The Phoenix

One of my first jobs was based in Chelsea Manor Street and the pubs in the area were a regular haunt. So it was with great interest that I returned to The Phoenix to see how things had changed since my long distant youth.

My colleague and I took the tube to Sloane Square – having decided that an early evening stroll down the King’s Road would build up our appetites. It’s so long since I’ve been there that I walked right past the top of Smith Street (which looks like it contains only residential premises) and we had to retrace our steps. Halfway down the quiet road you see The Phoenix in all of its ochre colour glory – mind you, the open side door onto the inner workings didn’t add to the vista.

You walk through a busy but congenial bar. It is stocked with attractive young men (from Putney and Chelsea?) in rugby and polo shirts and designer deck shoes. Many of them have their eyes fixed to a high screen where a football match of some kind is playing out. There are sofas as well as tables and chairs.

At the back of the bar you reach the dining area – more of the ochre colour scheme with wallpaper designs a la retro Biba. The tables are stripped/distressed pine. It’s warm and comfortable and probably only caters for around 30. At 730 there were only two other tables taken – both contained four people (two sets of couples).

Our waitress was alert – a petite foreign girl with an excellent knowledge of wine and she helped us navigate the well organised wine list. My colleague had his heart set on a warm red – Malbec from Argentina at £15.70 but we were informed that the earthquake had affected supplies. So, opting instead for a rose, we took the waitresses recommendation of Les Maitres Vignerons de St Tropez 2008 (£19.40) which was described as “straight from the fashion catwalk”. It was delicious.

The menu offered a good selection. For starters there was soup (£4.95), roast field and forest mushrooms (£6), smoked haddock fishcake (£7) and chicken liver parfait (£7). I selected the salmon gravadlax with brown bread and cream cheese (£7.50) and was delighted that the salmon was served in large flavoursome chunks rather than tasteless slivers as in common. My colleague choose the more adventurous potted mackerel with beetroot, horseradish and watercress salad (£6.50) which arrived with thick chargrilled bread and lots of leaves. We were delighted that it actually arrived in a little glass pot – the mackerel, as you would expect, was strong and salty.

Whilst the menu offered some interesting choices for the main course – including mushroom and artichoke risotto (£10), braised blade of Dexter beed (£14), smoked chicken (£11), pan fried sea bass (£16) – with numerous mentions of reductions and jus we were enamoured with the specials. Our waitress apologised sincerely for being unable to provide any insight into the meat dishes as she professed she was a vegetarian.

My colleague choose the chargrilled leg of lamb with barley risotto and spinach (and a side of green beans) while I selected the plaice with clams, broad beans and new potatos. My plaice presentation was a triumph – a beautiful fish with the beans and peas scattered decoratively all over it. Luckily we had ordered a side of hand cut chips with Cornish sea salt (perfection) – otherwise I may have been a little hungry after my super-light selections.

As we ate our meal, the dining area filled out – some larger groups, some couples and even a lone gentleman diner. The pub at this point had become even busier – which was nice except that the temperature had become almost unbearably warm. So we skipped desserts and coffee and headed out into the King’s Road night.

Overall, the meal and wine came to around £60 – and bearing in mind the quality of the wine and the food, the central location, the pleasant environment and truly excellent attentive staff – it seemed like good value for money.

Monday	Open 10:00 - Closes 00:00
Tuesday	Open 10:00 - Closes 00:00
Wednesday	Open 10:00 - Closes 00:00
Thursday	Open 10:00 - Closes 00:00
Friday	Open 10:00 - Closes 00:00
Saturday	Open 10:00 - Closes 00:00
Sunday	Open 11:00 - Closes 22:30

The Phoenix

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