It was late on Saturday evening and I had decided to have a sensible night to myself. That was until my friend Ethan messaged asking if I wanted to join him for a pint and I quickly convinced myself that spending a night home alone was a waste of my youth.
Rushing out the door I told him to meet me at my favourite pub in Nottingham, The Angel Microbrewery. This pub isn’t your average local. The first time I visited I was shocked a place like this existed.
Tucked away in the backstreets of Lace market the navy-painted pub is home to some great food, drink and music. Having not eaten meat for 10 years now going to a pub for a pint and a bite to eat I have come to expect my options will be limited. This place defies the norm completely. The owner previously ran one of the first vegetarian and vegan cafes in Nottingham and this has clearly influenced the pub’s menu as I was spoiled for choice.
On recommendation from our lovely waitress, Ethan and I placed an order of the Mushroom wings, Vegan Mac and Cheese and the intriguing Tempeh burger. Whilst we waited for the food we got a round of drinks. I was excited to hear that a vast majority of the brews are vegan and the pub tries its best to reduce its carbon footprint by growing its own organic hops. It’s always exciting to find a great local businesses that is also environmentally conscious.
As a couple more of our friends arrived so did our food. They seemed delighted about this, I cant say I felt the same because it looked too good to share! We first tucked into the Mac and cheese with vegan pancetta as it was raved about when we ordered and it most definitely lived up to the hype. Creamy, cheesy and smokey – what more could you want? The mushroom wings were up next for tasting and again they were lovely. I think the mushroom flavour got slightly lost under the crispy golden batter but I can’t really complain as we dusted them off in a matter of minutes. To finish off what had already been such a treat Ethan and I dug into the burger and chips. I am going to be honest I was a little hesitant about choosing the burger because I have never really been a fan of Tempeh but this changed my mind. The texture of the Tempeh was incredible and the side pairings of slaw and salsa balanced the richness and ‘meatiness’ flawlessly. Since Saturday I haven’t stopped thinking about the burger and I am already planning my next visit back to feed my craving!
The meal was super affordable with everything we had coming to just under £20 (with the use of their 15% student discount). If you want a real bargain visit The Angel Microbrewery on a Wednesday for 50% off food all day! And if you are just popping in for a drink they also offer a Happy hour running from Sunday to Thursday from 3 pm to 6 pm.
The Angel Microbrewery has quickly become my go-to pub for a relaxed evening with friends. The staff are so friendly, the interior is cosy, the drinks are great and the food is even better. I can’t recommend it enough!