Last Updated on July 25, 2021
New Street Food venue in West London
The Phoenix is West London’s exciting new street food and cocktail venue! Apart from great food, they are also hosting a busy roster of DJs, live music and entertainment with quizzes, comedy, singles nights and dancing taking place throughout the week.
The Phoenix is situated in Ariel Way, Westfield, in what was once Jamie Oliver’s restaurant. This new venture is run by the entrepreneurial pair Wil Fuller and Frazer Timmerman, who successfully opened The Hawk’s Nest in Shepherd’s Bush last summer. For those that aren’t in the know The Hawk’s Nest is a real favourite of mine, a slightly more tucked away outdoor-feel street food restaurant off the Goldhawk Road in Shepherds Bush.
As well as The Phoenix’s large indoor restaurant and bar, it boasts a vast outdoor garden terrace with a capacity to seat 400. You enter via a fabulous floral arch designed by florist Lucy Vail. It is part covered by a giant marquee which creates a vibrant green english garden feel – laced with ivy, wisteria and hanging baskets and set with funky red and orange bench seating.
You would never know that it has been only open for two weeks by the bustling crowd, many of whom are probably letting their hair down after shopping in the adjacent Westfield shopping centre.
The Phoenix offer is fun and simple with pizzas, burgers (both meat and vegan), steak & chips, Thai BBQ chicken, salad boxes, beer, wine and some seriously good cocktails.
The cocktail list focuses on Mezcal and Tequila paired with freshly juiced fruit, inspired by the team’s recent trip to Mexico. They also offer also some summery mocktails like the sweet Blueberry Smash and a broad range of low and no options.
We drank the Casa Margarita – Amigo Bianco Tequila, lime, agave, jalapeño, cucumber – perfect if you like your margarita with a kick. A Gin Basil smash, Beefeater Gin, lemon, basil and sugar was green, citrusy, and deliciously vegetal. In true Mexican style, a Passionfruit Mezcalita came with smokey Quiquiriqui Mezcal, Olmeca Reposado Tequila, passion fruit, lime, and agave. I particularly loved this as the acidity of lime ensures it is not too sweet.
Food comes in recyclable cardboard packaging – we ate a lovely houmous mezze with soft boiled free-range egg, houmous, beetroot tartare, pea shoots, radish, new potatoes and authentic flatbread.
Some Sicilian style mushroom and truffle arancini with a luscious garlic sauce, crisp and fried hand-cut calamari rings with truffle and delicious aioli dipping sauce. Both came from Italian Street Food specialists, SUGO.
We both had burgers a Big Cheese – a classic good quality smashed beef patty, with American cheese, lettuce, burger sauce, white onion, pickled gherkin in a sesame bun and the vegan option – a Down to Earth Moving Mountain Vegan burger patty, cucumber slawtziki. pickled cabbage, gem lettuce with a plant-based bun. It had a meaty texture with the added crunch and bite of the pickled cabbage.
And just to be sure to really indulged we accompanied them with some super luxe Parmesan and truffle fries.
I have no doubt that The Phoenix will be drawing in the crowds this summer, and when the autumn draws in the team are planning to provide outdoor heaters to keep everyone warm and cosy.
But right now, is the sun is shining so let’s make the most of it! Be sure to check out this great West London hangout.
Open seven days a week from 11 am to midnight
The Phoenix,
1078 Ariel Way,
Westfield, London, W127GB
Playing extremely loud music to 12.30 am with zero regard for residents.
Have you tried talking to them? Lucy found them very friendly – maybe they don’t realise…and I am sure their licence is at risk if they are disturbing residents.
Yes. They have been completely dismissive. Patronising to say the least.