Lorna Tyther's unusual restaurant exudes great charm with its rambling gardens - you can choose whether to eat beneath trailing honeysuckle and fairy lights, or inside in the relaxed and cheerful dining area.
The vegetarian menu, which includes local fish from Dingle harbour, promises organic wines and the best of local and organic produce. Dining at the Phoenix is an earthy experience, based on a strong respect for nature: guests are offered an opportunity to explore the natural garden, where most of the kitchen produce is picked fresh daily.
You can pop in during the day for a Fair Trade coffee, herbal tea, home-made soup, a delicious salad - or imaginative tapas style dishes such as caramelised carrot and onion dahl flavoured with coconut and lime, or grilled artichoke hearts and a tangy cracked pepper and lime hummus.
Mains may include a pungent curry bake of smoked tofu, sweet potato and chick pea, quinoa, millet and lentil, served sizzling in a rich tomato sauce, or homemade pasta with garden pesto, ewes feta and marinated olives. Fish lovers will enjoy wholesome dishes like hake baked in a creamy white wine reduction with a parmesan crust, grilled salmon with oven roast vegetable and Thai style seafood pasta.
This is a little gem, with a touch of magic adding an extra dimension to a relaxing evening meal. Live music brunches and dance nights sometimes, too.
*The Phoenix offers accommodation including gypsy caravans and glamping, and has ample garden space to pitch a tent; packed lunches and airport transfers are also available.
