Le Bec-Fin to update its decor in fall
The restaurant will advance to the 20th century, art-deco-style.
Le Bec-Fin is planning to move into the 20th century.
Saying the decor must match his food, chef-owner Georges Perrier said he would close his Walnut Street French landmark after dinner Nov. 1 for a two-week renovation.
And this comes after a four-week, half-million-dollar-plus redo that created its current decor - 19th-century Parisian salon - just six years ago.
This time around, Le Bec-Fin's main dining room will go art deco, accented with modern touches, Perrier said. The chandeliers and crown molding will be all that remain.
A designer has not been selected, Perrier said.
Furnishings and decorations, down to the sconces, may be repurposed in a new Le Bec-Fin location that investors want to create in Dubai, said Perrier representative Dana Spain-Smith.
"Le Bec-Fin's brand awareness is very strong over there," said Spiro Baltas, founder of the Gotham Brand, which represents hotels and restaurants in the booming Middle East.
(Cuba Libre, the lively Latin in Old City and Atlantic City, also is in early talks for a location in Dubai, said Barry Gutin, a principal in Cuba Libre.)
Le Bec-Fin in April bent to the times and ended the practice of prix-fixe dining, in favor of a la carte. Though per-person dinner tabs dropped way below $100, customer counts rose, Perrier said. Chef de cuisine Pierre Calmels' food is regarded as lighter and more accessible.
As part of the fall renovation, Le Bar Lyonnais - Le Bec's downstairs bar - will be converted into what Spain-Smith described as un boîte: a sexy, low-lit lounge with private corners and sumptuous banquettes. Its menu will reflect Perrier's Lyonnais roots.
Le Bec began at 1312 Spruce St. in 1970 and moved to 1523 Walnut - coincidentally, an art deco building - in 1983.
For the restaurant's most recent restyling, in 2002, designer David Schultz brought the dining room from the late 18th century (Louis XVI) into an airier but still formal look, complete with gilt molding, woven gold silk panels and antique mirrors that lend the room the luster of a treasure chest.