Food

The Phoenix Review

I had the pleasure of dining at this grand British Pub, hidden amongst the business district close to Victoria station on Monday night. We received a warm welcome from the waitress as we walked into the pub. She took us to the back area in which we were able to cozy up in a corner table. Pleasantly surprised that none of the tables seemed to be squished in making it feel too claustrophobic. There was plenty of space here to move around.

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Upon looking over the menu (which I had basically selected all 3 courses in no time at all) I Started with the Quinoa salad which had beetroot, pomegranate, blood orange and mint dressing. Just love having a healthy choice option. This is not always easy to find here in London pubs. Unfortunately the mint dressing was missing which would have topped the salad off nicely. The blood orange throughout though, was definitely a help in adding a burst of flavour. The staff were very apologetic, and not once was I made to feel like a burden in voicing my opinion.

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My husband also, did not have a hard choice in selecting his starter; Baked Somerset Camembert, with apple chutney truffle oil and sourdough bread. Needless to say he was in heaven when he received the dish, an entire camembert melted.

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Next came our mains, Chicken and ham pie with carrots, spring greens and gravy along with the special of buffalo steak with fries and roasted tomato. There is a great selection of homey meals on the menu and specials board. Exactly what we wanted. It is always so much better when someone else cooks for you! Both of our meals were enjoyed and finished off easily.

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Dessert… my most favourite meal time of the day! Toffee and sticky date pudding (or cake as it looked more like) with vanilla ice-cream. I just love ice-cream so to have a taste of this only made me want more! However, I can never pass up a crumble and to have one of my favourites’ on the menu was a BIG plus. Apple and Rhubarb! which of course pairs nicely with custard. Let’s just say when I really love a meal I will sit on it and eat as slow as possible to make sure it lasts as long as I can make it. This is exactly how my crumble went down. Devine!

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Washing down a meal with a great wine is always a difficult thing for me as I am very fussy and my husband’s taste is generally the opposite. In this scenario though, we agreed upon the recommended wine, Sauvignin Blanc, Featherdrop Bay from New Zealand, knowing this would not let us down. Indeed NZ wine continued to provide us with a delicious beverage.

Occasionally, you do happen to venture into pubs with unfriendly staff, or staff that really don’t make you feel welcome, and often have a bad attitude towards customers. However the staff I encountered here were genuinely friendly. They were happy to offer their personal opinions, on best sold dishes as well as which drinks go best with which meals.  They went out of their way to ensure all diners were happy all round.

If you’re looking into hiring a venue for any reason, I would recommend investigating this place. Upstairs offers a function room with a bar available. When it is not booked out, it is used as extra dining space. The Phoenix Bar provides a warm atmosphere, so head on out there and enjoy this place for yourself!

Written by Bec Brodie

 

 

 

ADDRESS: 14 Palace St, Victoria, London SW1E 5JA

PHONE: 020 7828 8136

EMAIL [email protected]

TWITTER: @PhoenixVicSW1

FACEBOOK: The Phoenix Victoria

OPENING TIMES

Monday – Thursday: 11am – 11:30pm

Friday – Saturday: 11am – 12am

Sunday: 12pm – 10:30pm