What: A contemporary pub in leafy Highgate, north London. A former Mitchells & Butlers managed house, The Angel Inn is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between. It’s designed to appeal to a broad audience, with a menu that spans everything from traditional hand-raised pies to rainbow salad bowls.
Who: The Angel Inn is the latest venture from Heath Ball. Originally from New Zealand, Ball is best known in the industry for his multi-award-winning gastropub The Red Lion & Sun, which is just a two-minute walk away. He also operates The Wenlock Arms in Hoxton and The Lockhart in the West Sussex town of Haywards Heath. The kitchen at The Angel Inn is headed up by Vincent Millet, who has spent the past five years cooking at The Red Lion & Sun.
The food: Billed as ‘a little sister’ to Ball’s flagship of some 18 years, The Angel Inn keeps things simple with a breakfast, brunch and lunch menu served from 8am to 5pm, followed by a dinner menu from 5pm onwards. Daytime options include devilled chicken livers on toast; smoked salmon and scrambled eggs in a brioche bun; pie and mash; a wagyu cheeseburger; and a club sandwich. The evening menu is slightly more ambitious but still rooted in everyday dining – Ball says he wants The Angel Inn to be the kind of place locals visit multiple times a week. Dishes include burrata with heritage tomatoes, smoked and balsamic vinegar; porchetta with roast potatoes, carrots and cider jus; and fish and chips with mushy peas and tartare sauce.
To drink: Ball is among a relatively small group of operators to have truly nailed wine in a pub setting. The Angel Inn has a more concise selection than The Red Lion & Sun, with just over 50 listings. Reflecting the pub’s accessible positioning, the list is more eclectic and affordable, with prices starting at a competitive £7.50 a glass. It tops out at £120 for a bottle of Volnay Premier Cru. Sparkling wine gets special attention and is, unusually, served in 175ml measures in standard wine glasses rather than flutes. Nearly all served by the glass, the selection includes crémants, a col fondo Prosecco, Champagnes, English sparklings, pet nats and no fewer than three Lambruscos.
The vibe: A pub has occupied this site since at least 1610, though the current building dates to the 1930s. Ball has given it a sympathetic redesign, aiming to make the space as suitable for breakfast as it is for late-night drinks. Design details include green leather banquettes, a herringbone floor and a sweeping wood-topped bar with grey panelling.
And another thing: Ball acquired the pub toward the end of last year and initially ran it in roughly its existing format ahead of a refurbishment earlier this year. He’s spent the past few months fine-tuning the offer and says things are bedding in nicely — particularly the breakfast and brunch service.
37 Highgate High Street, London N6 5JT