Dr. Phillips saved my eyesight!!! I've been coming here to buy glasses for years since they carry many european frames that are small enough to fit me nicely (which most eye doctors do not carry btw), and was going to a more local eye doctor for my exams until recently. Finally I switched to Dr. Phillips fully and got my first eye exam with him this year, and I found out my prescription was -.75 TOO STRONG!!! And that is why I was tired all the time, getting frequent headaches, and having trouble focusing when switching from small to big or big to small screens, and was struggling to drive in the dark or when tired. I am SO MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE and my quality of life has improved IMMENSLY. Dr. Phillips told me he starts from scratch to avoid bias, and I am so so grateful for that. He will take his time to make sure the precription is correct, not just lazily bump you up -.25 and call it a day like my previous eye doctors would. The customer service is also amazing. Everyone is so helpful and warm. And also, I've not experienced the feeling of being "ripped off" as some have claimed. My insurance covered nearly everything just as it should--actually the exam was cheaper than at previous eye doctors. It was my previous eye doctors who I felt wanted to rip me off, as they kept trying to charge me for an expensive preventative exam to "check on" a freckle in my eye, at every visit, which I did not need. Dr. Phillips did not seem interested in upselling me. Yes the frames are mostly designer, and therefore are expensive, but you don't have to choose them. There are other options. However the quality of the designer frames are second to none and they really care about getting it to fit just right and making sure everything is perfect. I do not understand the negative reviews. BEST EYE DOCTOR EVER!! read more

ear friends and patients, It is with deep shock and a truly heartbroken heart that I learned of the sudden closure of Brattle Square Optical. Having had the privilege of serving as your optometrist here in Rd Cambridge for 33 years, my patients have meant the world to me. Building those relationships across decades has been one of the great honors of my life. Please know that this closure happened without my prior knowledge or involvement, and it does not reflect my wishes or how I would ever want to transition our care. Navigating his sudden change alongside you is difficult Brattle Square by Market Square Optical read more

i've gone to dr. phillips for 30 years, and he recently retired. i had intended to continue going to the practice with the new optometrist, but received an email today, 16 september, saying: We're writing to let you know that, effective September 1st, 2026, Market Square Optical has ceased all operations and our locations in Newburyport, Brooklyn, Beverly, and Cambridge are now permanently closed. read more

I have been a loyal customer for a very long time, which makes this experience especially disappointing. The customer service I received was unacceptable. I felt dismissed, disrespected, and treated differently than I believe other customers would have been. When I respectfully voiced how I was feeling, the manager responded by asking me to leave the store instead of addressing my concerns. That only made the situation more upsetting. Over the years, I have spent an incredible amount of money at this business. Not only have I been a loyal customer, but so have all of my children. It is truly heartbreaking to feel that our loyalty meant so little. I left this place with tears in my eyes. A loyal customer should never leave feeling this way. I truly hope you realize you've lost a great customer, and I sincerely hope you change. read more

Do not recommend - We were intending to be new patients, our appointment was rescheduled several times due to staffing issues, the office was unreachable by phone, insurance coverages weren't verified till last minute, office staff very difficult to deal with. Most any other option would be better than this experience. read more

Exceptional luxury optical store Market Square Optical Cambridge (Brattle Square) ! Boasting an extensive array of frames, this establishment delivers unparalleled customer service. Jackie and Hicham were incredible! The eye doctor Lawrence A Phillips meticulous and highly professional approach ensures an extraordinary experience. I have never had such a thorough eye exam before. He explained everything in details. My visit resulted in the perfect prescription for both glasses and contact lenses. I am incredibly grateful! Without a doubt, this is my go-to for eye exams - an absolute gem in the world of optical care! I recommend street parking by the meters. read more

See all

This is the worst of corporate optometry. A good example of how corporate healthcare extends even to the field of vision care. I asked for the old lenses from the frames I chose to re-use. They gave me lenses that weren't even close in shape to the ones I gave them to replace. I think they were unhappy that I didn't want to buy new frames from them. I will say the new precription is better than the old... Phillips is a good optometrist. Too bad his operation is so much about making a profit. read more

Very professional and caring. Wonderful selection of top quality frames. Cutting edge technology for exams.

Dr Philips was nice enough but then the glasses were a disaster: first, they talked me into trying new lenses which costed $800, then I got a new frame (also expensive). They told me 5-7 working days then 12. Fine, but then it turned into almost a month and a half because they got the lenses cut the wrong shape and also they never called to update me, though they said they would keep me posted and "call me back momentarily." Also the person answering the phone gave me wrong information (for example claiming the lenses were there but needed to be cut when in fact they were already cut, as she found out when I insisted to the point of annoying her and she went to look). When the glasses were finally ready they just handed me the glasses in their box without doing ANYTHING to fit the frames to the actual shape of my face. Not impressed. read more

I have been coming here for about 5 years and have enough of a basis to compare. The service here is the best that I have ever experienced. Dr Phillips uses the latest technology and provides thorough exams. He uses an retinal scanner instead of using eye drops to dilate the pupils. This is a far superior experience, as there is no recovery time needed. He reviews the image with me afterwards. Brattle Sq Optical charges $35 for this scanner service, which is standard, and worth it in my opinion. The other staff are also amazing. Patrick always greets me by name, checks my insurance coverage vs other specials that they run, and even suggested a better insurance for me. He has great taste and selects glasses for me. I receive phone calls with updates on my order. No other place does this level of service. In these 5 years, I got one pair of glasses from another optical shop because I liked the style, but the service was nowhere near as good as the service at Brattle Sq Optical. If I ever get frames elsewhere, I will bring them here to get lenses. I highly recommend! read more

I've been going to Brattle Square Optical for years and as always I had a great experience. The exam was fast and everything was well explained. I also got great advice picking out frames. I highly recommend them. read more

The doctor and staff tricked me into taking an eye exam alternative (rather than getting my pupils dilated) which was not covered by my insurance, after I explicitly asked for a standard exam that would be completely covered by my insurance. They had assured me that everything would be covered, but tricked me into taking this "very important photo" during the appointment that cost a lot and was not covered. I felt very used afterwards. Will not be going back or recommending to any of my loved ones. If you want ethical care staff, don't go here. read more

Completely unethical people work here that are only in it for the money. Literally, the first thing I was asked was where I worked when walking into Dr. Phillip's office. I have never felt like such a fool before. It is a horrible feeling to feel tricked. If this person thinks you have money, he will 100% take advantage and charge you to the max. There were too many hidden costs with no explanations. Make sure to do your homework on the pricing and your insurance before coming here. Was charged for a "special" contact lens exam (not covered by insurance) that costed $260 when explicitly asking for a standard one and given overpriced contact lens solution under the guise of being free. Was not told that dilation could be done instead of an eye scan that is not covered by insurance. Did not even get my prescription during the same appointment. After expressing my concerns in a forced follow up appointment to get my prescription, I was further encouraged to buy overpriced contact lenses! Trick me once okay, but twice hell no. These people have absolutely no moral code. read more

Ugh. I was drawn into this shop because they carry Chanel frames and I'm trying to replace some lenses. I went in and found a pair similar to mine, and inquired about ordering replacement lenses, which I've spent $20 for. When she quoted me $80, I tried the new frames on and asked how much they cost, to which she replied "I don't know, they just came in." I said, "Oh, well, I'll take a picture of the style number and look into them online" and she ripped the frame out of my hand, telling me they don't allow that. Way to show me: 1) you're a rude bitch 2) you could care less about helping a customer 3) you disrespect the fragily of the beautiful Chanel brand Other reviews are right; don't be lured in by the brand names. You just may find yourself in a catfight. read more

I came in requesting glasses in order to be able to read without blur. Dr. Phillips thought I should have driving glasses as well, although I stated I had no problems seeing while driving. The driving glasses were so off that I nearly had a car accident. The reading glasses, in addition to not correcting my vision and making me dizzy, showed my computer screen as a sideways wedge (short on the left, and long on the right) instead of a rectangle. I was not overly worried, because Dr. Phillips had assured me if there was any issue, he would fix it. When I brought the glasses back, I brought a printout with some numbers from my ophthamologist (who BTW said I had 20/20 driving vision); he said Dr. Phillips would know what to do with the information. I tried to convey that the ophthamologist had said prescribing glasses is an art, not a science, and the computer numbers from my tests were just helpful indicators. Dr. Phillips was not able to listen and I think he felt his abilities were in question. Instead of acknowledging that the lenses had been prepared improperly, Dr. Phillips got defensive and angry, and began yelling at me. I left in tears. read more

The customer service at this place is phenomenal. As soon as I walked in, Patrick at the front desk offered me free glasses wipes to clean the raindrops off my glasses while I waited for my appointment. The exam was thorough and Dr. Phillips even took extra time to explain to me my options and let me test out a pair of contact lenses to see how they would feel. After the exam, I spent about two hours there trying on a million different pairs of awesome glasses (they have an AMAZING selection!) and was helped by pretty much all 3 employees and the Dr. in narrowing down the pairs I liked and weighing out my options. The two woman who worked there were incredibly kind and helpful, while also being incredibly honest about which pairs did and did not fit my face well (I really appreciated the honesty!). After what felt like forever, I eventually narrowed it down to 4 of my favorite pairs. One pair was a pair of black frames that I was hoping to try on in a clear color, but they did not have them in stock at the time. They were so kind and immediately ordered them so I would be able to come back and try them in person next week. Their customer service was truly amazing, and I would highly recommend this shop for anyone in need of a new pair of glasses or an updated eye exam. Since I wanted to wait to try on the other pair, I left without purchasing glasses, but they were kind enough to set aside my favorite 4 pairs for when I would return. On my way home that day, I decided to swing by Warby Parker while I waited for the bus and tried on a pair in there as well. Afterwards, I posted a collage of all 5 pairs to facebook (without listing any prices or brand names in the photos) and asked all of my friends to vote to help me pick my favorites. I was incredibly SHOCKED that the random pair from Warby Parker received 72 out of the 93 votes I received. As much as I absolutely loved all the pairs I tried on at Brattle Square - I had to listen to the people and ended up buying the pair from Warby Parker. In the long run, it worked out, since my insurance would almost completely cover them, but I still love all the pairs I tried on there and I will certainly be back again if I end up needing to spend some extra FSA money at the end of the year. I truly cannot thank everyone there enough for how kind and helpful their service was! They went above and beyond to help me out and I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone! read more

Brattle Square Optical - Eyewear & Opticians Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Wonderful doctor and staff...great selection of eyewear. They are taking every precaution to keep patients and clients safe during the pandemic, so all visits are by appointment only. read more

Do NOT come here unless you like being ripped off by unethical and rude people. I have had eye and contact exams for over 12 years across many different eye offices and have always always only needed to pay my insurance copay (I have always had the same vision insurance). They overcharged my mother $200 by saying she needed a "special" contacts exam (She has the same insurance) - despite her having the same exact prescription for the last 20 years. Our insurance clearly notes that contacts exams are covered. Brattle Optical insisted that they told her of the additional fees up front but they never disclosed anything...until the exam was over and completed. Please go somewhere else where they are honest. I have seen other reviews here claiming the same issue so we are clearly not the only ones. read more

I am going to Doctor Laurence Phillips for long time now. I had a great experience there, very professional and friendly! Dr. Phillips conducted a very thorough exam and took the time to answer all my questions.I highly recommend this office to everybody who needs excellent and very professional eye care. Thanks for helping me. read more

Just want to let anyone who are coming here for an annual eye exam, ASK IN ADVANCE what tests they're going to do on you & how much you'll have to pay. Otherwise, be prepare to be surprised. I do eye exam almost every year. With VSP insurance, eye exam only costs me $10 in copay. They charged me $74 for all these other tests that they did without my consent. $74 consists of: - $39 Fundus photo with interpretation (digital dilation) - $25 Visual Field Testing -- which is a gimmick for someone with normal sight - $10 Exam Inputs for Brattle Square Optical: - Train your employees to disclose all fees / expectations to customers before rendering any service. - Do something with the lady in the reception desk (she is the older African American lady), either a class in customer relation or hire someone more suitable for the job. read more

Ok, it's definitely on the expensive side for frames. But it's worth it. I found the brand of frame I was looking for, and the helpful staff person customized the lens shape for my face. The glasses are the best I've ever owned -- and the lenses are perfect. Satisfied customer. read more

Brattle Square Optical is as thorough and friendly as you can get. It has state of the art evaluations, very experienced eye doctor in Lawrence Phillips and friendly personnel. This is my second time there and would go back again. I have never had to purchase glasses but looking around I see that they have an extensive line of nicely designed glasses and definitely would find a pair there when needed. read more

I can't believe some of the negative reviews here. Yes, one of the ladies at the front desk can be a bit brisk and rude, but otherwise this place is great, especially Doctor Phillips. I have moved out of Cambridge but still continue to come here once a year for my exam. My main source of satisfaction is that he makes sure you get the right contacts or eyeglass lenses. He always has a follow up exam for contact wearers to make sure that the lenses are comfortable and are correcting vision properly. He does a very thorough fitting. The frames do seem a bit pricey I agree but if you already have your own frames, they can make new lenses on site. They also tend to have a full range of contacts in stock so you don't always have to wait for them to be ordered and if you do they arrive at your home very quickly. read more

Yeesh. Shopped there, looking for new frames. Found them and asked for their price: $245. Looked them up online - retail price is $180, can be found on Amazon for $85. read more

Great facilities, great doctor.... Nice and clean, very convenient to get to. The frames are also trendy but they all tend to all be "one type", you know, that new look that everybody is trying to have, nothing wrong with that. But as an eye doctor, he is great, and you can always take your prescriptions and look at glasses anywhere else. read more

Everything done was first class, prompt and extremely clean. Great experience.

Great, friendly staff. The Dr was intelligent, unhurried, carefully explained things to me including, perhaps, unusual questions. It was a really good visit. I won't go anywhere else for an eye exam. read more

I'm not used to spending much money on glasses. Once upon a time, Warby Parker was sufficient, and I was grateful. Well, my prescription changed and I also wanted blue light filtering on my glasses. No online service could do both. So while I was here for a yearly eye exam, I explained what I needed, some complications with my insurance, and a rough upper limit. Well, they walked me through their sale section, offered their solicited opinions on what looked good on my face, and then one of the owners made sure to actually call my insurance and straighten everything out! It took about 10 minutes, but she went through the dreck to get that settled. That speaks volumes. I ended up paying ~$50 more than if I ordered from the blue light filtering online service. But when the glasses arrived a few days later, they made sure the fit was just right for my face - and told me to come back in if things shifted. That is well worth that value. Jeez, I feel like I got away with something. Also - the optometrist said something that struck me - "If your glasses don't feel right, bring them in. We will fix them - don't stay away." Whereas with every optometrist/eye place in the past, I've felt guarded from upselling, this statement made me feel like I was actually in a doctor's office, where the staff were there to make sure I was healthy. Thanks, doc. read more

I went to this Doctor at the beginning of the year looking for a prosthetic contact lens for my husband who had an accident when he was little and uses them to cover the color distortions on his right eye. The doctor assured us and made us believe he could help us find what we were looking for. We showed him the lens and explained him what it was, asked him several times if he was sure that he could help us and he said yes. After weeks of waiting the lens finally arrived and it was nothing close to what my husband needed. We only received a very small portion of our money back. It was a complete waste of our time and money and we ended up ordering the lens we needed from Argentina. I would've appreciated if he would've referred us to someone who would be able to help or if he simply said no I can't help you. read more

Started going here 2 years ago after a bad experience with another doctor. I also like the frame selection. My 3 exams have been the best experience I have ever had with an eye doctor (more than 20 years of exams). In each exam, Dr. Philips was patient and listened carefully to my vision concerns. The contact fitting was thorough. He tried many different methods to properly correct for my astigmatism. With my lenses and glasses I now have the best vision I've had in years. And he was very nice the whole time. During my last visit this week I picked a couple frames from their great selection - best in town. There is a markup from online pricing, but with insurance and a holiday discount it was essentially equal. And its worth it to try on glasses for fit and look. I bought 2 pairs of glasses with great help from the staff. One pair looks great! The other pair did look as good and I had buyer's remorse and they let me exchange it for another - even after lenses had been made. They just charged me an extra lens cutting fee. They just wanted me to be happy. Thanks everyone at Brattle Square optical for the great service! read more

I have never had an issue with my health insurance before, but the receptionists at Brattle Square optical were unable to verify that my insurance covered an eye exam. There were four or five receptionists all asking me different questions in a very confusing manner, questions I've never been asked before by any other optometrist. They never tried to reach out to me before I showed up for the appointment to verify my insurance, and I ended up having to walk out of the appointment after I'd been waiting for 35 minutes to see Dr. Phillips because they were still unable to verify my insurance. Given the many other options in the area, I will not be back. read more

I've been seeing Dr Phillips for 15 years. I briefly saw someone else when I moved to Somerville, but came back to Dr Phillips when I realized how much more I liked him (and the rest of the office). read more

Dr. Phillips is very nice and helpful, but they signed me up for expensive tests without telling me that I'd be billed for them beforehand. The receptionists also did not explain the costs accurately with my insurance plan, so I got quite a higher bill than I was expecting after my appointment. They also try to push expensive frames on you pretty aggressively. Given the abundance of other options in the area, I will not be back. read more

Excellent and prompt service. Front desk was very informative about our insurance coverage. I give the doctor and staff 5 stars.

I was referred here by a friend. The doctor provided seemingly positive care. The contacts and eye drops were identical to those suggested to my friend, both of which were expensive options that they strongly encouraged me to order directly from them. As I neared my contact expiration date, I wanted to order more contacts to take advantage of my insurance before switching to a new company. I called the office a number of times to get my contact lens prescription emailed to me, but solely received my glasses prescription. I ordered contacts online to utilize the insurance, however, Brattle only authorized one box due to the expiring prescription. My prescription has not changed in 10 years, so the restriction was definitely financially motivated by Brattle Square Optical. Suggestion is to be cautious about ordering anything through them directly and be diligent on what is covered by your insurance. read more

I called to try to set up an appointment and the woman who picked up was extremely rude. I asked about my insurance plan to confirm what was covered and what wasn't, and she refused to look it up (this was quite surprising, as every health provider I've gone to has no problem doing this). Yes, it's my responsibility to know what my plan covers, but I was trying to do my due diligence to avoid any surprises down the line. Instead I went to Central Square Eye Care, and they were awesome. They were extremely helpful and offered to look up my insurance plan to explain what would be covered and what I'd be billed for. They patiently answered all my questions. I'm sure Dr. Phillips is great, but his staff not so much. read more

I had a great experience here. A friend recommended them, but I was a little worried after reading the Yelp reviews here. I can say that my experience didn't have any of the negatives in previous reviews. The receptionist was super kind and polite on the phone- I had to call and reschedule my appointment and they were happy to accommodate me. When I got there I received a friendly greeting and a smile- the receptionist clarified my insurance and made sure I knew what would be covered and what wouldn't be. Before my exam I was given the option of having a test done instead of the eye dilation. I was told up front that it would be an out of pocket cost and what the difference would be. My exam with Dr. Phillips was great. He spent a good amount of time with me and I found him easy to talk to. He also gave me a copy of my prescription without my having to mention it. After our appointment I went out and worked with an associate to select a pair of glasses. She was very helpful and good at narrowing down what I liked and what I didn't. I was alone- and texting my sister to get her thoughts on what I was choosing- at no point did anyone say anything about my using my phone. I ended up selecting a pair of frames that I loved. While they were more expensive than the Costco frames I bought last time, the quality is excellent and I love them. They were ready by noon the next day which I was not expecting. I will be using Brattle Square Optical again- I had a great experience from start to finish. read more

UPDATE: Just spoke with my insurance: tuns out I was really screwed over. I wasn't given any trial lenses with my contacts order, which I was supposed to. Secondly, they basically stole my insurance allowance. They were supposed to give me 24 lenses for each eye. Instead, they gave me 6 for one eye and 12 for the other eye. DO NOT GO HERE, PARTICULARLY IF YOU HAVE DAVIS VISION. I've had a pretty mixed experience with Brattle Square Optical. First of all, my insurance coverage wasn't very well explained to me. Dr. Phillips prescribed contacts which were not covered by my insurance, which meant the contacts consultation appointment wasn't covered either. I had to pay $128 up front. Alana eventually sorted it out, but I would've much rather had my options explained beforehand--e.g., Dr. Phillips explaining that the 1-day contacts he was prescribing were not covered by insurance, and that the consequently the consultation wouldn't be either. I was made to feel like a nuisance coming in for my follow-up contacts appointment. Dr. Phillips spoke to me for maybe 60 seconds before dashing off to another patient. Now, I'm not very satisfied with the contacts I ended up with, but I know if I go in once more, I'll probably be made to feel like a nuisance again. This is my first new contacts prescription in 5 years, and it feels like a waste because the follow-up care has been lacking. Dr. Phillips himself was very warm and friendly, but the reception staff were at times standoffish and snooty. On the other hand, the first two appointments I had with Dr. Phillips were thorough. I haven't gotten new lenses with my new eyeglasses prescription, but I do think it'll be an improvement on my old one. I wish I had received that quality of care throughout all my appointments. read more

RUDE rude rude people work in this store! Life is too short to be spoken to in this manner. And their prices are across the board higher than every other store in Central or Harvard Square. Avoid!! Don't let the shiny new set-up sucker you in. read more

Serious problems across the board. Dr. Phillips brings some superficial charm with his accent and all, but he totally screwed up my prescription! Quality is mediocre too. "Do you have headaches? your prescription is so wrong." In 2 weeks I come back and asked to re-check. I explained that I went to a conference where I could use my old prescription with no trouble. Same result from Dr Phillips. "your old prescription is wrong". As you expect, when after much delay I finally got my glasses, I could hardly see in them! They re-checked and remade the lasses... I can see in them-- its my old prescription after all! But the lab is bad!!! screws holding the frame together are asymmetrical, the lenses have white spots on the edges from poor cutting. I complained, and Dr. Phillips told me that he's not going to redo the glasses because of that. Awesome standard of excellence! And with all this "great" service, they will not allow you to try a frame and take a picture for your significant other to give you an opinion! Bad throughout. read more