The Angel (Bar)

As a JD Witherspoon pub, this one exhibits the classic tell-tale signs. Cheap beer (£2.10 for a pint of Stella Unheard of in London!), cheap food, no music, and an ever-present plethora of elderly gentlefolk during the day working slowly through their pension cheque are what you can expect to find here.

I've noticed that JD Witherspoon pubs try to be all things to all people, containing the standard non-offensive colour scheme and wall decorations, a small non-smokng area, two tables outside (in the freezing cold on this particular day), a few slot machines stuck in a corner - and The Angel is certainly no exception.

Located very near Angel Station, this place is a good place to meet your friends, although I wouldn't have wanted to continue the night there. The blue urinial tiles around the pillars speak volumes, as does the slightly-tacky "The Angel" printed on the welcome mat. On a more positive side, the whole front of the pub opens up in the summer, which gives the place a nice outdoors feel, and removes some of the darkness lurking in the corners towards the back of the pub.

Worth a pint with the lads on the last weekend before payday, but not somewhere you'll write home about.

PS - whilst we were there, a fellow with an uncanny resemblance to William Hague with a couple of years on him blagged a ciggie of Fatboy. I wonder......read more