Another cocktail bar review. This one was discovered purely by accident when we went in there for a pre-dinner drink. The reason? My girlfriend decided that walking in vertiginous heels was a good idea and by the time we got close to the restaurant, her feet were hurting too much to continue to our usual haunts. So it was that we ended up in Angel's. It has since become one of our firm favourites and our default for cocktails.
Angel's is what I would describe as a very classic cocktail bar. There is a large bar, an extensive selection of drinks and an air of gentle but unpretentious sophistication. The feel continues with the menu which is clearly laid out and contains a good selection of classic, modern and invented drinks. One feature I particularly like about the menu is, as well as including a list of ingredients, they also have a brief description of the drink and, in the case of the classic ones, a short history of the drink. Another nice quirk is the staff dress code of black shirts with red braces and ties. Anywhere else, it could be a bit naff but here I thought it looked good.
On to the drinks. As always I had a Vesper first. Not only was this on the menu but it was accompanied by a charming warning that it was "quite strong". I reassured the barman that I knew what I was letting myself in for and, in good time, my drink appeared. He wasn't joking. It had a kick like a mule. I almost ordered another one on the spot.
For once in my life I did resist temptation and instead went for a Corpse Raiser No. 2 (in the absence of Corpse Raiser No. 1), a delicious concoction that combined sweet, fruity and aniseed flavours with a rather vivid green colour. Given the prodigious number of alcoholic drinks on the ingredients list, it slipped down with terrifying ease.
In the mean time, my girlfriend decided that none of the drinks on the menu were quite to her taste so was having bespoke cocktails made for her. Judging by the squeals of utter delight and the expressions of various types of ecstasy on her fact I can conclude that she rather liked them. Based on this I decided to ask if a drink could be made based on my particular tastes. What came back was a delicious concoction of whisky augmented by a nice balance of fruity and sweet flavours.
This brings me almost neatly on to my next point; the staff. They are brilliant. As well as being well turned out, they are extremely knowledgeable about their ingredients and have an almost palpable passion for cocktails. When serving the bespoke drinks they genuinely cared about the reception they got. Fortunately, the quality of the drinks mean I doubt they every get a bad reaction.
Happy hour runs until nine most nights which makes the drinks reasonably priced and the music plays at a nice, ambient volume.Best of all, even the bespoke drinks were included at happy hour prices. In fact, my only (minor) complaint is that the seating was a wee bit limited. It was fine when we were there but if it got busy, I can imagine it being quite cramped.
In conclusion; easily one of the best cocktail bars we have been to in the last few months and contender for the best one in Oxford. Excellent drinks, reasonable prices and brilliant staff. Go and sample some of the excellent items on the menu.
TFB
Angel's is what I would describe as a very classic cocktail bar. There is a large bar, an extensive selection of drinks and an air of gentle but unpretentious sophistication. The feel continues with the menu which is clearly laid out and contains a good selection of classic, modern and invented drinks. One feature I particularly like about the menu is, as well as including a list of ingredients, they also have a brief description of the drink and, in the case of the classic ones, a short history of the drink. Another nice quirk is the staff dress code of black shirts with red braces and ties. Anywhere else, it could be a bit naff but here I thought it looked good.
On to the drinks. As always I had a Vesper first. Not only was this on the menu but it was accompanied by a charming warning that it was "quite strong". I reassured the barman that I knew what I was letting myself in for and, in good time, my drink appeared. He wasn't joking. It had a kick like a mule. I almost ordered another one on the spot.
For once in my life I did resist temptation and instead went for a Corpse Raiser No. 2 (in the absence of Corpse Raiser No. 1), a delicious concoction that combined sweet, fruity and aniseed flavours with a rather vivid green colour. Given the prodigious number of alcoholic drinks on the ingredients list, it slipped down with terrifying ease.
In the mean time, my girlfriend decided that none of the drinks on the menu were quite to her taste so was having bespoke cocktails made for her. Judging by the squeals of utter delight and the expressions of various types of ecstasy on her fact I can conclude that she rather liked them. Based on this I decided to ask if a drink could be made based on my particular tastes. What came back was a delicious concoction of whisky augmented by a nice balance of fruity and sweet flavours.
This brings me almost neatly on to my next point; the staff. They are brilliant. As well as being well turned out, they are extremely knowledgeable about their ingredients and have an almost palpable passion for cocktails. When serving the bespoke drinks they genuinely cared about the reception they got. Fortunately, the quality of the drinks mean I doubt they every get a bad reaction.
Happy hour runs until nine most nights which makes the drinks reasonably priced and the music plays at a nice, ambient volume.Best of all, even the bespoke drinks were included at happy hour prices. In fact, my only (minor) complaint is that the seating was a wee bit limited. It was fine when we were there but if it got busy, I can imagine it being quite cramped.
In conclusion; easily one of the best cocktail bars we have been to in the last few months and contender for the best one in Oxford. Excellent drinks, reasonable prices and brilliant staff. Go and sample some of the excellent items on the menu.
TFB
Hi J
ReplyDeleteAsk for a gentlemans agreement. Quite possibly the best cocktail Ian ever ordered and certainly the most complex. I also have your 'test' - if they cant make a cosmopolitan, I dont want to know!
Amy
Hi,
ReplyDeleteWhat's in a gentleman's agreement (apart from a firm handshake)?
Next time you're down, we'll take you to Angels and let you apply your tests. It will be interesting to see what you think. Might also have to get a corpse raiser or two on board too.
J