The Phoenix

The food is a little more expensive than some other places but for a special night out it is more than worth it, the lady who owns the restaurant is prepared to go through the menu with you if you are unsure, and it is worth stepping away from the set menus and picking something different.

The food is exquisite but boy do you pay for it! The Phoenix is definitely one of those special occasion venues — its price makes it pretty unaffordable for everyday dining.
But the food really is very good. I particularly recommend the crispy seaweed starter — it’s lush and practically melts in your mouth. The Chinese tea is very good too.
The venue (an old half-​timbered pub on Histon’s village green) is gorgeous too.
Definitely worth considering for a birthday treat or suchlike. I’d say it’s the best Chinese food I’ve eaten in Cambridge.

This Chinese restaurant is located in Histon, overlooking the idyllic village green, on the premises of what used to be a pub. You can get there by bus (20 mins from city centre) or there is a carpark at the back. It has two sections: the main building which retains much of its original old world charm, mixed tastefully with some oriental décor, and a large conservatory extension which is predominantly used for large parties and can get rather noisy.
It can get very busy, especially at the weekends, and while the service is perfectly pleasant, it is not overly friendly.
Many people have raved to me about the food at the Phoenxi and we have eaten there three times so far. I am not an expert in Chinese food and have found the dishes slightly hit and miss: the crispy duck is absolutely wonderful (I order it every time) as are the sizzling main courses, but some other plates, including the soups, seemed to have a rather ‘industrial’ taste to them — don’t even think about trying the fried ice cream for dessert!
It is also not a cheap option: a three course meal for two with a bottle of wine will set you back at least £50. They also do food to takeaway, which is a bit cheaper.