The Fox, EC2

Official site of the Fox, contains menu and wine list - www.thefoxpublichouse.co.uk

There are few vestiges of its original pub character remaining, such as the cast iron pillars for example. I'm not sure about the cut and etched glass windows – if they are modern reproductions they are pretty good ones. A bare-boarded floor, wooden tables and chairs with no padding – there's nothing soft and warm about this place. The champagne bucket and basket of lemons on the bar give the game away. Harvey's Bitter at £3.40 a pint is also a clue (they also had Pedigree on) – it's a gastro-pub. The only décor on the walls seem to be chalkboards advertising the wine lists and bar menu, plus some sort of mural depicting a bloke sitting in a chair having a fag, with a dog tethered in the doorway. The pub's typical of the breed. It's not the sort of place that I feel comfortable just sitting having a pint.