Lost Angel London Review
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You may recall the story of a young, inquisitive trespasser called Goldilocks. She went a-walking through the Forest of Arse-end of Nowhere and got herself caught up in a rampant case of home invasion, privacy violation, and unapologetic theft.
And then the talking bears arrived.
Up until that psychedelic moment when the Ursidae caniforms suddenly became anthropomorphised, every child reader amongst us thought Goldilocks’ adventure sounded like a bit of a lark: walking around an enchanted wood, peeping into strange houses, helping ourselves to all and sundry.
Of course, most of us have growned up since then and now we’re forbidden from wandering into other peoples’ (bears’) house without written consent from their solicitor. The opportunity to explore the boundary between common decency and our own imagination has long since passed us by.
Or has it?
Enter, Battersea’s Lost Angel bar and restaurant: the new hope for youthful flights of fancy, and sister to the voguish Lost Society. There’s something instantly magical about the names involved here because this venue was once known as Dusk. But now that the darkness has fallen, a Lost Angel has emerged.
Despite it’s pub-like dimensions, there is still plenty to discover at Lost Angel. Inertia is discouraged, so use those feet to explore. First, though, grab a pew in the quasi restaurant section and buckle yourself in for a rollicking ride of form and taste.
Lost Angel’s head chef is a former Wolseley and Chez Bruce apron-wearer, so it’d be an exercise in futility to tell you how good the food is. But what the hell, let’s be futile and take a peek.
Starter: the tender seared scallops (like chicken of the sea) on risotto nero is a festival, a bonanza, a Big Bang of flavour that leaves just one thought in your mind once finished: “Is it wrong to pick up my plate and lick up that sweet, sweet black goo?”
Main: the perfectly proportioned roast belly of pork is an entertaining plate of shapes: a cube of soft flesh with crisp outer shell; a cylinder of potato-y goodness; a long pencil of honey roast carrot; and a mess of crowning sauce. A taste sensation? No, no. Everything is a taste sensation. Sensational taste, however.....
Dessert: the bouncing rubbery texture of the blueberry cheesecake is different to any other cheesecake. For a start, it’s almost green in colour; a product of subdued lighting and heavy use of actual berries. The overpowering bitter taste often associated with cheesecake isn’t there. This is NOT a battle betwixt cream and fruit. This is the UN of cream and fruit, working for the common harmony.
To water: the Australian Berton Winery Black Shiraz is, as the menu suggests, ‘an espresso of wine!’; strong and intense enough to accompany the three rounds of euphoria mentioned above.
So that’s the food. What of Lost Angel’s other attributes?
The cocktails are the tallest cocktails this side of Hemel Hempstead. The English Gent’s Mojito is a Paddington Bear special. It doesn’t possess the harshness of a standard mojito, due to the small bits of marmalade floating therein (which prove entertaining when trying to suck them through a straw). The dark burgundy signature cocktail, the Lost Sailor Berry, is a wintery drink that inspires images of Christmas and mulled wine; only with more rum, blackberries and shiraz.
Lost Angel’s décor is overgrown with sylvan branding: the woodland scene walls, the fairytale menu books, the mantelpiece gun, the taxidermied pheasant, the earthy tones, the fake ivy draped on absolutely everything. The gargantuan mirrors help to keep the forest’s illusionary expanse and the whole thing feels like a den which is filled with lots of very tall 9 year olds.
What stops it from toppling completely into Never Neverland are the little adult touches: the candlelit tables; the deep red leather seats - the red is deep, not the seats; the ‘quiet zone’ white telephone box for those wanting to use their mobiles; the ‘no House’ policy and eclectically excellent DJ skills (actually observed: a bit of slow motion breakdancing at the tail end of Salt n Peppers’ “Push It”. Novel idea, gent. Well done that man).
The whitewash garden - replete with own mini bar and pretty fairy lights - keeps queuing to a minimum and smokers well oiled. Like a hotel pool bar minus the H20, this is a great get-together area; especially as there’s talk of adopting a huge covering for winter.
Fancy a game? Try the Outré Items Observation Game:
- What is the squirrel reading?
- What musical instrument gives the best shade?
- How do you sprout your own angel wings?
- What member of the animal kingdom previously owned the skulls that now provide coloured light?
- Spot the sewing machines and the flower in a boot.
- Is there a correlation between the menu’s poem and the cherubs?
Lost Angel is not a pulling venue, even though there’s no entrance fee. Everyone seems to be acquainted, even if they’re not, and the doormen are really only there to bid you a safe journey on your way out; how terribly nice.
Despite the venue’s somewhat remote location - which really only adds to the mystique - the locals are not made to feel isolated. So whereas Lost Society is famous for queues and selective overcrowding, Lost Angel would rather be everyone’s friend. It’s a slow burner. It’s under-appreciated. It’s Lost Society for those who’ve seen far too many queues than they care to remember. And let’s hope it stays that way, too. How awful it would be if it were overrun by an army of numpties. These are smartly dressed but not choking on their own arrogance type peeps. The kind of peeps you’d gladly lend a book to.
Lost Angel is bursting with key features. Even the staff look like they’re having fun. Like Lost Society, it’s positioning will test your devotion. Yet, despite its incongruous placement, Lost Angel is the perfect venue.
Christian Rose-Day (01 10 2009)
Lost Angel London Description
The Lost Angel is a bar, restaurant and boozer, a real neighborhood joint. One of those places where you can come during the week for a bite to eat with the other half, then at the weekend descend on with a group of friends for live music and DJ fun. It’s a real chameleon, cocktail masterclasses, fine dinning, real ale along side award winning cocktails, comedy nights, film nights, and the good old pub quiz.
They have a no house music philosophy, more along the lines of ‘antique rock, glamorous indie and eclectic retro’. House music has been left to their sister venue Lost Society, located only a couple of streets away, still going strong 3 years down the line.
Their ethos is service, good, unpretentious service, offered up with a smile. A hello as you come in, a goodbye as you leave and a lot of fun in the middle. Lost Angel can offer something for everyone, whether that be a cocktail in a martini glass, an ale in a mug, a beer in the garden, dinner in the restaurant, a snack and a glass of wine in the bar or a party to remember, they pride themselves on your enjoyment.
Head chef Anthony Hicks, (Chez Bruce, The Wolseley, Soho House NY) and his team shall be doing their thing all day from Tuesday to Sunday, lunch is served from noon till 5pm. In the evening the menu changes to a more ala carte affair: confit duck, plaice and langoustine goujons and celeriac schnitzel to name a few, with the addition of the great British roast on a Sunday. In the summer chefs will move into the garden for BBQ’s and hog roasts…..lovely.
So, be it a pint of ale, a Manhattan or a glass of Chilean Riesling that you are after, The Lost Angel is definitely a destination boozer, come on over, its going to be fun.
The Lost Angel is split in to three specific areas, the bar, the restaurant and the garden. The outside space is going to be a huge hit in the summer…..everybody loves the sunshine! There will be a separate dinning and drinking space alfresco style.
Customer Reviews for Lost Angel
The following customer reviews are not endorsed by Fluid London and are simply those of users who wish to publish their independent experiences of Lost Angel.
“I doubt Battersea has a better bar. Or a better restaurant for that matter. It's so stylistically modern, you cant help but spend the first 10 minutes just gawping at your surroundings. I'd recommend the restaurant section as your first port of call before moving outside for a mojito or two, and finally sliding onto the dancefloor where some rather excellent tunage is provided. Easily, my new favourite bar.”
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Leigh, Tooting (1 years 4 days ago)
“Have been to the Lost Angel twice now, once during the week for the great British pub quiz and food and once at the weekend for a friend’s party. Can honestly say what a great place it is and would defiantly recommend it to others. The staff are fantastic, top serves with really tasty food and some of the best cocktails I have tried and I like my cocktails so that says a lot. The music at the weekend it makes a change to the norm you hear everywhere with a eclectic mix that had me and my friends dancing all night (warning your feet may hurt a little the next day but it was well worth).”
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Emma Roberts, london (1 years 2 months 20 days ago)
“Was amazed at the decor of this bar. Staff were attentive and the food and service was very good. Will return.”
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Bob, Northampton (1 years 2 months 21 days ago)
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