The Angel, St Giles, WC2

Nice enough place, this pub is one of the Samuel Smith owned places, so only Sam Smith ales and lagers on sale. The bitter is on hand pump, but I think they had a sparkler on the tap as it was very frothy and took a while to settle. It has different bars, the main one i think was the lounge bar, it has a coal fire, which was very welcoming. A saloon bar, which wasn't very big but had comfortable seating and a public bar, I think that was what it was as it had a dart board and games machine. There was also another area, which seemed like am inside outside area, it had garden tables and chairs, it may have been just a storage area, anyway you have to go through in the is area to get to the saloon bar, which is where the toilets are. The decor is the usual dark wood type, this time it had gold wallpaper above. friendly enough place.

In an area of trendy bars, redevelopments and glitzy neon the Angel stands as a memento of what pubs used to be like. In a pleasant reversal of trends, the recent addition of a screen in the lounge bar has reverted the pub to what was presumably its original layout if the positioning of the doors are any indication. This division has turned the relatively spacious main bar into two, a quite compact carpeted front bar and a tiny snug bar to the rear where there is room for just a solitary table next to a fireplace and stove. To get between the two you must pass through the magnificent tiled, heated passage which itself contains additional seating for any customer overspill. Entrance to the totally separate Public bar is from the street. The soft tiled flooring is well worn and the furnishings are basic and simple with a few padded pew seats, stools and small round tables. The high ceiling appears to be ingrained with many years cigarette smoke and the large half frosted patterned windows and large plain mirror make it feel quite spacious although it doesn’t take much for it to get busy. The wallpaper is not what you will generally find down the local B&Q and only the Theatre posters give any hint as to the current century. The great thing is that everything (apart from the new screen) is tatty and worn and not an obvious recreation. The ornate plaster ceiling in the main bar(s) is aparticularly noticeable. The main issue would seem to be the beers themselves. Sam Smiths are not to everyone’s taste and they tend to stick to their own brands so you will find the standard Smith’s ale OBB (on handpump, not the keg variety found elsewhere) along side the wheaty lagers, Cider Resreve and pandapop style cokes. Prices are also part of the time warp experience with change from £2 being the norm (for Central London they make Wetherpoons look like loan sharks). The only other downer is the toilets which are down a narrow stairway through the rear bar (although I presume there is another one in the Public Bar). Just room for 1 urinal and a sink and I dare say that many have used the latter option rather than wait. There is also a small outside beer garden but this is generally inacessable during winter months. The pub does get packed but if you want to get away from the swanky neon of the West End, this is definitely the place to do it.