Stepping off the DLR in the heart of East London on a blazing day in May, two Surrey country mice, dressed to the nines in their impromptu Ab Fab fancy dress, tottered the quick five minute walk to the family-run, independent pub, the infamous Angel of Bow, where two hours of Bottomless Drag Brunch fun awaited us.
A 1930’s pub that survived the extensive bombing of WWII, The Angel of Bow looks from the outside like many other traditional London pubs, but the interior is a welcoming, eclectic and slightly camp mishmash of shabby chic upcycled and restored furniture, plus unique wall murals in the garden and bar area by urban street artist Paul Don Smith.
Immediately feeling at home and warmly welcomed by the bar staff, we came face to face with our Drag Queen host, Christina Draguilera. Statuesque in skintight Lycra and Playboy Bunny boots, a wonderful lace-front ponytail wig and a faceful of shapeshifting makeup that is definitely designed to be seen at a distance, Christina was an absolute scream from the get go, with arch humour and innuendo a-plenty (most of it not for the faint hearted). An accomplished host she made sure all her guests (several tables of girl friends and couples of all ages, some larger group tables celebrating special occasions, and most notably, an enthusiastically proud ‘thrupple’) were well settled and catered for before the entertainment started.
Which, was immediately more interactive than we’d expected it to be, and with the first glasses of the bottomless drinks flowing, we all joined in with gusto as Christina got us singing along to LGBTQ+ ally pop, rock and country classics, with a memorable rendition of Dolly Parton’s Jolene, with the name Jolene replaced by ‘Drag Queen’ every single time! The country mice are themselves both Am Dram-ers and with Prosecco courage felt entirely at home with having a microphone thrust in front of them to sing solo lines without feeling too self-conscious. Even the shrinking violets in the crowd were eventually brought out of their shells in the safe space Christina created!
With more sing-along songs, ‘getting to know you’ icebreaker games and an hilarious magic trick, we barely noticed the first hour flying by until our food arrived. With a good selection of seven brunch/lunch mains to choose from, we opted for the Mezze Board and the Angel Burger. Michael the Chef working tirelessly in the kitchen (single handed it transpired) turned out a delicious varied mezze-style platter containing: herby mixed olives, stuffed vine leaves, buffalo chicken wings, taramasalata, prawns in Marie Rose sauce, mackerel pate and houmous, with toasted flatbread slices and a side of french fries. The smash patty Angel burger with cheese, home-made burger sauce and salad, was tasty and filling, served with thick hand cut chips. Both were the perfect pick-me-up and the cue for a second bottle of prosecco. At many bottomless brunches you reply upon the staff to refill your drink but having the bottle on the table in a chiller meant you really got your money’s worth if you and companion chose to go all in on the concept! Add to that, Christina’s eagle eye on everyone’s tables, pointing out empty glasses and bottles to the bar staff, meant the audience were well lubricated.
Whilst eating, we played Sing-along Musical Drag Bingo, with winners receiving a shot of their choice, to our shame the country mice needed quite a lot of help from our friendly table neighbours to fill in the gaps in our more recent contemporary diva knowledge.
Two blissful, laughter-filled hours sailed by, plus another hour chatting with local regulars as we finished up the copious booze we still had left once Christina left the stage and joined us in their out of drag real-life persona, face scrubbed clean before heading onto their next gig, hosting Drag Karaoke at another local pub.
Tired, happy and definitely a little more than just tipsy, the two country mice took off their heels, popped on their flats to run for the train and took their leave of the Big Smoke. But would heartily recommend the experience and will hopefully return to The Angel of Bow again in the future, and suggest you take a trip out with your best chums, no special occasion needed, and enjoy an afternoon of drag queen-hosted fun in Bow, East London one Saturday soon!
The Angel of Bow Bottomless Drag Lunch is on every Saturday from 1pm–3pm, featuring a fantastic lineup of drag artists throughout 2026, including Topsie Redfern, Christina Draguilera, and Just May, to name a few.
You’ll get two hours of bottomless drinks, choosing from prosecco, cocktails or beer, whilst enjoying the incredible drag performance and a dish from our brand-new lunch menu. Only £39.95 per person and really easy to get to from Waterloo Station, hopping on the Jubilee underground line to Stratford and from there on the DLR to Devon’s Road. Zoe Avern
Find out more at theangelofbow.co.uk
