Le Bec Fin

With Le Bec-Fin aiming it close its doors in the near future, and a chef's tasting menu running, I jumped at the chance to make reservations and dine here. The atmosphere is wild; it's like eating in a elaborate hotel. I don't know if I've ever dined at a place this fancy.

The service is an almost perfected choreographed show. Each person had a specific job; there's the bread person, the wine person, food runners, waiters, dessert cart people, ect. It's fun to watch them run around and literally wait on you hand and foot. I did see a few slip ups, like a bottle of champagne that was spilled, or a dish dropped on the floor. It's like seeing a mistake in a movie, it doesn't really bother you and it's fun to notice.

Le Bec-Fin boosts an impressive wine list, but the prices steered me away. I'd have to know a lot about a wine to want to drop 60-160 dollars on the bottle. I was out with Quinn, and we ordered the same appetizer to start our meals. We had octopus that was expertly grilled and seasoned. It was a great way to start the meal.

For my main course, I had stuffed quail. It was a good dish, but I wasn't blown away. Quinn ate salmon, and I think she felt along the same lines. After diner we were both served with a small slice of sheep's cheese from Spain. Again, good, not amazing.

The portions here seem small, but once you reach the end of the meal, it truly has been enough food to eat. At this point in our meal, I was satisfied, but certainly not raving about the meal or the experience. Still, we weren't finished: I had seen the dessert cart pushed by our table a few times while we were dining. I thought I knew what to expect.

The dessert cart girl came over and told us the dozen or so options. I really could have ordered three or four that I would have loved. That's why I was so happy when she told us that we each got to pick two desserts! To top it off, it came with a small dish of dessert bites, compliments of the pastry chef. I had a triple layer rum soaked chocolate cake that was truly amazing. The rum and chocolate flavors combined perfectly for this excellent dessert. My second choice was a coffee cake with cinnamon and a few other additives; the description of it sounded so good but I didn't pay too much attention. Quinn got a coconut cake topped with strawberry and kiwi, which I thought was mild and combined the flavors well. Her last choice was a milk chocolate cream cake with vanilla custard.

Bottom Line: Le Bec-Fin is fine French dining. It's not the kind of place I'd normally eat, and I probably wouldn't go again. That being said, the experience is worthwhile, if not more enjoyable than the food. The dessert cart is the best part of Le Bec-Fin. It's an experience everyone should have at least once. A few hours will fly by before you notice.

Essentials:

1523 Walnut Street

215-567-1000

Hours: 11am-11pm

Four Course Dinner: $80, Six Course: $120

Accepted Cards

Reservations Required