Bars & Pubs

By Ben McFarland

Perched atop the ever-so-elegant incline that is Highgate Hill, the Angel Inn is a lengthy walk from Archway or Highgate tube – both steep but the latter’s more salubrious – but it will tickle up a thirst.

A bit mental and a little Oriental, the J-shaped bar crams bamboo curtains, a fish tank, local artwork and dangling lampshades into the wooden leftovers of a traditional London pub that, according to the plaque on the front, was rebuilt in 1920.

The beer runs a gamut of styles; Küppers Kölsch from Cologne bridges the gap between ale and lager, there’s a trio of wheat beers in Hoegaarden, the more fruity Franziskaner and the sublime Schneider Weisse; if you ask for cask, you’ll get Adnams or Greene King IPA. The three Chimays chill in the chiller alongside Kasteel Kru and the lovely Innis & Gunn.

A globetrotting grub menu takes in honey-and-sesame-seed pork chop and pak choi, British whitebait with a squeeze of lemon and Moroccan tagine. Some guilt-inducing desserts are flagged up on the blackboards too. Entertainment?
There's a film night on Monday, Wednesday’s quiz night and there’s a DJ on Fridays. Other than that, there’s a discreet telly and a bevy of board games from Battleships to backgammon.

The two tables outside catch the sun and the Highgate hubbub.

Time Out Issue 1977: July 10-16 2008