican Me Oriental (Appleton VX rum, pomegranate, lime, coriander & chili) for a spicy, citrussy edge."

"The bar prefers punters to eat while they sip cocktails, so pick something delicious from the Asian-inspired menu - it'd be rude not to."

100 Hoxton
100-102 Hoxton St, London, Greater London, N1 6SG
020 7729 1444
(credit:Hoxton 100)
Ruby's(05 of12)
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"A Dalston basement masquerading as a cross between a tiled butchers shop and a fifties living room, Ruby's has a distinctive vintage charm that runs right through its drinks menu.

"From an old fashioned mixed with Japanese whisky to the tall blackberry mojito, nothing is quite what you expect, and while the prices are definitely more modern than retro, the atmosphere alone would be well worth the price."

Ruby's Dalston
76 Stoke Newington Rd, London

(credit:Ruby's/Tom Bowles)
Graphic Bar(06 of12)
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"Specialises in gin... Central, spacious and quirky (it likes its art and serves some drinks in paint pots) but MOST EXCITINGLY OF ALL it does a cocktail which, for £30,000, will be presented to you while Tony Hadley sings 'Gold', live, at your table.

"Clearly, they must have some sort of hotline to him which they use whenever someone orders it. If, indeed, anybody ever has."

Graphic BarGraphic Bar, Golden Square, London

0207 287 9241
(credit:Graphic Bar)
214 Bermondsey(07 of12)
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"If you like gin - and, boy, we hope you do - then 214 Bermondsey is the establishment for you."Set in a basement at the end of beautiful Bermondsey street, there is more gin than you can shake a cocktail stick at."Highlights: the gin flight (pictured). This is great fun - try three gins from around the world and challenge yourself to guess the which is which using only a description of distinct flavours and your tastebuds. Trust us, it's harder than it sounds."

214 Bermondsey
214 Bermondsey St, London SE1 3TJ
020 7403 6875
(credit:214 Bermondsey)
The Lonsdale(08 of12)
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"The Lonsdale serves up refreshingly simple and wonderfully understated drinks with no frills and no fuss: just pure cocktail.

"Modestly priced, the extensive menu ranges from New York and London classics to bar manager Marco's own creations.

"Firm favourites re the Russian Spring Punch and The Old Cuban - so good I tend to have two. Of all the London bars I've frequented, these cocktails come first for flavour."

"And if you're peckish, try their mouthwateringly incredible starters: steak tartare and the asparagus with duck's egg and truffle toast. Mmm."

The Lonsdale
48 Lonsdale Road, Notting Hill
0207 727 4080
(credit:The Lonsdale)
Made In Brasil(09 of12)
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"Amazing, cheap, delicious and beautiful Caipirinhas at Happy Hour until 8pm every day and Tuesday ALL DAY LONG.

Made In Brasil
12 Inverness Street, Camden Town, London, NW1 7HJ
0207 4820 777
(credit:Made In Brasil)
Sushi Samba(10 of12)
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"If the view isn't enough to make you ride the lift all the ear-popping way to the 39th floor. The cocktails certainly will."

"The chucumber is a light and refreshing must for gin-lovers. Gin, plum wine and Maraschino liqueur shaken with freshly pressed cucumber water, lime, sugar and plum bitters."

Sushi Samba
Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4AY
0203 640 7330
(credit:Brogan Driscoll)
BYOC(11 of12)
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"A secret speakeasy hidden beneath an ordinary looking juice bar.

"Book a table, bring a bottle of booze and watch an expert mixologist knock up some delish cocktails at your table. Exposed brick, proibition era music, vintage drinks trolly."

BYOC
28 Bedfordbury Street, Covent Garden, Central London
(credit:BYOC)
Ridley Road Market Bar(12 of12)
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"Cheap-as-chips ginger mojitos or tequila and grapefruit mixers. Tiki-themed, with plastic fruit a-plenty and a different street food served outside every week while you queue."

Ridley Road Market Bar
49 Ridley Road, Dalston, E8 2NP London, United Kingdom
(credit:Ridley Road Market Bar)