Le Bec Fin

This review is from ⁹⁄₂₀₁₂
The minute you move to Philly you hear about Le Bec-​Fin. Naturally this has been at the top of my restaurant list since my move to the area and finally I made it there. I went for restaurant week and although I know the mass production of food during restaurant week threatens the taste of a delicious meal, I would think Le Bec-​Fin of all places would rebut such accusations and make their dining experience delectable regardless of the restaurant week escapade. I must say, the food, ambiance, and service was good, but not «unparellel» as they allude. Maybe my expectations were so over the top I was bound to be disappointed, but I must say the «4 bells» they hold mystify me as I think there are awesome places hidden in this city that kick Le Bec-Fin’s butt when it comes to delicious food.

(Review of Restaurant Week, Fall 2010)
Timeless and classic dining room. Extremely elegant with a lot of character and «history.»
Went for restaurant week. Three course lunch service: pâté, seared skate wing, crème brule.
The food was good, but nothing really astounded me considering how talked up this place was. Have had better French at places without the pomp and fixtures.
Hope this place becomes something better.

Well, it’s never too late, right?
The closing saddens me, but it was inevitable… I guess.
This review is specifically for the meal I had here with my parents on my 16^th birthday… roughly 4 years ago.
When a kid turns 16, where does he want to have his birthday dinner?
Le Bec Fin, right?
Well, I wasn’t exactly your average kid… maybe a tad spoiled as a youngster, but I did know my food early on and knew when I was in the presence of a skilled chef/​staff.
Class all the way; small dining room with all the accoutrement, a select group of people dressed for the occasion (the meal, not my birthday), and a knowledgable staff with impeccable timing. Sommelier helped my parents choose the appropriate French wine and I reveled in it.
The food… probably one of the best meals I will ever have had the pleasure of consuming. It’s been a while since this particular meal so the precise details of what we ordered elude me, but I had a squash soup that was beautifully light/​floral, and for my entrée, a cut of lamb that was truly divine. Desert (Heavenly cart) also incomparable to anything I had previously encountered… and to this day, untouched.
The night was memorable to say the least. Georges Perrier came over to the table to ask us how our meal was as well as wish me a happy birthday and the few others in the dining room toasted to me. Luckily the lighting was dim because I was blushing quite a bit.
When it was all said and done, we were speechless. too satisfied to speak. Our meal could have been triple what we payed and nobody would’ve questioned its value.
The kind of meal you never forget and treasure for the rest of your life. I only wish I had the opportunity to give my future children the same exact experience.

I’m guessing it’s a bit too late to write this review as its page now says «Fin» with a bittersweet goodbye message. Regardless, I think I must pay my homage to this time-​enduring restaurant.
Upon hearing that Le Bec Fin is about to close, a group of friends and I came here for Sunday brunch tasting menu.
The service was top notched. I think our waiter could tell that we were first timers here — being young looking college students and somewhat under-​dressed for their occasion. However, I felt like we were being treated with the utmost respect. We were always asked how our food was, the servers gave us detailed description of our food and how it was prepared. The foie gras was delicious, and so was the halibut. Loved the green pea gazpacho too. I won’t dwell upon the food too much, as it makes me a bit sad that I won’t get to have it again.
I wish the place stayed open longer. Thank you Le Bec Fin for a top-​notched introduction to fine French dining for me, and au voir!

Last night my husband and I celebrated our 3^rd Wedding Anniversary. I had no idea what to expect. He apparently had a wonderful evening planned, including dinner at Le Bec Fin.
First off, the atmosphere is amazing. Walking in makes you feel like a celebrity. The service was amazing. Service for fine dining is an art. its not something you can just «wing it» and it happen. The people here have really learned how to make your dining experience wonderful.
Right after we sat down, we ordered champagne (we were celebrating remember?) and along with the flutes, the waiters brought out two huge covered bowls.
I’m not a low brow girl, but the first thing I thought was… they were those bowls for you to wash your hands with warm water. (Yes I know, I’m an idiot. But I’m not a pretentious snob OK?).
Well when they took the lids off the bowls… there was a ring inside! My husband was replacing my wedding bands which had been damaged. it was like something out of a movie. Everyone in our area clapped for us and said congrats.
Now onto the food. We decided on the 4 course menu, which was really great. We both had the:
Celery Root Velouté with Smoked Ocean Trout, Fines Herb Chantilly, and Rye Crumble,
then Beets with Arugula Risotto, Black Walnuts, Savory Granola
the Guinea Hen, Farro, Artichoke Barigoule, Salsify, (minus the Foie Gras Jus) with a simple Au Jus substituted
and then the Chocolate Brownie and Peanut Butter Mousse for desert.
it was a perfect meal, great service and honestly one of the best dining experiences of my life.
The portions… were small… alas… it was French.

The last time I was here was over a year ago, I found that this great restaurant was worn around the edges. I am happy to say that Le Bec is back in great form. The five course Menu Du Chef I enjoyed at lunch today was perfect in every way. The service was outstanding. Each course was explained in full, the table was beautifully set after each course. I particularly enjoyed the Hudson Valley Foie Gras. Some of the extras offered were outstanding, such as the beignet with hot chocolate. The best I have tasted. It was a retirement celebration for a good friend and the occasion was acknowledged with a card signed by everyone who served us along with the chef. The card came with a very large version of the macaroons they provide at the end of the meal along with other sweet treats. A very pleasant experience, that I would like to repeat again and again.

I think Le Bec Fin is slightly overrated. For my 21^st birthday, I was extremely excited to eat at Le Bec Fin, and while the service and food was great, the tasting menu (8 courses) was not amazing.
Ambience: The ambience of Le Bec Fin is gorgeous. It feels like you’re sitting in a miniature château with chandeliers right above your head. Le Bec Fin is dimly lit, and even though it is definitely a romantic setting, the noise level is average. There are more large dinner parties there than couple tables. With that being said, they have an upstairs I believe, so things could be different there.
Service: I love the staff. They all knew it was my 21^st birthday, and each came to wish me a happy birthday. They even gave me a birthday macaroon after dinner service, which was adorable. They were also all very professional and friendly.
Food: To be honest, I think the chef’s compliments were better than the courses. In comparison to other Philadelphia restaurants, Le Bec Fin is definitely one of the best restaurants in the city. However, if you have eaten at upscale French restaurants in other cities, Le Bec Fin ranks a little under those. With that being said however, Le Bec Fin is still delicious. I loved their grape sorbet (extremely light), sirloin (cooked and seared perfectly), pumpkin soup (light yet creamy and flavorful), ranger chicken (absolutely juicy), and their bavarois (great balance of sweetness).
In short, I probably would not go to Le Bec Fin again, but for those who have never experienced it, it’s a must-​try. Oh, another thing: the 8 course tasting menu is a LOT of food because they even give you chef compliment desserts at the end which consist of a lot of chocolate.

Le Bec Fin has reopened (June 12) under new ownership and a new chef who has trained under Thomas Keller. It is every bit as good as the old Le Bec Fin overall, perhaps better in some areas. Some notable differences and some predictions…
The old Le Bec Fin under Perrier had stylistic cuisine changes every so often, at least on some of the menu items, depending on which young chef was running the kitchen. I expect more continuity, but even in the first month there has been some experimentation as the restaurant finds its new identity.
The staff is more professional and warmer. Plus, there is no loud Frenchman randomly wandering into the dining room during your meal. Sorry Georges, many probably thought it was endearing, but I never did. But then again, I haven’t lived in Philly for 40 years!
The menu that we had was fairly traditional French haute cuisine, but perfectly executed. Flavors all married beautifully. Sauces were rich and had good depth. None of the dishes were very daring, and I wonder if he will take more chances going forward.
But overall, this is fine French dining with impeccable service, and absolutely beautiful décor. Just what you would expect from a restaurant that led the way in Philadelphia for many years.

LE BEC FIN IS BACK (TO FORM)!
[This is Part 1 of a 2-​part review of the NEW Le Bec Fin. For part 2, see my continued review below, as well as my previous review of the OLD LBF]
Since we had previously attended the final evening of Georges Perrier’s era at Le Bec Fin (see earlier review below), and despite my usual predilection to give a newly opened restaurant a few weeks to settle down, we couldn’t resist the temptation to visit the new Le Bec Fin on their very first night, Tuesday June 12^th, 2012. I think this might actually be the very first online review anywhere of «LBFv2.0», which is a great honor, so I’ll try to give this the effort it deserves.
The space:
I’ve always loved LBF’s timelessly classic dining room, and the newly remodeled venue is every bit as beautiful as the old (so I won’t try to choose between the two). Of course, as expected, the famous chandeliers are still hanging there in all their glory, but the room’s accents are now blue and gold. The biggest change is that the front third of the restaurant is now a lounge, with the hostess’ stand on one side (no more cramped vestibule), the wine cellar on the other, and a number of seats and a sofa on which to enjoy cocktails before proceeding in to dinner. However, Le Bec’s annoyingly small washroom persists right next to the front entrance.
In the main dining room, the number of tables has been reduced dramatically to 11, making it much more spacious. We were seated at table #2, the cozy 2-​top at the base of the stairs, which afforded us a beautiful view down the length of the room, though the French doors, into the lounge, and out the front door (see photo). There are also ~18 more seats upstairs (we didn’t look). Despite the large lounge, the dining room feels much more roomy than its predecessor, which is important given the large number of staff flitting between the widely spaced tables.
Reportedly, downstairs is Chez Georges, which has its own kitchen and will server «classic French comfort food», but isn’t open yet.
Service:
To start with, valet parking is now free, a nice touch, although I’m still confused as to where it is actually located. In Tuesday’s rain, we naturally pulled up in front of Le Bec’s entrance, only to wait several minutes with no valet appearing. Running inside, the hostess told us it was farther up the street against the traffic on the opposite side, which seemed less than ideal. But fortunately the valet eventually walked over, so we didn’t have to walk up and down Walnut through the downpour.
Service in the dining room was excellent, with minimal opening night jitters. As many as 8 or 9 server could be seen moving between the tables at one time, which actually seemed a bit crowded at times. Our waiter, although a bit soft-​spoken, was very personable and helpful. And the other servers were always smiling and constantly asking how we had enjoyed the last dish or what we thought of the meal so far (although so much earnestness seemed a bit over the top). Nicolas Fanucci was also much in evidence, but Chef Abrams did not make an appearance in the dining room during our 3-​hour meal. Although 3 hrs is hardly excessive for an 8+ course tasting menu, I did feel the pace lagged at times, particularly at the start (although, admittedly, we didn’t order cocktails).
For part 2 of my review, and the food we enjoyed, see below…

LBF «v 2.0», as it has been called, opened on June 12^th and seems to respects the traditions of the institution it was/​has been, while adding a touch of «freshness» to the décor and cuisine.
Tir Na Nog X gave a great description of the food and while we just had Chef Abrams send out various courses, many of them were the same or similar to the ones covered in Tir Na Nog X’s review.
Nicolas mentioned that they have ordered a complete set of new silverware (wonder what the plans are for the current set) and while some pieces of new China are already in service, additional pieces will be added over time.
The bar is open downstairs and they will start serving food next week. Lunch service will be added to the main dining room (a bargain at $ 55) in a couple of weeks.
Philippe the sommelier is very good and steered us well with a 2009 Meursault and a 2007 Cornas. Pastry chef Jennifer Smith created some delicious sweet gems.
While there were a few very minor glitches, I am pleasantly surprised that what is essentially a new restaurant is running so smooth during its first few days.

I cannot believe that this place is closed.
Just for background, I’m a teenager (surprise, young people like this place too!) and enjoy good food. I’m in college now and was having food nostalgia, so I Unilocaled my hometown favorites.
Perrier is the father of innovation — the sea foam technique that he uses for the scallops is brilliant. I’ve seen it done elsewhere, but not with the same perfection. I don’t think I’ll ever forget those scallops. The crab cakes are divine. Also, as a Chinese-​American, I really appreciate his hints of fusion. Honestly, I dislike restaurants that try and make Chinese dishes into fusion (e.g. «pork belly bao buns») because they often lack the savory ‘umami’ flavor that makes Asian cuisine so great, and they are more expensive. I think Perrier effectively blends Asian flavors with French cuisine to create a dish that is greater than the sum of its parts.
The dessert cart is awesome. There aren’t many restaurants that serve cake any more (molten chocolate cakes don’t count) but Le Bec-​Fin had fantastic chocolate gateaux and a great sponge cake with fruit, as well as the usual tart and pastry selection. It really made my meal memorable. So many places nowadays falter on the dessert, offering up crumbles (take ~15 min to bake) and molten cakes (~10) in individual portions so as to not waste products. I really appreciated that Le Bec-​Fin chefs worked to create a great experience from beginning to end.
I think what I ultimately really loved about this place was that it was wholeheartedly devoted to its cause: to offer an opulent, unforgettable experience. Yes, the servers are kind of catty, but I loved it because I found it amusing, and also, I saw it as part of the atmosphere. It’s one of the vestiges of the Old World, with its gossip, its ridiculousness, and its splendor. Philly has its BYOBs and its Steven Starr hangouts, which serve up such great food/​great atmosphere for less money. But Le Bec-​Fin is in a different class from BYOBs and thus cannot be judged by the same ‘values’ as BYOBs. I think Philly (Mag) has forgotten that.
Reading through reviews, I could not believe that people said they were happy that this place closed down. I had to write this review because I know that there are a lot of Philadelphians out there who love this place, and for whom this place had special meaning. I am grateful to Le Bec-​Fin, for not only putting Philly on the restaurant scene map, but for becoming a pinnacle of fine dining. This restaurant will be sorely missed.

I came here for restaurant week and the food was delicious but the service was awful. My main takeaway from this experience is: wait until you make enough money to come here on a non-​restaurant week deal.
I think they were trying to appease the restaurant week customers the best they can with the price they will be charging which resulted in terrible service and sub optimal presentation of what I assume the restaurant really is.

I went for restaurant week and I’ll say that the food was good, but it wasn’t anything good enough to bring me back. I got the following for each course.
Appetizer-​Country Pâté with Red Wine Quince, Banyuls, Petite Salad
Entrée-​Seared Diver Scallops with Fingerling Potato, Farro, Shallot-​Pecan Vinaigrette
Dessert-​Key Lime Tart, Soft Meringue, Raspberry Sauce
The tate was very tender and the sauce on the side was made it better. A very good balance and as a first timer for the Pâté, I was satisfied with it.
However, the scallops were so salty. If they had just dumped in less salt, it would have been really good cuz the tenderness of the scallops were amazing. Now the dessert… it was PURE SUGAR. SO SWEET. TOO sweet. It was so sweet that it ruined the whole meal I had so far. I definitely went out after dinner and got black coffee to make the sweetness go away.
Ambiance was really nice tho. And the different types of brread were all wonderful! Basically, I enjoyed the food, but wouldn’t go back again for paying that much for such small portions. I know I can find a better french restaurant. If you’re contemplating between this place and another French restaurant, I think you’ll have a better memorable experience at the other one. s

I had dinner during Restaurant Week. Now, before you dismiss the review, hear me out.
The disclaimer is Restaurant Week, and honestly, I am not a fan of it. I feel like the food is all prepared ahead of time, and it is not a good representation of the establishment. That being said, this is probably the worst Restaurant Week experience I’ve had.
Now, you might think, «You would normally dish out at least $ 100/​person at a place like this, so what do you expect for $ 35?». Well I expect decent service and decent food (at least make those few dishes of that week acceptable). And plus, THIS IS RESTAURANT WEEK. It is what it is.
Maybe I’m being harsh. Maybe I’m not.
I was the first to arrive from my party (on-​time) at 5:30. Due to traffic (and our Asian-​ness), everyone (7) was seated at 6:00. Now, it was unfair that we were all late. I understand. So the waiter informed us that we had to be out at 7:00. We all felt bad, and I wasn’t worried since this was RW and there is a set menu. No problem.
We were being rushed a little (again, we were sorry), but I couldn’t help but notice that the table next to us wasn’t being rushed at all. They were eating their appetizers when I got there, and we left before them. The waiter had informed us that the tables were booked in increments to accomodate RW. Like, really?
Anyway, the food. We had enough people in our party that everyone was able to try everything. I think the chicken dish was the best (a little sad), and the steak was sub-​par. Maybe this is just me, but I like my dish to be a little more than luke warm. The dessert again, were just meh. The anticipated crème brûlée disappointed, and I think the best one I’ve had was at Audrey Claire.
At least the bread guy was super nice.

Oh boy… never meet your heroes.
Caveat, this is a restaurant week review so that might have skewed things a bit. I imagine that its a completely different experience when youre dropping $ 125 a meal instead of $ 35. With that said, on with the show…
I’ve been wanting to come here for a WHILE now. I wanted to experience the certain, what the French call, je nais se quoi of a big boy French restaurant. So, tonight, we threw on our Sunday best and the misses and I hopped in the car and went to see how the other half lives.
Some people have commented on the «Frenchness» of Le-​Bec Fin, but after being greeted by our Asian hostess and sat by our non French caucasian… uh, «seater,» and given bread and water by our two mexican servers, I got a decidedly united nations feel instead of a french one. No biggie, that doesn’t affect the score in any way, shape or form, just an observation.
We were sat and got to the business of ordering: for appetizers it was the Cauliflower veloute and snails in garlic butter sauce. For entrees, salmon and seared diver scallops and for dessert, 2 crème brulees.
«Underwhelmed» doesn’t do it justice. The world renowned snails were TINY and chewy. Although they were cooked perfectly, and they were HUGE, the diver scallops just didn’t wow me in anyway. The cauliflower veloute and crème brûlée were quite tasty however.
Again, I think the Restaurant Week thing completely changed the dynamic of this place. When you think of Le-​Bec Fin, you think of snooty french garcons in tuxedos with pencil thin mustaches bringing out plates covered with silver platters and removing them with a flourish and a waft of steam. Not a tiny mexican woman giving you a hard sourdough roll while you wait for your chewy snails and bland salmon. The silverware didn’t even match and I’m positive that my knife handle was PLASTIC! At a restaurant that charges $ 180 for a course option. Based on this performance, there is NO way I could recommend ponying up the big cash to go here during «regular» times, but I’m sure you would get at least a slightly upgraded experience.
Our meals and 2 glasses of wine came to $ 91 before tip. My wife said that she would have been happier at Applebees. Ouch. But, it WAS a pretty subpar dining experience.

Once upon a time, someone I knew told me they were going to Le Bec-​Fin for dinner. Feeling like increasing the amount of evil I’ve inflicted upon the world, I convinced her that «le bec fin» was french for «the last bagel.» The restaurant had that name because it used to be a French pastry shop that also made exceptional bagels in the 1940s. She believed me.
Although my head danced with hilarious images of her showing off her fabricated historical knowledge to flabbergasted dining companions, I did tell her that I made it all up a few hours later. My spurt of honesty is the most regretful action I have ever taken.
Technically, the aforementioned anecdote was my first interaction with Le Bec-​Fin.
Recently, I had the pleasure of eating dinner there. It was pretty darn great. It is the perfect place to wear that great suit that just gathers dust in between weddings and conferences. The space is elegant and conjures up images in movies where the rambunctious characters go to piss off a lot of wealthy people who look at them all funny (See: Blues Brothers, The Jerk, Freddie Got Fingered, etc.)
I’ll cut the crap — You’re going for the crabcake and the dessert cart. $ 120 for dinner is steep for a 7-​course dinner, but it is worth it for a special occasion*.
The Wagyu, lamb, and scallop dishes are all really great but they do not compare to the crabcake, which is basically all crab and no cake. It is served with a perfectly creamy sauce.
The American snapper beats the scallops as far as a choice in the Les poissons section.
One thing I really like about this place is that the sides to the meat dishes are very wacky. Serving me fish with hibiscus, Napa cabbage, and parsley root is just really, really original. Even though not all the flavors impressed me, most of them were brand new to my palate.
The cheese chariot is a diverse selection of cheeses served with a great spread and the best grapes I’ve had in recent memory.
The dessert cart is a smörgåsbord of freaking fantastic cakes and tarts and shit. I loved it.
Alright I’m gonna wrap this review up now.
*7 courses is a bit deceiving. The entrees, poissons, viandes, dessert, and cheese courses are hefty, but the intermezzo and sorbet are hardly more than a palate cleanser. My intermezzo was a mushroom cappuccino that was tasty but did not make me insane with gustatory pleasure. The sorbet was just OK. Don’t worry — you will not leave here hungry. I’m just sayin’.

First of all, expect to spend a lot of money at Le Bec Fin. For dinner you can get a 4 course menu for $ 80, 7 courses for $ 125, or 9 courses for $ 185. You only get the dessert cart for the 7 or 9 course dinners. You want the dessert cart. We were all stuffed and still managed to try just about everything that was on the cart.
There were four of us and we pretty much tried everything on the menu since we each got a different item for the 7 course menu. We started with an appetizer, a fish course, an intermezzo, a meat course, the cheese plate, a sorbet, and then the dessert cart. We are all stuffed by the end of this.
Highlights:
Appetizers — the crab cake is spectacular. I would get this again. The escargot was nothing special — lots of butter and garlic. The foie gras can be either seared (hot) or cold. We opted for hot and it was very good but just not as good as the crab cake.
Fish — Of the halibut, cod, scallops, and striped bass, the scallops were the best followed closely by the striped bass. The cod was a little disappointing.
Meat — The four courses were Wagyu beef, veal, lamb, and squab. The squab was my favorite. The Wagyu beef was good but not sure if it was worth the supplement.
Dessert — My favorite thing on the cart was the coffee cake, although most of the items were delicious. Get the dessert cart!
Yes it was expensive but I felt like I was able to try one of the well known old school restaurants in Philadelphia.

Appetizers: Foie Gras, oysters. Main: Bass, Beef. DESSERT!!!

.week.
Three people at the table started off with the champagne butter escargots and all unanimously agreed that it was too salty. Sad. That’s usually my favorite. Scallops were okay, flat iron steak was okay… but nothing worth remembering. Thank goodness for crème brûlée to the rescue!
Le Bec-​Fin is still my favorite restaurant in Philly. I hope other Unilocalers who went there during restaurant week give it another chance. Perhaps they were having an off night the night I went but that is absolutely NOT allowed! Hello cheese cart. Hello dessert cart. Both absent during restaurant week.
.WEEK.

Full review in the blog.
Settling into what may be the most comfortable chairs in dining history and placing the thick linen napkin on my lap I was greeted by a young man who inquired as to whether I preferred tap or bottled water — selecting tap my glass was filled and remained well above half-​full throughout the meal’s two hour duration. Three knives, three forks — all silver, a potted plant, and salt and pepper shakers decorated the well padded table and I’d shortly be greeted by my server, a pleasant and jovial man who admitted to being new to the Perrier family, but never failed to have the (right) answer to any question or request. Presented with the menu it was explained that there was an a la carte, a 3-​course business lunch, or the tasting menu — I was also told of three specials and given suggestions as to the restaurant’s signatures.
When my server asked if I was ready to order, indeed I was. «I’ll have the tasting menu and I’d like to add a couple of courses.» «Sir, I must warn you that will be a lot of food.» «I’m sure I’ll be fine.» After a few jokes I inquired about the cheese and dessert cart and was informed they are not operated during lunch, but that any/​all selections from either could be done as a composed plate.
My first course of the afternoon would be course one of the tasting. Served in a small sauté dish which was uncapped tableside the Escargots Cassolette with Hazelnut, Champagne, Garlic Butter smelled like a dream come true — a very pungent dream. Featuring shelled and plump snails, at least ten to my tongue, plus tiny bits of chopped nuts in an aromatic broth with the bite of champagne but the base of pure butter and finely pressed garlic the dish wowed. While perhaps not something you’d want to order on a date night, the contrasting textures and rich aromatics were profound and well balanced… I soaked up every drop with a slice of baguette — my server agreed this was «the only way to do it.»
Course number two would be titled Diver Sea Scallop, Charred Watermelon, Tomato, Rosewater Emulsion the dish did not really look all that interesting with a single scallop sitting in a cloud of foam, but looks are often time deceiving. Regarding the scallop — it was perfect, fresh, nearly brulee crisp on the exterior and practically raw within. More interesting than the scallop, however, was its bed — a texture I can only describe as finely chopped salsa with hints of smoke, sweetness, and acid all nicely balanced.
My third course would be one of my supplement courses — it would also be the best dish of the afternoon and every bit worth the title «signature.» Described in French as a Galette the Signature Crab Cake with French Green Beans and Whole Grain Mustard Sauce sat tall, proud, and without a bit of filler. More a crab burger than cake in shape/​size and more a sweet crab omelet than cake in flavor the dish was topped tableside with a pour of buttery mustard speckled béarnaise that did not overpower but instead served to enhance.
Hitting a nice pace with a dish arriving every 15 minutes my next course would be the other supplement — Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Port poached cherries, and French toast in a maple foie gras reduction. Flawlessly seared, perfectly clean, a little sweet, a lot savory — not a novel presentation, but a classic done classically.
For my main course, Domestic Lamb Loin with Purple Cauliflower, Crunchy Oats, Marcona Almond, and Golden Raisin Reduction the dish was remarkable. Served medium rare and so tender that they opted against presenting it with a knife the lamb itself was a fine piece, slightly gamey as expected but well met with the sweet raisin reduction. Presented beautifully with the pureed purple cauliflower as a base and topped with a granola textured compote of oats and almonds the dish was a sight and flavor to behold.
Waiting approximately 20 minutes while the desserts were plated in the kitchen the restaurant was now bustling. Enjoying my coffee and its subsequent refills the plates that would arrive yet were unfortunately not from a trolley or carte, but they certainly were beautiful. Arriving with ample description, two plates and easily a pound in weight — all nine of Le Bec Fin’s signature desserts — to the shock of my server I would clean these plates as well.
While some may call Le Bec Fin’s style dated and the food boring, I found the word’s classy and classic much more applicable. No stranger to hyper-​modern cooking (Alinea) or loud uncomfortable seating in jeans and a T-​shirt (Ko) for greater than $ 150pp I found Le Bec Fin to be a flashback to the way fine dining used to be. Sure, there will still be refined and high quality service, sourcing, seating, and food once Le Bec Fin closes its doors for good, but even then I’ll be glad to have experienced Chef Perrier’s gem while I had the chance.

I went there for restaurant week and the experience was great but just. not as good as I’d expected from what was supposed to be the most celebrated restaurant in Philly. Went with a few friends, we all ordered different things to try out the menu.
Appetizers
Caramelized Onions and Goat Cheese Tart — so savory yet light with that perfectly flaky crust!
Mushroom Ravioli in Ivory Sauce — amazing
Entrees — all pretty standard, good but not amazing?
Sautéed Scallops, Lentils, in a Beurre Noisette Sauce
Salmon Confit in Olive Oil, Crispy Basmati rice, Saffron Sauce
Hanger Steak, Pommes Purée, Sauce Bordelaise
Dessert — kind of boring :(
Crème Brulee
Le Bec Fin Chocolate Cake
We also asked to take a look in the kitchen and like the rest of the meal, it was underwhelming. Also, I expected service to be exceptional and it was not. I hate it when they don’t wait to take the plates away at the same time or serve at the same time.