Review El-phoenician - Parramatta

We took a group of 30 to this restaurant for a birthday celebration and we were not disappointed. We had an amazing night that will be talked about for years to come. The food was delicious, the staff were wonderful, the service was of the highest level and the entertainment (belly dancers) were a real highlight. The pre-ordering of our food was a great suggestion, as it made the night flow seamlessly. 10/10 would recommend this restaurant for large and small groups alike. We will be back again and again.

Let's start with us reaching and greeted by the Manager. We were welcomed with a lot of warmth and enthusiasm and it looked like that they were excited to have us there. It was a busy night and the restaurant was almost full. Pur orders were taken very professionally and we were even helped with the orders by the staff where we weren't sure about things. Now let's talk about the food. I had read the reviews of the place and food before going there and so was a bit scared about how it would be as a few reviews are not favouring the food. But I was really amazed by the food and was really good and done well. Prices are normal and the servings are filling too. We were lucky to have the belly dancers that night and they did put on a great show and asked a few of us to dance on the floor. Overall it was an amazing experience and we had a lot of fun. I would give them a 10/10 for everything and I hope that they maintain it that way.

Came here with a large group & although the restaurant had a few Christmas functions on they were able to fix up a table for us quickly. Food came out relatively quick. Everything tasted great & service was attentive & friendly. They even had all the waitstaff come & sing happy birthday to the birthday girl!

Upscale Lebanese dining with entertainment and excellent service. Really aesthetic interior and next level service (our server by the name of Isis was a legend) The food is unfortunately not up there with the best Lebanese food. It looks amazing but there is quite a bit lacking. We got the vegetarian and the meat banquet. The vegetarian platter was really underwhelming. Nothing had flavour nor was there any dish that was remotely exciting. The meat platter was much better and looked great, but the marinade was not so good. It didn't compare to the flavours of other really good Lebanese food Would recommend for a really nice dinner for any special occasion but not if you are looking for the best Lebanese cuisine

How can I put it...extraordinary! Excellent customer service, ambiance a plenty, and the food! The best vine leaves I've ever eaten. Love the vegetarian options but those sizzling prawns...I'll be thinking of them until I dine here again. It will be soon!

Great Lebanese food. We ordered lamb pastry, mixed dips, eggplant and Halloumi for entree and Minced lamb for main. This was plenty for 4 girls but there was so much to choose from that it was difficult to decide but happy to with out choices. Perfect end to the night with some belly dancing. Bookings recommend.

Awesome Lebanese food. Everything was great but the garlic and chile dip was next level

One of the best Lebanese restaurants I feel around the parramatta area. Have been three times now including once on the Valentine’s Day. Never disappointed. They also have gluten free and other dietary options. Would highly recommend even the vegetarian options.

Good food, great service. And great ambience. We had the meat platter. $56 per person and the desert and drinks. Belly dancing at the end of dinner great way to end it. Shoutout to Natasha.

Food was nice - shame a few of the people working there literally leaned on us to clear the table, to the point where I said to a guy in a suit who was leaning on my shoulder to reach something ‘excuse me!’ Never had that happen in a restaurant before, and more than once!

Food was great, and menu was excellent. Ambience was fantastic too, especially for our large group business dinner. The service was occasionally somewhat curt, and every now and then a simple drink order would go astray and have to be chased up. Other than this, a great experience.

If I could I would give this place six stars! The staff are friendly, engaging attentive and knowledgeable. They offered great advice on what to order. We initially ordered Cauliflower, Coriander Potato and a Lamb dish. The waiter told us that potato comes with the lamb, so we got eggplant instead. When we ordered dessert the waitress told us that for the same price of what we ordered we could order the mixed dessert plate which meant we got more variety. The food was delicious and the portion sizes were just right! This restaurant caters for meat eaters and vegetarians! I cannot wait to eat here again!

The service and ambiance of the place were on point. It had its own take on traditional dishes which makes this place unique. Overall, the food was just okay.

Average food and service with a not so average price tag. Service was quite bad, we were in a group of four and no one seemed willing to come over and take our orders. Food was kind of tasteless and did not have much flavour. Wouldn’t recommend

We got the combination platter that comes with 3 dips, rocket salad, lamb and chicken skewers, and seafood including oysters, calamari, and prawns. <br/><br/>Surprisingly, the rocket salad was very delicious, actually one of the most delicious ones I have had - the sweetness of the dressing complimented with rocket well. The chicken skewers were very tender and we really enjoyed it. The seafood was quite average - the prawn was difficult to peel. However, bread and crispy bread were refilled every time you almost run out.<br/><br/>The belly dancer comes in every Fridays and Saturdays .

Food here is ok, but very pricey just because it has a luxury ambiance. Been here a few times for birthdays and casual dinners but would probably not recommend this place so much because of their tight ass portions and pricey food selections. It's fine for a banquet serviced birthdays or occasions but not for personal casual dining. Go elsewhere that is value for money if you want Lebanese food.

I really enjoyed the food here at El phonecian. The service here in particular is wonderful with the complimentary pita breads to start of with and the dipping plate we got on the house too. We ordered a shish chicken which came with coriander potatoes, along with a lamb and chicken hot plate which came with pickled radish, pickles, lettuce and pita bread. The chicken from both plates was delicious! Well marinated, super tender and just plain tasty. The potatoes were wonderful too. The lamb wasn't chewy at all, and tasted great with all the fresh ingredients. The cocktail I ordered was a little too strong for my liking unfortunately. I definitely plan on going back and trying more menu items. The restaurant has a simple clean layout but its still very inviting and i think it's great for a semi-formal dinner with friends, family or even a date.

✔️ Had my 18th birthday here and it was absolutely perfect. There were about 70 people and every single person was so well catered for. The food was great at always, and (if possible) the service was even better. Drinks pretty much on tap, the bartenders were so quick and amazing with the endless orders of drinks for hours. Even the little things didn’t go unnoticed, like the owner taking me out the back to fix my dress when it broke, or continuously bringing out dishes when something ran out, or letting us dance on their tables. All of the staff here at parra el phoenician are just something else. Don’t bother going to any other leb restaurant. Couldn’t have asked for anything more, thank you soo much ❤️<br/><br/>❌ NOTHING <br/><br/>Food: 4/5<br/>Presentation: 4/5<br/>Service: 5/5<br/>Location: 5/5

One of the better restaurants in Parramatta. For some strange reason most restaurants on this busy strip are well below average.<br/><br/>Started off with a disappointingly overpriced medium sized plate of Eggplant dip for $13. The dip itself was quite palatable but ridiculously overpriced at $13. I appreciated that crisps and flat bread was "complementary" on the table (obviously built into the price), but a price of $9-10 with a few pieces of WARM flatbread would have given this place a 4/5.<br/><br/>The Lamb Shish Kebab with potatoes, yoghurt, and mint was actually very nice. The portion was generous, but once again overpriced (only slightly). A few pieces of lamb was very undercooked (completely raw on the inside), but the rest was cooked well (pink in center), tender, and absolutely delicious. The potatoes with coriander was quite tasty and so was the yoghurt which had a very strong surge of garlic.<br/><br/>It was good but perhaps not good enough to entice me to come back, or Parramatta as a whole for that matter. If you are in the area however this is not at all a bad choice.

Love everything about this place including the service and food. Amazing ambience and friendly staff, we got the meat platter and everything tasted delicious especially the chicken wings.

On the expensive side for middle eastern food. I enjoyed it but the portions were more fine dining size and i think i would prefer the typical generous middle eastern type of food that tou can share with everyone.

Really good Lebanese food. Their vegetarian options were tasty and they had alot of choice. We had to dine inside as it was way too loud in the smoking area, but my only complaint

We went here for mothers day with 14 people and had a set banquet $60 pp it was very nice pleanty of food none of us could finish it. The staff were great and the premises was very clean and a nice place to sit.

Dinner here on a Saturday night is a must do! Let's put food aside and talk about the atmosphere first! Wow! A bellydance show that is very inclusive of the audience! Don't be surprised if you are chosen to come up and bellydance (you can say no so don't panic) but my favourite was when the whole restaurant was up and dancing! The food also was amazing! I ordered the chicken skewers, my friend ordered the kafta and we shared baba ghanouj and sambousik. I really have no complaints about the food. It was delicious and the skewers were a huge serving! We probably could have shared the plate easily as they came with a skewer of grilled vegetables and potato coriander. Service was exceptional and very pleasant! I am definitely happy to return!

With the kitchen having outlets on two sides servicing the restaurant and a function space, as well as an outdoor seating area, the Parramatta El-Phoenician is a much bigger enterprise than its Walsh Bay cousin. The elegant space is purpose-built after the nearly twenty-year old restaurant outgrew its original Parramatta digs in 2004. It’s a family-run business owned by the El-Bayeh family, who started their run of hospitality businesses back in 1979. As you’d expect in a more upmarket setting, you’ll be able to complement your meal with a decent selection of wines from France, Australia, New Zealand and Lebanon, or you can splash out on cocktails. The Beirut Mule ($19) is an El-Phoenician twist on a Moscow Mule, throwing some ginger liqueur into the vodka, lime and ginger beer mix. While fig liqueur makes the Fig Caipiroska ($19) slightly intense (think dried rather than fresh figs), the El-Phoenician White Sangria ($35/jug) is an affable summer quaffer, made all the more sharable by coming by the jug. As you’ll see from the dining room layout, large groups are the bread and butter of this restaurant. The high quality Lebanese food coming out of their busy kitchen is well geared towards sharing; and despite the fancier surrounds, dishes are presented without foams, smears, height or other forms of plating pretentiousness. Lebanese mainstays, Felafel ($10/small), are crisp on the outside, with light, fluffy interiors. Wrap them in...

The Parramatta branch is a little more casual and laid back, people there on date nights or huge groups of boys with baseball caps on. High ceilings and white clothed long tables, this restaurant is the elegance Parramatta dining needs. . The menu looks amazing, especially the seafood. We tried mezze entree, chicken skewers and dessert...

El Phoenician is a Lebanese restaurant that elevates the cuisine to a refined, modern dining standard. It's a step up from your typical run of the mill casual eatery. The Lebanese staples are done very well here - even if you've had them before, it's worth making a visit to check out the lesser known gems of the cuisine.

Ok food. Not outstanding but some dishes were good. Not what I was hoping but good enough for me. Maybe a bit less food would have been better.

The food was ordinary and overpriced. Was 3/4 through mains and told the waitress that we were still waiting on the Vine Leaves, her response: "the guy was meant to tell you we were all out" Then she proceeded to give us attitude when we asked to order pastries instead and started calling me "hun" <br/><br/>Won't be going back.

Excellent Lebanese food, a little on the pricey side. But you are also paying for service, which from my experience here is really top quality--they know hospitality. <br/><br/>I would recommend the set banquet if you're going with a small to medium group at lunch time. Yum. <br/><br/>Warning: if you're the only male at a table and there are belly dancers, it's inevitable you'll have to dance!!

Great food<br/>Fantastic service<br/>Nothing to complain about<br/>3 of the 4 diners are foodies and we will be back again!<br/>Atmosphere was great...noise means your diners are comfortable!!!! That's a good thing.

This is how we family 🤘<br/>Eating ALL the food at @elphoenician over the Easter long weekend & can confirm that we rolled out of the restaurant 😂<br/>With everything from seafood to meat skewers, tabouli to kibbeh - your inner Habib is sure to make an appearance

A modern Lebanese restaurant and although all the clients I took to the place they’ve loved it they were not blessed with keen knowledge of the Lebanese food like I was. <br/>Ordered the banquette which seem to have given us a taste of everything but they’ve done very little to differentiate themselves form all the other Lebanese restaurants. Specially with the name El Phoenician. The Phoenicians is an ancient civilization that thrived in coast of Lebanon and Israel. One of the early civilizations predating the know religions modern history of the region., they were sea farmers and fishermen mostly and traders. They used Sea products to develop special color die. <br/>I was expecting fried sardines, sea urchin salad with showered garlic sauce, some real seafood and delicacies you won’t find in the run of the mill Lebanese restaurant. But sadly it was another Lebanese restaurant. <br/>The food was good though and well made. If in the area and want good Lebanese food this place is a safe option.

Fantastic restaurant. Perfect for a large group or a dinner for two. Came here with a group of friends and ordered the seafood banquet. First and foremost, the service was fantastic.<br/><br/>The seafood banquet is the one to get; reasonable price with a large amount of food. Variety of seafood including; oysters, salt and pepper squid and king prawns all cooked to perfection. <br/><br/>The chicken and lamb skewers were delightful; tender and moist which went well the variety of the dips and salad accompanying the meal.

Came here with a group of six so decided to order the banquet with seafood. The food just kept coming and it was all delicious. There was an array of dips, salads, bread, seafood and meat. Great service and the food came out fast.

Fantastic place, had the opportunity to be part of a private function dinner here & the food kept on rolling out!! The assortment of chicken,beef,lamb & seafood was cooked & seasoned perfectly! With a function of over 100 people was extremely impressed with the quality & service not to mention the entertainment of the belly dancers to top off the night! 👌

Excellent food, quick & friendly service! Belly dancers were amazing. Good range of vegetarian and meat options. Great spot for dinner with something for everyone. Try some cocktails !

I just love the food here. Everything dish is always delicious and i love the fried lebanese bread! The restaurant has a great vibe and the customer service is very good. I highly recommend you order a meat platter and a very sides and you will leave very satisfied.

My impression: I have been to many Lebanese restaurant's and they are known for being plentiful when it comes to their portions. El-Phoenician is not one of those places.<br/><br/>The food is...well...ordinary, yet expensive. If you don't want to leave hungry, you might need to double your order. The service is hit and miss, and some of the seating can be award.<br/><br/>I like that they have their own parking, and they are in a good location. Having eaten in other Lebanese restaurant's, this one is nothing special putting it on the end of my list.<br/><br/>The place looks nice from the outside, and inside its not bad, but that doesn't make my food taste better. If it's your first time at a Lebanese restaurant, you will probably find it OK or even good, but when you eat at a few other Lebanese restaurant's your opinion is likely to quickly change.<br/><br/>Try El Jannah in Granville.

On Parramatta's Eat Street this place is one of the classiest establishments on the strip even though it has been there longer than most. Everything on the menu is delicious and the service is impeccable - even with a full restaurant (which it usually is). Best for groups but my husband and I go here for special occasions as well. A wonderful introduction to Middle Eastern food for anyone trying for the first time, this place has been a favourite for over 10 years.

My husband and I booked a table last weekend and were warned that they only had outdoor seating and it may be cold. We were willing to eat there anyway, and the atmosphere was actually quite pleasant. It was nice and warm in their outdoor seating, and the only downside was that it was right on the street and so you were the first in the line to hear the revving of the cars. Apparently mufflers do not exist in Parramatta. <br/><br/>It was all fine though, until the food came out. We had ordered the vegetarian platter for 2 and 2 glasses of wine. The food came out barely luke warm and with several items missing. We assumed that the rest of the items would follow so we began eating. The spinach puffs tasted like they were found in the freezer section of the supermarket, the green beans tasted canned and were submerged in a tasteless tomato sauce with a 1 cm slick of oil on top, and the majadra (rice with onion and lentils) was a grey oily mush. The pita bread that came with the meal was stale and hard, as were the falafel. After enquiring about the missing bits we finally got the rest of the meal. The only saving grace was the babaganoush, which was flavorsome and smokey. The hummus was sour and grainy and the pickles had odd brown coloration to them. <br/><br/>The only reason I am giving this place any kind of points is for the service. Our waitress was amazing, accommodating and understanding. I wish I could say the same about the food or management. After we complained that the food was not worth the over $100 we were supposed to pay for it, management offered us either a 20% discount or a free dessert. Due to the quality of the food we opted for the discount. It then took 30 minutes for us to get the check, as our waitress explained that management needed to approve the discount. We saw the manager walking around the place, talking to other patrons and enjoying the belly dancers while we were waiting. The apologetic waitress finally got the discount approval and printed it for us, but 30 minutes is a ridiculous amount of time to wait for a check, especially since everyone seated around the same time as us got theirs within 5 minutes. <br/><br/>Never again.

My blood pressure will not drop cuz of all the salt. I am sitting at the restaurant RIGHT NOW, we ordered the 50$ banquet. The banquet started out well woth the salads and dips but took way too long to bring out the meats. One of the waitresses was extremely rude literally dropping the skewers on our plates. The meats were so salty you either had to rub them with lemon or have a sip of water(or a soft drink) with every bite. We Complained once and the second serving had so much salt we could actually feel the salt on the food. When we complained yet again the staff suggested that we do not know what lebanese food is like(to a group whos favourite cuisine is .. You guessed it.. Lebanese). The seconds in the banquet took so long that no one was feeling like eating anymore. Have definitely had better lebanese at less than half the price. Save your cash

Mothers Day had arrived and there's no other way to celebrate family than a big Mediterranean feast. El Phonician is a popular Lebanese restaurant along Eat Street in Parramatta. The restaurant is clean with simple table settings and decor, allowing let the food to be the colour and celebration.  The restaurant was absolutely packed for Mothers Day so booking is a must. Although the restaurant was quite big, it wasn't  There were a number of banquets available for Mothers Day, each ranging in different styles and choices. We chose the El-Phoenician Banquet for our lunch.  Deep fried and fresh lebanese bread As soon as we were seated, we were served fresh and deep fried Lebanese bread. Although indulgent, I'm not a fan of deep fried Lebanese bread. I find the consistency hard, oily, flavourless and it doesn't really compliment the dips very well. Fresh Lebanese bread however is always welcome. The soft bread made for an excellent base for all the food to come. Feta & Mixed Marinated Pickles, Baba Ganoush  The feta was deliciously salty and was a good combination with the olives and pickles. The baba ganoush was definitely genuine and had that distinct rich eggplant flavour throughout. Tabouli, Hummus, Labneh The tabbouli had a nice lemon kick that really complimented the hummus parcelled together. The hummus was creamy and smooth without losing the chickpea flavour. It was definitely my favourite dip; perfect on its own or paired with pickle. I felt that the labneh was good but lacked a little bit of a kick, it was definitely smooth and creamy but seemed to just lack a little in flavour. Chickpea croquettes, cauliflower and Lamb pastries We continued our banquet with a platter of fried cauliflower, chickpea croquettes - delicious enough to turn anyone vegetarian for the afternoon, as well as lamb pastries. The croquettes and cauliflower were packed with flavour and cooked to crunch, served with a garlic sauce to compliment it all.  The lamb pastries were the star on

Very pricey not enough food. Ordered a banquet last night with friends, barely any food on the table . And too pricey , Being Lebanese expect more food that's what Lebanese food about and you receive more food and better service that in many other Lebanese restaurant.<br/>Won't go there again.

I didn’t quite understand why my friend recommended something so ordinary as the rocket salad. But once I tasted it, I understood why. It was very simple, but done very well with just olive oil dressing and sundried tomatoes. The best part was the rocket which tasted super fresh and great texture. The tabouli was also really delicious, extremely tangy...The service was also fantastic, everyone was really friendly.

While El Phoenician may be a bit boisterous for a romantic dinner on a weekend, it's a great place to take a group of friends with good food, great service and free entertainment. I definitely encourage you to check it out!

Back to Parramatta where we hit up El-Phoenician for a family birthday. El-Phoenician is one of the many restaurants located on the "Eat Street" part of Church Street. This area has changed a lot since we moved in but El-Phoenician is holding steady...you'll have to trust me when I say the food was really great. I’ve been wanting to go here since we first moved to the ‘hood over four years ago now.

It's your standard Lebanese fare served in fairly comfortable surrounds, with prices marked up a little to accommodate for the comfortable surrounds and the fact that the restaurant is on an "eat street".

Over priced. Food was overpriced and not worth the money. I would recommend Chefs in Roseville, they serve GREAT Lebanese food with value for money. Very disappointed with the food at El Pheonician.

We went there on the weekend with a group of 10 & got the $52pp banquet.<br/>This included, hommous, tabouli, pickles/olives, baba ghannoush, labne. This was presumed to be the beginning of the mezza.<br/>We then got grilled meat to share between 4 people (3 chicken skewers, 3 lamb, 3 kafta & chicken wings) that is all!!!<br/><br/>Being of Arab background and knowing how these banquets are usually presented, this was well below par. There was no felafel, sambousek, kibbeh etc. $52 for a few dips & skewers which weren't even enough for 1 of each skewer per person. <br/>The service was good & attentive; this however did not make up for the lack of atmosphere & ambience. There was a very sterile feel. Certainly didn't get the feeling of "authentic" Lebanese food/environment!

Be prepared. Food is good, but over priced, also be on high alert with the male waiters it could of been the manager, they are CONARTIST.

A little pricey but great Lebanese food. I really like this place. Staff are warm people too

Amazing!!!. That was quality eating!!! The flavour explosions where amazing, from the dips to the meats!!! Oh and my Mocktail that was Soo refreshing and delicious!! The atmosphere was fantastic and the staff made you feel like part of the family!!! 5/5 stars!!!!!

This place was the best ever! :) the food was so tasty and full of flavour! Service was nothing but excellent! And the simple classy dining experience was at its finest. Definitely be back :) big smiles

A good place for a large private gathering with ok food. We went here with a parent supports group while rowing crews were at the national champs up the road in Penrith. They have a large private room which took 40 diners well and we had a good time when the belly dancer made it down to our area with a few guys & girls enjoying some good interaction. The food was ok but a bit expensive and the wine was even more expensive. So I suppose the highlight was the company and the fun with the food in an expensive second place.

Good food, questionable service. The food was reasonably good quality, with most people enjoying their meal and time at this restaurant. Most of the staff were really pleasant, but one it came to payment, we were charged and blamed for ordering an extra meal. The staff cannot count how many people were at the table.

Frozen food is not for me. I gave them two goes at the vegetable parcels - both times they came back frozen in the middle. I go to a restaurant to have fresh food - I can put things in the microwave at home. The calamari could have been good but it was far too salty; and the pastry let down all the dishes. Overall a very disappointing meal.

Tasty isn't a strong enough adjective!!. Great food, loved the kafta and the Kibe raw and the Garlic dip is just to die for, I should know I eat it by the bucket full. Great service - everyone was really chatty, helpful and friendly! <br/>Next time I go I am taking a large shopping back to take that giant bottle of Chivas home with me, Tony saw me eyeing it up last night.

Very average middle eastern/ Arabic food - you could get better dips from the deli at the supermarket! Fealafel was horrible over salted - had to send in it back along with another dish. The garlic prawns and fatoush were beautifully presented but missing that touch be it sumac or lemon juice. The food was nice but not great. Finished the meal with Arabic coffee again weak for my taste and i so like when cardamom is added - this wasnt an option, maybe they thought they needed to westernized the flavours - but to me it just didn't hit the mark, thankfully there are good alternatives! Final issue with the restaurant was allowing smoking at the outside tables!

I celebrated my friends 21st last night. It was my first time and since none of us knew what half of the food on the menu was it was pretty hard deciding what to eat. But we had help from a lovely waitress who explained what was in each dish and recommended what was good. The staff were amazing and I was in love with the belly dancing. It was such a good night and I would go again!

The chicken was amazing!! Great meal and the portion was huge.

Great food - Great service. little disapointed when i found out that the tips left for the staff, are not receieved. Staff do not get their tip. but overall great value for money<br/><br/><br/>-----20 Mar, 2012-----<br/><br/>Great food but... Great food - Great service. little disapointed when my tips were not receieved to the staff. The staff do not get their tips. but overall great value for money.

Um...what?. This restaurant was extremely expensive and the food wasn't authentic Lebanese flavour and very average. Wouldn't go again, only amazing thing is the great belly dance show...

Good Food and Service. The food here was really nice and as a table of four we decided to have one of the banquets on offer. <br/><br/>Food: <br/>The food tastes great and was really enjoyable. There was plenty of it as there normally is with Lebanese food. The Chicken and Lamb skewers were tender and juicy and much better than some of the other Lebanese restaurants I've been too.<br/><br/>Drinks: <br/>The drinks are pricey and can make it an expensive meal even if you don't drink much. The average price of a standard Australian beer or wine was $9 and with just five Alcoholic drinks and two Soft drinks it accounted for 20% of the total bill. <br/><br/>No table water was offered (yes I can ask but shouldn't have too). It should be treated like a menu where everyone gets it.<br/><br/>Service: <br/>The staff were attentive and the service overall was fast, efficient and friendly. After our mains were finished, the crumbs from our table cloth got cleaned which was nice touch.<br/><br/>Yes I'd go back but I'd maybe save it for a special occasion. We had a good night as was the food and service.

The grilled lamb skewer is super tender! But overall it's a bit over-priced.

I have had better Lebonese food cheaper elsewhere.

Walking out of this place after enjoying one of their banquets, it was apparent that I would need to do some extra jogging this week. The food was so good it made me angry! If only I could it like this always. The staff were incredibly hospitable and hats off to the entertainment (belly dancers). Will come again when back in Sydney.