The Phoenix - Bristol Food Review
Posted on: 2017-01-12
Our rating:
Well-executed pub food at The Phoenix, a hip hot spot tucked away at the heart of Bristol - and with no Brian Potter in sight.
Fans of Peter Kay's work will foster fond memories of The Phoenix Club, the ill-fated Bolton working men's club around which his celebrated sitcom Phoenix Nights revolved. Offering stone-cold stir-fried chips and warm, canned lager served up by their hapless personel, the fictional establishment represented (quite literally) a comedy of errors. Luckily, the Bristol bar, with which it (almost) shares a name, couldn't be further from this.
Esoterically nestled behind the bright lights of Cabot Circus, The Phoenix is a pub which burns with understated quality. Having occupied the same pitch since 1850, a series of regenerations have seen it soar ahead of the curve. Today, it comprises a neatly-kept beer garden and a charmingly-bedecked series of bar rooms, which, with complete with a stylishly-minimal interior and a gender neutral bathroom, feels modern without pretention, up to date without trying too hard. And it keeps its customers well-refreshed with food and drink that represents good quality and good value.
Having been sat at the end of a long couch in the main room, we sample a number of testaments to this, as recommended by General Manager Sy. A selection of drinks range from a glass of crisp pinot grigio to a hearty vanilla and chocolate stout, with the pick of the on-tap tipples (which regularly rotate) a potent cider, which was picked from St Veep, a one-man local brewery.
All of these serve to more than adequately wash down the Allotment Platter (£12), which my friend and I share to start. A veritable herbivorous smorgasbord, it features several pieces of creamy brie and mature stilton alongside olives, tomatoes, gherkins, red peppers and some hefty slabs of warm bread, with pots of chutney, caramelised onion and olive oil suited to compliment. We could have happily munched ourselves full on this alone, but restrained so as to leave space for our mains.
With the sirloin steak (special, £14) and Mexican burger (£9) having piqued our attention, they were promptly served and well-presented. The steak was cooked to a beautiful pink and accompanied by a good portion of fluffy chips (which were uniform in their rigidity and score a 4.2 out of 5) and a green salad. Nicely seasoned and complemented, it is a very satisfying dish.
The Mexican burger delivers to a similar level of quality, its perfectly-balanced garnished allowing it to triumph as a top-notch composition. Cooling guacamole and tzatziki sparred off against a spicy salsa to leave a pleasing heat at the back of the throat. A cage of crispy sweet potato fries comes with it.
We leave contentedly, with our appetites sated and taste-buds entertained. The service has been excellent throughout, with the staff friendly and helpful throughout. The food, if reasonably simple, was prepared very proficiently. A slight sticking-point is the menu which, offering only pizzas, burgers and Mexican street food as standard, is slightly limited - however Sy assures me that they are keen to work to the strengths of their new Brazilian chef, and will therefore be adding dishes accordingly. If this is true, exciting times lie ahead for The Phoenix in its latest rebirth.
Atmosphere: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Value: 4/5
To book a table call 0117 329 0076, or to stay up to date with their developments check them out on Facebook.
Article by:
An ardent Geordie minus the accent, Sam seemingly strove to get as far away from the Toon as possible, as soon as university beckoned. Three undergraduate years at UoB were more than ample time for Bristol (as it inevitably does) to get under his skin, and so here he remains: reporting, as Assistant Editor, on the cultural happenings which so infatuated him with the city. Catch him at sam@365bristol.com.
