Chez Philippe — Restaurant in Los Gatos

If you're looking to travel into the streets of Paris for a brunch / lunch / dinner for a date night or just to make you happy, you can now find that in the beautiful Santa Cruz Ave of Los Gatos. Chez Philippe picks you up from a great neighborhood and instantly sends you into a classy, French storybook that is packed with homeliness, and none of the haughty chin up.

We visited CP (Chez Philippe) on a slightly drizzly brunch hour on a Sunday. We were in Los Gatos for their Sunday Street Market but the drizzle made us choose an early lunch. 4.6 stars on Google is no easy feat so we were excited to know there were seats availalable.

Unlike typical French restaurants where everything is snooty, if not unnecessarily greasy, we were welcomed as if we were visiting a distant relative in their beautiful cottage, somehow in the outskirts of Paris. The huge windows let in the wet sunlight with window-side tables occupied by a loving elderly couple... a perfect scene that sets the mood. Chef Philippe (I would think he is) seems he's moved over from France and truly gave us a loving welcome and intro to the restaurant. The interior is literally a picture book with various corners all carrying their unique stories but all strung together with the air they share.

By the time we were ordering, our mood was already soft and I was sipping on delicious coffee. We went with the Onion Soup and the Escargot, as well as sweet crepes, etc. The onion soup inches near perfection in terms of the depth of taste and the wholesomeness it provides. The star of the show was the escargot though. I do not know what black magic they used to create the garlic butter sauce the escargots sat in but it was pure heaven. Just dipping fresh baguette into the escarbot pits and chewing on it simply made my day. At that point, my review was already decided. It was one of the happiest and tastiest experiences I've had in the Bay Area in a while. And mind you, I wasn't even that hungry.

The mussels were fabulous with distinct white wine sauce. The French Fries were clearly made with love. And the strawberry crepes, again, were quite good, although you really can't go too wrong here.

Chez Philippe truly is a gem in Los Gatos. I believe it is relatively new but I don't come here too often. Either way, what a wonderful restaurant. And we'll...

This is what passes for French food in Northern California? First of all, my reservation was canceled for no reason (see screenshot) without any notice, literally minutes before I arrived. An elderly couple who arrived before me was told their reservation was also canceled at the front door. I don't think there is anyone who would want to see their parents treated this way. I have dined in Paris, St Cyprien, Nantes, Lyon, etc and at innumerable French establishments in New York City; my hopes were not sky high but surely the tech money would attract something reasonable. Clearly, the proprietors are banking on the culinary ignorance of the locals in Los Gatos. I was seated at the counter, despite having made a reservation. An open kitchen would generally be a boon, if it was not that it allowed one to see the Costco size containers of McKormick brand seasoning on the shelf in the kitchenette. The entire time I thought, "if the food is exceptional, all will be forgiven. " However.... The wine list was severely limited, especially in comparison to the exceptional wine selection available at Teleferic, one block away, which offers one an extensive assay through the Iberian peninsula. My escargot arrrived with minimal garlic and an abundance of salt. I asked for my bavette medium rare; it arrived as a smash burger, which I assume is adequate to the average diner. It swam in caramelized onions, surely appeasing the typical American tastes, Throughout my meal, the hosts were rude in a way that made me think "are they living up to the expectations of French dining?". But no, it's not a matter of pretense; it's a matter of provision of an exceptionally poor experience. Bal musette through the speakers does not a French Restaurant make. Even Silicon Valley...

Classic French comfort food at its finest! It was our first time here, but this might quickly become my new favorite restaurant in the south bay. We'll definitely be back soon.

Ambiance: Cozy bistro vibes, the back patio where we were seated was wonderful on a summer evening, but the inside looked really nice too. It's the closest I've felt to being in France, outside of France.

Drinks: Kir Royale - we were so happy to see this on the menu! It's ubiquitous in France, but I don't see it many places here. If you've never tried one this is a great place to start your meal. I also got a glass of Sancerre later in the meal, and it was delicious.

Food: Escargots - incredibly tasty, possibly our favorite dish of the night. The garlic butter parsley sauce was so so good, and the escargots were fresh and had excellent texture. We've had these a few other places, including in France, and this is the best rendition we've had, hands down. French Onion Soup - super good! So comforting. Moules Frites - the sauce was excellent, didn't overpower the mussels with flavor, just complemented them wonderfully. Creme Caramel - so tasty, we really had to stuff ourselves by this point but no regrets!

Service: I think our main server's name was Levi, and he was great - clear recommendations when we needed them, great explanations of the specials and desserts, etc. There were 2-3 other folks that checked in on us throughout the night for water / bread / etc, all with great attitudes and overall helpfulness. We felt very well attended-to and that's been increasingly unusual post-pandemic with all the staff turnover so many places have experienced. It was so nice to be dining out somewhere where everything went well and we never felt like we had to get anyone's attention...