The Angel

THE ANGEL................doesnt seem to have any beer..................week ok week.............surprised owners actually know what they are doing.....HOPE it doesnt close...............better than most pubs in manchester ...........SAD get your fingers out owners get some new owners

SQuiz night on a Monday. Great quiz! Good fun and nice chips. Loved the piano player !

On a sunny day (rare in Manchester) my colleagues decided to take me to The Angel pub for lunch, somewhere I have never tried and to be completely honest, had never heard of.
On arrival I was greeted by around 20 other punters sitting in what can only be described as an abandoned car park — the outside area I presume? Great, quirky and fun. Get me a beer.
The inside is small and so is the bar area so I quickly checked out their menu, saw the option of a fish finger butty, and it was done.
A few moments later it was brought outside to me and I was amazed. It was incredible! so much bigger than I was expecting, and the chips. Oh the chips!!! I may go out on a limb here and say these could be the best chips I have had in Manchester! They must have been triple cooked, very hot and fluffy and seasoned with rock salt and rosemary. MORE OF THESE PLEASE!

Great place, not to be missed. Fish n Chips are amazing, light and tasteful. Fantastic beer selection. Our waitress, Claire, was phenomenal. Stop in!

Just popped in here after reading reviews and wasn’t too sure what to expect but the food was definitely home cooked and the place is nice and cozy. I stay all over the city so rarely go to the same place twice in a year but I think this is one of those places you can easily make a little detour to visit.

Used to go in here a fair bit, when I lived round the corner. Used to like it. Even started off my 30^th birthday celebrations in here a while ago. Don’t like it anymore.
Sometimes — God fooking forbid (!) — after a long hard day, you just want to set up stall somewhere cosy, for an hour or two and sink a few ales… in a state of peace and tranquility, with only the sound of the jukebox and a few conversations perfectly acceptable in your ears.
Well, I attempted to do that yesterday and won’t be going back, unless I’m forced at gunpoint. Walked into what looked and sounded like the Phantom of the Opera on smack, with some old dude hunched over the piano hamnering out some notes resembling ‘Dracula’s Lament’.
The whole place — despite being busy for a Monday — was deathly silent. No one dared talk while this douche was playing. He was talented yes, but he was best suited to a funeral. Not sure why the owners are happy to have a mood killer like that? Downed our drinks and could not find the fire escape fast enough. One Direction, Taylor Swift, Bob Geldof’s charity band — anything would have been less severe than that. Awful.

The Angel is an interesting little place. It’s great if, like me, you’re into your real ales and craft beer. It has a number of hand pumps and the beers are ever-​changing.
The pub itself is a little rough round the edges. It’s rugged and probably not the type of place which would suit everyone. It also has possibly Manchester’s least inspiring beer garden which is basically a load of plastic chairs on the corner of the ring road.
But there’s something about this place I like. Maybe it’s because it doesn’t feel pretentious and polished like a lot of places in the nearby Northern Quarter, maybe it’s because it has character or maybe it’s just because I like the beer.
Whatever it may be, I think it’s definitely worth a visit to see it and judge for yourself.

This may prove to be a controversial review, I may even face the wrath from, or be excommunicated by, some of my fellow beer-​loving Unilocalers:
I did not like The Angel pub. Not one bit.
The third stop on the Unilocal Manchester Craft Beer Club’s Northern Quarter Tour (after Port Street Beer House and The Marble Arch), we technically entered the realm of Ancoats to get here, leaving the NQ behind. Thankfully, it wasn’t for too long…
My first thought on our approach was «Why are there white uPVC doors in its side wall?» On entering, this started to make a bit more sense. I didn’t get the impression that the owners were remotely bothered with the maintenance of its interior (i.e. electric heater hanging off the wall by our table, the toilets looking worse than that scene from Trainspotting). Some may well describe this as ‘rough round the edges’ — I would describe it as ‘one step up from a squatter’s den with a piano in it’.
Décor issues aside (we were there for the beer after all), the bar was bustling with folk from all walks of life. It was busy due to the fact that one of the staff members was chatting away to a customer sat at the bar, oblivious to the fact there were 30 people waiting to be served. Her co-​worker, on the other hand, was trying his hardest to get as much beer to as many people as possible. We ended up having to interrupt her indepth conversation, only to be given half pints that hadn’t been filled with an ‘I can’t be arsed’ attitude. Cue our saviour, her co-​worker, who promptly topped them up for us.
It’s been a long time since I’ve had such terrible service, and I’ve worked as a barman myself so can speak a bit on this topic. Had it not been for the other guy, this place would have got a one star. I won’t be coming back here in a hurry.

Now this is my sort of pub! Rustic, rough around the edges and definitely seen a bit of action over the years — this is just the sort of place I want to hang out in regularly!
Positioned just off Rochdale road (5 mins walk from the NQ) and surrounded by some pretty busy roads and nondescript buildings and warehouses, The Angel looks like it could be close to being boarded up. Wander inside though and take in what is a classic boozer with long bar, lots of seating and even an old piano in the corner.
I went at lunch time for a bite to eat so wasn’t really in the market for a pint but the selection was fantastic with some great local breweries such as Hawkshead well represented. Amongst all the standard rubbish lagers, they also had around 5 excellent imported German ones which showed they could be a place to take friends who haven’t yet been converted to the joys of the proper beer scene! The prices were around £3.50 a pint which is pretty good value I think.
The aforementioned food was excellent with me enjoying a wild boar moussaka (all served with a greek salad) for £8, just one of the exciting and enticing options of their classic pub food with a twist menu. They also said they have a more formal dining room with a different menu upstairs so this will have to wait till another day when I have more time on my hands.
Overall if you’re after a classic pub with great food and drinks then get yourself here — I’ll be back soon, that’s for sure!

Surrounded by a fortress of wire mesh, meaty road works and valiantly battling an insanely busy Rochdale road you’d be forgiven for avoiding the hassle of navigating your way through this temporary blockade.
Press on, however, show some intent, and you’ll spot the hand painted cherubs, glimpse a charmingly aged interior and a real offering of ales.
Arriving to an encore of Beethoven, played by a chap who could only be described as a throw away character from a Tim Burton sketch, and possessing no less enthusiasm for hammering those keys than Ludwig himself I was a little taken aback by the opening scene.
Deciding to deal with this the only way I could, I spotted a brutally high volume ale by the name of Hadouken… and like the classic fighter Ryu himself, proceeded to slam down a few of these punchy pints with some vicious intent.
From there, I found a cosy spot aside a fire, let the booze soften the blow of the dramatic pianist (who generally plays adhoc, by demand of the locals) and thoroughly enjoyed what has to be labelled as a top boozer.
Some hearty fare will tempt me back for a try (I was too blathered to dine after too many Hadoukens).
An all round top spot.

Inside this pub is cool, cosy
and quaint. And that is where I want to be. Not out in the garden, which loses
something by being near the main road and some major building works, leaving a
lot of dust flying around. The garden lost all
charm later when a swarm of bees briefly trapped everyone in the pub (I had to
have another drink! To calm my nerves? Why not?). Landlord is a beekeeper
apparently. They swarmed away from the pub, across the main road and into a
local carpark. Made for quite a scene and there was a hairy moment when a woman
pushing a pram wandered dangerously close. It is not what you expect in a city.
The beers were very good. Southport Golden sands was particularly tasty and
after the aforementioned incident Three B’s Stokers Slake seemed an appropriate
choice

Great selection of ales and ciders + a knowledgeable staff = a guaranteed good time. This wonderful pub has a piano at its entrance (classy!) and might feel a little cramped as you first walk in, but it opens up as you head towards the bar to give plenty of room to patrons.
They have an additional section upstairs that can be reserved for events if you’re ever looking for a cute place to set up a function.
I’ve heard from mates that the food here is delicious, but I haven’t had the chance to give it a go yet. I suppose that just means I’ll have to make a point to come here yet again and update this later!
Without a doubt, The Angel ranks amongst my favourite pubs in Manchester, and it’s just down the street from Marble Arch so you can hit two great pubs in one fell swoop. Now which one do you grab your first pint and meal at? Hmmm… decisions, decisions.

In years past, this place was known as the Beerhouse, and was infamous amongst my colleagues, as they once arrived on the street to find somebody was being thrown through the window.
Since then, thankfully, it’s changed into The Angel (and also changed chefs a couple of times — ROB is now at the Mark Addy, not here).
It benefits from an open fire in winter, and always has a good selection of nice real ales on (a Rudgate Ruby Mild on my last visit was very pleasant). As well as the pub downstairs, you can also eat in the small room upstairs serving as a restaurant. It never seems to get busy.
The food here is essentially reasonably priced pub grub: a decent go at sausage and mash, good quality chips, that kind of thing. It’s not perfect: steak on a recent visit wasn’t cooked to the right level, and the accompanying peppercorn sauce was off-​balance, tasting too acidic.
They made a good fist, though, of a french onion soup starter, the soup having a nice depth of flavour and sporting a deliciously creamy St Agur «croûton» floating on top.
Service is friendly & welcoming, but perhaps a little haphazard in places — they forgot to give me a soup spoon.
In terms of food, the Marble Arch up the road is probably the better option of the two, but it’s still worth a go here.
They have a large outdoor space round the front, but it feels like you’re sitting in a brewery yard. I’m hopeful they’ll take advantage of the space and turn into a proper beer garden some day.
Overall, this is a great pub, with a cosy atmosphere it’s rare to find in the city centre proper. Especially if you like decent real ale.

We we went to the Angel on Friday Night and my Wife and I were really disappointed.
I called to book and the guy who took my call seemed very surprised (this should have sounded an alarm)
we got there at 9 and the Pub was busy but no one was dinning (another alarm)
The food was bad to average with no wine list and stale bread offered. The main courses tasted bland and unappetising (maybe even microwaved as my Pheasant dish was hard and rubbery)
A thoroughly bad experience and a place be avoided.

Hooray for more real ales in the Northern Quarter! And real cider too, I thought we only got that stuff in Salford. And an open coal fire too… where were you with that, Crescent? Burning empty Seabrooks packets doesn’t count as providing heat.
I’m kidding, of course I will always adore the Crescent.
As for the Angel, is it as angelic as its name suggests? Well, it lacks a bit of atmosphere but perhaps I caught it on a quiet evening. The regularly updated chalkboard tells you what you can drink, and it has something of a gastro pub feel to it with its ambitious, rustic and delicious menu. Robert Owen Brown doesn’t half get about a bit. The heavy wood tables give the place a very cosy feel and the staff are super friendly and actually seem happy to be there.
It’s a lovely pub with what feels like a big heart. Try not to miss it if you’re at the top of the Quarter.

The Angel is an unassuming pub located just at the edge of the town centre. However, the owners of this pub have built up a strong reputation for great food and a cosy, fun atmosphere.
I’ve not had the pleasure of eating out at the Angel yet, though it’s certainly on my list of places to go. The pub sits just around the corner from my flat however, so its perfect for a drink on the way home from town or when there are no beers in the flat. There are separate eating and dining areas — personally I prefer the bar area because you can sit next to their lovely fire.
The staff are friendly and there’s a nice selection of lagers and a few surprising ales too. The Angel has just started doing regular quiz nights as well as their regular music nights. Call the pub for more information if you’d like to get involved.

If you like the Marble Arch, Bar Fringe and the Crown and Kettle, this is another pub for you, it is just north west of ancoats. Although you would have to out of your way from the main stay of the City Centre, I think it is well worth a visit! The pub which used to called The Beer House was rescued from demolition by its owners and has been lovingly restored to its former glory.
The food here is something quite special though, the chef Robert Owen Brown has put his heart and soul into creating the food served here … and it shows! He already had a brilliant reputation as a chef through the The Bridge, and when that closed down two years ago… loyal followers were left wondering what would fill the gap. It has been gratefully filled by The Angel!
The menu distances itself from and certainly gives a gastronomic two fingers to the poncey aim of some Manchester gastro pubs, Robert knows how to capture original ideas and turn them into his legendary signature dishes. The menu in essence is traditional British fare, sourcing the best of British game and seafood, quite often delivered to the kitchen by Robert himself as he is an accomplished angler and game shooter! You can therefore understand why he has won North West Chef of the Year twice in the past.
I had the Rack of Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary £12.75 on my last visit to The Angel, with my hand on heart i can honesty say it was a class above the rest! everything about the meal was perfect, the meat melted in my mouth. If you are a food lover, and live in Manchester — GO to The Angel, I promise you will not be let down!!!

Our experiences of eating at the Angel have always proved so good that we’ve not wanted to wait for the next time. Yes, the pub is draughty and rather tired but that is a small price to pay for the superb food and excellent beer and wine list. The food is innovative, the staff are charming and efficient and the Angel is top of our list for Manchester city eateries.

I visited The Angel for the 2^nd time last Friday. My first visit last year did not inspire another visit, however, having read positive reviews in the media it was only fair to try Angel again. I really wanted the Angel to live up to its reviews. A local pub saved from demolition, serving a good pint of ale, deserves local support.
From the outside the pub is starting to look slightly better with a coat of paint and new windows fitted. The interior is some way off the mark though. It feels, well, weird inside. It is hard to describe, but whatever it is they’ve done inside it really doesn’t work. However, I was there for ale and good food.
The ale is good, served by Dunham Massey Brewery with an additional regular guest ale available you are guaranteed a good pint. However the The Angel really needed to deliver on its promise of good food. It will never compete on ale with The Marble Arch just 2 minutes down the road.
This is where the disappointment started. Although well presented the starters were overall disappointing. I enjoyed my RS Ireland Black Pudding Potato cake but the tangy tarragon sauce was bland and did not complement the black pudding. My friend had the shrimp fishcake which was too heavy on potato. For our mains we both went for the Rib Eye. We were both disappointed. Aside from questions on the cut (we thought it was sirloin not rib eye) the steak was average and mine was medium not rare as requested. We decided to leave desserts to avoid further disappointment.
Top the poor food with very average service and a dodgy interior, I won’t be visiting again.