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Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Pub SignMan left this review about Angels Micropub
Squeezed into a tiny, unassuming building just off Belper’s market Square, this is a cosy little micropub that was doing a roaring trade on my Saturday afternoon visit. The pub has a simple layout across a single, split level, bare boarded room with the servery close to the entrance and limited seating around the rest of the perimeter. Tables and chairs occupy the lower level, opposite the bar, whilst benches fill the upper section beneath a large mural of a local mill. Elsewhere, the décor includes a picture of the pub painted across one wall, a stuffed toy deer head and a large angel mural above the bar. The servery is essentially just a hatch, with all the beer poured from the barrel in a temperature-controlled taproom out the back. The pub was hosting a ‘Dark Beers Festival’ when I called in, so the place was packed out (which doesn’t take long in such close confines) with loads of beer tickers in evidence, plus larger groups who took up vast swathes of seating, creating a buzzing atmosphere, even a short time after opening.
The cask options on this visit were extensive and obviously focussed on darker brews, with the range comprising Thornbridge Lowline and Jaipur, Oakham Citra, Little Critters Sleepy Badger, Brass Castle Fat Rascal, Wild Child Quintessential Confection, Titanic Plum Porter reserve, Blue Monkey Guerrilla Stout, Exmoor Beast, Ossett Treacle Stout Extra, Lenton Lane Seismic Activity, Navigation Siren’s Luring and Urban Chicken Urban Peaked, plus nine cider and perry options. Phew! In the end, I can’t recall which of these I ended up with, but I recall that it was in excellent condition and had this not been my first pub of the day, I might have been tempted to linger and try a few more.
This struck me as a friendly, well run micropub that perhaps suffers a bit from its own success, as I was forced to stand awkwardly in the middle of the room, in lieu of anywhere else to sit or perch, so I ended up rushing my visit a bit and never felt all that relaxed here. That’s a shame, as it seems like a great place and should most definitely be on anyone’s itinerary if looking to check out some of the best pubs the town has to offer.
On 18th July 2023
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about Angels Micropub
Not to be confused by the nearby (and more obvious) Angels flower shop, this micro-pub is located in a mews-like building just off the Market Place. Slightly split-level seating arrangement in the compact bar area, with a few more seats out in the side alleyway. With no handpumps on the counter, all seven real ales are served by gravity. I went for DCUK (£3.50), one of the two Dancing Duck beers, with a couple from Thornbridge and others from Oakham, Blue Monkey and Titanic.
On 6th April 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blue Scrumpy left this review about Angels Micropub
The Angels Micro Pub was the highlight of our visit to Belper and surrounding villages. It remains closed on Monday to Wednesday. So, I'd timed our visit to coincide with its Thursday opening. Indeed, it is one of the very few pubs in Belper that actually opens before 4pm.
Similar to Real Ale Ray's experience in 2017, we were also fooled by the Angels shop on a different corner of the Market Place, but soon spotted signs to the Micropub, which is located in a cottage-like building just off the square.
The lady serving was friendly and knowledgeable. She remained patient too as I struggled to decide what to have from a cider range which included 5 or 6 I'd never tried before.
Both ales and ciders are served direct from the cask or box from a cool room just behind the bar. The three regular beers are Thornbridge Jaipur, Oakham Citra & Titanic Plum Porter. Guests were Thornbridge Brother Rabbit, Dancing Duck 22, Wilde Child Shrimps and Barbies, Whim Flower Power, Lenton Lane 200 Not Out & Castle Rock/Wilde Child Pint of Plain. Anything 6% and above is charged slightly higher.
Ciders were Snail's Bank Black Forest, Damson in a Dress & Mulled Cider, Newton Court Panting Partridge Perry, Winkleigh Sam's Dry, Ben Crossman's Mayfield Sweet, Two Shires Common Sense & Selston Sip, Ross-on-Wye Michelin Blend, Hancock's Meadow Farm Kingston Black, Three Cats Dry & Thistly Cross Whisky Cask. Sandford Orchards The General also came on whilst we were there. Again, this had a price differential, as it was 8.4%.
We too had one of the large ham cobs in cheese bread, which were tasty and very good value for £2 each.
Locals were friendly and happy to engage in conversation, with a steady flow of people coming and going after a quiet start.
With the range of ales and ciders here, I could quite happily have stayed for a few more. As it happened, we had 10 more pubs planned and I settled for two.
Best pub of the day without a doubt. If there is any criticism, it did lack a little in atmosphere. But that probably changes as it gets busier in the evening.
On 13th December 2021
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2452 recommendations about 2451 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
custodian 42 left this review about Angels Micropub
Not in plain view from the Market Place but a sign did help us find it. Up a ramp and down a short corridor to the "bar". All the barrels are at the rear of the bar and there are no pumps or fonts on show. Blackboards above the bar list all the ales and ciders available. Jaipur was on form. This is a place I could happily return to.
On 16th September 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1693 recommendations about 1691 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about Angels Micropub
Lovely micropub with a good choice of ales, plus ciders, wines, gins and juices all at reasonable prices. Comfortable seating inside, and a row of tables and seats outside too. Brewery choices were Driftwood Spa, Oakham, 3 Thornbridge beers, Bridgehouse, Titanic and Sarah Hughes. We enjoyed our Thornbridge Cortado and Bridgehouse Landlady beers.
On 3rd June 2018
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Angels Micropub
Don't be mistaken when you arrive at the Market Place and see a closed down corner shop named Angels. The real micropub is tucked away in the far right hand corner of the square. This micro is named after a thatched pub that once stood here for over 200 years, which was demolished after a murder was committed in the pub in the 1800's.
This micropub is owned and ran by the owner of the Beehive in Ripley, he obviously knows how to run a good pub as his ales were all in top condition. 7 ales on stillage served through a hatch, prices were all set at the £3 mark regardless of strength. So we went for the Titanic Kiwi Fleet, Oakham Citra and Thornbridge Jaipur.
The interior of the pub was of reasonable size and the mural across the back wall of a local mill was a main feature, along with some further murals of the old thatched pub. The pub also has a choice of 10 ciders and a range of cobs at £2 each.
On 11th August 2017
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about Angels Micropub
This one is a genuine micropub tucked away on the South side of Market Place. Inside it's a single rectangular room with the servery and cellar on the right as you enter followed by the split level drinking area which has a wooden floor and low tables and chairs. Beers are served straight from the cask in the cold room behind the small servery. A blackboard listed eight beers one of which had gone. The remaining seven were Titanic Plum Porter & Chocolate Vanilla Stout, Thornbridge Jaipur IPA, Aurora Ilkeston Pale, Dancing Duck Ayup, Hairy Brewers Fear The Beard and Oakham Citra. At this point I gave up on going anywhere else between here and Derby and went for the Fear The Beard and Jaipur (both £3.00) which were excellent. The Jaipur was cheaper than the Matlock JDW in fact all beers and ciders here are just £3.00.
I thought this was a top micropub, it's only open 12:00-22:00 Thursday to Sunday but is one I will definitely try to get back to.
On 13th March 2017
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]