The Angel, Roehampton, SW15

Here to tick off the two remaining pubs in Roehampton prior to meeting a mate over in Putney Heath in a bit over 30 mins so I’d better get my skates on! Not much has changed here (definitively not since Tris’s recent review and Rex’s two reviews of yesteryear (including one 14 years to the day). The venue was busy and the outside patio area was specially popular. A lot of shouting amongst the punters so the pub felt like it had a bit of an edge, but definitely punters somewhat beyond their youth days. Racing from Galway and Goodwood on the TV without commentary and a rather loud heavy beat soundtrack. No interest in the pool table during my visit. An interesting menus on the blackboard to the right of the serving hatch of the kitchen at the end of the saloon bar. There were two cask beers, London Pride and Youngs Original. Had a pint of the latter and perfectly decent. Plenary of keg beers, lagers (Carling, Fosters, Stella, Coors, Moretti, Amstel and K1664) and ciders (Inch’s and the regular and dark fruits Strongbow) plus Guinness. Definitely no craft beer here. Certainly a lively venue. Was asked why was I taking a picture of the pub on the way in but my explanation of liking to photo my visited pubs to remember them was readily accepted. Was sweating for a moment and that wasn’t just because of the outside temperature. Am expecting a more sedate experience in the Young’s pub next door.

This is – presumably – a Victorian building, recorded as a coaching inn as far back as 1617. This would seem to be unchanged since Rex’s last visit from 11 years ago and I agree that the sign is amusing, perhaps less so than before as it was replaced around 2021. It’s still a two-room format, the saloon bar at left used for pool, the corner public bar with some leaded lights being traditional though quite basic; what wasn’t so appealing was the knot of all black-clad somewhat intimidating youths hanging around outside it. Customers are a very local down-to-earth bunch, the pub and its patrons light years removed from the experience at the King’s Head next door. I didn’t check out the drinks’ option as the youths proved too great a deterrent to remaining.

Official site of The Angel - theangelpub.com

Official site of The Angel - theangelpub.com

I paid a return visit to this pub yesterday, and I'm glad to say that I found it unchanged from my previous visit. I entered via the Saloon Bar to see three unclipped pumps on the bar counter - always a worrying sight. But a pump in the Public Bar was dishing out Young's Bitter - in fact the only ale on - which turned out to be in excellent nick. It's now gone up to £3.10 a pint, but that's still a reasonable price for the London area. This remains a local drinkers' pub - it couldn't be more of a contrast to the sumptious King's Head next door. I'd be happy to visit again.

This is a very basic Young’s house, with only Bitter (at £2.80 a pint) on during my Saturday lunchtime visit. But it was a decent, and very welcome, pint on a warm day. There was no food on – not even any crisps or nuts, which is most unusual for any pub. Delivery problems, I suppose. But there is a caff a couple of doors away that does takeaway sandwiches, and in some other pubs that don’t do food they’ve suggested that you pop out and bring a sarny back. It might be worth their while doing something like that here – I might have stayed for a second pint had I been able to get a bite to eat. Anyway, the pub is still essentially a two-room affair, with the saloon and public bars connected by a short corridor, and with a small raised area off the saloon bar containing a couple of tables and chairs as well as a dartboard. The saloon bar’s carpeted; the public bar’s not. That’s very traditional. Furnishings are normal tables and chairs, but for some reason just inside the saloon bar entrance there’s a tall chunky table with a couple of tall upholstered benches. It looks a bit out of place to me, especially in a traditional pub like this, but I don’t much like the things in any case. Wall decor is old photos and miscellaneous prints; there was some radio station on mainly playing pop music; and the inevitable flatscreen TV was muted and tuned to Sky Sports. There was also a sign on display declaring that children aren’t permitted in the saloon bar; so, probably best to give the public bar a miss then. There are a handful of picnic benches in a small enclosed area just outside the public bar entrance. This is a pretty ordinary and unpretentious pub – I quite liked it and would be happy to have it as my local if I lived in Roehampton. Of course it is the only pub in the immediate vicinity. I have to say that I do rather like the pub sign – I wonder who modelled for it?