The Phene

The first time I encountered The Phene was on the Channel 4 show Made in Chelsea, when the main female characters were shown sitting on the terrace in the afternoon, sipping cocktails and talking about boys. When I go along on a cold February night, I find the outdoor terrace has been transformed into a winter scene thanks to fake snow and twinkly lights, and a group of girls sit under a heater, smoking and gossiping about boys.

Inside, The Phene has a pubby drinking area and two smaller rooms for dining. The décor is a little on the feminine side, with white furnishings and candles by fashion designer Lilly Bourne on display in their boxes (who is responsible for The Phene’s interior design). Unsurprisingly, we’re surrounded by groups of females, who are talking about their husbands.

The food is upmarket pub grub. The smoked salmon on a fried sweet corn potato cake is good but not spectacular; the game terrine is more interesting, a strong, musky paté with a thin layer of spinach, wrapped in smoky ham and paired with very sweet fig chutney.

The steak pie is one of the day’s specials, filled with flavoursome beef although there’s the odd chunk that has turned out tougher than the others. The gravy is rich and ale-based, sweet and just a little tangy. A thin lid of pastry covers the meat, and crunchy green beans and a small Caesar salad are the accompaniments.

A hunk of cod in crispy tempura is firm and flaky, the mushy peas are practically a puree and the chips are fluffy and crisp on the outside. The tartar sauce appears to be homemade, as it’s very creamy with large, vinegary capers.

The dessert selection sticks to comfort food staples; there’s sticky toffee pudding and chocolate fondant, but we choose the blackberry and apple tart which has good flavours but the pastry is a little on the dense side. A dollop of Chantilly cream cuts nicely through the fruit’s tartness.

Upstairs there is a loungey area decked out in purple and gold, and round the back is a deli selling organic produce and superfoods; the Phene have got their audience figured out. A three course meal for two is around £75.

Monday	Open 12:00 - Closes 23:00
Tuesday	Open 12:00 - Closes 23:00
Wednesday	Open 12:00 - Closes 23:00
Thursday	Open 12:00 - Closes 23:00
Friday	Open 12:00 - Closes 23:00
Saturday	Open 11:00 - Closes 23:00
Sunday	Open 11:00 - Closes 23:00

The Phene

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