It was my sister’s birthday today and we chose to celebrate at Philips European. The server approached our table to welcome us. She was very pleasant and her first question to us was whether we were celebrating a special event? We responded that it was our sister’s birthday today. Lunch was just okay. Soup was salty and quiche was flat and sitting in a pool of oil (broccoli cheddar). The quiche is usually better than today. We were there at 11:30am and informed that the “quiche of the day” (artichoke, mushroom, Swiss) was already sold out. Hard to believe since the restaurant just opened for the day! Whatever…no big deal.

The more important and main reason for my review today is the poor interaction we experienced with the manager/owner and thus this establishment deserves only one star. At the conclusion of lunch, my sister was given a complimentary condiment cup filled a tablespoon of whipped cream with a candle on top! Seriously?? We were shocked and totally embarrassed for my sister. To be clear, WE DID NOT EXPECT ANYTHING for dessert!! We were celebrating her 76th birthday and this gesture soured the celebratory event.

After digesting what had just transpired, I felt compelled to voice my concerns to the Manager/Owner. I explained that my poor sister was handed an unwelcome “pup cup” similar to what my dog gets at Starbucks! I expressed that it would have been better for the restaurant to NOT do anything at all rather than giving her a tablespoon of whipped cream “on the house”!! How insulting and embarrassing!!

The manager/owner’s response was almost laughable. He stated that he was sorry but since we didn’t order a dessert, that is “what you get”! His response made me even more angry. If he had any professional code of conduct he would have apologized personally to my sister who said that “she will never go to Philips again”. Service recovery should have included a personal apology and perhaps giving her a dessert to take home and enjoy later given the embarrassment they caused.

I reiterate that we DID NOT EXPECT ANYTHING! Don’t insult us with giving your guests a tablespoon of whipped cream to celebrate their special day. Never again!! We won’t ever go back!! It’s too bad because we have frequented this restaurant for many years. And by the way, a cup of coffee or tea is...

Some of the worst food in Rochester that’s still edible and safely cooked. I’ve eaten at Phillip’s a few times over the past 20 years. Just went again and sadly nothing has changed. It’s trying to be French inspired or continental but it manages to be unsubtle and indelicate yet actually tasteless cooking (an amazing feat truly) for way too high prices. We started with an appetizer of baked Brie and bread. It was barely warm, certainly had never been baked and wasn’t in the least bit soft or melty. It was served with soft rolls. Okay but a bit weird to serve it with white bread rolls and not something like a hard cracker or toasted bread or anything. Literally just the same rolls you would get in a diner (we love diners so no shade being thrown). We had a shrimp and pasta dish, a chicken and rice with mushroom wine sauce, and a vegetable Alfredo. My chicken was overcooked and in a brown sauce that might as well just be packaged chicken gravy with added salt. And yet despite the salt it managed to be bland! The side vegetables were skimpy and boiled with no seasoning. You can’t mess up Alfredo but this just barely squeaked through that. The shrimp was overcooked, bordering on rubbery. The pasta was overcooked for our taste (we like al dente). And the sauce might as well have been left off the plate because all it provided was tasteless calories (and moisture so the pasta didn’t stick together, to be fair). Everything is non-descript, bland, and just so indelicate. There is no artistry nor is their good quality comfort food. We love a good family owned hole-in-the wall just as much as fine dining. So no snobs here. But good food is good food and this is like the tv dinner of French cooking. The deserts are fine but nothing to save this place (despite everyone raving about them). I recommend the peanut butter chocolate tort. The strawberry and cream tort and crème brule were decidedly average. Edible but not worth the trip. With so many wonderful restaurants of all flavors and cost ranges in Rochester, there’s no reason...

This restaurant does not deserve five stars.... it deserves 10!!!!!!! My husband and I had not been in almost 15 years (though I have gone with girlfriends since then). Went last week to celebrate his 60th and it was everything you want when dining out. Love the ambience, the staff is friendly and genuinely happy to be working there (and it shows!) Can't rave enough about the food. I had veal marsala, he had a chicken/scallops dish with curry sauce. Excellent. Appetizers were shrimp cocktail and artichokes french. We don't have huge appetites so we knew quite a bit of our meal would come home with us. Let's put it this way, the evening before, we had eaten with friends at another local venue and I had what can only be described as the worst Chicken French I have ever had in my life! So while I was eating my Artichokes French and relishing what true a la Francais should taste like, I got the brilliant idea to hang onto 3 of my Artichokes along with the sauce and brought it home. Poured it over the previous night's leftovers and rescued the other restaurant's dish!!!! We got up to survey the dessert case (we knew it was coming home, but you can't go to Phillips without dessert) but passed another couple eating the Viennese Meringue Torte and my decision was made. I hate to add anything negative but most give my honest opinion. I LOVED the VMT and it's "not overly sweet" flavor certainly appeals to me. But, in my opinion, the whipped cream could have used just the smallest pinch of sugar. It's not noticeable if you get some meringue at the same time, but without it, it's just a bit flat. I've read other reviews on the VMT and no one else says that so I have to wonder if our particular cake was just an oopsey. This tiny thing does nothing to diminish my love for Phillips. Can't wait to...