Workers Sue Trendy Restaurant for Letting Celebs Smoke Weed On Site

Four employees at hip Midtown Manhattan eatery Philippe are suing the restaurant, claiming the boss regularly allowed celebs to smoke pot in the private VIP basement.

While they are not named as tokers in the suit, stars like Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Rick Ross (all of whom we're sure would never partake of such things) have been known to feast on the establishment's pricey Asian eats.

The workers claim to have been "exposed to smoke from a harmful and illegal substance," but we're thinking maybe they're just jealous they weren't invited to join the party.

One of the whistleblowers said he was fired after complaining about breathing trouble while working in a thick cloud of sweet leaf-generated smoke. He also reeked of the stuff when he went home to his wife, and probably got an earful from the little lady because she thought he was having way too good a time on the job.

The four snitches seek unspecified damages.

Stratis Morfogen, CEO of the Philippe Chow Restaurant Group, blasted the suit as a “form of extortion,” pointing out he doesn't even allow the smoking of legal cigarettes in the establishments. And a lawyer for Philippe says, "The restaurant adamantly denies any allegations that pot smoking or any other smoking is permitted in the restaurant."

Yes, yes. Of course it does.