3-5 Glentworth Street
Lisson Grove
London, NW1 5PG
Nearest Transport: Baker Street
020 7486 3515
Phoenix Palace is a Chinese restaurant which serves dim sum daily from midday to 5pm. They offer takeaway facilities and provide a free delivery service within a 2 mile radius for orders over ten pounds.
Went to Phoenix Palace for Dim Sum today to make a change from the usual haunts and to avoid the West End. It is a very popular place for wedding banquets so probably a good idea to call in advance to check if the restaurant is open to the public on the weekend. My friends and I arrived at noon to avoid the queues and get there before a wedding which would start at 2pm and we were pleased to be seated immediately.
The restaurant was large, colourful and richly decorated - a cut above the usual places in Chinatown. For the four of us, we ordered about 9 different Dim Sum plates plus a plate of Ho Fun noodles with beef in black bean sauce. The food arrived hot and very quickly. I was very impressed with the Turnip paste which was very tasty, the cheung fun,the har gar and the spring rolls. The Ho Fun was unfortunately a tad greasy and I wasn't that impressed by the deep fried squid which were nice enough and tender but not as good as Royal China Putney - which does the best squid ever!
Overall it was a good experience and we were even more delighted that the bill came up to £40 including service. Probably in my opinion not the best Dim Sum ever (which currently stands at Royal China Putney) but I would probably go back if I was in the area or try the evening menu which is supposed to be amazing.
For a good Chinese restaurant experience, don't go to Chinatown, go to Baker Street. The Phoenix Palace is nothing like the cramped and grubby Chinatown regulars - this is comfortable upmarket Cantonese dining without being intimidating.
It's best for evening meals, in medium to large groups; the staff are a shade nicer and friendlier than the gruff types rushed off their feet in Chinatown. The food is not mind-blowing but is good quality and well-presented - good for a special event or celebration that requires a bit of showmanship as well as a hearty feed.
The menu is broad enough to offer the "safe bet" stuff of all Chinese restaurants but Phoenix Palace does particularly well in the more obscure "in the know" items which are lapped up by the keen Chinese diners. If you're feeling adventurous, the staff are sometimes open to enquiries about certain menu items and may make recommendations though this is not consistent - if you're really stuck and / or keen to try something different, just ask and see what kind of waiter you get!
Not recommended for Sunday lunch - the queue is often out of the door and if you do persist and get a table, the experience is guaranteed to be tasty but rushed.
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(5/5 found this review helpful)
