Built in 1750 as a stone barn, the Inn at Philips Mill was purchased in 1972 by architect Brooks Kaufman and his wife Joyce and meticulously restored as an inn and restaurant. There are three dining rooms, all charming, warm and romantic. The upstairs room is lined with bookshelves and the tables are interspersed with loveseats next to the fireplace. Downstairs my favorite table is in the alcove just before the garden next to the stone archway and door. In nicer weather, the stone wall enclosed patio is magical with its flickering candles and sparkling tableware and the place to eat.

The menu is a refreshing throwback to the more formal French style cooking. It’s been some time since I have seen a menu like this, but it was like running into an old friend. Escargot Bourguignon, Belgian endive salad with blue cheese and walnuts, Steak Diane, rainbow trout with watercress butter and Coquilles St, Jacque were just some of the old favorites. Try the homemade pates with the wonderful warm, baked bread.

BYOB. No credit cards. Dress is upscale casual. Reservations are taken after 10:30am each day.

ROMANTIC QUOTIENT: High

WHAT OTHERS SAY…
The “super-romantic, Euro-style charm” is tough to beat at this long-running French in an 18th-century inn just north of New Hope; “high-quality” cuisine, in a “wide array of choices”, is “appealing to both the eye and the palate” (“maybe not the wallet” some say), and served by an “adept” staff. ZAGAT