Phil & Derek's Restaurant & Wine Bar

I have no idea why people even come here. We went on a Friday evening for a few drinks to find they have no liquor license and only serve wine or cokes. OK, but then we find out they only have cheap wine in half gallon bottles. We tried a glass and it tasted awful. We looked at the so called menu to find everything was fried or smothered in gravy. They had no decent healthy choices. If you like cheap wine and mediocre soul food, this is the place for you. Overview: terrible place! more

Occupying the grounds of th 1880-era De Chaumes Cottage Phil & Derek’s Restaurant & Wine Bar is a hidden gem. Always friendly and gracious, co-owner and executive chef Phillip Mitchell combines his French training with his Cajun and Texas roots to create a menu that zigzags from pork tenderloin with apples and raisons to spicy gumbo. Look for juicy cheeseburgers plated with herb-drenched fries or the seasonal fried green tomato salad topped with crawfish rémoulade. The back room overlooks a garden with a fountain, English greenhouse and gazebo. There's lively music nightly and one of the best carvery Sunday brunches in town. Wine and beer, and desserts such as peach cobbler, round out the experience. The restaurant also offers BYOB for a $10 corkage fee. Simply put, we love the friendly service, great food, ambiance and nightly live music. more

Made a reservation in early Nov. for Christmas dinner with friends. Phil called me 2 days prior to the dinner to say he is CANCELLING my reservation. No explaination was given. Just CANCELLED ! I am now in a scramble to try and find another location to have the dinner (you know how hard that can be during the holidays?) I had been a supporter of Phil and Dereks in the past despite the fact the food is not good and I don't like buffet food. But after this experience. I can no longer recommend this place or be a supporter of this type treatment. Spend you monies elsewhere !! more

My wife and I were both very disappointed with the food at Phil & Derek's. i recently found Phil and Derek's on Groupon and thought, ""Wow, it's a NEW owner. the pictures look really appetizing and the food sounded wonderful."" (it used to be Bistro Calais and was no good. The food was simply off-par and it took almost an hour to get our food. it was a one-man show at that time, cook was waiter was host was owner was bus-boy. more

Phil and Dereks is a dump- a judgment which is entirely attributable to the new Phil and Dereks' horrible food, new type of customers, the lack of safety. Bistro Calais (the old restaurant, same owners as Phil & Dereks) was nice, and I really used to enjoy the food and customers. Who can beat a place with a good lounge singer, great ambiance, and an attentive wait staff, right? The good times ain't rolling here, unless you're a mugger. This is a place to get carjacked, as people have been. Don't believe me? Look at the Houston Police Department online crime reports. If you want a place where it is way to loud, the customers have no class, and the food is worse than Jack in the Box, this is the place for you. If not, LOOK ELSEWHERE! more

Visited restaurant with my lawyer and a friend a couple of weeks ago. I was so looking forward to lunch cause I heard so many nice things about the food... I saw familiar faces dining. We ordered from the BAR, placed our food order and received our beverages. While waiting for our food, we received a nice woven bread basket with bread basket linen which enclosed warm bread inside. After eating from the nice warm bread basket, several things started to move. Some of us had eaten more than others but once we moved the bread around, there were several roaches running around in the bread basket. We did not make a scene and we politely disclosed the situation to management. He came over and gave an explanation, they had just exterminated. He promised he would take care of us. Since we had already ordered, we decided to stay. Management took care of us by sending wait staff over to offer us one desert to be shared by 3 people. Believe it or not, I am more upset about the compensation instead of the event. We were not looking for a free meal, but the GALL...... more

I've been there 2 times so far for a Sunday brunch.\r I love the place. It's in a quiet neighbourhood and it's very nice inside and outside.\r Staff is wonderful - very attentive and helpful. Once we came on a very busy day and manager found us a place - he simply combined two tables and sat us there...:)\r They have crepes to die for and wonderful omelettes - I usually eat only those and have no space for other food;) But tried a little bit of everything and was good. My husband and friends were also very happy with their food.\r They have nice alcohol too.\r For sure I will be coming back there... more

Bistro Calais creates a smoked salmon that makes you want to slap someone. Did I say slap? WOW, this stuff is the food of the Gods. The wine list is also tasty. Now let's really talk. The Sunday brunch is the best value in all of Houston. \r \r Now seriously, my next favorite after the salmon is the chicken fried steak on the buffet at lunch. It makes you want to slap someone twice!\r \r Now let's talk about the live music. Where else in Houston can you catch dinner and a show 5 days a week. Sign up for their emails and you can find out who's singing that night. \r \r more

I happened to go here for lunch soon after Barkis, and I went in spite of that review, in part because the other reviews were good, and in part because I remembered having been here before some time ago with good experience. I had a very nice lunch of the crab salad with mango and avocado, which I greatly enjoyed. I came back about a week later and had the Calais crab pie as a lunch entree. That was fantastic, but a way richer meal than is good for me to eat often. It was a real treat with crusted cheese on top of lots of crab meat with a nice sherry flavor. The other people in my lunch group that day were also pleased with their meals; spinach salad, a chicken sandwich, and one person had the crab salad and raved about it! Service was very good and attentive and street parking for lunch is really easy. This place definitely makes it on my list for a good lunch location! Pros: Good food, easy access, not overcrowded, moderately priced. Cons: Service is friendly and good, but ""relaxed"" more

I took my mother to this restaurant for lunch. Zaggat said the restaurant used to be a gem, but the food is now inconsistent and the service poor. The little houses and gazebo in back are charming but as Zaggat commented, you can't eat the view. We couldn't eat the food either. Mother's fried chicken livers, Bistro's specialty, and my pork tenderloin were overcooked, chewy, and tasteless. The restaurant management seems to have stopped trying. The background music was broadcast from radio tuned into a Spanish radio station replete with commercials. Mother asked for butter for her bread that only came after repeated requests. It took us about 10 minutes to pay our bill. I had to flag down two different waiters to get it done. Despite the Gardens of Bammel sign next door, there wasn't a flower in sight anywhere. There are too many good dependable restaurants in Houston to waste your time at Bistro Calais.. Pros: pleasant view of gazebo and pastel painted little houses from rear window Cons: Food could charitably be called inconsistent, service slow and inattentive more

I must say that this is one of the finest restaurants I have been to in Houston. The food is outstanding and the portions are generous. The menu is changed every few weeks and you never know what they are going to be serving on your next visit but whatever it maybe the one thing I can always count on is that it will be divine. The wine selection is extensive and the staff is always willing to help you choose just the right wine for your meal. more

Good for Sunday brunch. I cannot tell whether it is very authentic because some items are very Americanized. more

i was excited about trying out this casual french bistro in the upper kirby area. french food is my favorite cuisine and my friend just moved into... more

We found this place on accident and can not stop going back! Everything is good: smoked salmon, steak and frites, french dip, salads and the mussels are amazing. We have been at both lunch and dinner and the service is perfectly attentive but not over-bearing. They have delicious ""chalkboard"" specials in addition to the regular menu. A new favorite! Pros: food, service Cons: parking on street more

Bistro Calais is one of our favorite afternoon getaways. We came upon the restaurant quite by accident late one night about 2 years ago, and have made it a point to return whenever we need an escape. The staff and service was and is always accomodating. The wine selections are nice, and priced accordingly. (something for everyone, including the budget concious) Mussels are always a favorite, as is the crusty french bread--wonderful starters. Lunch specials are well priced for the portions, and the options are endless. Especially nice are the choices for more timid or picky eaters, like my beloved. There's always a sandwhich, fresh fish, poultry or beef selection to chose from. Leisurely glancing @ the back patio area, complete with cazebo, can lift the spirits and transport one out of a city that at times can overcrowded, noisy and lined with traffic. Our refreshing little getaway is highly recommended to our friends; as there is always a reason to return...perhaps one day we'll make it to the jazz happy hour. Pros: Patient, accomodating service--never rushed. Tranquil courtyard; Romantic and 'homey' interior Cons: we always order more than we can finish...so it is, leftovers to enjoy another day. more

Very quite and pleasant room in an old house overlooking a courtyard. Service was fine and the Mussels were well done. Had the Chicken Liver Salad my first time and it was very nice. Will go back for sure, and will try the Wed. happy hour. Pros: Ambience, Service, wine list, value. Cons: Could use a deeper menu. more

My wife and I ventured out to this hidden gem Saturday night quite late, 9:30, but the accomodating staff seated us with pleasure. We marveled at the beautiful Bammell gardens and the vintage cottages, in a perfectly restored city block that made me feel as if I were back in England, instead of River Oaks. Visiting the conservatory during the day would seem to be a great pleasure, which we plan on doing at a later date. We dined on mussels, frits and wine. Elegant yet simple and satisfying beyond measure, We will return. Sunday bruch is also a fine idea. What a treasure more

This place is super romantic and has such a great wine list! Wonderful French wines at really reasonable prices. The service is attentive, without being obtrusive. The mussels are outstanding, as is the cheese plate. Enjoy! Pros: Wine list, atmosphere, service more

I wished we came here again for my birthday instead of Ibiza. The mussels appetizer was very delicious, comparable to the originals from Belgium. Foie gras appetizer and foie gras filet for entree was tasty. The sorbets for dessert was delicious as Berthillon's in Paris. Highly recommended. I wished we lived closer instead of The Woodlands so we would be frequent visitors. Pros: Delicious Food, Great Value more

A light dinner at Bistro Calais included a $34 Cote du Rhone. Very nice. A bit of fruit and very drinkable. The somnelier indicagted he had made the decision regarding purchase of the wine. A good sign. The Baked Brie with rasberry sauce was exceptional. The rabbit stew was ok, but would have benefited from more seasoning (my wife who spent a year in France informed me that country rabbit stew is traditionally underseasoned). My wife's duck was very good. The pea pods with the duck were the best we had have experienced- lightly seasoned, crunchy and juicy. We ended the evening by sharing a tasty creme brulee. An understated and very pleasant evening. more