The Angel

This Wetherspoon pub takes its name from the 17th-century coaching inn which gave the area its name. The original Angel was built in 1639, on the site of 1 Islington High Street. Replaced in 1819, and again at the turn of the 20th century, it remained a pub until 1921, when it opened as Lyons Corner House.

The Angel refers to the angel shown in the scene depicting the annunciation, which was on the original sign. When the inn was built the area was infested with thieves, and travellers heading out of the city would congregate at the bottom of St John Street. When a sufficient number had gathered, they would be escorted to The Angel under armed guard. The original building was replaced in 1819, and then again at the turn of the century. It remained a pub until 1921, when the distinctive dome was added, and in the following year it opened as Lyon's Corner House, sometimes called The Angel Café.