Chez Philippe

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 absolutely be back.

Chez Philippe serves very authentic French cuisine. We had a great dinner, cassoulet was my favorite. Couscous merguez is a rare find in the Bay Area and it was great. The baguette was fantastic. Very nice atmosphere, great service and the chef who stops from time to time to check on guests. Another nice feature is reasonably priced wine selection. I highly recommend this restaurant.
Feb24 update:
Adding pictures from our last visit to Chez Philippe. Coque au vin was so incredibly good!

We happened to be in Los Gatos and walked past Chez Philippe. It looked like they had that french touch. We stayed for dinner. Everything we ordered was delicious. The salad, the amazing onion soup, the special lamb chops, the wine and tartar tatin for desert. Lots of special seasonal items. We're planning to get back there for more.

Being the first timer, we tried their lunch menu. We ordered the French onion soup, the duck confit salad and a bowl of Mussels with fries. The onion soup is exactly the French type my wife love, not the American style which usually tends to be quite salty (personal preference!!). The duck confit salad is very delicious, it comes with the duck meat and the turkey bacon, I wish the duck meat could be a little more, but overall good balance between salad, meat and dressing. The mussels is also very tasty, dipping the fries in the mussels soup gives another nice taste of fries. The chef said the ketchup is the French type, it does taste a little different and little better, I would say. I wish the mussels dish could have added a little more butter, but again, personal preference.

Overall, highly recommending others to try out this restaurant.

It’s amazing place. incredibly delicious food, excellent service and interior. I recommend onion soup and tarts, it’s so tasty.

Chez Philippe is the latest addition to the Los Gatos dining scene, and it’s a real gem. A French born, classically trained, and highly experienced restauranteur, Philippe Leroy has gone to great lengths to make his namesake restaurant as authentically French as possible.

The country French decor is perfect for relaxing in either of the two indoor dining rooms. There’s also a unique four seat counter facing the kitchen where adventurous diners can watch the goings on while enjoying whatever the chef decides to serve that day. The peaceful outdoor courtyard in the back (which is where we were seated) is shaded by colorful umbrellas and grape vines.

My wife and I made reservations for lunch on the day after their grand opening. Our French server greeted us warmly and made us feel welcome from the very beginning. Philippe was constantly making the rounds, offering suggestions, delivering food, and checking in. He seemed anxious to please and justifiably proud of his new business.

We started with a bottle of Muscadet, a dry white wine from the Loire Valley which is rarely seen on the menu in California restaurants. It pared nicely with my wife’s classic Moules Frites (mussels in white wine accompanied by a gargantuan order of fries) and my Duck Confit Salad (perfectly cooked shredded duck with greens, turkey bacon, potatoes, and a light Dijon mustard dressing) which I thoroughly enjoyed. A fresh, warm, sliced baguette accompanied our meals. We finished by sharing a refreshing lemon sorbet.

This authentic and unpretentious French bistro is destined to be one of our favorite restaurants. We’ll definitely go back soon to experience Philippe’s weekend brunch and dinner.

I LOVE THIS PLACE. It’s a beautiful gem in the heart of Los Gatos!!! But what do I know, I’ve only lived here 61 years.

This guy is bringing back the dignity of French cuisine to the US. It's not just that the place is called French cuisine, it's the real thing! Everything is perfect there, the taste, flavors, atmosphere and service. A real celebration!

I could not wait to try this lovely French restaurant, Chez Philippe, I had heard so many good things about it. I wanted take out, and that generally is not an option, yet, but they did not hesitate to let me do just that. I ordered the Croque- Monsieur. While I was waiting, Philippe himself came to talk to me about his fabulous onion soup, and that it was so popular he had to start making it in a much larger soup pan. So I thought, the next time I come to dine in, I will be ordering that. It smelled heavenly in their cozy, very comfortable restaurant. I felt at home while waiting. They have a little cupboard area where you may purchase some wonderful delectables. I could not wait to try my sandwich. My wait was very short and off I went with my delicious sandwich. It smelled so good, I had to have a nibble right in my car. That first bite was beyond incredible. So many taste sensations were going on in my mouth and I just could not stop. The cheese was thick and melty, the bread, toasted perfectly, and the ham and bechamel sauce blended together beautifully. This is a very enticing sandwich, calling out to you to eat more, so I did. It comes with wonderfully seasoned french fries and a bit of butter leaf salad with a very tangy mustard vinaigrette. I simply cannot wait to go back, sit down in that gorgeous restaurant, have some of that famous onion soup and perhaps a glass of Chardonnay. Sante !!!

Excellent service, delicious food, and a wonderful atmosphere. We came here for a low key Valentine’s Day a few days after and had such a lovely server who was both knowledgeable and friendly. Would come back again!

This is a little French café in Los Gatos. I give it 5 stars because it feels a lot like being in Europe. The chef/owner is there and his café is his passion. His wife is there. They work hard. The menu is small but every item we had was exceptional. The wine list is short, but selected for quality and value. I had a very nice Sancerre.

We had steak frites, medium rare and the salmon. The meat was a perfect medium rare. The fries were crispy and wonderful. The salmon was cooked perfectly. The salads were understated delights - no heavy dressing, just a little olive oil and a touch of vinegar and Dijon. Oh, yes, I shouldn't forget the warm crusty baguette nor the escargot in wonderful garlic butter.

And the Tarte Tatin was wonderful.

What a delicious place in Los Gatos. Food and service was excellent and will definitely be back

Cuisine française authentique.
Also, Philippe put together for me the best jambon beurre I have ever had: I grew up in France for nineteen years.

We love this place. The owners, kids, waiters and others are all so nice. The food is simply delicious. The patio in the back is lovely.

Cute French restaurant. Mussels and crepe Benedict were very tasty and well presented. Friendly staff and good service. Definitely recommend.

food is authentic French cuisine with generous portions and the family managing the restaurant were nice. I got the steak with caramelized onion and my wife got the muscles. For appetizers we got the Escargots and the Pâté.

Very authentic flavor, in particular for dishes also found in other places. They also regularly prepare seasonal or one of dishes with announcements on their socials.

Very good little French restaurant. Good wines, excellent bread and super service. Really recommend it! We had the escargots, moules frites ans steak tartare. Desserts are very good too! 👍

Amazing food. The chef/owner Phillipe comes out to the tables frequently to greet and chat with the guests. Really recommend the coq au vin and the cassoulet. Both are outstanding dishes.

The Cassoulet was delicious! Service was great, and the atmosphere was homey. I'll be back to try the onion soup.