Phoenix - North Down

I like to order appetizers when I come to this restaurant. They are generous portions and go well with the chicken curry. The prices are very affordable and the service is consistently good. I have visited before and the food was not always the best, but my last experience was excellent.

The service at this restaurant is excellent and the food is truly amazing. It is definitely worth the money and I highly recommend it. The delivery service is also great, overall it is excellent all around.

The Phoenix is great if all you want is some decent food and a night out without breaking the bank. Service is OK, maybe not the fastest in the world, but the staff are friendly. We went with my son and his girlfriend and had a very good meal. He had satay chicken skewers (good), his girlfriend had spring rolls (OK), my wife had chicken noodle soup (tasty, though would have liked it thinner) and I had smoked chicken in spring onion and ginger (very good). For mains we had garlic chilli chicken (very good), chicken curry (a bit on the mild side, but OK), lamb in spring onion and ginger (very good) and sizzling beef satay (excellent). The ginger and spring onion dishes (my starter and my wife's main) tasted particularly fresh. We finished with coffees. It's not fine dining and the decor won't win any prizes, nevertheless an enjoyable night out.

I have attended the Phoenix many times over a number of years, and it isn’t nice to see a place you once enjoyed not maintaining a standard they once had. Each time I go I feel the food declines in taste and the customer service declines further along with it, but I always try and balance things out and give them a chance. Tonight I convinced a friend to go here for a change from the usual place we go, and I was embarrassed I had recommended it. Food was just about eatable, mainly due to the chicken dishes in both the starter and main course having a chewy unpleasant taste to it. Our sides of rice and chips were brought out with a long wait before our main dishes were brought out to go with it. As for service, there was a lovely girl on who seemed to be running around doing most things and trying her best with the handful of people dining and phone orders. Around 6 people dining in total. Whilst the owner who seemed to have a bit of an attitude, served the food and was working the kitchen also. The owner made us feel unwelcome, and came across very unpleasant, making the atmosphere uncomfortable. No pleasantries, conversation or even a smile the entire time. When bringing out the dishes mumbled the names at us and when I said ‘yes’ for the dish that wasn’t mine but quickly corrected myself, the owner rolled her eyes like I was an inconvenience. Between the starter and mains she also lifted the dish still containing a cracker, asking were we done whilst walking away with it, not giving us a chance to say we were intending to order more. No dessert offered either that comes with the high tea, although by that stage we were ready to go. On our way out whilst paying we could hear a phone-call booking being taken by the owner where again politeness seemed to be a thing of the past. Shocking all in all at a time when custom can be hard to achieve and maintain, but it didn’t come across that anyone was worried about that. Can safely say my friend and myself will not be back.

We have been ordering from Phoenix for over a decade, but we will not be ordering from them again. Lately, the quality of the food has been subpar, and today's meal was particularly disappointing. It is disheartening to see a once well-respected restaurant decline in this way.