Lately Woollahra's pubs have been getting their fancy on, like the gussied up Centennial and the new look Bellevue. And the latest to go under the knife is the Phoenix Hotel. It's a corner pub that you often get a flying glimpse of as you shoot east along Oxford Street, and it also spent a short period of time as a Champagne bar (if a Champagne bar can't make it in Woollahra, it can't make it anywhere).
But this time around the menu is all Greek. We're talking saganaki prawns, baby octopus, keftedes, haloumi and souvlaki chicken. You can still get a 300g steak, but it's nearly half the price if you get a gyros – these guys know where their strengths lie.
Cocktails list towards the fresh and fruity end of the spectrum. There's a strawberry Mojito, an apple and St Germain number, and a watermelon Margarita on the menu, or if you fancy a Mediterranean brew there's Mythos in bottles. On tap they're keeping things more local with craft brews from Stone and Wood, Yulli's, Coopers and Wicked Elf. There's even a collection of wines by the glass that tries to keep things under a tenner. There's a lot to like about the new direction at the Phoenix Hotel.
