Le Be Fin finally closed its doors after 40 years in mid 2013. A new restaurant will replace it, to be run by Justin Bogle, who previously was head chef at Gilt (itself now closed) in New York. The brief notes below are now of historical interest only.
This featured a seriously over-the-top dining room that looked like an attempt at a room from Versailles. If only the same attention went into the service and cooking. I did have a good dessert here but the rest of the meal was very ordinary, and I was served by someone who looked and behaved like he was on the run from the law. Deeply overrated and very expensive.
Richard Meyer
Brasserie perrier is far better then Bec-Fin.
Richard Carreño
Philadelphia::11 July 2008 Andy nailed this place perfectly! It is inhabited by overstuffed octogenarians, seemingly on leave from a visiting dental convention. Over-the-top, I say! The dining room is some kind of nightmare vision that could have been concocted by Randolph Hearst, and you know what kind of tastemaker he was. A year or two ago, I ate at little place near Deauville, also called Le Bec Fin. (That was the reason I showed up). Skip Philly. Head directly to Deauville. Cheers, Richard
J.J. STIVES
After visiting Le Bec on five different occasions, I have always been impressed with Georges Perrier's efforts to hold the French standard higher than his competitors in what is, at best, a city hostile to anything that isn't cheese and steak on a bun. Both the main dining room and the bistro, Le Bar Lyonnais in the basement have always provided excellent offerings for me and my guests, although the usual French semi aloofness will cow some guests. I found it no more over rated than so many other top shelf properties. As is often the case, one cannot control what else is going on at any given time and there are times when even this historically top of the line spot may fail to live up to its reputation. When I compare with others that hold that distinction, such as the Inn at Little Washington, which got Zagat raters so enthralled for years, or The Fountain, over at the Four Seasons, or, God Forbid, the Philadelphia favorite, Susanna Foo, I think Le Bec still does quite well. If you aren't into high French cuisine, it's probably not your place. JJ Stives November 2007