Apparently, there's been a pub on this site since the 17th century...
What's the deal with this pub then?
The first thing you need to know about The Angel Inn is who the man behind it is. Heath Ball is the landlord of the nearby Red Lion & Sun, a pub that's currently No 6 in the Top 50 Gastropubs list and one of Hot Dinners' favourite pubs in London. Not content with running a pub that's equally beloved by locals and A-listers, Heath recently took this other Highgate pub under his belt. Right on the high street in Highgate village, this is a walk-in-only affair, making it the perfect spot to pop into either pre or post a walk on the heath.
How close are both pubs?
They're barely a five-minute walk apart. To get there, you'll either need to take a bus up to Highgate Village or get the tube to Highgate and walk from there. If you're really good at forward planning, you could take the tube to Finsbury Park, spend an hour walking up the Parkland Walk to Highgate and really earn your lunch at The Angel Inn.
Is there a pub garden?
There isn't, but there are a handful of tables outside on a small terrace. There are plans afoot to expand the alfresco offering, but they're still in progress. But the room itself is very bright and open, making it a lovely place to be during the day.
The bright dining room at The Angel Inn
Is it the same menu?
No, this is quite a different beast to The Red Lion & Sun. Where that is the kind of place you'd have oysters, followed by a Cote de Boeuf and an extremely spendy bottle of Burgundy, the menu at the Angel is more light and casual. The opening hours are also very different as The Angel also opens for breakfast and brunch. Apparently, their kippers are already a big hit but we might also have to go back to try their devilled chicken livers on toast too. Then they have a light lunch menu and switch up to more of an NYC wine bar style vibe in the evenings.
We were here to try their Sunday roast. Having already enjoyed many of these at the Red Lion, including their festive offering, we were quietly confident that Sunday lunch here would also be pretty bloody good.
There's a short list of starters on offer, much of which is on toast. Here's what we tried.
Crab on toast (£14)
Asparagus and feta quiche with mixed leaves (£10)
Then it was on to the main event - the roast dinners. There are three to choose from, including one we didn't try, a vegetarian offering of beetroot, spinach and mushroom wellington, which can also be vegan if you go without the Yorkshire pudding. All of them come with roast potatoes, a root vegetable mash, broccoli and towering Yorkshires, along with a red wine jus.
Roast rib of beef (£25) - just LOOK at it. Beautifully tender beef, perfectly cooked and loads of gravy too. The roasties were crisp, there were loads of vegetables - really, what's not to like?
Slow-roasted belly of pork (£24) - normally, we'd consider this the Plan B option after the beef, but the amazing crackling on this pork made this every bit as much a star turn. Both the beef and pork come from Aubrey Allen butchers, so you know the quality is going to be good.
Room for dessert?
Honestly, there shouldn't have been, but one look at the dessert menu meant we had to have this.
Sticky toffee pudding (£7) served with loads of caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream
What about the wine?
If you haven't been to Heath's other pub, then you might not know that he's a huge wine buff. The Red Lion & Sun has won numerous awards for its wine list, and - rare for a pub - is recognised by the Star Wine List too. But while the Red Lion is more of a classics list, Heath has allowed himself to have more fun with the list at The Angel, which features more from the organic and biodynamic side of the wine world.
You might want to start your meal here with a cheeky glass of Lambrusco from Pizzini Wines in Australia (£9.50) or a Puglian Pet Nat. Bottles range in price from £30 to £120, and we were lucky enough to try the amazing Cervaro della Sala from Antinori (£110) which was freaking delicious.
Had a hard Saturday night? You can't go wrong with one of their kimchi Bloody Marys.
Overall thoughts
As longtime fans of Heath's other pub, we weren't sure how we would feel about The Angel Inn. But it turns out there's room in our hearts for more than one great Highgate gastropub. There's something lively and fun about the new turn this old pub has taken. But the same seamline of great hospitality that underpins the Red Lion & Sun is 100% replicated here too. You should come and check it out.
More about The Angel Inn
Where is it? 37 Highgate High St, London N6 5JT
Find out more: Follow them on Instagram @theangeln6
Hot Dinners dined as guests of The Angel. Prices correct at time of publication.
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