1 Archway Road, Archway

The building opposite the Archway tube station is known for claiming the lives of bars. It has previously housed The Archway Tavern, Dusk Till Dawn, Tropical Bar and more recently The Intrepid Fox. All of which had crumbled under London’s ever increasing economy and perhaps the lack of custom. It’s enough to make any bar owner avoid the area entirely for the fear of failure sticking to their clothes.

So it came as some surprise that, on one side of the building in question, it has opened its doors as The Lounge (or 666 as I’ve heard some people say). Though at the moment, the only way you would know its name is by their Facebook page as the sign above the door says Kolis Nightclub.

Already the bar has pulled in quite a few fans as we had previously found out through the bar winning The Carouser’s Fresh Meat Award. And, upon entry, I am met with a couple who loved the place so much that they have decided to host their wedding here.

The smoking area is a enviable feature and has an almost picturesque view of the surrounding area that’s currently being renovated. Before I know it, a whole deck of 20 Benson & Hedges disappears. But, it’s a blessing in London to have a smoking space like this, and because of its slightly enclosed spacing, it doesn’t feel too nippy.

The Lounge seems to have opted for the regular range of drinks. No pumps just cans; Stella, Red Stripe, Heineken, Budweiser, Strongbow Dark Fruits, Trooper and an array of your usual spirits- all cheap and around the £4 mark. However, when I attended on another night they had run out of everything leaving me with a tough decision to make- one Shite Lager or another shite lager. One customer beside me gets upset to due to having an allergy to some ingredient found in mass produced beer, which is the best excuse to turn your nose up at a Fosters if I ever heard one. When the bartender is pressed further, a cocktail menu can be revealed.

I find myself bumping into a lot of people I know. Tonight it is a hard rock event so naturally the crowd reflects that. Some of the events that are hosted here aren’t necessarily rock music nights but the venue is known for putting on a regular night called “Shot Through The Heart”- a jam-style AOR and glam metal night. But to find out when this is on can prove a bit of a challenge. The Lounge only has a Facebook page and due to algorithm changes, it is more than likely that you may miss an event unless you physically seek out their profile and check.

The Lounge can certainly be branded with the unwanted stamp of “potential”. It already has the London music community’s attention and it is certainly a comfy place to hang out till 4 am in the morning. They just need to book in more great events and make it easier to be discovered – online and on the streets of Archway.

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