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Disappointment of the week with Gann
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Detail Pages
Phoenix, Bristol
St. Pauls
Bristol
BS2 9DA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about Phoenix
The Phoenix is a small looking pub that hidden behind some large buildings that could be a shopping centers car park.
Once inside there is a narrow oblong shaped room which runs to the rear,the bar is on the right side,there is comfy bench seating on the left side,the rear area is down one step where there are two tall tables and chairs,there was a TV on showing the Switzerland v Poland football game in the Euros.
There were two real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Butcombe bitter which went down well,the other beer was Tiny Rebel Gynn & Tonic.
The pub was fairly busy on my mid Saturday afternoon visit with a decent crowd.
There was decent background music playing and i even heard a track from Canned Heat.
I found this to be a very pleasant pub to have a drink in.
Pub visited 25/6/2016
On 7th August 2016
- rating: 7
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Phoenix
This pub has a fairly unprepossessing location next to the car park for the neighbouring shopping centre and, contrary to external appearances, is much bigger than first expected. You enter into a reasonably narrow main bar with the servery down the right hand wall and a selection of battered sofas and low pouffes opposite. There are some 'Phoenix' mirrors which form part of the bar back, but the servery was otherwise remarkable only for the large bird cage stood at one end - seemingly a theme for the pub, as the light shades were also shaped like bird cages. Décor is a mix of rather bland shades of paint and some dazzling modern wallpaper that didn't really match up well. Beyond the bar you move into a lower area with a book case, one high table and some stools, in turn leading to the rear room which has a lot of exposed brick and block work painted in neutral colours. I noticed a collection of beer bottles in the window sills and several TV screens throughout the pub, all turned off in favour of music playing at a sensible level.
This was the last pub of a long crawl, so I may have missed some hand pumps, but I'm fairly sure there were only three, which were offering Butcombe Bitter and Crimson King and Combined Breweries Dynamite IPA. I tried the Crimson King which was pretty good, although the palate was getting pretty jaded by this point.
This is a pretty decent pub that serves its locals well and makes a decent bolt hole for those wanting to escape the retail hell over the road. A decent pub to finish a good day's drinking in and whilst it might not quite measure up to the city's finest, is still worth a look if you're in the area.
On 11th December 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Phoenix
Walking across an empty car park and also in the dark at the end of a PG crawl, I thought this pub looked a bit of a waste of time from our approach. Once through the doors, the pub had great atmosphere and a jolly vibe about it. This is a two roomed pub with the main bar on the right of the entrance. The furniture was eclectic with some leather settees and tables found in a second hand shop, but very comfortable. Our table was a brass and marble top coffee table. Three handpumps, the Butcombe Gold was in great shape.
On 18th November 2014
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
an_ ecumenical_matter left this review about The Phoenix
I used to visit in the days of Merv,Bass and gaffer taped seats. Now transformed as previously alluded to,this pub should do well but hasn't cut the mustard for me. Several visits in and its always been quiet. 3 ales at the start of the current incumbency were down to one-(hazy) Butcombe- on my most recent visit. Asked the LL when were the other beers coming on to be told "I'm keeping them off until it gets busier",this was on a friday afternon. But without an attraction to go there will it get busier????? Jury is out.
On 28th August 2011
- rating: 5
[User has posted 39 recommendations about 38 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pete Yeates left this review about The Phoenix
The Phoenix, in its old form closed on 31st December 2008 and remained empty except for the squatters and substance abusers for some two years or so. The building, owned by the City Council, was put up for rent and eventually went on the market for sale freehold in 2010. It was eventually purchased and after a complete strip-out and refit re-opened at 5:00pm on Friday 14th January 2011.
The old days of barrels behind the bar have sadly gone, but the place has been transformed into a modern trendier hostelry.
There are two real ales on offer: Butcombe Bitter & Sharpe’s Doom Bar as well as Weston’s Cider, also on handpull. There is also Thatcher’s Gold on keg & Draught Guinness, currently on pint cans with the ultrasonic widget machine. Lager-wise, there’s Heineken, Amstel & Birra Moretti.
Some “old school” Draught Bass boys that used the Phoenix in years gone by will probably moan a bit, but this is 2011 and I guess pubs need to work harder to survive? The Phoenix has certainly risen from the ashes!
Updates are that there are now three tables at the front and customers sitting outside on sunny afternoons. Beer-wise, there's now "Beer of the Week" at a reduced price. There's now also Free WiFi too!
On 8th April 2011
- rating: 7
[User has posted 99 recommendations about 92 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Phoenix
As Pete has mentioned below, this is certainly a transformation from it’s previous incarnation. It’s quite dark, although not gloomy, with much black paint on the walls and ceiling as well as a dark wooden floor.
There’s a long bar on the right with a few wines chalked up on a board. The furniture is a mix of different styles, with some leather sofa’s, an old leather bench car seat from a Jaguar and an interesting table with a comic book set in to the top. The bar is illuminated with some unusual “bird cage” lamps, complete with a small model bird inside. The remainder of the lighting is pendant lights with over-sized orange shades. A rather jazzy mirror made up of small mirror sections all set at different angles completes the interior. There is also a few tables outside, overlooking a tiled square, which seems to have been much improved since my previous visit.
Beers on tap were Doom Bar, Butcombe and Arbor’s Citra, the latter being priced at a very reasonable £2.50. The solitary cider was Thatcher’s Gold.
On 14th March 2011
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1947 recommendations about 1860 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Phoenix
A proper, traditional old boozer. Certainly no airs or graces, but it does what it does wello enough.
I'd never been to this until recently as it was a bit out the way, but with the CC redevelopment, there's no excuse. In case you're not sure where it is, go over the new bridge to the car park and as you get to the end it's pretty much right underneath you on the right hand side.
On 15th December 2008
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1947 recommendations about 1860 pubs]