Fenix, The Goods Yard Building, Goods Yard Street, Manchester M3 3BG
(0161 646 0321). Small plates £6-£35, large plates £16-£65, desserts £10-£14.90, wines from £26.40
Fenix is just begging for a furious eye-roll. It describes itself as a modern Greek restaurant. I’d describe it as an attempt to go so far over the top that everyone responsible is tumbling joyously down the other side. The design brief was clearly governed by a simple mantra: “What do you mean, that’s enough? Give it more.” It’s located in Manchester’s new St John’s development, which is so sharp-edged and brittle you could cut your finger on it. Inside, however, it’s an orgy of rounded, undulating faux sandstone walls, sanded olive wood and backlit plumes of CO2 rising above the bar like flames. Which is what you’d expect from the company behind the pan-Asian Tattu. That one has a faux cherry blossom tree in the middle of the dining room and hyper-expensive dumplings. This one looks like the cantina from the original Star Wars, only with added hummus.
