This page is for archiving older comments from Phillips European Restaurant
Ross adds: I'd strongly recommend only looking at the desserts - entrees are weak at best, overpriced, and the coffee's not so great. To the recommended desserts I would add their lemon tortes - they're quite good.
Jay : Once you're done with the above, and have another couple bucks to spend, get a slice of chocolate raspberry cake. Mmmm... forbidden chocolate raspberry cake...
2006-05-07 13:18:26 Desserts are tasty... but i think the food is overrated! —JcPop
2006-05-07 21:56:35 I agree with the above comment and the description—the food was so-so but the desserts were excellent. The service was very good too. —RachelBlumenthal
2006-06-10 15:50:58 A bit misleading to be placed under fine dining... —ChristineLeo
2006-07-06 12:34:33 Agreed...the food is pricy and often oversaturated with various sauces, but the desserts are to die for. —GreenBrenana
2006-09-01 12:19:43 I work in the Corporate Woods office complex behind the restaurant and have gone on a few occasions for lunch and dinner with colleagues. I've never once heard anyone say anything good about the food here, but I've heard lot's of positive comments about the deserts. From my experience there's a very good reason for those comments or lack thereof. —ZedOmega
2006-09-01 16:39:19 I disagree..the prices are a bit high but my wife and I love the food. —PeteB
2006-09-23 16:55:41 desserts are what this place is about. —MrPhil
2006-09-29 12:44:12 desserts are amazing. my favourite ... well, one of my favourites is the chocolate tiramisu torte.. —OneLove
2007-02-07 13:02:02 I agree with the main crowd here, Phillip's is about dessert. —JackPorcello
2007-02-07 16:04:44 They have French press coffee pots, and I dig 'em —EastSideStephen
2007-03-23 07:57:05 Great desserts here, I go just to pick up these for takeout. —KimBee
2007-04-21 09:34:11 Just thought I would chime in to also recommend desserts at Philips. I also enjoy people-watching here in the evening as there is always an interesting mix of ages dinning, from young couples to groups of older businessmen. My personal recommendation is the Bailey's and Cream Torte. —EllenKelsey
2007-07-10 15:00:07 I agree. Went here for dinner and was not impressed with the food (espcially for the price). I'll stick to dropping by for dessert! —RocGirl
2007-07-14 23:57:55 A great place better for a special occasion...and of course the desserts are always fabulous. —RalphMeranto
2007-08-30 14:58:05 The desserts are awesome here. Whenever I eat out near Henrietta, we always go to Phillips after for dessert and eat at the bar. The interior is VERY dated, like finding a diner at a nursing home.
The food at Phillips is nothing better than what you would find at a diner. But the dessert...
Avg restaurant, great dessert! —MrRochester
2007-11-10 14:45:34 I have never eaten dinner here, and don't plan on trying it out after all the bad reviews I've read about the food. However, the deserts here are *fabulous*. If they put as much effort into the dinners as they do the deserts, this place would be the best restaurant in Rochester. I recommend the Chocolate Bavarian Raspberry Torte. The atmosphere here is very classy and the service is always wonderful. This would be a great place to take someone for dessert and coffee or a glass of wine. —CatMagro
2007-12-03 20:43:32 Viennese Merengue Torte - layers of whipped cream, strawberries, and merengue. Heaven. The service is excellent. The food is average, but it's a very nice dining experience. —RochGirl
2007-12-19 14:39:46 As recommended by reviewers, I went only for dessert.
The service was really great and the host and wait staff were all really friendly. Everyone raves about the dessert, but I didn't think much of it to be honest. My boyfriend and I shared the chocolate raspberry bavarian creme cake and a baklava sundae. I've definitely made better tasting baklava, and the cake was nothing special, especially for the price it all was (about $13.50 before tax and tip).
Even though the dessert wasn't amazing like I thought it would be, I still had a nice time. Like I said, it's just a nice place to be since everyone is so friendly and warm. —RochesterCalifornia
2007-12-25 13:56:06 This is a nice lunch place, especially if you work nearby (I work in Corporate Woods, where this is located). I recommend the sandwiches, since the prices are pretty reasonable (about $8 for a nice sandwich, soup/salad, and bread) for a sit-down place, and the sandwiches are tasty. The desserts of course are great too, although (as the previous post-er indicated) they are a little on the pricey side. A slice of cheesecake will run you about $6, almost as much as the cost of the meal! As for the staff, they're friendly and helpful, although at times I think they can be overly formal. I actually think this place would be nicer if they didn't try so hard to be a "fancy" restaurant (they're a little pretentious), and just went with a more laid-back approach. That would still work well for lunch, dessert, etc. —EricArdis
2008-06-30 18:33:31 I can’t believe there’s a professional chef running this kitchen or participating at any cooking station. Not only is the menu ill-conceived, they just don’t seem to have a clue about how food should be prepared.
The service isn’t any more professional than the kitchen staff, and the décor is as frumpy as it gets.
The desserts are supposed to be the strong point. I can only comment on the German chocolate cake I tried. It tasted nothing of chocolate, coconut nor pecan. Rather, it was simply overly sweet; like eating a bowl of sugar.
Perhaps I wouldn’t be so harsh if the place didn’t take itself so seriously. This place makes one wonder if people in Rochester know anything of good food or fine dining. It’s so bad it gives the city a black eye. Everyone would be better of if it would just go out of business. —experienceddiner
2008-06-30 22:36:32 This is a popular spot for a nice birthday dinner for my husband and I, only eating an entree because my Mom said I needed to eat my dinner before I can have any dessert - and like the many many others stated above... the desserts are the best part of the meal. Despite the hideous interior design, the service from the hosts to the bus boys are always pleasant, the appetizers and entrees are alright, our favorites being Steak au Poivre which is always right on. My favorite dessert (hands down) is creme brulee, Hubby likes the carrot cake and viennes meringue torte, we've had a few others but those stick out as favorites. —StephanieTodd
2008-07-04 11:13:26 The reason they sell Zellies is because the owner of the restaurant, Ellie Phillips, is a dentist. That is her business next door to the restaurant. Their desserts are OK. They look better than they taste. Rochester needs a good European style bakery. —LKelley
2008-07-04 16:46:24 I've had all positive experiences here and been going for years. Food is fair for its price and desserts are certainly their specialty, wide variety. Viennese Merengue and chocolate truffle torte are the best. —LorenzoServantes
2008-08-27 15:35:06 I've eaten there once and I thought the food was outstanding. For starters, I had a basic house salad, and it sounds strange to say, but it was the best salad I've ever eaten! Every vegetable was crisp, fresh, cool, succulent and flawless. The dressing was great too. Then I had some sort of Shrimp Provencal past dish that was immaculate and delicious as well. And the desserts, don't even get me started... —AlexD1234
2008-09-01 22:26:09 A wonderful abiance, one of the few places in Rochester where you can dress up and have a nice meal. The entres can be hit and miss, but the Chicken french is always amazing. The desserts are divine! I highly reccomend the Mocha Mouse Cake. —carolturo
2008-10-28 13:42:23 Skip the entrées, I recommend their desserts!!! I usually tend to dislike chocolate, but I love the Chocolate Raspberry Torte, in addition to the Fruit Tarts.
I have lived in France, and if it already isn't obvious to you, this is far from European food or even the style of the food, sorry to break it to you, but it's just American food. By the way, escargots is one of my favorite dishes, but don't come here for it (or for most Americans - don't come here to try it), it's not authentic French style.
Their cappuccinos are quite larger than what I am used to...I suppose I'd have to attribute it again to its American background.
The interior designing is lovely and very cozy. —JenFromDC
2008-12-31 00:44:51 We went here tonight (it was my fiance's and my first trip) and I loved the place. The atmosphere was a mix of hoity-toity (sp?) and hospice house. In the grand scheme of things, this didn't really matter. The desserts were unbelievably excellent. We'll be coming back here, most assuredly, again and again. —BatGuano
