Phoenix

Location , location ,location. It all about being out on the terrace, taking in the view over London. The bar/pub itself is not really worthy of comment. Do your self a favour and head up to Ally Pally with a chilled bottle of win or a few tinnies a enjoy the place without having to endure what is essentially a dull and drab watering hole for tourists.
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MPJ
Wednesday, May 18, 2005

As with any bar situated near a tourist location, The Phoenix Bar was never going to be the most attractive watering hole in the world. The venue unfortunately stumbles into the "leisure-centre cafe" decor pothole that so often seems to trip up bars attached to atrractions. Added to this, the worrying similarity of the signage directing patrons to the venue to the one erected by Potter and Co. in "Phoenix Nights", and overall The Phoenix Bar is a slightly odd venue.

However, this matters little. For no-one really comes for a drink somewhere situated on the terrace of the Alexandra Palace for the atmosphere of the bar. Because no matter how good the venue, its atmosphere is never going to come close to that of the Palace itself. This is somewhere that you come to drink largely for the location. And what a location. The outside terrace offers sweeping views of the surrounding locale, letting you take in North London in all its grimy charm. For anyone with an appreciation of London's better half, this is a beautiful place to come and drink; whether it be to witness the sparkly beauty of N15 at night, or to feast on the greenery of the surrounding area served up on a plate for you as it is by the venue's height. And even if one does suspect that the similarities between this place and the similarly named venue in Peter Kay's "Phoenix Nights" are less due to a healthy appreciation of modern comedy than they are to a shared mentality on public houses with the people Kay aims to lampoon, this only serves to make the experience the more entertaining.
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Alexi.
Friday, April 01, 2005

The actual bar is not desperately inspiring. It's fairly plain, but light and spacious feeling because of the high ceilings. Having said that there is a reasonable, if somewhat uninspired, range of beers and lagers. During spring and summer the terrace offers possibly the best view over London. Wheelchair access fine, and there is an accessible toilet as well.
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Richard
Monday, August 02, 2004