Phil's has been in business for 100 years! While the interior doesn't quite reflect that age, it is has an old time feel that really took me back to my childhood. Very comfortable , nothing fancy, atmosphere. I asked for a head shave ( no straight edge though) beard, eyebrow and mustache trim. Carl did an incredible job-truly the absolute best beard trim ever. As my beard lengthens, it gets curly on one side but not the other. Carl has been on the job at Phil's since 1965!!! I told Carl I was 7 years old in 1965 and Patsy Menilllo was cutting my hair back then. Carl chuckled and shook his head. Carl, total pro, wrestled the uneven, mismatched mess into something that I have always had a difficult time receiving: A beautifully structured beard. I will be back in a few weeks for another trim. Total charge: $25.00 I have paid more to have someone (at a chain) trim my beard while watching the Simpsons...not-kidding Credit cards or cash - ATM on site. $2.50 service charge read more

Carl is THE BEST. A gentleman is the truest sense of the word! He has a long list of loyal customers. You might have to wait for him at busy times, but always worth the wait. The price is right. I've read some of the other reviews. I think they were written by kids who don't remember the old fashion barbershops. There's nothing fancy about Phils on Wall Street. If you want a hair salon, there are plenty of them around. That's not what this is. It's a barber shop. read more

Since moving to New Haven 8 months ago, I've struggled to find a solid barber. I'm a man of routine. Prior to moving, I went to the same barber for almost30 years and the same hairstyle for just as long. That haircut being the classic Princeton Crew Cut ( also known as an Ivy League Haircut or Harvard Clip amongst other names). Surprisingly, many of the barbers in New Haven that I've tried are not familiar with this haircut (it is the home of Yale but maybe they have their own name for it). On my most recent trip to this shop, I finally met a barber who was familiar with this haircut. The staff is friendly and the prices are reasonable. read more

For my hair cut from a guy named Carl. I've been to both locations for Phil's, ad I think this one is just a little better. This is the best place I've been to in New Haven, and I felt obligated to write this review for myself and also the 10 friends who gave this place rave reviews. Haircut was quick, cheap, and enjoyable. Carl seemed to be a quiet guy at first, not even asking what kind of haircut I wanted when I sat down, but as soon as I started talking, we had a wonderful, pleasant conversation. Would come here again read more

$19 haircut plus $5 tips. A female barber did a haircut for me around December 2013. It was good. I'm heading back there soon, since I'm now in the area. Hence, I'm writing this review here.! read more

I don't think service is great, but it's one of the best options in new haven. People can be rude at times. specially one of the oldest guys there...really grumpy and also quite smelly. Asian stylist called Sue is nice and gives good haircuts. read more

I tried a number of upscale salons in the New Haven area, but none compared to this place. If you're looking for a conservative, Ivy League men's cut, go to Phil's. The price is right and the conversations are amazing. Tony (Anthony) is the best. If you pay by cash you get a discount. read more

Just look at the dates of any of the good ones...CLEARLY, there is nothing good, only BAD Reviews for 3 plus years now... They even tried to fool everyone by taking some of the BAD BARBERS from Wall St. and put them at Whitney Ave. location read more

After searching around for a convenient, decently priced place for our three boys (two, four and six years old) to get haircuts, we've settled on Phil's and they're great. It's $12 for a kid's cut, and they're patient and very attentive. I'm a longhair myself, but I am considering going in and giving them a try for me, too. No appointments - this is strictly a walk-in establishment. read more

Silivio is the bomb ... seriously, he is the only guy I trust in New Haven. I only get my hair cut by him now. read more

The guys who run this shop are horribly rude, don't go into this shop if you are a woman looking for a short hair style because they will interrogate your appearance. Be wary of you are anything outside of their typical clientele (old white men). read more

A very disappointing first time here. I am a woman, but I keep my hair in a standard men's cut--short on the sides, a little longer on top, and a clean back (and my hair is stick straight). I've been going to regular barber shops for around 10 years without issue--I get a standard men's cut and they charge for a regular men's haircut. Today at Phil's I got a regular men's cut (in fact, my cut took less time than the men on either side of me who got started before me), but they then tried to charge me for a women's cut, which is $10 more ($19 vs $29 currently). I had to complain pretty forcefully for them to charge me for the work they did (a man's cut) rather than just based on my gender. So be forewarned--their men's and women's prices are based on the gender of the person in the chair, and not on the work done (and I was told that this is shop policy). I have never experienced this in any other barber shop--other shops have charged me for the work they did, and didn't feel the need to tack on an extra $10 just for my ovaries. It's a shame too, I get my hair cut ~6 weeks, and this place is walking distance from me, so I was hoping this could become my regular barber shop (I just moved here). But I guess I'll have to find a place that doesn't deal in petty sexism. Update: After washing my hair this morning I'm finding all kinds of little problems with the cut--the "sideburns" are obviously uneven, there's random longer hairs all over, and the back could be cleaner. I can fix all of this with my clippers, but that isn't really the point of going out and getting a hair cut. So either this place is just plain uncomfortable with queers, or they like to overcharge for sloppy work. Either way, I wouldn't go here. read more

I had a pretty decent haircut here in December and thought I would come back for the second time. Big mistake! A woman named Millie gave me the worst haircut of my life. She stopped every few minutes to ask "what should I do next?". Despite my pleading she cut my hair shorter than it has been in years. She spent a total of 5 minutes brutalizing me with clippers and had the audacity to charge me full price--she verbally said "$19" but the bill was $21. read more

One more time on my journey to find true barber shop that listens to their clients within this city . And one more time sad and disappointed on the service and the type of haircut that they gave me. It's like a different planet they don't listen to what the client has to say. I ended up with thesame military haircut that I'm getting from everybody else in this city. And then when I complain he had the nerve to asking me whether I was a barber. I ended up with a really sad and disappointing shortcut that not even my barber 90 miles away could save me. Oh how much I miss you, will I ever find a barber similar to your skills. read more

I paid $20 for something my own mother could do for me.... The barber used just an electric hair clipper and five minutes later, my haircut was done. The cut wasn't good. Not coming back. read more

I am an Asian woman and my hair is quite thick and in great quantities. I keep it short so it doesn't weigh me down. A Korean friend recommended that I go to the Filipino guy at Phil's. I was impressed by the Filipino stylist (D.V.) as I watched him cut my hair with different scissors and with different cutting techniques. My sister is a stylist in New York City so I knew what to look for in terms of technique. The decor is a typical barber shop with a few big Star Trek-like chairs. I prefer to sit in their more modern salon chairs as they are more comfortable and efficient for their purpose. It is a no nonsense atmosphere as folks just want to get their haircuts. So if you expect the staff to pamper you and ask you about your day then you should go to your therapist instead of a stylist. They usually don't accept appointments unless you need additional services such as color, highlights, etc. So you should go there early to avoid long waits. Also, D.V. works only certain days so call ahead to confirm he is there. read more

Thanks to yelp, we tried Phil's Hair Styles and my kid got an awesome haircut. Old-school in a fun way, this is a classic barber shop done right. Love it! Steady stream of regular customers...always a good sign. Plus, it's next door to Blue State Coffee - another favorite. read more

I've been coming here for about 3 years now, since I started med school, and I refuse to get my hair cut anywhere else, unless I absolutely have to. I'll even schedule my haircuts around my breaks/trips to make sure it's right. I have to reiterate what BYeh said; Divy knows hair. The other guys do a nice job for sure. But if you have Asian hair, Divy is the man to see. He's attentive to detail and is extremely friendly. read more

Good, reliable hair cuts. I've never been disappointed even though there has been some turn over in the staff.

I've been here about 4 times; the first couple of times we're good and I had no complaints. When I went in the third time and got a bad cut, I thought I'd give them another shot. The fourth time I went, I ended up with one of the worst cuts I've ever had. The hairline on the back of my neck was so crooked that I had to go somewhere else to have it fixed. Also, I asked for a specific length (#4, a universal barber measure) and got something completely different. When I asked him to go shorter (to a #4) he was rude and did a poor job. read more

The scene and the characters in this barber shop could be the inspiration of a gritty surreal movie by the people who made Delicatessen or Tuvalu. A grumpy and seemingly envious older Italian barber in the front that criticizes the others under his breath, a lovely gentleman in the front that has the manners of times past, and two friendly and terrified women in the back, next to the grouch, who just do their jobs. The owner presides the place with pitch black hair that is itself a character for a novel, a woolen cap that strayed form the 70s, and a mustache that puts to shame Ataturk's. The haircuts are OK..its a barber shop! AH! They cut children's hair (Brittany) read more

I just moved out of New Haven, and I really sad to have to leave my hair stylist, D.V. Hands down, D.V. is the best hair stylist I have ever had in my entire life. I've had D.V. cut my hair for three years (once a month), and he simply just produces amazing, stylish men's cuts (and probably women's cuts too) on a consistent basis. He is attentive and provides great service (not to mention he knows how to work gel better than anyone)! I receive compliments on my hair every time I get my hair cut. D.V. is really experienced and works at another high-end hair salon on most weekdays, so you can only catch him Fri-Sun. If you go to late in the afternoon, there is usually a huge line waiting for him, so I would go early in the day or make an appointment. But look for DV! read more

Terrible cut. lady was super unfriendedly and lazy. I was as specific as possible and she still messed up. She tried to convince me a lopsided cut was cute. I had her even out the front, but she just made it super short. My self esteem is a 0 right now because of her. I paid too much money for such a crap cut. read more

Divie (Filipino) is awesome. works Fridays thru Sundays only. Knows how to cut asian hair. Great attention to detail despite relatively easy haircut for him. I appreciate his hospitality and welcomed me even though I'm from Chicago. Walk-ins, no appointments. Lotta guys came through on an early Sunday afternoon so it seems to confirm the other great reviews. Will be back if my gf forces me to get a haircut again while in New Haven. read more

Worst barber ever. Woman legit spent less than ten minutes and the result is worse than if I went and did it myself. Go elsewhere.

Great cut. Personally, I'm not particularly picky when it comes to my haircut, I usually settle for a cheap cut. Got my haircut from here just before closing last Saturday, the place was still buzzing with positive energy! These guys [and girls] like what they do. Couldn't be happier with the cut, well maybe i could have gone a little shorter but that's more on me than them. Would recommend and will be going back. read more

There are many instances in my life in which I walked into great barbershops and today was one of them. This place is historic, filled with interesting magazines , knowledgable people , and amazing Barbers. read more

Great atmosphere and even better haircut. The guys there are very experienced and know how to cut hair right! I've been there a couple times and they already know exactly how I like it. Great place, I recommend it to everyone. read more

I've been going to Phil's to get my haircut every six weeks for a year now and they always do a great job. These guys give the best haircut for the money in town! read more

I had a great experience here - the service was great, the haircut was fantastic. I would highly recommend this barbershop.

Silvio has got to be one of the worst barbers I have ever been to. No matter what I say to him, he cuts my hair how he likes and then says something like "This a great hair cut, you won't even need a comb for this". Which is not what I asked him to do. Never agian. read more

I had two excellent haircuts here last summer and went during a weekday in February for a cut. The worst I've ever gotten. Like Fred S., my barber was a woman who spent under 10 minutes with clippers - never touched a pair of scissors the whole time. The more it grows out the worse it gets. Unbelievable that an establishment that is generally very good would hire someone to do what I could have done at home with a pair of clippers. read more

Better before Devie left and Silvio started working shorter hours. Avoid Mo at all costs. But decent and pretty cheap otherwise.

I would highly recommend Silvio. I've had him cut my hair for the past three years. His haircuts are consistently excellent. I always get a classic side part cut. Silvio does what I request in terms of style and length, and also makes good suggestions based on his barbering expertise (e.g. minimum length for fine hair). He usually uses a combination of scissors, clippers, and a straight razor. His use of the straight razor surprised me at first, but I think he gets good results with it (e.g. blending), and I've grown to like it. He remembers me now, so I can just request "the usual." I recently grew a beard. The last time I went in, Silvio shaved an excellent neckline for my beard and blended it with the rest of the cut. The price of a haircut is $19 cash or $21 with a credit card, plus tip. This is about the same price as most walk-in barbers in the area, but in my experience, Silvio's haircuts are by far the best and the most consistent. read more

I came in off the street from out of town and had a great cut from Divie. I enjoyed the old-style atmosphere of the place, and I had a wonderful experience. Back home, the cut costs $60. I paid less than half that here. I highly recommend it. read more

If you are in a hurry and need a poor quality 5 min hair cut, Phil's Hair Styles is the place, else I would recommend a different place. A place where employees are professional, seem to enjoy their work and take their time in the work they are doing. If you take care of your hair don't go there. read more

Very (very) bad hair cut. I told the person that was going to cut my hair exactly what I wanted (two simple instructions - leave the sideburns long and cut the hair in the back respecting the natural hair line), and she was unable to follow instructions. The back side of my hair now looks like it was cut by a blind monkey. Stay away, and run away if it is stacey cutting your hair. read more

I've gone to Phil's since the fall of 2009. It's an incredible albeit traditional barbershop. Personable service and a staff with an incredible breadth of knowledge about Yale and the city of New Haven. read more

Horrible. Probably the worst haircut of my life. Like many of the previous reviewers, I had a female barber. I asked for a simple, no frills haircut. She spent at most five minutes, and the entire haircut was choppy and uneven. Never again. If you plan to go here, make sure you wait for the right person to cut your hair. read more