THE PHOENIX HOTEL - WOOLLAHRA, SYDNEY

The Phoenix Hotel
1 Moncur St
Woollahra, Sydney

The Phoenix lives up to its name - rising up from the ashes of the previous occupants here who left over a year ago. It is very appropriately described as having "Classic Mediterranean Fare". As you walk in at the front you can see the open kitchen and you can smell the wonderful food being cooked. As we entered, the bar area was to the left and the restaurant to the right past the kitchen.

The atmosphere is casual and relaxed with a good vibe. There is an inviting lounge area with a fire which was very cosy with interesting artefact's adorning the wall. The emphasis with the food is Greek tapas which is ideal for social sharing and there are great choices available. The Phoenix can be used for functions and can hold 150 people. If you want to have a function - they can tailor a menu to your requirements.

We began our meal with some very tasty olives. Olives are a favourite with both Sir and Mlady. 

The cocktails are created "in-house" and are quirky - just read their descriptions! Sir had the Strawberry Mojito - "Real men might not eat quiche but they totally gag for strawberry mojitos" - with our own twist of the Australian stolen Rum range and strawberries, this innocent looking cocktail has a sinister side that gives it more street cred than McGyver. It was a clear winner like McGyver too!

Mlady had the Fluffy Phoenix "Boasting a split personality of both sweet and sour, this cocktail brings together the zing of grapefruit juice, passionfruit and charm of liquor 43 with a vanilla aroma. Perfect for a walk on the wild side. Mlady thoroughly enjoyed this cocktail and the vanilla gave it a real Yummo factor.





















We then moved on the devour some raw meat - beef carpaccio to be precise.

The presentation of this dish was as pretty as a picture. We both loved this and there was plenty of the very tasty beef.

This also came with a serving of tasty toasted bread as an accompaniment.

Then it was again on to another favourite - the haloumi with fig, ouzo and black pepper.

This was a surprisingly light dish. The fig went very well with the haloumi.

Mlady spread the fig over the haloumi, as intended, and loved the sensation of the two flavours and textures.

The char grilled marinated baby octopus really lived up to its reputation.

Both Sir and Mlady love seafood so choosing this dish was not hard.

This was cooked to perfection and you could really taste the rich wonderful chargrilled flavours in the octopus.

Sir indulged in another cocktail - "I carried a watermelon - when Margarita dirty dances with watermelon, you better look out. Using premium Don Julio Tequila shaken with a hint of wetness and garnished with fresh mint, this mouth watering cocktail will put the Patrick in Swayse".





















On to the keftedes with paprika passata. This was ever so tasty.

It was beautifully cooked meatballs that were fluffy and the sauce was rich and full.

This tasty and tangy dish came with a serving of bread which is an absolute necessity to soak and scoop up the delicious sauce.

The Saganaki Prawns turned out to be yet another full and rich dish.

These prawns were plump and juicy and again the fact that they came with such a great tasting sauce was the real winner.

Again some toasted bread allowed the sauce to be scooped up!

Finally we had some Greek salad. Mlady loves a great salad and this was really good. The feta cheese was mild and not bitter or overpowering like some. It had tasty juicy olives and a good mix of greens.

Owners of The Phoenix Hotel, Alex and Will, are on a winner here. The food is really tasty, they have great sharing dishes full of flavour and the servings are generous. The food is all beautifully and appetisingly presented. This is a place worth visiting.

Sir and Mlady dined as guests of The Phoenix Hotel. Big thanks to owners Alex and William Cooney as well as Sally Dos Santos for the invitation.