Fodor's Expert Review Le Bec-Fin
Editor's Note: This location is no longer in operation.
Georges Perrier can't seem to make up his mind (but thankfully he continues to make great food). A few years ago he took the Versailles-style decor down at his renowned eatery to a 19th-century Parisian salon motif and the servers' uniforms down from tuxedoes to blazers. In 2008 the front of the house loosened up even more with an à la carte menu replacing set seating times and a prix-fixe degustation menu and—mais, oui!—a dress code that allows jeans. In 2011 Le Bec reopened again as somewhere in between its past two incarnations. Set seatings remain in the past, but the prix-fixe options are back: $80 for four courses or $125 for the traditional seven courses plus the famous, all-you-can-eat dessert cart (which you can order a la carte). A Grand Degustation Menu is $185. This outpost of Lyonnais cuisine continues to set a stratospherically high standard for Philadelphia, and there's still sufficient acclaim to require an advance reservation of a month or more to garner a table on Saturday night. If dinner is out of your price range, Le Bar Lyonnais—down a flight of stairs from the main dining room—is a cozy, charming space that features the chef's specialty dishes for entrées that range $15–$40.